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This study investigated the effects of the Leader in Me (LiM), a social-emotional learning program implemented in thousands of schools. A mixed-method design included (1) a collective case study in four diverse, high-implementing elementary schools and (2) a post hoc quasi-experiment using propensity score 1:3 matching of 117 LiM and 348 non-LiM schools to compare achievement and discipline incident rates. The case study indicated that participants perceived LiM as improving social-emotional competencies for both teachers and students. Teachers reported being more prosocial, feeling more camaraderie, using more effective discipline, developing better teacher-student relationships, and enjoying teaching more. Students were more prosocial, confident and motivated, and had fewer problem behaviors. School climate improved. Results replicated across four diverse schools. The quasi-experiment supported results of the collective case study. Schools implementing LiM had higher mathematics and ELA, but not science, scores on state proficiency exams and fewer discipline incidents.

The COVID-19 pandemic and related school closures greatly interfered in students' social, emotional, and academic development creating behavioral struggles after returning to school. This concurrent mixed-methods study examined teacher perceptions of student behavioral change and social-emotional learning (SEL) during the return to in-person schooling in fall 2021. Teachers (N = 120) from a Midwestern state completed online surveys consisting of both closed and open-ended questions about student's social, emotional, and academic behavior. Teachers also responded to questions about SEL program implementation in their schools before and during the pandemic. Teachers overwhelmingly reported worsened student behavior since returning to school. Content analysis revealed academic motivation struggles were most often reported, followed by social and emotional struggles, respectively. Additionally, teachers from schools with SEL programs were significantly less likely to report academic motivation struggles. Findings suggest that SEL programs may help mitigate COVID-related academic motivation struggles. Possibilities for future research on student behavior and SEL as the pandemic recedes are discussed.

One key mechanism through which evaluation facilitates teachers' growth is principals' feedback during teacher evaluation. In this study, we examined the relationship between teachers' perceptions of feedback quality and improvement in their instructional practices. We used student report--a meaningful but rarely used measure--to measure the quality of instruction of two important instructional practices; promotion of cognitive engagement and critical thinking. We used teacher report to measure five characteristics of feedback. We found that feedback that focused on strengths was associated with a higher quality of both instructional practices, whereas focus on ways to improve teaching was associated only with the promotion of critical thinking. Whether feedback was immediate and face-to-face did not predict higher quality instructional practices.

Teacher surveys of principal leadership are a common component of school improvement efforts. The usefulness of teacher feedback surveys is dependent on teachers' interpretation of survey items. The current study explores evidence regarding the validity and reliability of teacher surveys for evaluating principals and explores their alignment to nationally recognized standards. We examine the responses of 6,965 teachers who took the Network for Educator Effectiveness Teacher Survey to evaluate 652 elementary, middle, and high school principals and assistant principals in Missouri. We explore how teacher perceptions aligned with the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders. Results of a multilevel exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis suggest that teacher perceptions aligned well with the standards, both at the teacher and principal levels. Responses showed good internal consistency. These results support the use of standards-based teacher surveys when evaluating principals, and suggest that teachers can effectively distinguish different domains of principal leadership.

Teacher evaluation systems across the United States are increasingly including student surveys as one source of data, but concerns remain about students' ability to distinguish the multiple dimensions of teaching. We empirically examined this issue in an authentic evaluation system that uses a student survey based on the InTASC framework of teacher effectiveness. Our study addressed the factor structure and reliability of the Teacher Effectiveness Student Survey (TESS) using data from 5,178 surveys. We found that students' perception of teacher effectiveness is consistent with the theory-based structure of the survey. Of particular importance, it suggests that elementary and secondary students are able to distinguish among different dimensions of teaching. Our results also indicated that TESS has a strong alignment with six InTASC-based teaching standards at both the student and teacher levels. Finally, we found that the aggregate student ratings reflect a reliable measure of the six theory-based teacher effectiveness constructs.