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This study describes first-year underrepresented college students' sense of belonging following participation in the initial cohort of All Rise, a Career and Calling Circle (CCC). While Restorative Practices, like the circle process, have emerged in response to addressing student disciplinary issues, little research exists regarding how these approaches could be applied to proactively contribute to a sense of belonging. Specifically, this emerging intervention leverages the career interests of underrepresented first-year students to create spaces that attempt to promote a sense of belonging. Understanding whether CCC contributed to the participants’ sense of belonging can assist career advisors and faculty in order to more fully support underrepresented students. Interview data revealed themes related not only to making their professional goals more tangible and increasing confidence to pursue those goals, but also providing a safe space to connect with others. This suggests that CCC positively influenced students' sense of belonging.

The growth of school-based initiatives incorporating multitiered systems of support (MTSS) for social, emotional, and behavioral domains has fueled interest in behavioral assessment. These assessments are foundational to determining risk for behavioral difficulties, yet research to date has been limited with regard to when and how often to administer them. The present study evaluated these questions within the framework of behavioral stability and examined the extent to which behavior is stable when measured by two school-based behavioral assessments: the Direct Behavior Rating-Single-Item Scales (DBR-SIS), and the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BESS). Participants included 451 students rated three times per year across 4 years, with the primary teacher from each year providing the within-year ratings. Latent variable models were employed to measure the constructs underlying the observed assessment scores. Models demonstrated that the DBR-SIS best captured changes within the year, whereas the BESS scores remained stable across time points within a year. Across years, scores from both assessments captured changes. The unique contributions of each assessment in the data-based decision-making process are discussed, and recommendations are given for their combined use within and across school years. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).