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The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of therapeutic play training on physical health in 10-12 year old children with back muscle weakness. Experimental research model was used in the study. According to the results of the Functional Movement Screening test, 16 children (8 Study, 8 Control) with back muscle weakness were included in the study as participants. According to the pre-test analysis results, children with weak back muscles were given therapeutic play training with 7 different games adapted to increase healthy posture and physical development for 8 weeks and 3 days a week. At the end of the therapeutic game education application process, the FMS test (post-test) was administered to the children again and the results were recorded. The groups were homogeneously distributed, independent sample t-test was used to determine the difference between the research and control groups, and paired sample t-test was used to compare the data within groups. All statistical values obtained were evaluated at 95% confidence interval and significance was evaluated at p<0.05 level. According to the findings obtained from the study, a statistically significant difference was found when the FMS pre-test-post-test results of the children in the study group, in which therapeutic games were applied, were analyzed (p<0.05). As a result of the FMS pre-test before the education program was started, it was determined that 7 of the 8 participants, who could not reach a sufficient score and whose back muscles were found to be weak, reached a sufficient score according to the FMS post-test results after the applications, and only 1 participant showed positive development although he could not get a sufficient score. When the FMS pre-post test results applied to the control group were examined, it was determined that there was no statistically significant difference p>0.05.

Physical activity breaks in the classroom are an efficient way of promoting healthy behaviors in students, enhancing the development of their cognitive and academic abilities. The effects of active breaks, which are exclusive to the academic environment, are almost entirely positive, only a few papers did not show significant improvements, but they did not show any negative impact on academic performance either. This research was carried out to identify the properties and consequences of active breaks and physical activity during classes in school age. We have examined multiple databases, and we have selected 41 papers accounting for a time span of 15 years. Psychology, medicine, and education databases were the most browsed. Most papers revealed positive outcomes for improving skills related to mathematics, language, reading, comprehension, as well as cognitive and executive functions. Overall, the results of this review corroborate the theory that physical education in schools is positively associated with academic performance in children. Education researchers keep investigating in order to fully assess the positive impact on academic performance, behavior during classes, and cognitive functions.

Background: Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities are at a higher risk of developing dental caries. Few scoping reviews have been conducted in India to understand their issues. We aimed to summarise the distribution and risk factors of dental caries among children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities in India. Methods: A scoping review was conducted based on the Arksey O Malley framework. Quality assessment of studies, descriptive and thematic analyses were also conducted. Results: We charted, collated, and summarised from four databases. Thirty-one studies met the study criteria consisting of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities. Median caries prevalence was 70%, decayed missing and fIlled permenant teeth (DMFT) was 2.4, decayed missing and filled decidous teeth (dmft) was 2.36, and DMFS was 3.7. Major determinants were the severity of disability, socioeconomic status and parents' education. Oral care and dental visits were inadequate. Conclusion: Further exploration is required to improve access and reduce caries experience and prevalence among children with intellectual and developmental disabilities in India.

Purpose: Many young children in need of early intervention are not identified in a timely manner. This preliminary study explored the emerging role of speech language pathologists (SLPs), providing training to improve the use of developmental screening in pediatric primary care. Method: A quantitative, descriptive methodology with a one-group pretest, posttest interventional design was utilized to assess the impact of an SLP-led educational intervention on the knowledge of 17 paraprofessional medical support personnel to administer a standardized developmental screening tool. Results: Data analysis revealed a significant increase on knowledge posttest scores from pretest scores. Conclusion: SLPs providing educational training in pediatric primary care is an important first step in identifying solutions to improving the early identification of children with developmental concerns.

Aim: This study sought to investigate the relationship between knowledge and the practical application (including grocery lists, meal plans and food-related pedagogical plans) of Norwegian national guidelines for food and meals in kindergartens, together with the quality of food served in adherence to these guidelines. The study also examined the frequency of daily meals provided and the quality of food served. Moreover, it explored whether pedagogical staff's knowledge of these guidelines was linked to their practical application. Method: Data were collected from 324 kindergarten staff members by means of a web-based questionnaire distributed to both public and private kindergartens in Norway between 2018 and 2020. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were employed to explore associations between pedagogical staff knowledge of the content of national guidelines and food quality in line with national guidelines. Results: Of the 324 participating kindergartens, two-thirds were private providers and one-third were public. A total of 155 kindergartens were in eastern Norway, 41 in mid-Norway, 50 in the west, 48 in the south and 26 in northern Norway. The study found that pedagogical staff's knowledge and the use of national guidelines were positively associated with better food quality and adherence to guidelines for food and meals in kindergartens. In addition, the frequency of daily meals provided by kindergartens was associated with food quality. Conclusions: An association was found between pedagogical staff's knowledge and application of national guidelines for food and meals, and the quality of food served in adherence to these guidelines. In addition, a correlation was observed between the frequency of meals provided by a kindergarten and food quality. These findings suggest that stressing the development of a better understanding of the content of national guidelines for food and meals could potentially enhance food and meal practices in kindergartens, but further research to explore this possibility is warranted.

In this article we experimentally evaluate Colombia's Think Equal program, which teaches socioemotional skills to children ages 3 to 6. Given the context of COVID-19, the original design was adapted as a hybrid model, alternating in-person and remote instruction and engaging families in the implementation of the curriculum. We found that the program had positive effects on children's prosocial behavior, self-awareness, and cognitive learning. The intervention also had an impact on the education center's personnel (community mothers) and caregivers implementing the activities. Treated community mothers had higher levels of empathy, lower negative health symptoms, better pedagogical practices, and a closer relationship with the children's caregivers compared with those in the control group. Treated caregivers had better stimulation practices and lower negative health symptoms compared with those in the control group. These findings suggest that a well-designed intervention has the potential to develop socioemotional skills in children at an early age and, at the same time, to develop capacities in those who implement the activities. Our results have important implications for the design, implementation, and evaluation of early childhood socioemotional learning programs and provide novel evidence about the challenges faced by interventions combining face-to-face and remote learning.

Prevalence estimates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) point to geographic and socioeconomic disparities in identification and diagnosis. Estimating national prevalence rates can limit understanding of local disparities, especially in rural areas where disproportionately higher rates of poverty and decreased healthcare access exist. Using a small area estimation approach from the 2016-2018 National Survey of Children's Health (N = 70,913), we identified geographic differences in ASD prevalence, ranging from 4.38% in the Mid-Atlantic to 2.71% in the West South-Central region. Cluster analyses revealed "hot spots" in parts of the Southeast, East coast, and Northeast. This geographic clustering of prevalence estimates suggests that local or state-level differences in policies, service accessibility, and sociodemographics may play an important role in identification and diagnosis of ASD.County-Level Prevalence Estimates of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children in the United States.

Hypoxia-ischaemia (HI) can result in structural brain abnormalities, which in turn can lead to behavioural deficits in various cognitive and motor domains, in both adult and paediatric populations. Cardiorespiratory arrest (CA) is a major cause of hypoxia-ischaemia in adults, but it is relatively rare in infants and children. While the effects of adult CA on brain and cognition have been widely studied, to date, there are no studies examining the neurodevelopmental outcome of children who suffered CA early in life. Here, we studied the long-term outcome of 28 children who suffered early CA (i.e., before age 16). They were compared to a group of control participants (n = 28) matched for age, sex and socio-economic status. The patient group had impairments in the domains of memory, language and academic attainment (measured using standardised tests). Individual scores within the impaired range were most commonly found within the memory domain (79%), followed by academic attainment (50%), and language (36%). The patient group also had reduced whole brain grey matter volume, and reduced volume and fractional anisotropy of the white matter. In addition, lower performance on memory tests was correlated with bilaterally reduced volume of the hippocampi, thalami, and striatum, while lower attainment scores were correlated with bilateral reduction of fractional anisotropy in the superior cerebellar peduncle, the main output tract of the cerebellum. We conclude that patients who suffered early CA are at risk of developing specific cognitive deficits associated with structural brain abnormalities.

Screening for autism in childhood has been advocated as a part of standard care. Challenges exist with screening implementation and performance of screening tools in clinical practice. This study aimed to examine the validity and feasibility of using the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised with Follow-Up (M-CHAT-R/F) for screening of autism in Singapore. Caregivers completed the M-CHAT-R/F as a part of the routine 18-month well-child visit in seven primary care clinics. Screening and follow-up interviews were administered by trained nursing staff. Children screened positive and a subset of those screened negative underwent diagnostic assessments for autism, which included an Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition. Participants were 5336 multiethnic children (mean age 18.6 ± 0.9 months, 51.3% male gender). In total, 113 (2.1%) were screened positive, of which 54 (1.0%) were classified to have autism after their diagnostic assessment. Sensitivity of the M-CHAT-R/F was 88.6%, specificity 71.4%, and positive predictive value 90.7% for an autism diagnosis. The majority of respondents rated the screening process as feasible within the clinic setting. The M-CHAT-R/F had acceptable psychometric properties and high feasibility when used in primary care settings in Singapore. Recommendations for implementation of systematic screening and future research are presented.

Background: More than 20 million children in the United States lack access to primary health care. Practice Learning: Research shows that students with regular access to physical and mental health services have fewer absences, are more social, less likely to participate in risky behaviors, have improved focus and higher test scores. Implication For School Health Policy, Practice, And Equity: School-based health centers (SBHCs) can be an important, valuable and viable health care delivery option to meet the full-range of primary health care needs of students where they spend the majority of their wake hours, ie, in school. Children in rural and other underserved communities, as well as those underinsured, non-insured, economically challenged, underserved, and the most vulnerable among us are especially at risk. Conclusions: This paper discusses the history, value, and importance of SBHCs from myriad perspectives, including physical and emotional wellbeing, academic and social success, and the promotion of a positive transition to adulthood. In addition, the authors' experiences that resulted in building the first SBHC in the Mid-Hudson Valley Region of New York State are shared. These experiences form the foundation for creating an important roadmap for individuals and school leaders that are interested in bringing a SBHC to their school and district.

Globally, approximately 400,000 youth are diagnosed with pediatric cancer each year. Treatment-related side effects, psychosocial challenges, and frequent school absences may adversely impact learning and the education experience among these youth. Efforts to enhance interagency collaboration between health care settings and community schools are imperative to facilitate school reintegration. The "Standards for the Psychosocial Care of Children with Cancer and Their Families" outline specific guidelines related to the continuity of education for students impacted by pediatric cancer. In particular, the "Academic Continuity and School Reentry Support" and "Monitoring and Assessment of Neuropsychological Outcomes" standards of care highlighted within this article align with extant programmatic efforts for transitioning hospitalized school-aged children back into community schools. This article aims to describe systematic programmatic efforts within hospital-based psychosocial programs that are consistent with the "Standards for the Psychosocial Care of Children with Cancer and Their Families," as well as interagency collaboration with community schools to support student-centered education for youth impacted by pediatric cancer. Resources for school psychologists, teachers, hospital-based programs, and others involved in student-centered education for pediatric cancer patients and survivors are presented.

The conducting of universal mental health screening is one widely endorsed practice suitable for use within P-12 school settings to more proactively identify children and young people experiencing or displaying characteristics of a mental health disorder. Absent routine screening, many school-age youth with mental health concerns, especially those of an internalizing nature, may go unidentified and left without timely treatment, support, and services. The current study, which employed survey methodology with principal respondents from four Midwestern states, primarily sought to contribute to and update the literature on the universal mental health screening practice habits of P-12 schools. Most principal respondents reported that their school does not currently conduct universal mental health screening and cited barriers (e.g., money, time, lack of support system in place) to screening commonly documented in prior studies. Many principals reported at least a moderate degree of interest in their school beginning to conduct universal screening in their buildings; however, a similar majority reported little to no knowledge about this important practice. Fortunately, principal respondents were generally interested in and receptive to support from their school psychologist in exploring and eventually implementing the conducting of universal mental health screening in their building. Implications for practice and future research, along with the potential for school psychologist leadership and role expansion, are discussed.

This paper presents ethnographic work conducted to investigate how notions of culinary capital have the potential to shape the everyday experiences of children during mealtime in school. Children's early experiences with mealtimes and food are critical determinants for eating behaviour over the life course. The paper presents an account of conceptual debates based on longstanding ethnographic work on school food with a particular focus on a case study of Maple Field Academy to frame the research. Research methods used included semi-structured interviews, fieldnotes and photographs with the aim of capturing a rich picture of the school. This paper introduces Laird's sensory theory to frame the discussion. This research calls for the need to recognise the social good that can be realised from participating in mealtimes and school is a microcosm of society, which means it can function as a driver for social change. The paper calls for more engagement with social theorising on studies which focus on researching food in school.

Utilization of telehealth in school-based health centers (SBHCs) is increasing rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study used a quasi-experimental design to evaluate the effect on school absences and cost-benefit of telehealth-exclusive SBHCs at 6 elementary schools from 2015-2017. The effect of telehealth on absences was estimated compared to students without telehealth using negative binomial regression controlling for absences and health suite visits in 2014 and sociodemographic characteristics. The sample included 7,164 observations from 4,203 students. Telehealth was associated with a 7.7% (p = 0.025; 95% CI: 1.0%, 14%) reduction in absences (0.60 days/year). The program cost $189,000/yr and an estimated total benefit of $384,995 (95% CI: $60,416; $687,479) and an annual net benefit of $195,873 (95% CI: -$128,706; $498,357). While this cost-benefit analysis is limited by a lack of data on total healthcare utilization, the use of telehealth-exclusive SBHCs can improve student health and attendance while delivering cost savings to society.

Every moment counts (EMC) is a multi-tiered mental health promotion initiative designed to build the capacity of practitioners to address the mental health needs of children and youth in school settings. This study evaluated the impact and cultural relevance of EMC workshops in supporting practitioners to apply a public health approach to children's mental health in Aotearoa New Zealand. A longitudinal mixed methods design employed a survey and semi-structured interviews to evaluate the applicability, impact and cultural relevance of the EMC workshops. Themes identified from participants' reflections on their experiences of implementing EMC represented everyday practices at individual, team, and organizational levels. Specifically, intersectorial collaboration was perceived as beneficial. There is a call to action for practitioners to work more cohesively and interprofessionally, at policy and practice levels, to effectively promote children's mental health and achieve equitable health and well-being outcomes. Communities of practice offer a potential mechanism to support translation of knowledge into practice in schools. Application of a public health approach to children's mental health in schools, facilitated by the EMC initiative, is applicable and positively impacts outcomes in Aotearoa New Zealand, with some modifications needed to better fit the cultural context.

Background: Youth mental health has declined since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Health coaching and mindfulness-based intervention may support therapeutic processes that promote resilience in the face of risk factors for adverse mental health outcomes. Building Resilience for Healthy Kids (HK) is a school-based intervention designed to support mental health through targeting these processes. Objective: In this study, we tested HK in a pilot randomized controlled trial. Specifically, we examined intervention effects on the theoretically-informed therapeutic processes of emotion regulation, mindfulness, self-efficacy, and resilience and the clinical outcomes of depression and anxiety symptoms. The trial took place between April and June 2021, offering an opportunity to assess the impact of HK in the context of COVID-19. Methods: Participants were early adolescents (N = 230), randomized to HK or assessment-only. Participants in the intervention condition received weekly one-on-one sessions with health coaches. All youth completed validated self-report measures at baseline and post-intervention. Results: Linear mixed effects models indicated that participants who received HK had a greater reduction in emotion regulation difficulties, relative to assessment-only controls (d = 0.84, large effect). Follow-up analyses revealed that youth who endorsed negative affectivity at baseline experienced more benefits than those who did not, and youth who attended more HK sessions increased in self-efficacy, in addition to improved emotion regulation. Intervention effects did not reach significance for other outcomes. Conclusions: Findings suggest that HK may support youth in reducing difficulties in emotion regulation, which are precursors to the development of mental health concerns in adolescence.

Background: Previous evidence has suggested a strong association between school exclusion and health outcomes. However, as health risks are themselves related to the risk of experiencing a school exclusion, it has been challenging to determine the extent to which school exclusion impacts later health outcomes, as opposed to reflecting a marker for pre-existing risks. Aim: The aim of the current study was to address this challenge in estimating the medium-to-long-term impact of school exclusion of health and well-being outcomes. Methods: To this end, we used an inverse propensity weighting approach in the Next Steps data set (N = 6534, from wave 1, 2014, to wave 8, 2015). Results: We found that after weighting for propensity of treatment scores estimated based on a wide range of factors, including previous health indicators, there was a significant effect of school exclusion on a wide range of health and well-being outcomes. Discussion: These results provide some of the most robust evidence to date that school exclusion harms long-term health outcomes. Conclusion: The findings suggest that policies should aim to reduce exclusion and ensure access to preventative health support for those who experience a school exclusion.

School absenteeism among children and adolescents has been associated with a myriad of adverse outcomes. Despite a substantial amount of research on school attendance, our understanding of absenteeism in elementary-aged children with mental health difficulties is limited. The current study used a mixed-method sequential explanatory design to gain a better understanding of the links between children's mental health symptoms, age, gender and school absenteeism. The study included two phases: Phase I presented a quantitative investigation of the links between absenteeism and mental health symptoms in a large sample (N = 750) of primarily White (74%) clinic-referred children aged 5-12 years. Phase II used a participant selection model and chart review design to garner a deeper understanding of how school absenteeism presents in children with mental health problems in the elementary years. Results suggested that internalizing symptoms were significantly related to school attendance problems, and this association worsens as children age and as internalizing symptoms increase in severity. Externalizing symptoms were associated with absenteeism as well, but these findings showed that school attendance problems were worse for younger children with low to moderate levels of externalizing symptoms. The qualitative chart review illustrates the complex interplay of school absenteeism and child mental health, particularly for children experiencing co-occurring internalizing and externalizing problems. Children often struggled academically and socially, with some exhibiting increasing levels of school refusal and truancy and others displaying aggressive behaviors resulting in suspensions. Future studies that examine additional contextual factors, such as school and family variables, with longitudinal cross-lagged models and diverse families are needed to develop a comprehensive understanding of causal associations and their impact on children's school attendance across children's development.

Parenting behaviors have long been recognized as crucial to children's healthy development. However, examinations of the etiology of these behaviors are less prevalent. The current study investigated the driving forces behind parental warmth and discipline, particularly whether they are related more to traits within the parent or reactions to characteristics of the child. To explore this question, three robust factors of child temperament--effortful control, negative affectivity, and surgency/extraversion--and five parent personality traits were examined in association with parent behaviors through differential parenting within 185 four-year-old twin pairs (370 children; 56% girls; 90% White; predominantly middle class). Genetic analyses showed that parents tend to treat both children similarly in terms of parental warmth, but they treat children less similarly in terms of discipline, regardless of child zygosity. Multilevel linear regressions showed that within twin pairs, the child with higher effortful control received less discipline from parents than their cotwin. Analyses also showed that parent agreeableness was significantly related to parent warmth above and beyond other personality traits and child temperament. This study clarified the direction of effects and genetic contributions to parenting behaviors, supporting previous literature that discipline acts in reaction to the child, whereas warmth is more driven by parent personality. This research suggests the importance of focusing on child temperament and parent personality as they relate to parenting behaviors, allowing clinicians and parents to more effectively correct maladaptive parenting behaviors and encourage healthy and adaptive parenting behaviors, thus promoting positive outcomes for children.

Although neurobiologic and genetic factors figure prominently in the development of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), adverse physical health experiences and conditions encountered during childhood may also play a role. Poor health is known to impact the developing brain with potential lifelong implications for behavioral issues. In attempt to better understand the relationship between childhood physical health and the onset and presence of ADHD symptoms, we summarized international peer-reviewed articles documenting relationships between a select group of childhood diseases or health events (e.g., illnesses, injuries, syndromes) and subsequent ADHD outcomes among children ages 0-17 years. Drawing on a larger two-phase systematic review, 57 longitudinal or retrospective observational studies (1978-2021) of childhood allergies, asthma, eczema, head injury, infection, or sleep problems and later ADHD diagnosis or symptomatology were identified and subjected to meta-analysis. Significant associations were documented between childhood head injuries, infections, and sleep problems with both dichotomous and continuous measures of ADHD, and between allergies with dichotomous measures of ADHD. We did not observe significant associations between asthma or eczema with ADHD outcomes. Heterogeneity detected for multiple associations, primarily among continuously measured outcomes, underscores the potential value of future subgroup analyses and individual studies. Collectively, these findings shed light on the importance of physical health in understanding childhood ADHD. Possible etiologic links between physical health factors and ADHD are discussed, as are implications for prevention efforts by providers, systems, and communities.

During the last decade, the Syrian crisis has, in various ways, imposed many fundamental changes upon Syrian society. It has pervaded cultural issues at large with a major effect on education. Ideologies, schooling, mass media, human relationships, and mutual understanding, all have been the target of fierce upheaval. This article examines the question of how much this crisis has affected the music education system, especially for children, who are its silent victims. Is there a big difference in music education and its delivery prior to 2011 and since? Which methods do teachers now have to use when they teach and how much are these methods far and free from politics? Does music serve special goals and ideologies? To answer these questions, I wrote a short historical review about the Syrian education system, and interviewed three music teachers who studied in and currently work in Syria for the purpose of obtaining their feedback of the status of teaching/learning music in Syria. To document and support my work I included and analyzed some publicly available videos. The aim of this research work was to investigate to what extent the music curricula are appropriate for primary education especially in this time of crisis; and ascertain whether they resonate with Syrian children's conditions and provide some positive influence during the difficult time that the country current experience.

The study aims to examine the readiness of Indian parents towards online classes at kindergarten and junior school levels, by identifying the perceived barriers, perceived effectiveness and health impact of online classes on young children. The study is based on data collected across a random sample of 750 parents of students studying at junior and kindergarten levels in urban private schools which offer online classes. The data was analyzed through exploratory factor analysis, ANOVA and multiple regression analysis. Technological, infrastructural, and personal barriers related to students, and parents, were identified as perceived barriers by parents in availing online classes for their kids. Parents' attitude towards online classes at kindergarten and primary levels gets negatively influenced by the barriers they face, and the perceived negative impact of technology usage on their kids' health, while; perceived effectiveness was found to have a positive impact on the parents' attitude. The study is unique as it includes the interest of such young stakeholders of the education system. The study highlights the barriers faced by parents related to online classes and the health-related concerns which play a major role in the adoption of online mode of education for their kids. Research gives insights to school authorities and the government to work on these barriers and make the online education system effective which is the need of the hour during COVID-19.

Overweight and obesity in childhood has reached epidemic levels, and their roles in physical and psychological health are now recognized. Recently, researchers have focused on the impact of these weight problems in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) domains, which are less investigated in children. This exploratory study examined the differences in HRQoL domains between a clinical group who were overweight/obesity treatment-seeking (n = 58) and a normal-weight group (n = 44) in a sample of 102 children, with a specific focus on school functioning and well-being. The second aim explored the link between our findings and other HRQoL dimensions. After controlling for sex and age, a multivariate analysis of variance showed lower levels in school functioning and well-being dimensions between overweight/obesity than normal-weight (F = 4.72; p < 0.05). Correlation analyses highlighted positive links between lower school functioning and well-being and lower levels of self-esteem (r = 0.308; p < 0.01) and social domains in terms of friendships (r = 0.522 ; p < 0.001) and family relationships (r = 0.561; p < 0.001) in children who were with overweight and obesity. This study discusses the implications of these findings in educational research and practices.

This paper presents a historical account of conceptual development at the intersection of American education and health. Beginning with early advancements from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the World Health Organization, the authors show the movement from early considerations of the codependency of health and education. The authors suggest that more than fifty years of theoretical innovations at the nexus of health and education culminated in the 2014 introduction of "Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child" (WSCC). At the same time, the authors show that the trajectory of this movement was far from linear. In addition to explaining why WSCC is in many ways a critical revision of the social determinants model that serves today as a promising foundation of American school-based health, the authors examine opportunities and challenges that the pivot towards WSCC presents. Three particular areas are explored: assessment, funding, and collaboration.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly affected the educational system. Historically, children with hematological and oncological conditions have experienced academic challenges. A retrospective chart review was conducted. Charts reviewed included children with oncology or hematology conditions, whose parents expressed educational concerns and were referred to an educational liaison in the Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation Division. The parental concerns for 102 children (M age = 10.03 ± 4.7; 59.8% male; 43.1% Latinx/ Hispanic) during the first half of the 2021 to 2022 academic year were extracted. Overall, all parents reported at least one concern with the average reporting 2.24 ± 1.34 (range of 1-6 concerns). The most common general concerns regarded: Individualized Education Programs (IEP) or special education evaluations; 504 accommodations; home instruction; school enrollment. Almost half of the parents had additional concerns they specifically attributed to COVID-19. Children with hematological and oncological conditions were experiencing various needs at this time, which likely have continued implications. It is important for educators, school psychologists, and health care providers to remain cognizant of the educational needs of medically vulnerable populations. Children with hematological and oncological conditions benefit from regular evaluation of their needs, as well as proactive forms of intervention.

The purpose of this research paper was to highlight the factors students and school staff identify as contributors to mental health issues students attending rural, low socioeconomic high schools experience and the specific mental health issues they witness most. A collective case study was conducted in four rural high schools, two in Kansas and two in West Virginia. Field work at each school involved observations, document collection, and semi-structured focus group interviews with students and school staff. The factors identified as contributors to poor student mental health were pressure, technology, home life, bullying, and stigma. Anxiety, stress, depression, lack of health coping, and suicidal comments emerged as the specific mental health struggles students deal with the most. Recommendations for practice include practical ways to address the identified contributors of poor student mental health in rural schools and strategies to normalize mental health in the rural school environment.

This article describes how evaluators and stakeholders could combine their expertise to collaboratively evaluate a program designed to promote mental health in the school environment. The program, called Youth Mental Health First Aid USA (YMHFA), was designed to help young people cope with the early stages of mental health concerns. Specifically, the desired short-term outcomes of this evaluation were to (a) communicate the effectiveness of the program, and (b) determine the effectiveness of the eight-hour training. Data was collected from a survey questionnaire to staff members. Descriptive statistics were used to inform recommendations for the next steps in the development of the program. The Model for Collaborative Evaluations (MCE) was selected in this formative evaluation to actively engage the key stakeholders as collaboration members throughout the evaluation process. Implications for using the MCE in evaluating the mental health program are discussed. Overall, responses showed that the implementation of the mental health program impacted participants' schools positively.