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There is a common understanding among researchers and practitioners that the learning environment is a key aspect of the adjustment and well-being of students and teachers. There is a necessity to translate the findings of individual studies on building positive learning environments to a comprehensive and integral framework to sustain and promote a positive school climate using a holistic approach. Sustainability in this theoretical paper is approached as a dynamic, continuous, and long-term process of consciously and consistently implementing actions, strategies, and values at all levels and in all environments to facilitate and maintain a positive climate in educational settings. This conceptual approach, based on action research in the fields of education and psychology, will help to broaden perspectives on both positive school climates and sustainability to improve the understanding and practices of all stakeholders in education. As such, this article presents a conceptual framework as well as guidelines for the assessment of sustainably promoting a positive school climate.

There continues to be a call for research focused on better understanding and supporting the needs of students with minoritized identities. A review of school psychology research reveals that while the field has made strides, there still is an underrepresentation of research in this area. The trend toward centering diversity in research demonstrate efforts within the field to include more representation of minoritized groups despite the lack of diversity plaguing the profession. It is, therefore, vital for researchers to determine whether their practices cause undue harm to students in ways that fail to understand their strengths, muting their voices, and de-centering their experiences. As such, researchers must intentionally and iteratively examine their research aims and methodology to more equitably incorporate diverse student groups in their studies. In this paper, we discuss the significance of how minoritized groups are included (e.g., aggregated) and methodological considerations for advancing singular research methods. We propose the integration of mixed methods research to mitigate the shortcomings of a single method and obtain a more holistic view of students. Together, this is a call of action for researchers to intentionally and more consistently include minoritized students in research in ways that authentically affirm their identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School climate is an important part of school improvement efforts, capturing student engagement, connectedness, safety, and relationships. A positive school climate is associated with more prosocial behaviors, academic achievement, reduced engagement in risky behaviors, teacher retention, and reduced burnout. With growing interest and attention to the research of social and emotional learning (SEL), the definitions and conceptualizations of social and emotional learning have expanded significantly across the past few decades. Understanding the intersection between students' identities, their educational experiences and their academic, social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes is a necessary precursor to being able to strategically and systematically identify and implement universal and targeted supports to meet the overlapping and unique needs of students. To achieve true equity in education, interventions supporting the needs of all students, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds must be identified and appropriately vetted. A transnational understanding of the structural patterns and the association between these variables is critical for both the development of culturally sensitive SEL and bullying prevention programs and the transnational adaptation and applications of effective programs that promote a positive school climate. Articles featured in this special issue advance transdisciplinary and translational research by contributing high-quality studies focusing on the impact of bullying and/or SEL programs and interventions on school climate. These articles bridge the research-to-practice gap, including empirical papers with important implications for theory, research, practice, and policy. Impact Statement Promoting school climate and social and emotional learning are important to support student success at school and beyond. Transdisciplinary and transnational research provides valuable information to understand and implement supports that are culturally sensitive and responsive. While school climate and social and emotional learning are often studied separately, both are necessary for students to thrive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body weight is a common reason youth face stigma, yet it has received little attention from athletic coaches working closely with youth of diverse sizes. The present study assessed weight bias in middle and high school athletic coaches (N = 320) via a survey of demographic characteristics and explicit weight bias (Fat Phobia Scale-Short Form). Results indicate moderate levels of bias (M = 3.44, SD = 0.42), with mean scores slightly lower compared to general community samples, yet higher than other specialized groups, and not varying based on the gender of the coach, the gender of the athletes coached, or the type of sport. Psychometric properties of the Fat Phobia Scale-Short Form were assessed through confirmatory factor analysis, suggesting a one-factor model as too simplistic. Implications for future research on this topic are explored, noting the importance of coaches understanding biases and the implications of bias on coaching practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, much international research has been carried out on school climate and its relationship with learning, socioemotional, and health outcomes (Berkowitz et al., 2017; La Salle, Rocha-Neves, et al., 2021; Pizmony-Levy et al., 2019). Limited research has been carried out to investigate the relationship between school climate and educational inequalities, with particular reference to the results obtained by minoritized students. This contribution focuses on this issue, and it is organized as follows. First, The International School Climate Collaborative, which led to the cross-cultural adaptation of the Georgia School Climate Survey, is presented with normative data for the use of the survey with secondary school students in four countries: Germany, Italy, Latvia, and the United States (La Salle, Rocha-Neves, et al., 2021). Second, the theme of the relationship between School Climate and Educational Equity is focused on the basis of the most recent scientific literature. Third, the theme of the relationship between School Climate and Educational Equity is focused on comparing four countries: the United States, Germany, Italy, and Latvia. Fourth, the practical implications are investigated, focusing on three possible interventions that could be useful for improving the school climate while promoting equity and valuing cultural differences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).