Breathe For Change & K-12 Student Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism (2023-24). Study Type: ESSA Level II

LearnPlatform by Instructure conducted this quasi-experimental study, evaluating the impact of the Breathe For Change Mindfulness, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), and Yoga Teacher Training on K-12 student attendance and chronic absenteeism during the 2023-24 school year. The study included 172 educators and 955 students from a mid-size public school district in Massachusetts. Researchers utilized teacher surveys and student attendance records and employed multiple regression models and propensity score matching to control for selection bias. Key findings indicate that educators who completed the Breathe For Change training reported higher usage of wellness and SEL practices. Additionally, students with Breathe For Change-trained educators exhibited significantly higher attendance rates and lower chronic absenteeism compared to their peers, with particularly pronounced improvements among students who had been chronically absent in the previous year. The present study offers Moderate Evidence on the impact of the Breathe for Change Mindfulness, SEL, and Yoga Teacher Training according to the Every Student Succeeds Act (2015). [This paper was prepared for Breathe For Change.]