October - 2019

The Complexity of Screen Time: Effects on Anxiety and Depression

Oct 15, 2019
4 min

The Complexity of Screen Time: Effects on Anxiety and Depression

By Didi Dunin and Will Foley, CEI Interns Are teens spending too much time with their technologies? According to a Pew Research Center report, 95% of teens can easily access a smartphone; 45% are online “almost constantly” (Anderson, 2018). Americans spend as much as 12 hours in front of TV, phone, and computer screens each day (Fischer, 2019). Increased screen time, specifically time spent on social media, is correlated with rising rates of anxiety and depression, especially

School Mental Health Screening Part II: Trauma-Informed Recommendations

Dana Asby

Oct 15, 2019
4 min

School Mental Health Screening Part II: Trauma-Informed Recommendations

By Dana Asby, CEI Director of Innovation & Research Support This is the second part of the special series School Mental Health Screening. Is the 17% rise in anxiety disorder diagnoses among American youth (Child Mind Institute, 2018) due to an increase in teens’ rate of anxiety or because more schools, physicians, and other community institutions have increasingly begun to screen for mental illnesses? It’s difficult to discern whether people are feeling more clinically anxi

School Mental Health Screening Part I: Benefits and Cautions of Universal Mental Health Screening

Dana Asby

Oct 15, 2019
4 min

School Mental Health Screening Part I: Benefits and Cautions of Universal Mental Health Screening

By Dana Asby, CEI Director of Innovation & Research Support This is the first part of the special series School Mental Health Screening. Universal screening has improved the physical outcomes for millions of children who get routine dental and eye exams at their school buildings each year. Screening for mental health issues in schools has become a topic of discussion for many district leaders. Will the benefits of identifying students most at-risk of physical health problems

Reflections: The State of School Mental Health— Courageous Conversations and Healing Practices

Dana Asby

Oct 15, 2019
3 min

Reflections: The State of School Mental Health— Courageous Conversations and Healing Practices

By Dana Asby, CEI Director of Innovation & Research Support New England, a center for knowledge and research, has promoted a number of innovative responses to further the social emotional learning and establish mental health supports in schools. However, needs continue to grow. Educators have seen a changing population increasingly affected by the trauma that accompanies poverty, substance abuse disorder, bullying, and other adverse childhood experiences. To address these nee

Visioning Onward: Planning Heart Centered 21st Century Learning Communities

Dana Asby

Oct 15, 2019
3 min

Visioning Onward: Planning Heart Centered 21st Century Learning Communities

By Dana Asby, CEI Director of Innovation & Research Support School leaders with passion and drive to make a transformative change in their buildings sometimes stall because they can’t get past this question, “Where do I start?” Making radical change in your school or district can be overwhelming when there are many aspects with room for growth. It can be confusing, frustrating, and mind-boggling to attempt to solve all of your school’s problems alone. That’s because lasting,

Featured Fellow: Transforming a School with Jim O’Rourke, Principal, Hillsboro-Deering High School

Will Foley

Oct 15, 2019
3 min

Featured Fellow: Transforming a School with Jim O’Rourke, Principal, Hillsboro-Deering High School

By Will Foley, CEI Intern Hope, Potential, and the Turnaround When Principal O’Rourke took charge of Hillsboro-Deering High School in New Hampshire, he saw the inherent potential of the community he was joining. The school cycled through five principals over the course of five years. A talented staff was demotivated, students weren’t proud, and test scores were low. But Jim saw something else. He saw excellent teaching, an active student body, and a community ready to support

Didi Dunin

Oct 14, 2019
4 min

Teaching Mindfulness Through Play

By Didi Dunin, CEI Intern Play is a ubiquitous childhood activity, seen across all cultures and ethnicities, and even among those living under severe socio-economic conditions (O’Connor, 2017); but what is the real purpose of play and why do children like to play so much? While it may seem that play is just for fun, it is actually one of the most important elements in early childhood development. It is a way for young children to practice life skills by interacting with other

Equity in Education Part III: Methods for Teaching Students about Equity

Center for Educational Improvement

Oct 4, 2019
4 min

Equity in Education Part III: Methods for Teaching Students about Equity

By Didi Dunin, CEI Intern This is the third part in the special series Equity in Education. Understanding the causes and consequences of inequity is critical for stimulating social change and a more compassionate world. Once educators feel they have obtained sufficient knowledge of their own biases and the history and consequences of inequity, as discussed in Part 2, they should feel ready and confident to address these topics with their students in the classroom. While there

Defiant or Depressed? Working with Black Girls in the School Setting

Kaela Farrise

Oct 3, 2019
4 min

Defiant or Depressed? Working with Black Girls in the School Setting

By Kaela Farrise, CEI Intern Because children spend more time with teachers and other school personnel during a typical school year than almost anyone else, teachers have a huge opportunity to lift students up. Teachers can also have a negative impact on students’ overall development because of their own unaddressed biases and assumptions. The distinction happens during challenging moments when teachers make a choice in how to respond to a student. In high-stress situations o

Math Anxiety in Students: Causes and Prevention

Center for Educational Improvement

Oct 2, 2019
4 min

Math Anxiety in Students: Causes and Prevention

By Didi Dunin, CEI Intern Having an awareness and understanding of math anxiety is imperative to helping students reach their full potential. Since high math performers can also struggle with high math anxiety, it can easily go unnoticed. Yet, when left unaddressed, these students are less likely than those with low math anxiety to pursue science, technology, engineering, and math-related careers; thus, identifying interventions to reduce math anxiety during childhood is crit