Select evidence-based mindfulness programs matched to school needs assessment data¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The brief advises selecting specific programs or strategies based on a needs assessment or analysis of schoolwide data to determine how, why, and to what ends to implement mindfulness, examining points in the day when behavioral reactivity increases and developmentally appropriate strategies. It names validated programs: the ".b" curriculum (Sanger & Dorjee, 2016), Learning to BREATHE for adolescents (Metz et al., 2013; 6–18 sessions), and MindUP for ages 3–14, "shown to increase prosocial actions, decrease aggressive behaviors, and improve academic achievement" (Schonert-Reichl et al., 2015).

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Selection should follow a needs assessment or analysis of schoolwide data

Constraints¶

Target Learners¶

• elementary and secondary students, including adolescents

Target Learning Goals¶

• prosocial behavior
• emotion regulation
• academic achievement

Related Strategies¶

• Train and support educators to implement mindfulness through programs, coaching, and shared leadership
• Integrate mindfulness throughout the school day via mindful moments, pausing before reacting, and reflective norms
• Select one essential support area to improve—chosen for community interest, need, or buy-in—and continue working on it, since improvement in any essential positively impacts student success
• Examine literacy screening data for intersectional differences not apparent from simple disaggregation and consider student and school characteristics together when targeting supports
• Needs and Wants Assessment with Likert Scales
• Use achievement and contextual data at school, classroom, and student levels to target instruction

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Browning, A., & Romer, N. (2020). Mindfulness-based practices for schools. WestEd. https://californias3.wested.org/wp-content/uploads/Mindfulness-Based-Practices-for-Schools.pdf