Thesis advisor: Mary E. Walsh / Poverty has many deleterious effects on child development, including negative impacts on social-emotional health, a developmental domain schools refer to as non-cognitive skills (Dearing, 2008). Unfortunately, children growing up poor often have underdeveloped non-cognitive skills, which significantly predict academic success and well-being (Farrington et al., 2012). Integrated Student Support (ISS) is one emerging approach that holistically supports cognitive and non-cognitive student development (Moore & Emig, 2014). While ISS has been found to improve academic outcomes, limited research examines its impact on social-emotional outcomes. This study focused on one ISS intervention, City Connects, which provides tailored student support plans to every child in a school via school and community-based services (Walsh et al., 2014). The study had three aims. The first was to examine the percentage of City Connects students with and without a social-emotional-behavioral (SEB) Need across levels of risk and service characteristics (i.e., domains, intensity levels, types) in second grade (N=896). The second was to examine improvement in three teacher-rated non-cognitive student outcomes (Prosocial Behavior, Self-Regulated Learning, Academic Effort) from second-fifth grade for City Connects students with and without a SEB Need (N=896). The third was to compare improvement in the same three non-cognitive student outcomes from second-fifth grade for students with a SEB Need in City Connects schools and comparable schools without the intervention (N=1,778). Multilevel modeling assessed aims 2 and 3. Significantly more students with a SEB Need were deemed higher risk and received more health, early intervention, and SEB/counseling services compared to students without a SEB Need in City Connects schools. Further, significant improvements from second-fifth grade were found in Self-Regulated Learning and Academic Effort for City Connects students with a SEB Need compared to those without a SEB Need. Significant improvements were also found over time in Academic Effort for students with a SEB Need in City Connects schools compared to those in comparison schools. Findings support that ISS improves non-cognitive functioning for students attending high-poverty schools. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2020. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology.

Thirty percent of elementary schools that serve underprivileged students in a Texas school district are considered low-performing according to state standards in the 2016 2017 school year. Little is known about the perspectives on the support teachers need while teaching students with high social-emotional and academic needs. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to examine perspectives on principal support for teachers who teach these populations. Data were collected through interviewing 9 teachers, 3 principals, 3 counselors, 3 instructional coaches, and 1 district academic leader. Social cognitive theory, role theory, and cognitive evaluation theory constituted the conceptual framework. Individual interviews were conducted, transcribed, and coded. Teachers’ top 5 supports were “follow through with school systems,” “trust in teachers by the principal,” “teacher collaboration with the principal,” “principal stands up for teachers,” and “principal has a lending ear.” Principals identified “budget for human resources,” “follow through with school systems,” “teacher collaboration with the principal,” “professional development opportunities,” and “planning time,” “trust in teachers from principal,” and “leading by example” were tied in the fifth ranking. School and district personnel identified “professional development opportunities,” “follow through with school systems,” “budget for human resources,” “principal has a lending ear” and “lead by example” were tied in 4th, and “principal is visible” was fifth on their list. These findings contribute to positive social change by informing the education field about positive support systems that ultimately enhance learning of students with high social-emotional and academic needs.

Despite the fact acceleration has been studied thoroughly as an educational practice for the gifted, early entrance to college specifically has been overlooked. Not only this, but a large portion of this research pertains to early college entrance programs, which provide resources that many early college entrants may not have. The lived experiences and perceptions of radically early college entrants (three or more years advanced) were explored through interviews and heuristic inquiry. The interviews addressed affective aspects of early college foremost, with additional discussion of academic experiences, college choice, and career outcomes. Findings support that radically early college entrants are happy with their choice overall, though more specific findings elaborate on the benefits and limitations of early college, possible regrets, and the social issues this population faces.