Student Wellbeing | Restart Network

Student Wellbeing

Preparing for Future Disruptions: Key Lessons for Researchers, Policymakers, and Practitioners

Five years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered schools across California, leaving millions of students with acute academic and social-emotional needs. In response, we established a research-practice-partnership to identify what works to uplift student learning and well-being. This blog reflects on the key lessons learned from this partnership and outlines actionable steps for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners.

The Future of Student Well-Being Research - Learning Recovery Research Brief

This brief provides an overview of the studies and resources related to student well-being published between March 2020 and March 2023.

Pandemic Academic Recovery and Acceleration Activities - By the Numbers

This infographic provides an overview of the topics identified in the more than 200 studies identified by the RESTART Network about pandemic academic recovery and acceleration strategies.

Virtual Learning in Kindergarten Through Grade 12 During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Chronic Absenteeism

This article details a cross-sectional study that found chronic absenteeism rates to be higher in school districts that used only virtual learning during the pandemic compared to those that were in-person.

Examining the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Elementary Students' Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors in Schools Implementing Tiered Systems

This article looks at elementary student differences in internalizing and externalizing behaviors before and after the pandemic in schools using a tiered system of support.

What it Takes to Scale SEL Programming Statewide: Lessons from the Implementation of Illinois’s Learning Renewal—SEL Initiative

In Illinois, students and educators experienced severe disruptions in schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic that negatively affected mental health and well-being, shining a light on the importance of social-emotional learning (SEL).

Student Experiences through the COVID-19 Pandemic: Attendance, Online Learning Platform Use, and Annual Survey Reports

This report shares key findings about students' experiences in Chicago Public Schools during the pandemic, including absentee rates and feelings of stronger relationships between teachers and students.

School Connectedness and Academic Self-Efficacy During Pandemic Learning: A Mixed-Methods Study of Middle School Students' Science Experiences

This article explores how schools and staff encouraged a sense of connectedness among students during the pandemic. Multiple data sources examine how school connectedness is associated with feelings of self-efficacy.

Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Middle School Students at-Risk for Aggressive Behavior: Examining the Role of Pandemic Exposure and Perceived Discrimination

This journal article reports that stressful pandemic-related experiences were associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms in students of color in middle school, but not among white students.

Exploring the Impact of Gratitude Practice as a Protective Factor for Young Children

This journal article evaluates the impacts on well-being of an intervention that had first-grade students create a gratitude journal over the course of 28 weeks.