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High school dropout has been associated with negative outcomes, including increased rates of unemployment, incarceration, and mortality. Dropout rates vary significantly depending on individual and environmental factors. The purpose of our study was to use an ecological perspective to concurrently explore student- and school-level predictors associated with dropout for the purpose of better understanding how to prevent it. We used the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 dataset. Participants included 14,106 sophomores across 684 public and private schools. We identified variables of interest based on previous research on dropout and implemented hierarchical generalized linear modeling. In the final model, significant student-level predictors included academic achievement, retention, sex, family socioeconomic status (SES), and extracurricular involvement. Significant school-level predictors included school SES and school size. Race/ethnicity, special education status, born in the United States, English as first language, school urbanicity, and school region did not significantly predict dropout after controlling for the aforementioned predictors. Implications for prevention and intervention efforts within a multitiered intervention model are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

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G ender and sexually diverse (GSD) youth are marginalized and resilient individuals whose voices need to be represented in practice and research (Mayberry, 2013). The American Psychological Association (APA) and National Association of School Psychologists (NASP; 2015) Joint Resolution on gender and sexual orientation diversity for children and adolescents enforces these ideals, calling for inclusive practice (see Chapter 1, this volume, for details). It calls for the inclusion of gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation in school district policies and for inclusive data collection in research. However, barriers (e.g., requiring parental consent) prevent GSD youth from participating in research or seeking mental health services, or both, that do not affect their cisgender, heterosexual peers.Informed consent is an ethical practice that researchers and practitioners routinely use in health, mental health, and education settings (Dorn et al., 1995;Roth-Cline & Nelson, 2013). It is a voluntary agreement to participate in practice or research. Informed consent typically includes signing a form acknowledging the participant consents to and comprehends what the research or practice entails. Minors, however, are typically required to have a parent or guardian consent on their behalf because their capacity is

This study examined how teachers discuss various factors as impacting their ability to execute with fidelity the Michigan Model for Health (MMH), an evidence-based health universal prevention curriculum widely adopted throughout Michigan. Researchers have found a robust relationship between fidelity and participant outcomes, including in schools. While previous studies have identified barriers that inhibit fidelity, few have focused on identifying key barriers and deepening our understanding of how these factors influence intervention fidelity. We conducted a thematic analysis using the reflexive thematic approach to identify key barriers and facilitators and deepen our understanding of how these factors influence MMH implementation. Guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and the Implementation Outcomes Framework, we conducted semistructured interviews with 23 high school health teachers across Michigan. Teachers identified intervention characteristics (e.g., design quality, packaging, and program adaptability), student needs (e.g., trauma exposure, substances), and the fit between the intervention and the context as factors that contributed to acceptability. They also discussed the curriculum and its alignment with their teaching style and/or experiences as contributing to fidelity. Teachers shared how they would often go “off protocol” to improve intervention-context fit and meet students’ needs. Our results identified acceptability, a perceptual implementation outcome, as demonstrating an important role in shaping the relationship between CFIR factors and fidelity. Results provide guidance for systematically designing implementation strategies that address key barriers to improve acceptability, enhance fidelity, and ultimately achieve desired public health objectives.