Promoting Positive Schooling Experiences in Denver Public Schools

The goal of Promoting Positive Schooling Experiences in Denver Public Schools was to understand the ways teachers’ beliefs and classroom practices relate to children’s well-being over time. Specifically, the project was designed to identify positive beliefs (e.g., beliefs about causes of racial inequity) and practices (e.g., social-emotional learning) that promoted children’s social-emotional development, mental health, and teacher-student relationships. Additionally, the project explored ways teachers’ practices and beliefs might shape children’s outcomes differently by child race/ethnicity. Partnering with local schools, we collected survey data from 660 3rd - 5th grade children at three time periods (Fall, Winter, Spring) over one year and teachers completed a survey at one time period (Fall). Some initial findings suggest that teachers who deny that racial discrimination exists and teachers who attribute racial inequity to deficits (e.g., poor values, low motivation) within racially minoritized families have children who report higher mental health challenges and lower social emotional competencies. Findings from the project have been shared with school and district partners in short reports, manuscripts submitted for publication in academic journals, and findings will be shared at an upcoming conference for The Athens Institute.