Science

Acceptability, defined as the perception that an intervention is appropriate, fair, and reasonable, is crucial to assess during implementation (Kazdin, 1981). Despite its original conceptualization as a dynamic process, repeated assessments have appeared in only a small fraction of intervention research. Previous studies did not report or analyze differences in acceptability across sessions. We know of no study analyzing the stability of acceptability ratings across sessions among elementary school students. The present study served as a proof of concept, implementing a 6-week performance feedback writing intervention with 45 fourth-grade students and assessing acceptability after each session. Related outcomes, including writing productivity and intervention comprehension, were also investigated. Results indicated that acceptability and comprehension did not significantly vary across sessions. A statistically significant within-student relationship emerged between writing productivity and acceptability, supporting the established relationship between intervention effectiveness and acceptability. Although students did not experience coordinated changes in acceptability between sessions, repeated measurements could highlight dynamic patterns in other interventions, particularly ones with more situational variation, rather than presuming acceptability is static. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)

Few studies have explored the co-occurrence of housing insecurity and educational disability among preK–12 students. Yet, both are the basis for legal entitlements to educational supports and protections and are often associated with unmet educational needs with far-ranging detriments to students’ experiences; functioning; and academic, social, emotional, and health outcomes. This exploratory descriptive study used a state’s education and homeless management information systems’ data to examine the co-occurrence of disability and housing insecurity among 989,572 preK–12 students enrolled in Minnesota public or charter schools during the 2018–2019 school year. Differences by demographic characteristics and disability type were also explored. Of the students experiencing housing insecurity, 32.3% were identified as having an educational disability. Housing-insecure students were 63% more likely to be identified with a disability than students who did not experience housing insecurity. Students with an educational disability were more likely to be experiencing housing insecurity than those without an educational disability. Most students were identified as housing-insecure only by educational agencies. Patterns of over- and underrepresentation across demographic characteristics and disability categories suggest the need for future research to explore how systemic factors such as marginalization, interagency and interprofessional collaboration, professional preparation, and recent discontinuation of safety net programs may be associated with these youths’ educational experiences, needs, and treatment. Findings also suggest that it is important for school psychologists to consider housing in/security when engaging in data-based decision making, student supports, and collaborative practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)

The Family Check-Up (FCU) is a family-centered intervention that uses motivational interviewing (MI) to enhance parents’ motivation for goal-directed change in parenting practices. The present study examined relations between FCU therapists’ MI fidelity and (a) the proportion of parent change talk, (b) parent-reported positive parenting practices (proactive parenting and limit setting), and (c) parent- and teacher-reported child social, emotional, and behavioral concerns. Participants were a subsample of parents (n = 136) and teachers (n = 36) of children from the FCU intervention condition of a randomized controlled trial implemented at kindergarten entry. MI fidelity was measured in FCU feedback sessions with parents using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity Code 4.2.1. Binomial regression analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were performed to examine relations between MI fidelity and intervention outcomes. Results suggest that FCU therapists implemented MI with fair to good levels of fidelity. Several Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity summary scores were related to intervention outcomes. As hypothesized, Technical Global was associated with a higher proportion of parent change talk, Percent Complex Reflections was associated with higher parent-reported limit setting in first grade, and Total MI Nonadherent was associated with higher teacher-reported social, emotional, and behavioral concerns in first grade. Unexpectedly, Total MI Adherent was associated with a lower proportion of parent change talk. Taken together, findings suggest areas of MI fidelity that may be helpful to emphasize to maximize FCU efficacy. Implications for school psychology, study limitations, and future directions are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)

Test anxiety has been associated with educational and psychological well-being impairments, especially for girls. However, its stability over an academic year and the distribution of high test anxiety scores across students remain unclear. This study focuses on (a) identifying whether test anxiety levels vary across a school year and (b) assessing the proportion of students with stable, increasing, or decreasing test anxiety scores over a school year. A total of 527 students from Grades 10 and 11, attending five secondary schools in Quebec (Canada), completed two widely used test anxiety scales: The Spielberger’s Test Anxiety Inventory and the Brief Friedben Test Anxiety Scale. The sample consisted predominantly of female students (69.2%), most of whom were French-speaking and born in Canada (77%). Multilevel regression results showed that test anxiety remained stable throughout the school year when analyzed as a continuous variable but varied for one of the two measures, the Brief Friedben Test Anxiety Scale, when analyzed as a dichotomous variable. A multilevel logistic regression analysis revealed that test anxiety remained stable for 71.3%–81.4% students, while 18.6%–28.7% experienced significant fluctuations. Gender differences in test anxiety levels remained consistent over time, with higher levels observed in girls compared with boys. The findings underscore the persistent nature of test anxiety and highlight the need for ongoing, tailored school-based interventions to support students’ mental health and academic well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)

Although task effort has been identified as an underlying factor in students’ writing performance (Hier & Mahony, 2018), the relationship between elementary students’ writing task effort and their writing performance has not been examined. This study investigated students’ perceived task effort after each session of a class-wide writing intervention, examining whether it predicted postintervention writing performance. The sample included 88 third-grade students participating in a randomized controlled trial assessing the efficacy of a writing performance feedback intervention. Results indicated that students’ task effort ratings remained consistently high throughout the intervention. Additionally, students’ writing productivity increased from pre- to postintervention and higher task effort was significantly associated with increased writing productivity. Considerations regarding the use of students’ self-reports of task effort, as well as the limitations of the study, are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)