"Scaling-Out" a Student-Teacher Relationship Intervention for the High School Context: A Mixed-Method Study

Abstract

Student-teacher relationships are critical to ensuring successful transitions to high school, but programs focused on building strong relationships have been concentrated at younger school levels. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to gather feedback from ninth grade students, teachers/staff, and administrators regarding an existing student-teacher relationship intervention, Establish-Maintain-Restore (EMR), to inform a "scaling-out" adaptation of EMR for high schools. Data were collected from 7 administrators, 8 teachers/staff, and 10 ninth-grade students from diverse ethnic/racial backgrounds. Participants quantitatively rated the acceptability and effectiveness of EMR strategy for the high school context and then described their rationale for their ratings in focus groups. ANOVAs were used to examine differences in appropriateness and effectiveness of EMR strategies across participant groups. We then used content analysis to explore identified problems and recommendations regarding discrepant strategies. We discuss implications for relationships at the high school level and for scaling-out interventions to novel developmental contexts.