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Running Head: EVALUATION PLAN: GROWING MINDFULNESS WITH HEADSPACE 1

Growing Mindfulness and Emotional Regulation in High Risk Secondary School Students with

Headspace

Scott W. Bennett

Johns Hopkins University School of Education

2EVALUATION PLAN: GROWING MINDFULNESS WITH HEADSPACE

1. Theory of Change and Logic Model

This evaluation plan assumes that student behavior in academic settings can be improved

by giving students tools to help self-regulate emotional states. By enriching student

experiences in the secondary classroom, there will be a correlated benefit to their learning

and achievement in addition to their social/emotional well-being.


2. Literature Review

Since the introduction of the smartphone to mainstream consumers a decade ago,

educators have been adapting and using commercial apps for instructional support and

academic ends. Only more recently apps have been designed with the classroom in mind,

while many others were designed for the general public and only later adapted for

classroom use. The current iteration of Google Classroom is an example of this

modification. Released in 2014, it sought to answer the demand for online organizational

and logistical needs of students, teachers, and schools. But the ability of apps to

transform the educational milieu regardless of their designed purpose spans back to the

very first commercially available tablets and smartphones. In fact, the 2010 The New

Media Consortium’s Horizon Report their (mobile devices and apps) “power lies in their

ubiquity, their portability, the wide range of things that can be done with them, and their

ability to access the Internet nearly anywhere through the growing cellular network.”

Paralleling (though not necessarily correlating to) the rise of app-based computing over

the last ten years, schools and education professionals have also been reacting to a

growing social and mental health crisis (Ho, S. M. Y., et. al. 2018). Increasing numbers

of students nation-wide are reporting that they are disengaged, disinterested, anxious, or

depressed as they transition from middle school to high school (Ho, S. M. Y., et. al.

2018). While schools and educational leaders are responding with Culturally Responsive


Teaching and Social Emotional Learning practices, it is clear that students need more

supports and coping mechanisms for the modern world.

Title Searches, Articles, Documents, and Journal Research

This literature review includes a selection of peer-reviewed journals that focus on the

effectiveness of meditation and mindfulness teaching for adolescent students. While there

appears to be limited research on the effectiveness of digital delivery of guided

meditation, there are studies that show the use of small audio, internet-based, and virtual

reality delivery devices are effectual means of therapeutic delivery.

Historical Overview

Traditionally secondary classroom teachers have been primarily regarded as content area

experts and to a lesser extent developmental specialist. As such, they are have often taken

a more hands-off approach to the social and emotional well-being of their students

frequently treating their students as young adults rather than older adolescents. As

academic achievement gaps and incarceration rates for minority and economic groups

persist, there has been increased awareness and responsiveness dedicated to supporting

these habitually marginalized parties. Schools have a long practice of assigning

increasing levels of disciplinary actions to change student behavior. These exercises have

mostly exacerbated the outcome disparities between subgroups. Suspensions and

expulsions have been shown to disproportionately affect minorities. Guidance counselors

(and more recently school-based social workers) have also provided intervention

measures. More recently restorative justice practices have sought to teach students coping

skills, better ways to handle conflicts, and process trauma. But these are still reactive


practices which are triggered only after an incident or trauma. There has yet to be an

overt proactive approach to teaching emotional regulation in secondary settings.

Student and Teacher Take-Aways

Positive Effects on Student Behavior. There seems to be a growing consensus on the

effectiveness of teaching mindfulness and practicing guided meditation in the classroom.

In a study published by the Journal of Juvenile Justice (Evans-Chase, M. 2013),

researchers investigated the degree to which internet-based mindfulness meditation

supported “interactional self-regulatory capacities of incarcerated youth.” Participants in

the experimental group showed a greater ability for the “suppression of aggression” than

the control group (Evans-Chase, M. 2013). In addition, a literature review published by

Health Educator stated that meditation practices “produce positive effects on adolescent

psychological health.” Of the physical health improvements established in the fourteen

studies over the last fifteen years, the ones most encouraging were “reduced depression,

anxiety, and stress, increased overall well-being, self and emotion regulation, positive

affect, and resilience.” (Erbe, R., & Lohrmann, D. 2015) These improvements also

produced lasting secondary gains for the participants including “academic related

outcomes include increased attention, cognitive, and academic performance.” (Erbe, R.,

& Lohrmann, D. 2015) The most favorable consequences of this review though might be

the finding that introducing and teaching meditation suggest there is significant impact

regarding to the “feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy throughout a broad range of

adolescent groups including males and females, learning disabled, those with ADHD and

other psychological disorders, along with those in diverse cultural settings.” (Erbe, R., &

Lohrmann, D., 2015) In a 2015 study published by The Journal of Religion and Health,


researchers found that a particular kind of guided meditation led to specific pro-social

behavior including empathy and generosity in adults (Bankard, J. A. (2015). Teenage

students have a brain that is still developing though, and the results of this study are

encouraging, but not directly applicable to adolescents.

Barriers to Implementation. The most effective mode of delivery of guided mediation

is still subject to discussion. While findings are positive, many teachers are unequipped to

successfully lead a practice. Providing teachers with the professional development is both

time consuming and expensive. While the technology available is readily available in the

form of apps and internet-based downloads, there are often fees associated with

subscriptions or licenses. The research supports implementation, but resources and buy-in

from district and school leadership is crucial to making it happen.

Summary

There is abundant evidence to point to the emotional, social, cognitive, and behavioral

benefits of practicing guided meditation. More specifically there is also a growing body

of research that supports the use of guided meditation with all high school students to

increase emotional regulation and coping mechanisms. The most effective means of

delivery is still unresolved, but with cost of technological solutions like apps or web-

based platforms decreasing, school and district leaders should look to dedicate time and

resources for professional development and implementation for all students.

3. Needs Assessment


This proposal is an effort to address a social-emotional need in 9th grade classrooms like

the one where I began my teaching career. In order to help students before conflict

escalates, I want to provide access and assistance in using a meditation app Headspace.

While this will be a whole classes initiative teaching students how to use a meditation

application (that can be downloaded onto their phones), the supports are targeted at

affecting a smaller group of pre-identified high-risk individuals. My classroom has

always trusted constructivist ideals, and I believe delivering an emotional regulation skill

is an indispensable tool for students and adults in the 21st century.

As a high performing comprehensive urban public school with an enrollment of 1400, we

find that while the majority of our students come to high school with only basic coping

and social-emotional skills. Within in this population there is also a group which is even

more vulnerable and even less prepared. This subgroup lacks the necessary emotional

regulation and coping skills to be successful in a large and diverse student body. Every

fall we experience this problem again as a new group of students come from all over the

city and are unable to process the emotions of fear, stress, and anxiety. Our feeder

schools are geographically separated across the city, and as we have open enrollment

with our Academy model, we find our students feel overwhelmed by their new

community. When students don’t feel safe or in control, those feelings manifest in the

form of bullying, classroom disruptions, and sometimes even violence. When students are

in conflict, they are less likely to be in class, either because of skipping or suspensions.


Compounding these problems, the student body also comes from a diverse background

with many (50%) qualifying for fee waivers and some (approx. 10%) speaking English as

a second language. While there are many provisions already in place for academic

assistance, there are no current social-emotional supports beyond the counselor’s office

(which is often over-burdened with testing and exceptional education). With the average

class size approaching 35 pupils, teachers are also ill-equipped and have a history of

addressing only the most serious of offenses.

9th grade African American males are the most frequently suspended demographic in our

school. Not only is there a social emotional need apparent here, but there is a social

justice issue that needs addressing as well. The first year of high school is a pivotal time

for establishing a successful academic record. If we can reduce suspensions and increase

the amount of time students are in class, we will be helping to ensure all students have a

successful high school experience and a solid path to graduation. Clearly an intervention

program is needed to identify, intervene, and support students during this transition.

A successful project will see the introduction and implementation of a guided meditation

application (Headspace) and program. Its aim is to provide students with a coping

mechanism in real-time. It will reduce the levels of anxiety and social unease by

providing students with a means to regulate their emotive state. This change will be

visible in the number of office referrals and serious infractions being reported for

discipline. Also, student engagement and attendance will increase as a result.


The local stakeholders for this project include the students, parents, counseling staff, and

administration. Secondary sponsors are the central office staff concerned with discipline,

attendance, and security.

4. Significance of the change initiative

We live in a world that is driven by negative feelings of fear and anxiety. The political,

economic, and social worlds are experiencing unprecedented upheaval and disruption.

The proliferation of social media and communication channels are also creating and

feeding the immediacy of an uncertain world and they stimulate a fear of missing out.

These changes, some for the better and some for the worse, leave people (teenagers

especially) prone to mood disorders, panic attacks, and irrational beliefs.

The science behind meditation and a practice of mindfulness is just starting to catch up

with centuries of belief. Through guided meditation, the effects of anxiety and feeling out

of control can be mitigated and changed. A cursory search of the Johns Hopkins Sheridan

Library produced thousands of scholarly articles and journals which supported a

consistent meditation practice produces many measurable health benefits i.e. lowering

blood pressure, heartrate, and the cortisol levels (Adams et al., 2018)

Instructional time, teaching time, and the opportunity and option for students to practice

are needed for this to work. If the initiative is supported and introduced with significance,


the skills learned could have long lasting effectiveness on the mental and emotional

health of students.

5. Change Initiative Design

The goals of this initiative are twofold:

1) All students will feel a decreased level of anxiety and stress in the school after

continued use and support of the guided meditation application. This will be

measure through surveys, attendance data, and achievement scores.

2) There will be a decrease in behaviors referrals for all demographics, but

especially those identified as high-risk. This will be measured through

offenses logged in support and intervention data. In addition, graduation rate

can also be tracked for evidence of positive change.

By giving at-risk students access, support, time, and technology, this initiative will teach

them how to better identify, regulate, process, and engage their emotions. These are skills

which most, but not all, high school students possess. By providing the app and teaching

for all, and targeting and supporting specific at-risk students, the aim to better equip all

students for the social and academic pressures of a large diverse community.

For decades, consequences and punishments were the standard practice of educational

institutions. Only after a problem or conflict would teachers or administrators become

involved. By taking a more proactive approach, behavioral interventions seeking to give

tools to students to help social and emotional conflict before they become disruptive or


violent. After school clubs like conflict resolution and peer mediation were tried, but their

formality and practices were prohibitive to real help that students need in the moment,

not only after school.

Endorsing mindfulness and guided meditation as a level I intervention is a little beyond

the vision of most administrators and teachers. It will take a transformational leader,

either a classroom teacher or administrator to inspire buy-in and encourage staff and

students to take risks. They should have an affinity for empathy, open-mindedness, and

communication.

6. Evaluation Questions

A. To what extent does the teaching of emotional regulation and use of the meditation

application Headspace decrease classroom disruptions?

B. In what ways are classroom experiences enhanced by the use of guided meditation

apps like Headspace?

C. To what extent can these findings be reliably reproduced?

7. Evaluation Framework

1. In order to answer these questions baseline data for disruptive behavior in 9th grade

English classrooms needs to be recorded. Only then can comparisons be made to the

experimental intervention group. If the data shows a decrease in disruptive behavior, it

does not necessarily mean that the instruction in and use of meditation apps is directly

related. Secondary sources of data (learner attitude surveys, attendance, and even


achievement scores) can strengthen the validity of the practice, but to be reliable the

practice will need to be predictably replicated in future trials.

2. The best source of data for our use is in the referral rate for these classes. There are

two different kinds of referrals for discipline which need to be considered. We want to

look at the total numbers of referrals written and also the number of students who are

receiving referrals. This is important to consider because often times most of the referrals

from a class come from only a small percentage of the students. This data is readily

available by teacher, period, students, and date.

3. A spreadsheet utilized by both administrators and teachers will record the infractions

and consequences. A shared online format like Google Sheets will make the recording

and data analysis easily available for all shareholders.

4. The timeline for implementation should be long enough to collect a large enough

sample and determine a baseline before employment begins. The year is broken into four

9-week sessions. Data from the first quarter should be sufficient enough to conclude a

baseline. Therefore, the teaching and instruction of the meditation app can begin in the

second nine weeks, and after the teaching, data can be collected again in the third nine

weeks for comparison. Student and teacher surveys should be conducted before, during,

and after implantation.

5. This plan and its results should be freely available to all students, teachers,

administrators, and parents. If warranted, professional development modules should be

revised and applied in the future across the school to give additional benefit to all

students.


References

Adams, Z. W., Sieverdes, J. C., Brunner-Jackson, B., Mueller, M., Chandler, J., Diaz, V., &

Treiber, F. A. (2018). Meditation smartphone application effects on prehypertensive

adults’ blood pressure: Dose-response feasibility trial. Health Psychology, 37(9), 850-

860. doi:10.1037/hea0000584

Bankard, J. A. (2015). Training Emotion Cultivates Morality: How Loving-Kindness Meditation

Hones Compassion and Increases Prosocial Behavior. Journal of Religion and

Health, 54(6), 2324–2343. https://doi-org.proxy1.library.jhu.edu/10.1007/s10943-014-

9999-8

Erbe, R., & Lohrmann, D. (2015). Mindfulness Meditation for Adolescent Stress and Well

Being: A Systematic Review of the Literature with Implications for School Health

Programs. Health Educator, 47(2), 12–19. Retrieved from

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Evans-Chase, M. (2013). Internet-Based Mindfulness Meditation and Self-regulation: A

Randomized Trial with Juvenile Justice Involved Youth. Journal of Juvenile Justice, 3(1),

63–79. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy1.library.jhu.edu/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=i3h&AN=93261100&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Hwang, Y.-S., Kearney, P., Klieve, H., Lang, W., & Roberts, J. (2015). Cultivating Mind:

Mindfulness Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Problem

Behaviours, and Their Mothers. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 24(10), 3093–3106.

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