A Collaborative Approach to Evaluating Well-Being in the Middle School Setting

The benefits of a strength-based approach to working with children and adolescents are clearly indicated in the literature while Strengths-Based School Counseling embraces the positive development of students and learning environments. An interdisciplinary research team formed a partnership with a middle school community to intentionally investigate school climate, life satisfaction, wellness, and student motivation in order to promote positive development and overall well being of middle school students. Students rated moderate to high levels of satisfaction, perceptions of school climate, and overall wellness. Differences in grade levels were indicated. Implications for interdisciplinary teams, evaluation methods, and recommendations to support student wellness are offered. (Contains 2 tables.)