Skip to main content
  • Work at WestEd
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
  • Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Don't Miss Out!

Subscribe to the E-Bulletin for regular updates on research, free resources, solutions, and job postings from WestEd.

Subscribe Now

WestEd E-Bulletin

close

WestEd

WestEd
Improving learning, healthy development, and equity in schools and communities
  • Areas of Work
    • Areas of Work

      Building leadership, skills, and knowledge across critical topics.

      • College & Career
      • Early Childhood Development & Learning
      • English Language Learners
      • Health, Safety, & Well-Being
      • Literacy
      • Schools, Districts, & State Education Systems
      • Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics
      • Special Education
      • Standards, Assessment, & Accountability
      • Teachers & Leaders
      • Featured Initiative
      • Charters & Choice
      • COVID-19 Resources for Educators
      • Online Professional Development
      • Strategic Resource Planning & Implementation
      • Trauma-Informed Practice & Resiliency
  • Professional Development
  • Research & Evaluation
    • Research & Evaluation

      Conducting research and evaluation studies to help improve education and other important outcomes for children, youth, and adults.

      • What We Do
      • How We Can Help
      • WestEd Insights
      • Reports & Publications
      • Other Pages of Interest
      • National TA Centers
      • Consulting & Policy Support
  • Technical Assistance
    • Technical Assistance

      Build systemwide capacity to plan and implement research-informed solutions that ensure positive outcomes.

      • Technical Assistance Services
      • National Support Networks
      • Policy Analysis & Other Support
  • Resources
    • Resources

      A rich portfolio of resources that promote educator effectiveness, inform policy, and support positive outcomes for all learners.

      • Resources Home
      • New Releases
      • Best Sellers
      • Top Downloads
      • Research
      • Free Resources
      • Webinars
      • Catalogs
      • R&D Alert Articles
      • Reprint Permissions
      • Customer Support
      • Contact Publications Center
      • Login/Create Account
  • Events
  • About Us
    • About Us

      Trust unparalleled expertise from WestEd to help all learners succeed.

      • Overview
      • Board of Directors
      • Leadership
      • Staff
      • Offices

      • Work at WestEd
      • Work with WestEd
      • News
      • Events
      • Subscribe
      • Contact Us
  • Work at WestEd
Menu

News

Read about WestEd's work with schools, districts, and state and federal governments to improve education for all learners. In addition, keep up-to-date with our latest research, resources, projects, professional development opportunities, and more.

Published Articles by WestEd

WestEd News

WestEd's Staci Wendt Co-Authors Article on the Value of a Transcendental Meditation Program for Middle School Students

Article: Effect of Meditation on Social-emotional Learning in Middle School Students
Publication: Education, Volume 139
Publisher: Project Innovation
Publication Date: March 2019
Authors: Lauren Valosek, Sanford Nidich, Staci Wendt, Jamie Grant, Randi Nidich
Related WestEd Program: Health & Justice Program

New research suggests middle school students practicing Transcendental Meditation as part of the widely implemented school Quiet Time program can significantly improve their social-emotional competencies and alleviate psychological distress.

WestEd Senior Research Associate Staci Wendt and her co-authors at the Center for Wellness and Achievement in Education compared 51 sixth-grade students from an urban public school district who participated in the Quiet Time program, which included a twice-daily practice of Transcendental Meditation, to 50 students from a demographically similar school within the same district.

They found a marked increase in overall social-emotional competency among students in the Quiet Time group compared to students who were not in the program. The effects were most notable among students identified as “high risk,” according to scores on the social-emotional learning instruments. In particular, students who were identified as high risk experienced a significant increase in their social-emotional competency, as well as a significant decrease in negative emotional symptoms as compared to students who did not participate in the program.

Positive outcomes include improvements in teacher-reported decision-making, goal-directed behavior, personal responsibility, relationship skills, and optimistic thinking.

This study adds to the growing body of research and can help inform school and district leaders searching for programs to improve social-emotional learning and mental health among middle school students.

Read the article.

Posted on May 13, 2019

Health and JusticeQuiet Time ProgramResearch and evaluationTranscendental Meditation

View More News

 

Contact Us

Ask a question, request information, make a suggestion, or sign up for our newsletter.

Areas of Work

  • Areas of Work
  • College & Career
  • Early Childhood Development & Learning
  • English Learners
  • Health, Safety, & Well-Being
  • Literacy
  • Schools, Districts, & State Education Systems
  • Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics
  • Special Education
  • Standards, Assessment, & Accountability
  • Teachers & Leaders
  • Featured Initiatives

Professional Development

  • Professional Development

Research & Evaluation

  • Research & Evaluation
  • What We Do
  • How We Can Help
  • Reports & Publications
  • WestEd Insights

Technical Assistance

  • Technical Assistance
  • Technical Assistance Services
  • National Support Networks
  • Policy Analysis and Other Support

Resources

  • Resources
  • Resources Home
  • New Releases
  • Best Sellers
  • Top Downloads
  • Free Resources
  • Research
  • Catalogs
  • Webinars
  • R&D Alert Articles

About Us

  • About Us
  • Overview
  • Board of Directors
  • Leadership
  • Staff
  • WestEd Offices
  • Our Clients and Funders
  • Work with WestEd
  • WestEd Insights
  • News
  • Events
  • Making a Difference
  • Work at WestEd
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
Also of Interest:
  • College Bound in Middle School and High...
  • Merging Cognitive Science and Curriculum to...
  • Urban Advantage Denver | WestEd

Copyright ©1995 - 2021 WestEd | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer

Return to top of page