Safe and Healthy Independent Schools: A Theory-Based Evaluation of Wellness & DEI Programming

Abstract

La Jolla Country Day School (LJCDS) is an independent Pre-K through 12th grade school in San Diego that wishes to provide the most supportive environment for their students' mental health. LJCDS has a robust wellness program in place but sought a more comprehensive evaluation of its efficacy so the school engaged researchers from Vanderbilt University. LJCDS was also interested in the potential for disseminating their framework as a model for other schools. During the Fall of 2022, LJCDS was mid-process with the development work of a comprehensive PreK-12 Wellness Program that was robust and multi-layered, but lacked a complete evaluation system with which to analyze impact. The school has a wellness department of counselors who collaborate with faculty and staff, DEI initiatives, and Rady's Children's Hospital. Researchers utilized a qualitative study that included interviews of key personnel and analysis of school documents. Analysis was based upon the Student Well-Being Model (SWBM) which is structured around three categories and seven domains.