Acceptability of a Preventative Coping and Connectedness Curriculum for High School Students Entering Accelerated Curricula

Abstract

Students report experiencing elevated levels of academic stress while in Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBD) classes. In response, we developed a classwide, preventative coping and connectedness curriculum, which consists of 12 50-minute modules for 9th-grade students enrolled in accelerated coursework. In this pilot study, we implemented the curriculum in 2 schools and sought user feedback. After describing the curriculum, we examine the acceptability of this social-emotional curriculum at three stages: prior to, during, and following implementation. Overall, all stakeholders—including students, parents, and educators—deemed the curriculum highly acceptable. Teachers, administrators, and parents rated the content and lessons as highly acceptable for addressing students’ academic stressors and development of necessary coping and strategies. Included is a discussion of these findings relative to prior acceptability research, including research with gifted learners, limitations, and the role of acceptability in the line of inquiry for this curriculum intervention development.