Welcome Back! Family Strategies for a Strong Start to the New School Year!
Parents and caretakers, there’s no better time than the first weeks of school to build a strong foundation for your child’s personal, social, and academic success.
We’re excited to share our Key Steps for a Successful School Year Toolkit, designed especially for the 2025–2026 school year! It features insights and strategies from experienced educators who are part of our Harmony Educator Advisory Group. These leaders have spent decades positively shaping classrooms and healthy learning across the country.
This toolkit isn’t just another back-to-school checklist. We’re offering practical, research-informed guidance to support your children in meaningful ways. Inside, you’ll find tools and tips to help your child:
Build strong, healthy relationships
Develop a sense of belonging at school
Feel seen, heard, and understood
Strengthen their overall wellness and mental health
Harmony Academy at National University draws from years of research and educator experience to create resources that prioritize what truly matters: relationships, belonging, and well-being. These foundational factors pave the way for lifelong success in school and beyond.
We hope you use our toolkit – available in both English and Spanish – to help your children thrive both in and outside of the classroom.
Special thanks to our educators who contributed their voices and expertise to our toolkit:
Get ready to spark connection and fun for the whole family! This new, innovative app makes it easy for busy families to support skill-building, strengthen connection, and enjoy quick, meaningful interactions every day. Learn More!
Building Inclusive Environments Project: Integrating Personal, Social, and Academic Skill Development
A Collaboration with Houston Independent School District, New York City Public Schools, San Antonio Independent School District, Harmony Academy/ National University, and American Institutes for Research
Frequently Asked Questions (Impact Study)
Why should my school want to participate in this study?
Teachers often say they believe in healthy learning but it is hard to integrate into classroom practice given their current demands. Teachers can be unsure of what Harmony-Academic integration means or looks like. Research shows that personal, social, and academic learning enhances academic learning, and in fact, can be embedded and integrated with intention.
Harmony Academy at National University is developing a new, innovative program model called “Harmony-Academic Integration” that guides teachers to integrate healthy learning seamlessly into academic instruction. Your 3rd-5th grade teachers will receive Harmony-Academic Integration, which includes implementation of the Harmony Curriculum (Everyday Practices and Units, Lessons, & Activities) as a tool for academic instruction as well as professional learning, coaching, and useful tools and strategies that can be immediately used in their classrooms.
To support this work, K-2nd grade teachers, in addition to 3rd-5th grade teachers, within your school will be instrumental in informing the effectiveness of the Harmony Curriculum.
How is my school’s current Harmony program different from “Harmony-Academic Integration”?
Harmony is the standard Harmony program that teachers already implement, including Everyday Practices (Meet Up and Buddy Up) 3-5 times per week, and Units, Lessons & Activities at least 1 time per week.
Harmony-Academic Integration includes implementation of Harmony, plus teachers’ engagement in 10 hours of professional learning and coaching to build their capacity to transfer Harmony practices into their academic instruction.
How long of a time commitment is needed for this study?
K-2nd grade teachers are asked to commit to a 1-year study of Harmony in 2023-2024.
3rd-5th grade teachers are asked to commit to a 3-year research study to compare Harmony to Harmony-Academic Integration in the 2023-2024, 2024-2025, and 2025-2026 academic years.
What do teachers have to do?
We are trying to answer two research questions: (1) How does Harmony implementation impact student outcomes (2023-2024)? and (2) How does Harmony-Academic Integration compare to Harmony (2024-2025 and 2025-2026). To answer these questions, as shown in Figure 1, we are asking the following:
2023-2024: All teachers (K-2nd and 3rd-5th) will implement Harmony as they normally do and will complete data collection activities (i.e., 15–20-minute implementation surveys twice per year and select teachers will be invited to participate in one hour focus groups or observations; K-2nd grade students will complete a 15–20-minute direct assessment of Harmony twice per year).
2024-2025 and 2025-2026: Schools will be randomly assigned prior to the 2024-2025 academic year to receive “Harmony-Academic Integration” or continue using Harmony. 3rd-5th grade teachers in schools randomly assigned to Harmony-Academic Integration will engage in 9 hours of professional learning in 2024-2025 and 1 hour of coaching in 2025-2026. Those in schools randomly assigned to Harmony will continue to implement Harmony as usual. In both Harmony-Academic Integration and Harmony schools, all teachers will complete a 15–20-minute implementation survey twice per year and select teachers will be invited to participate in one-hour focus groups and/or observations. 3rd-5th grade students will complete a 20-minute self-report twice per year.
2026-2027: 3rd-5th grade teachers who implemented Harmony will be invited to participate in the Harmony-Academic Integration professional learning. No data collection will occur.
Figure 1: Visual description of the Harmony Impact Study
What incentives are available for teachers?
Incentives for teachers who participate in professional learning, coaching, and data collection activities will be provided.
For any questions or to share your school’s interest, please contact your District Lead and complete this interest form at https://airtable.com/shr2Dk34EDx4VPLWa.
For any additional information or if you have questions, please contact Nick Yoder, PhD, at nyoder@nu.edu.
