Student Well-Being & Special Education Blog

Frustrated teenage young woman female student with head in hands in hallway in school

eLuma’s 2025 State of Student Mental Health Report Calls for Sustainable, System-Wide Solutions in K–12 Schools

The Student Mental Health Crisis Isn’t Going Away. It’s Time to Act. For years, schools have worked tirelessly to respond to what many believed was a temporary mental health crisis tied to the isolation and upheaval of the pandemic. Educators and families hoped that as classrooms reopened and routines returned, students would regain their footing. But the latest data tells a different story. According to eLuma’s 2025 State of Student Mental Health Report, the crisis hasn’t eased in the five years since COVID-19 shut down schools nationwide. Nearly six in ten school-based providers say student mental health has worsened over the past year, while only four percent report improvement. Anxiety, depression, and behavioral challenges continue to rise, shaping students’ ability to learn, connect, and thrive. These findings make one thing clear: what we are facing is not a temporary setback. Schools are facing a long-term shift that demands immediate, coordinated, and sustained action. Among those who have witnessed this shift firsthand is Kay Kelly, Mental Health Clinical Services Specialist for eLuma and an experienced licensed school psychologist. Kay has worked in school-based mental health for over a decade, providing direct services, consultation, and leadership to support students’ mental health needs.

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The Critical Role of Universal Screeners in the MTSS Framework

Every student deserves the chance to thrive—but ensuring that happens isn’t easy. As an educational leader, you juggle countless challenges to provide equitable support for all students. A Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), paired with early identification and intervention, can help schools cut through the complexity and give students the academic, social, and behavioral support they need to succeed. A key component of MTSS is the use of universal screeners, which help pave the way for more effective and equitable support. The Role of Universal Screeners in MTSS Universal screeners are systematic assessment tools that provide comprehensive insights into students’ competencies across various domains. These tools are crucial in evaluating the effectiveness of Tier 1 instruction, identifying at-risk students, and shaping targeted intervention strategies. They offer educators a proactive way to address student challenges and allocate resources more effectively, fostering equity and improving outcomes. “While the concept of universal screening is not new, its importance, particularly in the realm of social behavior and emotional competencies, has gained prominence since the onset of the pandemic, with a significant focus on students in need of social behavior support.” – Brandy Samuell, M.Ed., Director of Mental Health and Related Services for eLuma Key Functions of

Speech IEP Goals: Speech Therapy Made Simple

Speech IEP (Individualized Education Program) goals are a key part of a speech-language pathologist’s (SLP) role in schools. These goals support a wide range of needs that shift with age, learning stage, and each child’s unique communication profile. But writing clear and effective goals can be challenging. SLPs often have to determine specific areas of need, make sure goals are measurable, and collaborate with both the student’s family and school team. Key Takeaways Speech IEP goals are tailored to each child, depending on their age, educational needs, and specific language challenges (speaking, reading, and writing). Goals need to be clear, measurable, and time-bound to support consistent progress tracking. Using SMART strategies and a structured goal bank can make speech IEP planning easier and more effective. Why Strong Speech IEP Goals Matter Well-written goals are more than just paperwork. They give direction to therapy sessions and provide a shared understanding across the student’s IEP team. Specific, measurable goals keep services aligned with the student’s needs and support meaningful collaboration between the SLP, family, teachers, and other professionals. In this blog, we’ll walk through best practices for writing speech IEP goals, explore examples by category, and share the example goal bank to

Breaking Down Silos: How School Leaders Can Align General Education and Special Education with Co-Teaching Strategies

In many schools, general education and special education still operate in separate worlds, with different teams, meetings, and goals. When these systems stay disconnected, students miss out, and educators feel overwhelmed and unsupported. A recent edWeb webinar, presented by Brandy Samuell, Director of Product for K–12 Services at eLuma, along with education leaders Mike Leddy and Autumn Francisco, offered a thoughtful and practical look at how school leaders can bring these two sides together. When Systems Don’t Work Together, Students Lose Out A rise in behavior issues and special education referrals is often a sign of something deeper: a lack of collaboration. Without a shared approach, students can get conflicting messages, duplicated support, or none at all. That kind of misalignment can delay the help students need and lead to frustration for everyone involved. Leadership Makes the Difference Leadership drives change. School leaders play a critical role in shaping the school culture and expectations around collaboration. That means building a shared vision, making space for co-planning, and showing that general and special education staff are working toward the same goals. The ASCCR Framework: A Roadmap for Real Integration To help schools move forward, the ASCCR Framework offers a structured approach: