Resources

Free Resources

Higher Learning Lab publishes free research reviews, summaries, and practical guides for educators, counselors, caseworkers, and administrators who work with vulnerable students: foster youth, first-generation and international students, children with ADHD, and students affected by trauma. Each piece is written by Genevive Bjorn, Ed.D., cites peer-reviewed sources, and carries a citation line so you can reference it in grant applications, policies, and training.

Books from our founder: How to Critically Read the Scientific Research Literature (Cambridge University Press, 2026) and Effective Communication and Academic Success for International Students (Routledge). A free CERIC Method cheat sheet is also available.

All Resources

Research reviews and guides

• Attachment and Learning in K–12 Education: A Review of the Research — What attachment research means for classrooms, from teacher–student relationships to school climate.
• Artificial Intelligence, Learning, and Attachment in K–12 Education: A Review of the Research — How AI tools interact with children’s attachment and learning, and what the evidence does and does not show.
• Equity Audits in K–12: A Practical Guide for Schools and Districts — A step-by-step guide to planning, running, and acting on an equity audit.
• 504 and IEP Planning for Foster Youth and System-Involved Children — How 504 plans and IEPs work for foster youth and system-involved children, and who is responsible for what.
• Trauma-Informed Classroom Practices: A Review of the Research — What the research supports in trauma-informed teaching, and what remains unproven.
• Educational Stability for Foster Youth: What Schools and Districts Need to Know — The federal and state rules that keep foster youth in a stable school, and how districts meet them.
• First-Generation College Students: What the Research Says About Retention and Belonging — What predicts retention and belonging for first-generation students, and which interventions help.
• Supporting International Students in English-Speaking Universities: A Research Summary — A summary of the research on language, culture, and communication barriers for international students.
• Professional Development for Educators: A Review of the Research — A full review of what makes professional development for teachers change practice.
• ADHD in Preschoolers: A Review of the Research — A full review of the research on identifying and supporting ADHD in children under six.

Research summaries

• Professional Development for Educators: Research Summary — The short version of the professional development review, for busy readers.
• ADHD in Preschoolers: Research Summary — The short version of the ADHD in preschoolers review.

Documentation and workflow

• More Clarity and Better Evidence with a Structured Workflow — A documentation workflow that produces clearer records and stronger evidence for decisions.
• Style Guide for Better Trauma-Informed Documentation — Plain-language conventions for writing records about children that are accurate, respectful, and useful.
• Cross-Sector Child Documentation: Review of the Literature and Rationale — Why documentation about children should travel across agencies, and what the literature says about doing it well.
• Guardians of the Record: Precision Methods in Care-Centered Documentation — Precision methods for care-centered records: what to write, what to leave out, and why.