Jessica Koslouski

Assistant Research Professor

Department of Educational Psychology

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Dr. Jessica Koslouski is an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology within the Neag School of Education. Dr. Koslouski’s research focuses on the development, implementation, and evaluation of whole child policies and practices in schools. Whole child policies and practices consider students’ development holistically, recognizing that development occurs across multiple domains (e.g., academic, social, emotional, behavioral, health) and is strengthened or hindered by contextual assets and barriers. Dr. Koslouski also supports schools in implementing trauma-informed policies and practices, supporting educators to understand the effects of trauma on development and how schools can support healing and learning. Across projects, Dr. Koslouski works with schools to develop feasible interventions that strengthen trauma-informed and whole child policies and practices so that all children have the opportunity to thrive. She draws on ten years of experience as a special education teacher.

Dr. Koslouski’s current projects include leading the qualitative portions of Project ESSY, a mixed-methods project to develop and evaluate a whole child screener. Project aims include developing a screener that incorporates information across child (e.g., academic, health) and environmental (e.g., housing, food security) indicators. Dr. Koslouski is also leading the mixed-methods evaluation of CDC-funded work to protect and improve the health and well-being of Connecticut school-age children and adolescents. Other projects include researching the acceptability and impact of Feel Your Best Self and working with schools across the country to implement trauma-informed policies and practices.

 

Pronouns: she/her

 

Academic Degrees:

Ph.D., Boston University, Counseling Psychology and Applied Human Development

M.Ed., Boston University, Special Education

B.A., Boston College, Elementary Education and Human Development

 

Areas of Expertise:

whole child approaches

special education

school mental health

trauma-informed education

mixed methods research

 

Selected Publications:

Koslouski, J. B., Briesch, A. M., Chafouleas, S. M., Caemmerer, J. M., & Lyon, K. (2026, Online first). Investigating the potential for treatment utility and usability of the ESSY Whole Child Screener. School Mental Health. http://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-026-09888-w

Porche, M. V., Koslouski, J. B., & Fortuna, L. R. (2026). Trauma and girls: Implementing trauma-informed policies and practices in systems of care. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 35(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2025.04.003.

Koslouski, J. B., Chafouleas, S. M., Briesch, A. M., Caemmerer, J. M., & Melo, B. (2024). Developing a whole child school screening instrument: Evaluating perceived usability as an initial step in planning for consequential validity. School Mental Health, 16(2), 370–386. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-024-09670-w

Stark, K., Koslouski, J. B., Vadhan, J., & Wallace, M. (2024). The future is inclusive: Social emotional learning and special education. Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy, 100043. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sel.2024.100043

Koslouski, J. B., Chafouleas, S. M., Briesch, A. M., Caemmerer, J. M., Perry, H. Y., Oas, J., Xiong, S., & Charamut, N. R. (2024). School-based screening of social determinants of health: A scoping review. School Mental Health, 16, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-023-09622-w

Koslouski, J. B., Stark, K, & Chafouleas, S. M. (2023). Understanding and responding to the effects of trauma in the classroom: A primer for educators. Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy, 1, 100004. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sel.2023.100004

Koslouski, J. B., Wilson-Mendenhall, C. D., Parsafar, P., Goldberg, S. B., Martin, M. Y., & Chafouleas, S. M. (2022). Measuring emotional well-being through subjective report: A scoping review. BMJ Open, 12:e062120. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-062120

Koslouski, J. B. & Stark, K. (2021). Promoting learning for students experiencing adversity and trauma: The everyday, yet profound, actions of teachers. The Elementary School Journal, 121(3), 430-453. https://doi.org/10.1086/712606