Sara McDaniel

Dr. Sara McDaniel

Professor, Collaborative Special Education
Director, Center for Interconnected Behavioral and Mental Health Systems


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Sara McDaniel

EDUCATION

DegreeArea of StudyUniversity
Ph.D.Special EducationGeorgia State University
M.Ed.Special EducationGeorgia State University
Internship: Vanderbilt University
Internship: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Southeast Division
B.A.Psychology with a minor in Health EducationElon University
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Graduate Certificates

Certificate in Advanced Education LeadershipHarvard Graduate School

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AWARDS AND HONORS

YearAward
2024President’s Mid Career Social Science Researcher Award, University of Alabama
2023College of Education DEI Faculty Award, University of Alabama
2022-2023Public Engagement Learning Community Fellow, University of Alabama
2021School Psychology’s Article of the Year (McIntosh, et al, 2021)
2020Blackmon-Moody Outstanding Faculty, University of Alabama
2019Council for Exceptional Children-DR Distinguished Early Career
2019President’s Faculty Research Award: Emerging Researcher, University of Alabama
2015-2016APBS E. G. Carr Initial Researcher Award
2014University of Alabama Research Summer Project Director
2013Council for Exceptional Children Division of Research Early Career Workshop    
2012-2013University of Alabama Junior Investigators Program
2010-2011Council for Exceptional Children Division of Research Scholars
2010-2011Midwest Symposium on Leadership in Behavior Disorders Dissertation Award

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HIGHLIGHTED PUBLICATIONS AND GRANTS

Research and publications:

  1. McDaniel, S. C., Bruhn, A. L. & Estrapala, S. E. (2024). Social, Emotional, Behavioral Supports in Schools. Guilford Publishing.
  2. Cohen, D., McDaniel, S. C., Lochman, J. L. (2024). Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Middle School Students with Aggression: Examining the Role of Pandemic Exposure and Perceived Discrimination. School Psychology.
  3. McDaniel, S. C., Mahatmya, D., & Bruhn, A. (2023). Educator Burnout in the Age of COVID-19: A Mediation Analysis of Perceived Stressors, Work Sense of Coherence, and Sociodemographic Characteristics. Teaching and Teacher Education
  4. *McDaniel, S. C., Coogler, C., & Guyotte, K. (2023). “It’s a Process”: Preliminary Stakeholder Perceptions of Tier 2 Implementation Barriers, Facilitators, and Attitudes. Journal of Applied School Psychology.
  5. McDaniel, S. C., Watkins, L., & Chow, J. (2023). 30 Years of Coping Power research: Systematic literature review of research quality and implementation and study variables. Journal of Applied School Psychology.
  6. Brady, L., McDaniel, S. C., & Choi, Y. (2022). Teacher Stress and Burnout: The Role of Psychological Work Resources and Implications for Practitioners. Psychology in the Schools, 60(6), 1706-1726
  7. McDaniel, S. C., Nese, R., Tomek, S. & Jiang, S. (2022). District-wide outcomes from bullying prevention programming embedded within schoolwide PBIS. Preventing School Failure
  8. McDaniel, S. C., Bardhoshi, G., Kivlinghan, D. M. (2022). Preliminary Evaluation of Open Circle Social Emotional Learning Program and the Open Circle Scales. School and Community Journal
  9. Bruhn, A. L., Choi, Y., McDaniel, S. C., Stephens, H, & Hirsch, S. (2022) Meeting the needs of students with emotional and behavioral disorders during the COVID-19 school closures. Behavioral Disorders (47), 4 10.1177/01987429211067472
  10. Harbour, K., McDaniel, S. C., & Preast, J.  (2022). Integrating targeted academic and behavioral interventions for students with challenging behavior. Teaching    Exceptional   Children
  11. *McIntosh, K., Girvan, E. J., Fairbanks, S. Falcon, S., McDaniel, S. C., Smolkowski, K., Bastable, E., Santiago-Rosario, M. R., Izzard, S., Austin, S. C., Nese, R. N. T., & Baldy, T. S. (2021). Equity-focused PBIS approach reduces racial inequities in school discipline: A randomized controlled trial. School Psychology, 36(6), 433–444. https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000466

Federal grants:

  • McDaniel, S. C. (2023; CO-Investigator). Inclusive Skill-building Learning Approach. National Institutes of Health (R01). $3,683,202. University of Oregon, Nese (PI)
  • Mehari, K. (2022;  PI of Subaward). Preventing Youth Violence Through Building Equitable Communities: An Evaluation of a Multisystemic Intervention National Institutes of Health, R01; NIMHD
  • Gunn, H., Xia, M., Bolland, A., & McDaniel, S. C. (2022; Co-Investigator). Socioecological approach to school start times and sleep health disparities in underrepresented youth. National Institutes of Health, R15.
  • McDaniel, S. C., Cohen, D., Watkins, L., Preast, J. & Banard-Brak, L. (2020) Project RIIPL (Rural, Interdisciplinary, Interconnected Practitioner-Leaders). (PI, Office of Special Education Programming, funded) $1,090,453.
  • McDaniel, S. C., Lochman, J., Powell, N., McIntosh, K., Mercer, S. & LaSalle, T. (2019).      Reducing Youth Violence and Racism/Discrimination: The Efficacy of Comprehensive   Prevention Strategies (CPS). National Institutes of Health, R01 (PI, funded). $2,400,000.
  • McIntosh, K., Girvan, E., Smolkowski, K., Nese, R., Falcon, S., & McDaniel, S. C. (2019).   Project ReACT. Institute of Education Sciences, Goal 2 (Co-Investigator, funded).

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RESEARCH INTERESTS

Social, emotional, behavioral supports for all students

Classroom practice assessment and coaching for educators

Tier 2 Identification and Intervention framework

Prevention supports in schools, supporting educator well-being


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BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Sara McDaniel is a professor in the Department of Special Education at The University of Alabama and is the director of the Center for Interconnected Behavioral and Mental Health Systems (CIBMHS). The CIBMHS is a research center that engages in rigorous research in schools and focuses on supporting schools and districts in implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and school-based mental health services, as well as regular programing offered to the University of Alabama faculty, staff, and students. Dr. McDaniel conducts collaborative research and teaches in the areas of: (a) PBIS and multitiered systems of support, (b) positive classroom practices, (c) Systems, practices, and policies that improve equity and disproportionate discipline, and (d) practices to improve educator and student well-being in schools. Specifically, Dr. McDaniel examines implementation science and systems mechanisms across these research areas as well as the translation of research to practice and practice to research.