Actionable companion · Staff wellbeing and retention

From leadership research to district action: A Systematic Review of Secondary Traumatic Stress in School Personnel: A Synthesis of Quantitative Findings

AI-assisted editorial implementation guide. Proposed district actions are separate from the original authors’ findings and recommendations. Independent peer review of this guide is not asserted.

Evidence and transfer

Education-related source: verify which participants, institutions and outcomes were actually studied before district adoption. Source publication type: review-article. License and identity checks do not establish study quality or causality.

Original authors’ abstract, reproduced under the source license:

ABSTRACT Background Secondary traumatic stress (STS) in school personnel is under‐researched, with limited data on its frequency and susceptibility. This systematic review examines the extent of STS and the factors contributing to it among school personnel, defined as individuals employed or contracted by US school systems. Methods The review includes only studies that utilized the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL) and/or the STS Scale (STSS). A comprehensive search identified 18 peer‐reviewed publications (2012–2021). Findings Thirteen authors used the ProQOL, while six used the STSS, with half of the latter reporting moderate or higher STS levels. Studies using ProQOL scoring methods found average STS levels. Limitations include a lack of sample diversity, as most participants were white (32.4%–97.2%), female (70.9%–93.2%), and teachers (12/18 studies). Many variables had inconsistent findings across studies. Other variables such as leadership practices and school safety showed significant associations with STS. Implications These data can be used to better understand factors associated with STS and to inform the development of effective preventative and reactive strategies to reduce the impact of STS on school personnel. Conclusion Continued research needs to occur assessing STS in school personnel to better inform best practices for prevention and reactive strategies.

A 90-day district inquiry

1. Days 1–15 · Appraise. Read the source methods, recruitment, comparator, outcomes and limitations. Record how the study setting differs from your district and which claim the design can support.
2. Days 16–30 · Design. Map one recurring source of staff workload with voluntary staff input. Agree one reversible schedule, support or task-allocation change and name its owner. Agree participation, privacy protections, baseline and stopping rules before starting.
3. Days 31–60 · Observe. Collect the pre-agreed measures, keep a log of implementation changes and invite confidential voluntary feedback. Preserve existing support for staff and learners.
4. Days 61–90 · Decide. Compare workload hours, a consistent voluntary wellbeing measure, absence and retention intentions with the pre-pilot baseline. Report response rates and avoid causal claims from an uncontrolled comparison. Make a dated decision to stop, revise or extend the inquiry.

Board decision brief

Present the local problem, source setting, evidence limits, intervention, responsible owner, total cost, measured changes and uncertainty. Separate staff perceptions, implementation measures and student learning outcomes.

Attribution and reuse

Paige M. Klemme; Barbara Pierce; Jack E. Turman; James R. Brown; Sadaaki Fukui. A Systematic Review of Secondary Traumatic Stress in School Personnel: A Synthesis of Quantitative Findings. The Journal of School Health (2025-09-15). https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.70087

Prepared 2026-11-07. Source authorship and DOI are preserved. The abstract and source passages are attributed extracts; this editorial guide is offered under the same CC BY 4.0 license.