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Join Microsoft Teams Meeting

+1 463-900-4198   United States, Indianapolis (Toll)

Conference ID: 936 714 325#

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Who to Contact While Ike is on Paternity Leave

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Who to Contact While Ike is on Paternity Leave

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PSA & GWHS contact Brian Dinkins: DinkinsBrian@myips.org
All others contact Cami Hallgarth: hallgarc@myips.org

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Champions Meeting #3 Power Point (11/4/2020)

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Champions Meeting #3 Power Point (11/4/2020)

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Increasing student engagement

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Community Service Projects

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Staff Self-Care PD

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Continue working on SEL 3 Signature Practices

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Staff Culture

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1. Ideas to help get our middle school boys engaged.
2. More cohesiveness between some of our staff members.

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CASEL's Guide to selecting an SEL Curriculum

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CASEL's Guide to selecting an SEL Curriculum

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Program Design

Implementation Support

Evidence of Effectiveness

Program Name

Study Demographics

Study Design

Outcomes Demonstrating Effects

Grades Evaluated

Race/ Ethnicity

RCT

QE

Improved Academic Performance

Improved Positive Social Behavior

Reduced Problem Behaviors

Reduced Emotional Distress

Improved SEL Skills & Attitudes

Improved Teaching Practices

6th - 8th

Black, Hispanic

(1)

7th-10th

Black, Hispanic, Multiracial

(1)

6th - 8th

Black, Hispanic, White

(1)

6th-8th

Black, Hispanic

(2)

6th, 7th

Black, Hispanic, White

(1)

(1)

6th, 7th

Black, Hispanic, White

(1)

(2)

Second Step: Student Success Through Prevention for Middle School
6th

Black, Hispanic, Multiracial, White

(1)

7th, 9th, 10th

Hispanic, White

(1)

7th

Black

(1)

Program Design

Implementation Support

Evidence of Effectiveness

Program Name

Study Demographics

Study Design

Outcomes Demonstrating Effects

Grades Evaluated

Race/ Ethnicity

RCT

QE

Improved Academic Performance

Improved Positive Social Behavior

Reduced Problem Behaviors

Reduced Emotional Distress

Improved SEL Skills & Attitudes

Improved Teaching Practices

9th

Black, Hispanic

(1)

7th-10th

Black, Hispanic, Multiracial

(1)

6th-8th

Black, Hispanic

(2)

12th

Hispanic, White

(1)

9th, 11th

Black, Hispanic, White

(1)

(1)

7th, 9th, 10th

Hispanic, White

(1)

9th - 12th

Black, White

(1)

(1)

Program Descriptions

Below are the programs that met criteria for one of the three CASEL review designations: SELect Program, Complementary Program, or Promising Program. The programs are organized first by designation and then alphabetically within designation category. Click on any program name to view the full description of that program. An index of all program descriptions can also be found on our Program Description page.

CASEL Designation: Complementary Program

Program Design

Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) is an organizational approach to promoting students' social and emotional learning. BARR is designed to be implemented in grades 6 through 10. The program organizes each grade level into teams. Each team is led by three teachers from core academic subjects (i.e., math, English, sciences, or social sciences) who are responsible for 80-120 students. Teachers on each team continually monitor the academic achievement and behavioral adjustment of the students assigned to them. The members of each team meet as a group to reflect on these ratings and to identify students at-risk. Teams also meet with school support staff on a weekly basis to develop plans for those at-risk students. This process requires daily teacher time and time in the schedule for team meetings. BARR also provides a set of activities for relationship building between teachers and students called "I-Time." BARR is designated as a Complementary program because there is a limited emphasis on the promotion of students' personal competence.

Schools implementing BARR hold an orientation for parents on the topic of the developmental needs of adolescents. Parents are also invited to serve on a parent advisory council.

Implementation Support

According to the program's recommended implementation model, BARR's professional development takes place over three years. During that time BARR offers a total of six days of onsite training (two days per year) with additional monthly phone calls for technical assistance with each school's assigned BARR educator/trainer as well as two additional onsite technical assistance and coaching visits each year. In the first year's training, which in most schools takes place early in the fall of the ninth-grade year, an administrator, a school counselor, and the core subject teachers for ninth grade attend an initial two-day training. These are always onsite trainings with two trainers, a current BARR educator assigned to work with the school across its full implementation period and a professional trainer from the program's publisher, Hazelden. The content of this initial training is the overall BARR approach. In the following two years BARR provides four days of onsite training, usually two days per year. Schools may choose based on their needs among such topics as trauma-informed classrooms, substance use, equity, and effective team meetings, to name a few of the offerings.

BARR provides significant ongoing support following the initial training. The assigned BARR educator calls once a month to check on implementation progress and offer technical assistance on barriers to implementation and other issues as needed. The "BARR coordinator" for the school facilitates the team meetings and acts as the primary liaison with the BARR educator and the school's administration. For onsite technical assistance in the first year BARR recommends two day-long visits from the school's assigned BARR educator, with the first one spaced 6-8 weeks after the initial training and the second typically taking place toward the end of the year. During these visits, the BARR educator observes core aspects of the program's implementation, interacts with administrators and teachers, reviews structural components, and assesses program fidelity. This is followed by a detailed coaching report identifying areas in need of improvement or more attention and debriefs with the school's BARR coordinator and a school administrator. In the subsequent two years BARR offers one day-long onsite visit of a similar nature. A Train the Trainer model is available in which the BARR coordinator can be trained as a trainer to provide ongoing support for the program.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of a 2013 randomized control trial evaluation supported the effectiveness of Building Assets-Reducing Risk. This evaluation was conducted on a sample of 548 adolescents in grade 9 (Hispanic = 37%, White = 52%, Other = 11%). It found that students who participated in the program reported more academic credits earned, higher standardized test scores in math, and higher standardized test scores in reading (nine months after baseline), compared to students from the control group and controlling for baseline differences in outcome.

References

Evans, J. & Sharma, A. (2013). BARR Program Performance Evaluation Report.

CASEL Designation: Promising Program

Program Design

CHARACTER plus Way uses an organizational approach to promote students' social and emotional learning. The program works at the district level with a leadership team established at the beginning of a three-year implementation process. The leadership team includes the superintendent, two principals, two teachers, a counselor or social worker, and two parents or community members.

In the first year the leadership team meets regularly to develop a character education policy, to prioritize desirable character traits, to organize data-based planning and evaluation, and to plan staff professional development. They also develop strategies and guidelines for building community involvement. In the second year the program is introduced to schools through trainings with staff conducted by the leadership team. In the third year the leadership team introduces the staff to four classroom and schoolwide strategies based on the Caring School Community program (used with permission).

At the classroom level CHARACTER plus Way focuses on helping teachers to create classroom environments in which students feel safe and where their opinions and concerns are taken seriously. The program makes instructional activities highly interactive and also emphasizes cooperative learning strategies. Students participate in meaningful conversations in order to develop positive class norms, work with others, engage in meaningful relationships, and feel connected to school. Teachers are also responsible for implementing the character development activities developed by the leadership team, with input from the whole school community, across the curriculum.

At the classroom and school level the program promotes a positive climate through activities such as pledges, mottoes, and codes of honor. Additional schoolwide strategies include providing students with opportunities to participate in school and district committees and to serve in leadership roles as peer role models, mentors, and advisors for classmates. CHARACTER plus Way resources include guidelines for organizing meetings with parents regarding their engagement in their child's school life and more generally about parenting practices. Also, an experiential learning component strengthens connections between classroom learning and the real world and encourages involvement of a broad range of community stakeholders.

Implementation Support

CHARACTER plus Way employs a train-the-trainer model. Once the leadership team is identified, a required schoolwide or districtwide climate assessment survey is used to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for growth or improvement. The survey is repeated annually, and data are used to identify goals and drive program activities for the subsequent year. A three-day training for the leadership team includes a review of the survey results, development of an initial action plan based on those results, and training in the content and implementation of the program. Leadership training takes place either at the program's St. Louis headquarters, another central location, or onsite. Following the training, the leadership team goes back to the schools, where teachers, parents, and students vote on the schoolwide and communitywide character traits they want to prioritize. The leadership team then trains the staff in its school buildings.

The first session, a three-hour orientation, is followed by six hours of customized training to integrate CHARACTER plus Way approaches throughout the school or district. The focus is on building student leadership and community engagement and implementing character and other agreed-upon goals across both the school and home settings. The program provides another 23 hours of training and other types of ongoing support through offsite trainings and networking to create professional learning communities. Networking is a strong emphasis of the program, as is coaching of the leadership team both on and offsite. Also, the leadership team attends regional and national trainings as part of the networking process. The program's detailed facilitator guide provides a core set of materials for networking, group training sessions, and the development of professional learning communities.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of a 2011 randomized control trial evaluation supported the effectiveness of CHARACTER plus Way. This evaluation was conducted on a sample of students in grades 8 and 11 from 31 Missouri public schools. Participants from schools that received the intervention reported better school climate and culture, had more prosocial behavior, and had higher rates of proficiency in Communication Arts (after four years of implementation), compared to students from control schools that did not receive the intervention, controlling for baseline differences in outcomes.

CHARACTER plus Way is designated as Promising because although the overall effects of the program evaluations are positive, there was one study in which outcomes favored the comparison group over the intervention group.

References

The CharacterPlus Way Missouri State-Wide Research. Unpublished research report.

CASEL Designation:

SELect

Implementation Support

The developers of CMCD® suggest a two-year implementation and professional development process to ensure high-quality implementation. The program uses a sequence of training that starts with a one-day training for teachers and principals, preferably in the summer. This is followed by six 90-minute workshops over the course of the school year. The six sessions provide teachers with information that is relevant using a "just in time" approach such that CMCD® trainings align with issues students are likely to be dealing with at a particular time in the semester. All training is provided onsite and in person. Principals are required to attend the first day-long training. Additional training for administrators is available and recommended but not required.

CMCD® also includes two years of individual or group coaching. In the second year the focus includes identifying the "best implementing" teachers, who are then trained to become "Teacher Implementation Pioneers" (TIP teachers) in a train-the-trainer model that helps address sustainability of CMCD® over time within that school or district. CMCD® also provides fidelity monitoring, specifically an assessment called the Walkabout TM that provides feedback to teachers in a nonevaluative framework and also helps to identify challenges that can be addressed by coaching.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of a 2011 quasi-experimental evaluation supported the program's effectiveness. This evaluation was conducted with 344 students who had repeated grade (29.5% Black; 69% Hispanic). Students participating in the program achieved higher standardized test scores for reading and math when compared to students in the control group. Group differences were statistically significant when assessed 12 months after the baseline while controlling for outcome pretest scores.

References

Freiberg, J. H., Husinec, C. A., Rubino, C., Johnson, J., Borders, K., Williams, L., & Alexander, R. (2011). Unpublished manuscript presented at the Annual International Meeting of the American Educational Research Association.

CASEL Designation:

SELect

Implementation Support

The program recommends beginning with an intensive training model of two-five days (or several weeks online), followed up with two to three days of onsite coaching, as well as virtual support, during the school year. However, professional development for the program can be accomplished through a hybrid of in-person and online training. Administrators are encouraged to attend the training along with the teachers. Schools implementing Facing History school-wide take part in faculty-wide onsite professional development, while Facing History staff provide the administrators in the Innovative Schools Network with focused sessions and a biannual conference for principals and lead teachers from all ISN schools.

The program offers conferences for districts and regions focused on specific topics. It also creates relevant community-based events, e.g., a speaker on racism in the aftermath of the police shooting of a local youth.

Among the many implementation supports provided by Facing History and Ourselves are a website featuring many digital resources, including streaming video and documentaries, microsites focused on core content (with primary sources, lessons and teaching strategies, audio, etc.), and other resources. Once teachers receive the training, they become part of the program's "educator network" and have access through the website to a free lending library of classroom sets of books, DVDs, curriculum units, and other materials they can borrow for their classrooms. Also offered are webinar-based professional learning communities and coaching options, particularly important when the program is implemented schoolwide. The program also includes fidelity guidelines (based on their outcomes research) that assist teachers in implementing successfully in the classroom and coaches to observe teachers to advice on implementation.

The program emphasizes that they will work with any school that is committed to implementing their approach and that funding should not be an obstacle. Facing History pursues grant support for its core work, and can help a district or school leverage funding to support implementation.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of two randomized control trial evaluations (2014 & 2015) supported the effectiveness of Facing History and Ourselves. In sum, these evaluations were conducted with 1867 students in grades 7 through 10 (10% Asian, 26% Black, 31% Hispanic, 10% Multi-Racial, and 24% White) and found that participants that received the intervention reported more prosocial behavior, greater ability to take others' perspective (empathy), better classroom climate, greater civic self-efficacy, greater "political tolerance", better academic achievement (historical understanding performance measure) and fewer conduct problems at post-test, compared to students from the control group. Students in the intervention group also reported that their teachers used more practices that promoted an "open" classroom climate and provided opportunities for "civic engagement", compared to students in the control group.

References

Domitrovich, C.E., Syvertsen, A., Cleveland, M., Moore, J.E., Jacobson, L., Harris, A., Glenn, J., & Greenberg, M.T. (2014). The effects of the facing history and ourselves on classroom climate and middle school studentsâ€™ social cognition and behavior. Unpublished Manuscript.

Barr, D.J., Boulay, B., Selman, R.L., McCormick, R., Lowenstein, E., Gamse, B., Fine, M., and Leonard, M.B. A Randomized Controlled Trial of Professional Development for Interdisciplinary Civic Education: Impacts on Humanities Teachers and Their StudentsTeachers College RecordVolume 117 Number 4, 2015.

CASEL Designation:

SELect

Implementation Support

For professional learning, The Get Real and Professional Training Institute recommends a two-day "Training of the Educator" grounded in research and adult learning theory to increase educators' comfort level and skill in teaching a comprehensive sex education curriculum. Get Real master trainers utilize ETR's distributive learning process which takes participants through a variety of different steps in their development that begins even before they get into the training space (participants complete an online course in advance). Throughout the training, educators have opportunities to reflect on their own values and check in on their own comfort and proficiency to support all learners. The emphasis of the training is on skill-building, including utilizing inclusive teaching practices. Get Real also offers a four-day Training of the Trainer for educators and schools interested in community scaling and sustainability.

Once educators begin implementing Get Real, they have options for how they receive support from the Get Real and Professional Training Institute team. They can access the Get Real website, which includes a monthly blog, lesson modeling videos, sample answers to frequently asked student questions, a parent support toolkit, peer-led condom demonstration videos, and additional resources. Educators can also participate in a Skills Booster day, offered once a year, to dig deeper into a particular lesson or trouble-shoot challenges they may be facing after implementation has begun. Other professional education opportunities and webinars on a variety of topics are available as well. The Get Real and Professional Training Institute team is available to provide technical assistance and feedback for those who want it.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results from a randomized control trial (RCT) evaluation published in 2014 supported the effectiveness of the Get Real: Comprehensive Sex Education That Works program for middle school students. In sum, this evaluation included 2,453 6th-8th grade students (Black = 32%, White = 24%, Hispanic = 35%; 72% of students in the participating districts were eligible for state-administered programs for low-income individuals). This evaluation found that students receiving the Get Real: Comprehensive Sex Education That Works program showed significantly lower implied likelihood of sexual debut by 8th grade than the control group (outcomes reported approximately 9 weeks after baseline, while controlling for outcome pretest).

References

Grossman J.M., Tracy A.J., Charmaraman, L., Ceder, I., Erkut, S. (2014). Protective effects of middle school comprehensive sex education with family involvement. J Sch Health. 84: 739-747

CASEL Designation: Complementary Program

Program Design

keepin' it REAL is a substance use prevention program that consists of ten free-standing lessons to promote social and emotional learning primarily in grade 7, but may also be taught in grades 6 and 8. Each lesson requires one 45-minute class period. keepin' it REAL uses a decision-making model to encourage students to make good decisions and also emphasizes social awareness and relationship skills. Because the program does not focus on self-management, it is designated complementary.

The primary strategy of keepin' it REAL is to teach students ways of dealing with peer pressure using the acronym REAL: Refuse, Explain, Avoid, and Leave. Students also learn how to recognize risk, value their perceptions and feelings, and make choices that support their values. The program integrates real stories from middle school youth throughout the curriculum through role plays, decision making scenarios, and a series of videos produced by high school youth.

Implementation Support

The recommended model of professional development for the teacher implemented version of keepin' it REAL is a two-day training offered by the program developers and their staff. This is typically an in-person training delivered onsite at the school or district. The training can take one of two forms. The first model is a direct training of up to 25 teachers in a school or district in 1 or 2 days. The second is a Train the Trainer model in which a smaller group of teachers or counselors is identified and trained over a full two days and who can then go on to train new teachers in the school or district to create program sustainability. This two-day TOT training includes a practicum with live observations of the new trainers training others. Administrators are encouraged to attend a two-day training but are not required. Training is not offered online. In addition, while some of the materials are available through the publisher without the training, both the developers and CASEL strongly discourage using the program without training.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of a randomized control trial and a quasi-experimental study conducted between 2006 and 2010 supported the effectiveness of keepin' it REAL delivered by teachers. The two evaluations included 4,426 students in grade 7 (93% FRL of those who reported). They found that students participating in the program reported lower levels of substance use and lower rates of increase in substance use 14 months after pretest when compared to students in the comparison group. Results also indicated that students participating in keepin' It REAL reported lower levels of substance use and lower rates of increase in substance use 21 months after baseline.

References

Hecht, M. L., Graham, J. W., & Elek, E. (2006). The drug resistance strategies intervention: Program effects on substance use. Health Communication, 20(3), 267-276.

Marsiglia, F. F., Kulis, S., Yabiku, S. T., Nieri, T. A., & Coleman, E. (2011). When to intervene: Elementary school, middle school or both? Effects of keepin' it REAL on substance use trajectories of Mexican heritage youth. Prevention Science, 12(1), 48-62.

CASEL Designation:

SELect

Program Design

The Leadership Program's Violence Prevention Project (VPP) uses free-standing SEL lessons and academic integration to promote SEL in middle school and high school students. The program offers two curricula, one for middle school and one for high school. The Leadership Program's VPP is unique in that rather than a uniform curriculum; teachers select twelve 45-minute lessons from a menu of options that most speak to the needs and assets of a particular school or group of students. Lessons are framed as an 'experiential learning cycle,' each starting with a statement of the aims of the lesson, then moving into a warm-up, main activity, and closing activity. Regardless of the lesson's selected, The Leadership Program's VPP culminates with a student-designed project-based learning opportunity.

Additionally, The Leadership Program's VPP aims to integrate academics into the conversation about SEL. Each lesson offers alignment to relevant common core standards for Math and ELA. Teachers are provided guidance on making those connections explicit and are encouraged to incorporate terms and concepts from the program throughout the instructional day.

Implementation Support

Schools wishing to implement The Leadership Program's Violence Prevention Project participate in an onsite training that lasts last a minimum of two days and up to five days. All trainings, regardless of selected length, feature interactive team building, facilitated curriculum walkthrough, an overview of program's evidence and theoretical base, lesson modeling, and consultation for adapting and customizing the curriculum to the context and culture of a given school. Additionally, reflective practice is embedded throughout all aspects of training. School's opting for three, four, or five-day trainings receive additional coaching and consultative interactions with trainers from The Leadership Program. This extra time can be structured in different ways, including a 'facilitation gym,' (where teacher practice facilitation of the program with structured feedback) or support for planning how to integrate the skills learned from the program into academic instruction. Precisely what those additional days look like, sound like, and feel like depends on the needs and priorities of that school community.

The program offers conferences for districts and regions focused on specific topics. It also creates relevant community-based events, e.g., a speaker on racism in the aftermath of the police shooting of a local youth.

Also, before the initial training, The Leadership Program facilitates a 3-4 hour consultation session with the school leader to ensure trainings are oriented to the needs of that community. The Leadership Program offers ongoing technical assistance in the form of coaching conversations, phone support, and onsite booster sessions. As common needs and concerns arise, The Leadership Program also creates and maintains informational webinars that address particular issues.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results from two quasi-experimental evaluations published in 2012 and 2014 supported the effectiveness of the Violence Prevention Project for middle and high school students. In sum, these evaluations included 2,597 6th- 8th grade students (Black = 36%, Hispanic = 47%) and 793 9th and 10th grade students (Black = 41%, Hispanic = 42%) in Title 1 schools. One of evaluations (2012) found that middle school students receiving instruction using the Violence Prevention Project Program experienced significantly less steep decreases in peer supportive behaviors and less steep increases in verbally aggressive behaviors strategies and normative beliefs about aggression compared to control students. Middle school students also experienced significant declines their physically aggressive and antisocial behaviors conflict resolution strategies compared to control students after exposure to the Violence Prevention Project Program (outcomes reported approximately 12 weeks after baseline while controlling for outcome pretest). The other quasi-experimental evaluation (2014) found that high schools students receiving instruction using the Violence Prevention Project Program experienced significant declines in their verbal aggression and immature avoidance conflict resolution strategies, as well as less attenuated inclines their antisocial conflict resolution strategies, compared to control students (outcomes reported approximately 12 weeks after baseline while controlling for outcome pretest).

References

Chauveron, L. M., Thompkins, A. C., & Harel, O. (2012). Urban youth violence prevention: effectiveness of a scaled-up practice-to-research programme. Journal of Children's Services, 7(4), 246-261.

Thompkins, A. C., Chauveron, L. M., Harel, O., & Perkins, D. F. (2014). Optimizing violence prevention programs: An examination of program effectiveness among urban high school students. Journal of school health, 84(7), 435-443.

CASEL Designation: Complementary Program

Program Design

Michigan Model for Health™ is a health education curriculum that uses free-standing SEL lessons to promote students' social and emotional learning. The program originated in Michigan but is appropriate for use in any state. The middle-school version, designed for use in grades 7 and 8, is comprised of five units (6-15 lessons on average per unit). Lessons are approximately 45 minutes long. The first unit (15 lessons) focuses on teaching SEL skills and is considered the foundation of the curriculum. It is followed by units on healthy eating and physical activity, smoking prevention, alcohol and other drug use prevention, and STI/HIV education. The goal of the lessons in the SEL unit is to help students understand diversity and create an atmosphere of acceptance and belonging. As part of bullying prevention, students learn to take action to walk away and get help. The curriculum also engages students in advocacy projects.

The program includes a crosswalk with the National Health Education standards, and there is a rubric for student assessment. It offers family resource sheets and other materials that provide information to parents on what is being taught, as well as encouragement to use the skills at home. Family activities include interviews with parents to learn about their views. The program also offers an instructional module devoted to service-learning at the middle-school level.

Michigan Model for Health ™ is designated as a Complementary program because most of the SEL programming is contained in a single unit presented in one year.

Implementation Support

Michigan Model for Health™ uses two different models of professional development for schools and districts in and out of the state of Michigan. Within the state there is a network of regional school health coordinators that are certified to deliver training to local schools or districts, often with state funding support. This training is typically one to two days long but can be extended to accommodate teachers' or participants' schedules, if necessary. Michigan Model for Health ™ does not typically provide extensive follow up to schools or districts once they are trained but support is available if needed. For schools or districts outside Michigan, onsite training is not available but the program offers annual summer regional Train the Trainer workshops. The format of these is a hybrid of two days of online training followed by three days of in-person training at the regional location. Following participation in a workshop, trainers are prepared to return to their home school or district and train their own teachers. The time period of that training varies and is largely up to the individual school or district. The training model for schools outside of Michigan has not been evaluated.

The format for how the Michigan Model for Health ™ is implemented in schools varies. Typically the program recommends starting with the SEL module and then doing additional modules (many of which are topic-specific) with the recommendation that the five core modules always be covered.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of a 1996 quasi-experimental evaluation supported the program's effectiveness. This evaluation was conducted with a sample of 442 adolescents in grades 6 and 7. It found that compared to students in the comparison group students who participated in the program reported lower frequencies of using drugs and alcohol at post-test. These effects were assessed 21 months after baseline, and group differences were statistically significant while controlling for baseline differences in the outcome measure.

References

Shope, J. T., Copeland, L. A., Marcoux, B. C., & Kamp, M. E. (1996). Effectiveness of a school-based substance abuse prevention program. Journal of Drug Education, 26(4), 323-337.

CASEL Designation: Complementary Program

Program Design

My Teaching Partner is a professional development program delivered exclusively through coaching that is designed to improve teaching practices (i.e., the quality of teachers' interactions with students) as a way to promote student's social and emotional development. An important element of the program is its use of the theoretically and empirically-based CLASS framework that organizes teacher-student interactions into three broad domains: Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, and Instructional Support (citation). Within these three domains are distinct dimensions: reflecting teacher behavior, student behavior and teacher-student interactions. The dimensions that reflect aspects of students' personal and social competence are Positive Climate, Teacher Sensitivity and Regard for Adolescent Perspectives, Instructional Learning Formats, and Analysis and Problem Solving.

Coaching to help increase the frequency of targeted student-teacher interactions is delivered to teachers across a series of cycles. For example, the coaching method encourages teachers to practice responding to student ideas and to use methods such as argumentation and peer dialogue to promote this skill. In each cycle coaches observe teachers' interactions with students using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (Pianta, Hamre, & Mintz, 2011) and then provide feedback following a standard protocol. The coaching encourages teachers to reflect and set goals for how they intend to adjust their practice to promote student's learning. The cycle is repeated every three to four weeks over the course of an academic year. MTP is designated as a Complementary program because its primary emphasis is on the teachers' role in promoting student social and emotional development. The approach places less emphasis on building student awareness or providing students with strategies to actively engage in their own skill development.

Implementation Support

My Teaching Partner (MTP) recommends a three-year implementation process. To make wider dissemination feasible, the program is transitioning to solely a Training of Trainers (TOT) model, but direct coaching of teachers by MTP is still available. The original coaching by MTP is the training model that was evaluated, and hence the one that CASEL recommends until the TOT model has also been tested. In the TOT model MTP provides an intensive two-day training to designated mentors, beginning with initial training and intensive ongoing coaching of the mentors in the first year. Over the next two years MTP moves into a supportive role, helping the school/district transition into a fully internalized training model in which the mentors implement the training. The MTP coaching is typically provided via Web-based video and phone calls, but the coach also works onsite three to four times during the first year. MTP also meets with administrators at the beginning of the first year to outline the program and maintains contact with them as needed.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of two randomized control trials conducted in 2011 supported the effectiveness of My Teaching Partner. Evaluations included 2,056 students in grades 6-12 (Black=23%; White=71%; approximately 36% of participants in the two trials qualified for free or reduced lunch) and found that participants who received the program exhibited more prosocial behavior (according to observation) and had higher academic achievement at post-test (nine months after baseline) compared to students from the control group, controlling for baseline differences in outcome. The results indicated that the program group's improvement in academic achievement was mediated by improved student-teacher interactions.

References

Allen, J. P., Pianta, R. C., Gregory, A., Mikami, A. Y., & Lun, J. (2011). An interaction-based approach to enhancing secondary school instruction and student achievement. Science, 333(6045), 1034-1037.

Mikami, A. Y., Gregory, A., Allen, J. P., Pianta, R. C., & Lun, J. (2011). Effects of a teacher professional development intervention on peer relationships in secondary classrooms. School psychology review, 40(3), 367.

CASEL Designation: Complementary Program

Program Design

Pure Power is a mindful movement curriculum for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade that promotes students' social and emotional learning through free-standing lessons. The middle and high school curriculum consists of five units that build on one another, entitled Power to Shine, Power of Mindfulness, Power of the Brain-Body Connection, Power of a Balanced Life, and Toolkit for a Balanced Life. Students learn strategies for managing stress, responding versus reacting, acting with compassion, and setting goals. Pure Power is designated as complementary because there is a single set of lessons for the middle and secondary level that is not sequenced across these grade levels, and because the lessons primarily emphasize self-awareness and self-management but have limited coverage of other social-emotional competencies.

There are eight to ten lessons in every unit. Each lesson includes guiding reflective questions, guidance for keeping students engaged, a mindful movement practice, and breathing exercises to relax and refocus. Each lesson closes with tips for using skills at home.

Implementation Support

Pure Edge provides tailored support to districts through a flexible professional development model. Ideally, the district commits to naming one person on the administrative team to manage and support implementation. This may be a Health and Wellness Coordinator, Student Services Administrator, or other position depending on district preferences. This manager may field questions from program implementers, connect the program to district priorities, and manage communications, among other tasks. The program itself may be implemented by teachers, counselors, P.E. teachers, and/or outside providers.

Pure Edge offers initial five-day trainings. This training teaches mindful movement postures and basic mindfulness for school-based personnel. When school systems elect to use implementers from outside the school system (e.g., a community partner), sessions on classroom management are also available. After the initial training, Pure Edge offers a variety of supports including site visits. These visits are tailored to meet the needs of schools. During this time trainers may visit classrooms, provide professional development, and meet with implementers. Classroom observation tools are also available to support implementation, and they can be used by trainers and program managers to provide feedback on content delivery and fidelity. Finally, the Pure Edge website includes a resource library with downloadable articles about mindfulness from a neuroscience perspective and additional program materials.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results from a randomized control trial conducted in 2013 supported the effectiveness of the Pure Power program for high school students. This evaluation included 112 students in one school who were in 9-11th grades (Hispanic = 59%, Black = 22%). The study found that high school students who participated in the program had higher average GPAs compared to students in the control group (outcomes reported one year after baseline while controlling for outcome pretest and student participation).

References

Hagins, M. & Rundle, A. (2016). Yoga improves academic performance in urban high school students compared to physical education: A randomized controlled trial. Mind, Brain, and Education, 10(2), 105â-116.

CASEL Designation:

SELect

Implementation Support

The training model for Reading Apprenticeship is flexible. If teachers cannot participate in training during the summer, the program can provide the initial training at the beginning of the school year aided by ongoing coaching. Reading Apprenticeship recommends a total of 7-10 days of professional development over the course of the first 12-14 months. Typically participating teachers receive 3-4 initial days of professional development in the summer, followed by 3-4 days during the following school year, divided between the fall and spring. Schools that choose the full 10-day training model receive 3 days of training the following summer as well. The program recommends that principals attend the initial training and offers an optional online course for administrators that provides implementation support.

The program provides coaching over the course of the year. Reading Apprenticeship coaches lead the teacher groups and also provide classroom coaching. The ongoing coaching is also designed to build capacity, allowing teachers to become Reading Apprenticeship facilitators/trainers for their school. The program is not considered a full training of trainer model, however, because Reading Apprenticeship facilitators work only within their own schools. Teacher groups (professional learning communities) are encouraged to meet independently as well as with the coach. Each group chooses a teacher leader who convenes the group and helps to keep the group on track using materials provided by the developers. Reading Apprenticeship recommends a multiyear professional development process that takes approximately two years for a teacher to becoming a facilitator capable of providing training.

Ideally several teachers in a school will participate in Reading Apprenticeship, but the program also provides training to teachers from a single subject area.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results from a randomized control trial and a quasi-experimental evaluation conducted between 2010 and 2011 supported the effectiveness of Reading Apprenticeship. These evaluations included 5,595 students in ninth grade as well as 47 classrooms of eleventh-graders (Black = 23.3%, Hispanic = 31.8%, Other = 17%, White = 22.6%; FRL = 67% for those who reported). Students in ninth grade who participated in the program earned higher grade point averages, achieved higher standardized test scores in English language arts and math, and had lower rates of office referrals when compared to students in the control group. These outcomes were statistically significant and were assessed approximately nine months after baseline and accounted for outcome pretest scores. For eleventh-grade classrooms that participated in the program, higher scores were achieved on standardized test scores for History, and teachers in those classrooms self-reported using teaching practices that promote SEL to a higher degree than teachers in the comparison group. Both of these outcomes were statistically significant, and outcomes related to teaching practices were assessed 12 months after baseline while accounting for outcome pretest scores.

References

Greenleaf, C., Hanson, T., Herman, J., Litman, C., Rosen, R., Schneider, S., & Silver, D. (2011). A study of the efficacy of Reading Apprenticeship Professional Development for High School History and Science Teaching and Learning. Unpublished report.

Somers, M. A., Corrin, W., Sepanik, S., Salinger, T., Levin, J., and Zmach, C. (2010). The Enhanced Reading Opportunities Study Final Report: The Impact of Supplemental Literacy Courses for Struggling Ninth-Grade Readers (NCEE 2010-4021). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

CASEL Designation:

SELect

Implementation Support

RiPP professional development is designed for a designated program specialist who delivers the curriculum to all students in the school. The professional development for these individuals includes 3 days of training regarding 6th grade program implementation, and one and a half days each regarding 7th and 8th grade program implementation. Coaching involves a monthly phone call to check in and offer technical assistance. The program specialist also receives training in how to supervise unloading of buses in the morning, loading of buses in the afternoon, and in how to monitor lunches. There are concerns about the capacity of this small organization to support large-scale implementation given its current infrastructure.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of a randomized control trial and two quasi-experimental evaluations conducted between the years 2001 and 2003 supported the effectiveness of Responding in Peaceful and Positive Ways. In sum the three evaluations included 1975 students in the 6th grade and 7th grade (Black = 31%; Hispanic = 17%; White = 49%; approximately 65% of reporting participants qualified for free or reduced lunch) and found that participants that received the program reported less drug use (4 months after baseline); fewer interpersonal problems (4 months and 21 months after baseline); less victimization (12 months after baseline), and fewer conduct problems (4 months, 7 months, and 21 months after baseline). Additionally, significant program impact was sustained at follow-up for life satisfaction (both 4 months after post-test).

References

Farrell, A. D., Valois, R. F., Meyer, A. L., & Tidwell, R. P. (2003). Impact of the RIPP violence prevention program on rural middle school students. Journal of Primary Prevention, 24(2), 143-167

Farrell, A. D., Valois, R. F., & Meyer, A. L. (2002). Evaluation of the RIPP-6 violence prevention program at a rural middle school. American Journal of Health Education, 33(3), 167-172.

Farrell, A. D., Meyer, A. L., & White, K. S. (2001). Evaluation of Responding in Peaceful and Positive Ways (RIPP): A school-based prevention program for reducing violence among urban adolescents. Journal of clinical child psychology, 30(4), 451-463.

CASEL Designation: Promising Program

Program Design

School-Connect is a lesson-based approach to SEL that also promotes students' social and emotional development through teaching practices. While the program is designed for students in grades nine through twelve, some middle schools also use this program to help students prepare for high school. Lessons are usually implemented during advisory or freshman seminar, although they can be adapted and used in multiple settings.

School-Connect has four modules with 20 lessons each. Modules include: Creating a Supportive Learning Community, Developing Self-Awareness and Self-Management, Building Relationships and Resolving Conflicts, and Preparing for College and Workforce. Each lesson is designed to reflect the "ABC's of Learning," which School-Connect defines as "autonomy," "belonging," and "competence." In practice, this means that there are multiple opportunities in most lessons for students to engage actively with the material and one another. School-Connect also provides guidance around student-led discussions and other strategies for student-centered engagement. Every lesson includes an opener, essential questions, wrap-up, and opportunities for reflection.

All lessons have "lesson extensions" that range from brief follow-up activities to "literature links," writing prompts, and research projects. These, along with the opportunities for reflection found in each lesson, are designed to reinforce, apply, and generalize aspects of the lesson beyond the classroom and into students' school, home, and community.

Implementation Support

School-Connect provides two options for initial professional development. The first, School-Connect Institute, is an intensive two-day training that takes place over the summer at various locations around the country. This training provides an SEL overview, engagement strategies, implementation guidelines, and opportunities to practice facilitation of student-driven discussions. The learning is experiential, allowing teachers to experience the student-centered curriculum first-hand.

The second option is on-site training that typically takes place in a single day or two-day session. This in-service option provides a similar knowledge base as the School-Connect Institute, but also allows schools and districts to tailor the learning to their particular needs and contexts.

School-Connect materials include an Implementation Toolkit, which provides guidance on forming a leadership team, defining program needs and goals, designing an implementation plan, and initiating and monitoring implementation. The Implementation Toolkit also provides resources for classroom observations, teacher self-assessments, student skills assessment, and teacher and student satisfaction measurements. In addition, School-Connect offers an Evaluation Toolkit to help school teams define goals and analyze data.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results from a quasi-experimental evaluation conducted in 2014-2015 support the effectiveness of School-Connect. The evaluation included 947 high school students who were in 9th grade (Hispanic = 63%, White = 18%, Black = 15%). This evaluation found that students who participated in the program demonstrated higher overall passing rates in four core subjects and were less likely to have received discipline referrals for being disruptive in class or rude to an adult compared to students in the comparison group (outcomes reported 12 months after baseline while controlling for outcome pretest). The evaluation also assessed the effects of the program six months after posttest when students were in 10th grade (all follow-up analyses controlled for previous scores on outcome measures). At follow up, students who participated in the program were less likely to have received any disciplinary referral, and outperformed the comparison group on social studies grades and social studies passing rates. However, the evaluation also found that the comparison group outperformed students who participated in the program on math grades, English language arts grades, and English language arts passing rates. For this reason, School-Connect is designated as Promising.

References

Huston, A., Beland, K., & Douglass, J. (2016). School-Connect Intervention Impact on High School Students' Discipline Referrals and Academic Outcomes. Unpublished report.

CASEL Designation:

SELect

Implementation Support

"The Second Step Program" provides highly structured and directive training. It consists of four modules that use a video-based, online format. Each module lasts between 30 to 60 minutes and is accompanied by written materials. The first module provides an overview of the program for all school staff and the administrators. The other three modules are for teachers who will be teaching the curriculum. These videos are intended to be watched in a group setting (not by individual teachers), because practice in small groups is an integral part of the training experience. One person in the training group is asked to serve as a "facilitator" whose role is to arrange the room, manage the video, and facilitate discussion, group work, and activities. The online group training modules (as well as other resource materials including lesson preparation videos) are available with the activation key that comes with the program's purchase. At a minimum, administrators and all school staff are strongly encouraged to participate in the training session for the first module. The program also offers a two-day leadership institute held in Seattle each June for district leaders to form a professional learning community across multiple implementing school districts. Each yearly cohort typically consists of 15-20 leaders from around the country and they continue to meet through regular structured web-based meetings throughout the year. Many other kinds of trainings and implementation supports are available with "The Second Step Program". Lesson preparation videos that walk teachers through the process of preparing for each lesson during each of the middle school years are also very popular. In addition, the program offers optional professional development opportunities for diverse stakeholders, as well as checklists and observational tools to monitor the fidelity of implementation.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of a 2013 randomized control trial supported the effectiveness of "The Second Step Program". This evaluation was conducted on a sample of 3,616 adolescents in sixth grade (Black = 35.2%; Hispanic = 26.1%; Multiracial = 14.8%; White = 24%). It found that students who participated in the program reported lower levels of physical aggression at post-test compared to students in the control group. These effects were assessed approximately nine months after baseline, and group differences were statistically significant while controlling for baseline differences in the outcome measure.

References

Espelage, D. L., Low, S., Polanin, J. R., & Brown, E. C. (2013). The Impact of a middle school program to reduce aggression, victimization, and sexual violence. The Journal of Adolescent Health, 53(2), 180-186.

CASEL Designation: Promising Program

Program Design

SPARK ( SPotential, Ability & Resilience Inside Every Kid) uses free-standing lessons and accompanying small group/one-on-one mentoring opportunities to promote social emotional skills in students. Using the three universal principles of mind, thought, and awareness (as articulated by Sydney Banks), SPARK aims to equip students with skills to understand and cultivate their potential as an engaged member of society. The core curriculum consists of 13 lessons, (50 minutes each), designed to be taught in 13 weeks. Lessons cover topics such as reflection on one's identity, how emotional states impact one's decision making, problem-solving abilities, and building positive habits. Additionally, the curriculum contains optional modules on specialty topics that integrate into the main scope and sequence. Optional module topics include teen pregnancy prevention, expectations and social pressures, safe relationships, leadership, and life skills.

Outside of the primary curriculum (and optional modules), SPARK provides schools and teachers with guidance for one-on-one/small group mentoring. The program suggests facilitating mentoring in parallel with teaching the main curriculum (e.g., a lesson every two weeks with mentoring sessions on the off weeks). SPARK lessons can be modified for use.

Implementation Support

Schools implementing SPARK receive two days of initial training before implementation, and each participating teacher receives three 90-minute coaching sessions throughout the school year. The initial training can be facilitated onsite or virtually (onsite is the preferred model). Aside from the number of participants either setting can accommodate (onsite training-25 people; virtual training-10 people), the two training models cover the same content. Participants in virtual training will receive a shipment of necessary materials to enable real-time participation with facilitators. Day One of training includes foundations of SEL, key SEL concepts, SPARK's evidence-based approach, and collaborative activities modeled after the primary curriculum. Day Two consists of a walkthrough of the entire program and ample time for group/team planning with the curriculum-facilitators customize support during this time to the needs of the particular school.

After initial training, each teacher receives three 90-minute virtual coaching sessions. SPARK suggests the first coaching session occur after teaching the first four SPARK lessons and the rest according to the needs of the teacher. Additionally, teacher's implementing SPARK receive access to a robust online portal with various tools and resources to support implementation. Tools and resources include demo videos of all lessons, refresher videos to review content from initial training, reflection tools, and stories from actual teachers and school leaders who have implemented SPARK. There is also content accessible to students as supplemental resources while teaching the curriculum. Parents of students receiving the SPARK curriculum have access to an online course that introduces the SPARK program and gives strategies for bridging the skills learned through the program at home. Additional implementation resources include validated pre/post-tests, fidelity checklists, an extensive theory of action, and quarterly updates from SPARK with new program developments.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results from a randomized control trial (RCT) evaluation conducted in the 2018 academic year supported the effectiveness of SPARK Teen for high school students. In sum, these evaluations included 201 9th-12th grade students (Black = 27%, White = 12%, Hispanic = 58%; 92% of participating students were eligible for FRPL). This evaluation found that students receiving instruction using SPARK Teen Program showed significantly greater growth in self-report communication skills, problem-solving skills, relatedness resiliency skills, mastery relatedness skills, and optimism relatedness skills compared to control students (outcomes reported approximately 13 weeks after baseline, while controlling for outcome pretest). Additionally, students receiving instruction using the SPARK Teen Program improved significantly in their self-reported abilities to control impulsive behaviors and understand their emotions compared to control students over this same time period. Since the changes are based on self-reported perceptions rather than behaviors, the program is designated as Promising.

References

Ferrante, S., Boaz, T.L., Kutash, K., Green, A.L., and Wheeldon-Reece, B. (2020). Effects of the Speaking to the Potential, Ability, and Resilience Inside Every Kid (SPARK) Curriculum. Manuscript submitted for publication.

CASEL Designation: Complementary Program

Program Design

Step Up is a middle school program adapted from the Camp MakeBelieve Kids 8-Step SEL elementary school program. Step Up includes free-standing SEL lessons that can be implemented as a stand-alone course during an advisory period or health class. The Step Up curriculum teaches 8 specific sets of concepts, skill-sets, and strategies designed to promote healthy interactions and safe regulation of feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. These 8 concepts, called "steps", are: Social Connections, Understanding and Expressing Feelings, Respecting Boundaries, Building Empathy, Mood Control, Stopping Manipulation, Self-Regulation, and Motivation. The steps are intentionally sequenced so that each steps' messages and skills build on the next. There are a total of 16 lessons (two for each of the eight steps), and each lesson is designed to last 25 minutes. Each lesson begins with a goal-directed "Breath-Work" strategy that is designed to promote physical relaxation, reduce stress, and re-focus energy on the upcoming lesson. A student journal accompanies the curriculum that allows students to reflect on the lessons outside of class and review information for clarity. Parents are included through informational memos called "Keeping Parents in the Loop." Step Up is designated as complementary because when the materials are broken out across multiple years they do not provide comprehensive coverage of the five SEL domains.

The original version of this curriculum is a universal prevention program that includes components related to suicide prevention. The curriculum was adapted for the CASEL program review process because CASEL does not review suicide prevention programs. The Step 6 lessons focus on teaching students to recognize manipulation strategies and associate the behaviors with illustrations of trash can characters, known as the "Trashy Tricks." The intent of these lessons is to teach students that methods of manipulation are not acceptable, should not be practiced, and that students should be conscious to ensure they are not being manipulated themselves. Given the developmental literature on the power of adolescent norms, it is important for schools using this program to think carefully about the risks involved in having students practice negative behaviors, and the norms that may be established. Guidelines about how this content should be used is addressed in the curriculum and training.

Implementation Support

Prior to designing a specific training model for schools, school administrators are invited to attend a virtual conference with the program developer. Following the introductory session, the most basic training format for Tier 1 instructors is a two-day, in-person, on-site workshop with a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 50 participants. There is one trainer for every 20 participants. Participants are provided with the program overview, key strategies, practice opportunities, important trainer tips, and resources that allow them to deliver the lesson plans with fidelity. They also receive curriculum-based assessment tools which consist of student self-report measures, student post-tests, as well as tools for parents & teachers to measure changes in observed behavior. In addition, instructors may participate in a total of six bi-monthly virtual conference calls for support and technical assistance. A Train the Trainer workshop is offered to instructors who have attended the basic training and have successfully implemented the program for at least one cycle.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of a 2014 quasi-experimental evaluation provided evidence for the effectiveness of Step Up. The evaluation was conducted on a sample of 64 students in four 8th grade classrooms. The evaluation found that compared to students in the comparison group, students who participated in the program were rated by their teachers to have demonstrated higher levels of self-regulation, social-competence, empathy, and responsibility. These effects were assessed after the students in the intervention group had participated in the program for two years and group differences were statistically significant while controlling for baseline differences in the outcome measure.

References

Grob, K., Kadlubek, R., & Canivez, G. (2014). STEP UP Curriculum Longitudinal Study: Evaluation Report. Unpublished evaluation report.

CASEL Designation: Complementary Program

Program Design

TestEdge is a stress reduction program that consists of five free-standing lessons to promote social and emotional learning in high school. The program is delivered in the classroom via video in which teenage actors present the information. The five video lessons are each broken down into several shorter segments. In between the segments, the teacher leads a discussion based on provided prompts and questions. The program is designated complementary because of its limited focus on social awareness and relationship skills, and because it is designed to be delivered in a single school year.

The primary strategy of TestEdge is to teach students ways of dealing with daily stress by using breathing relaxation tools. Three tools are taught in sequence of complexity. The first tool's purpose is to help students calm down when they experience strong negative emotions. The second is aimed at changing a feeling or attitude from negative to positive. The third is designed for solving problems by becoming calm and using intuition. All three tools incorporate deep breathing techniques.

The program encourages frequent practice of the offered techniques. Additionally, each video lesson includes printed materials for students, which provide the opportunity to review and learn more about the information presented in the video lesson, as well as for reflection and practice.

Implementation Support

TestEdge recommends a half-day training. There are two options - on site and virtual. The on-site training is not required but is recommended because it is in-person and includes time to practice applying skills and linking them to specific classroom experiences. TestEdge will send one of their own staff members or an educational consultant to instruct teachers and/or school counselors. This training covers relevant aspects of neuroscience, reviews the manual, and reviews videos presented on the TestEdge CD-ROM (which is provided as part of the training). For each video, the training follows a sequence of: watch, review, apply/practice - the same pattern teachers are encouraged to follow with their students in a social collaborative classroom framework.

The alternative virtual training involves the TestEdge CD-ROM along with a 90-minute webinar. The live webinar covers the same content as the on-site training but in a more condensed format. The TestEdge CD-ROM takes teachers through the step-by-step process of implementing this program and includes the training videos, the manual, and all the student lessons in PDF format.

Ongoing training or coaching is not offered but TestEdge provides free follow-up phone consultations. There are no dedicated administrator trainings and no fidelity measures.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of a 2007 randomized control trial supported the effectiveness of Test Edge. This evaluation was conducted on a sample of 749 adolescents in 10th grade (White = 43%; Hispanic = 36%; Other = 21%; approximately 14.3% of participants qualified for free or reduced lunch) and found that students participating in the intervention reported lower levels of test anxiety, negative affect, emotional discord, and interactional difficulty at post-test compared to students from the control group. The posttest occurred four months after baseline and analyses controlled for baseline differences in the outcome measure.

References

Bradley, R. T., McCraty, R., Atkinson, M., Arguelles, L., Rees, R. A., & Tomasino, D. (2007). Reducing test anxiety and improving test performance in America's schools: Results from the TestEdge National Demonstration Study. Unpublished evaluation report.

CASEL Designation: Complementary Program

Program Design

The Fourth R is a health education curriculum for students in ninth grade that includes  free-standing SEL lessons  that promote students' social and emotional learning. It is comprised of four units with seven lessons in each. All the lessons are designed to be implemented for 75 minutes or divided into two shorter lessons. The four units cover personal safety and injury prevention, substance use, addictions, and related behaviors, human development and sexual health, and healthy eating. The lessons in the first unit focus on teaching relationship skills, social awareness and self-awareness, and decision-making skills, with a strong emphasis on practice of communication skills supported by elaborate role plays. Content on healthy relationships and mental health literacy and wellness is integrated throughout. In addition, the program includes content on understanding the benefits and dangers of digital technologies. The program materials include short video clips with teen actors demonstrating different types of communication. Also offered are guidelines on schoolwide implementation of the program. In the most updated version of the program, there is guidance for educators around how to support students when discussing potentially sensitive topics, such as suicide. Additionally, there is a version of the program created for Indigenous youth. The Fourth R is considered Promising because the majority of the SEL programming for high school is presented in one year.

Training and Implementation Support

The Fourth R offers a five-hour training usually conducted in-person and onsite, although an online version is also available. Either training includes both learning and skills practice. Videos are used to model teacher strategies for role-playing, skill building, and collaborative instructional practices. The program recommends the in-person training whenever a school or district intends to train ten or more teachers (with a maximum of 60). The online training is identical to the in-person training, with content and practice offered through slides and videos. It is recommended when only a few teachers from a single school need to be trained.

As-needed technical assistance from the Fourth R is available. Coaching is not typically offered, but the program has created a Web-based "community of practice" that includes updated materials, video examples, and webinars for online teacher training. Another option is a Train the Trainer model to develop what the Fourth R calls "master trainers." This is appropriate for schools that have implemented the Fourth R and have teachers who have already delivered it at the classroom level. In this model Fourth R returns to a school district for a two-day training and trains a few of the experienced teachers to be trainers for future teachers in the district or the nearby region. On the first day a master trainer leads the training. The participants use the second day for practice and presentations of the program to either fellow teachers or teachers new to the Fourth R program. This training includes a master trainer manual and ongoing technical support.

The Fourth R offers a five-hour training usually conducted in-person and onsite, although an online version is also available. This training covers the curriculum content, videos on how to teach role-playing, and practice of skills. The program recommends the in-person training whenever a school or district intends to train ten or more teachers (with a maximum of 60). In most cases schools or districts are encouraged to request a site license for the Fourth R that allows them to use the materials repeatedly and have free access to the online training. The online training is identical to the in-person training, with content and practice offered through slides and videos. It is recommended when only a few teachers from a single school need to be trained. Online training is free for anyone who purchases the materials for the Fourth R or receives the in-person training. Although the program does not offer regional trainings, they do ask interested schools if teachers from nearby regions can attend a planned training in order to maximize the opportunity for other schools to receive it. As-needed technical assistance from the Fourth R is available. Coaching is not typically offered, but the program has created a Web-based "community of practice" that includes updated materials, webinars, and other content.

Another option is a Train the Trainer model to develop what the Fourth R calls "master trainers." This is appropriate for schools that have implemented the Fourth R and have teachers who have already delivered it at the classroom level. In this model Fourth R returns to a school district for a two-day training and trains a few of the experienced teachers to be trainers for future teachers in the district or the nearby region. On the first day a master trainer leads the training. The participants use the second day for practice and presentations of the program to either fellow teachers or teachers new to the Fourth R program. This training includes a master trainer manual and ongoing technical support.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of a 2009 randomized control trial evaluation supported the effectiveness of Fourth R for high school students. This evaluation was conducted on a sample of 1,722 adolescents in ninth grade (predominantly white). It found that participants who received the intervention reported lower rates of physical dating violence at post-test (30 months after baseline) compared to students from the control group, controlling for baseline differences in rate of dating violence.

Results from a randomized control trial published in 2015 support the effectiveness of The Fourth R for middle school students. The evaluation included 1,012 students who were in 7th and 8th grade (white = 69-78%, Indigenous Peoples = 14-20%). This evaluation found that students who participated in the program demonstrated greater post-test critical thinking and awareness of the impact of violence on victims, as well as greater positive stress coping strategies compared to students in the comparison group. These findings were especially true for female students compared to male students.

References

References Reviewed by CASEL Team

Crooks, C. V., Scott, K. L., Broll, R., Zwarych, S., Hughes, R., & Wolfe, D. A. (2015). Does an evidence-based healthy relationships program for 9th graders show similar effects for 7th and 8th graders? Results from 57 schools randomized to intervention. Health Education Research, 30(3), 513-519.

Wolfe, D. A., Crooks, C., Jaffe, P., Chiodo, D., Hughes, R., Ellis, W., & Donner, A. (2009). A school-based program to prevent adolescent dating violence: A cluster randomized trial. Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine, 163(8), 692-699.

Additional References

Crooks, C. V., Zwarych, S., Burns, S., & Hughes, R. (2014). The Fourth R implementation manual: Building for success from adoption to sustainability. London, ON: CAMH Centre for Prevention Science.

Crooks, C. V., Chiodo, D., Zwarych, S., Hughes, R., & Wolfe, D. A. (2013). Predicting implementation success of an evidence-based program to promote healthy relationships among students two to eight years after teacher training. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 32,125-138.

Wolfe, D. A., Crooks, C. V., Chiodo, D., Hughes, R., & Ellis, W. (2012). Observations of adolescent peer resistance skills following a classroom-based health relationship program: A Post-intervention comparison. Prevention Science, 13,196-205.

Crooks, C.V., Scott, K., Ellis, W., & Wolfe, D. (2011). Impact of a universal school-based violence prevention program on violent delinquency: Distinctive benefits for youth with maltreatment histories. Child Abuse and Neglect, 35, 393-400.

Wyman's Teen Connection Project

CASEL Designation: Promising Program

Program Design

Wyman's Teen Connection Project (TCP) promotes high school students' social and emotional learning through 12 sequential 45-60 minute free-standing lessons delivered weekly to groups of 6-15 participants. Lessons include team building exercises, interactive activities, participant sharing, and peer discussions. Participants explore social connection, including barriers to connection, and develop positive and supportive relationships with one another. TCP is based on research that shows that for high school students, the experience of establishing supportive peer relationships will be one of the best teachers of social and emotional skills. TCP is a program of Wyman's National Network and is grounded in Wyman's "Framework for Thriving Youth," which emphasizes positive youth development and developmental relationships among youth and with supportive adults. Participant handouts are available in Spanish.

Implementation Support

Organizations implementing Wyman's Teen Connection Project (TCP) become part of Wyman's National Network, which includes partners across the country implementing Wyman programs.

Training is offered through a 5 day Training of Trainers (TOT) model, in which staff from partner organizations are trained to lead the Training of Facilitators (TOF) with their staff. For large partners, onsite training may be available. Training is experiential and grounded in tenets of adult learning theory.

During the first 2.5 days of the TOT, participants complete the TOF, and the next 2.5 days focus on how to lead the TOF. During the TOF, trainers model TCP lessons and teach participants to implement the program with fidelity and high quality. In addition to program-specific information, training includes content such as the stages of group development, high quality facilitation techniques, the importance of caring and responsive adults who build empowering environments with young people, maintaining healthy youth-adult boundaries, and creating safe spaces (including facilitating with LGBTQ inclusivity and sensitivity to cultural/human diversity). To conclude the TOF, participants deliver a TCP lesson to the group and receive structured feedback. Throughout the training, trainers build relationships among participants in a way that mirrors the work they will do with youth. In addition, trainers continually model diversity and inclusion strategies.

Partners in Wyman's National Network receive ongoing support. Partners identify a coordinator, who has completed the TOT, who is responsible for their organization's overall implementation of TCP. This includes training facilitators, monitoring fidelity, and regular feedback and coaching. Coordinators work closely with National Network staff who are available to provide guidance and technical assistance. Wyman operates an online data management system, Wyman Connect, which partners use to track implementation and outcome data. Wyman additionally provides monthly newsletters, resources hosted on Wyman Connect, webinars, a Summer Facilitator Institute, and an annual Coordinator Learning Exchange.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results from a randomized control trial (RCT) evaluation conducted in the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 academic years supported the effectiveness of the Connection Project for high school students. In sum, these evaluations included 610 9th-12th grade students (Black = 59%, White = 17%, Hispanic = 9%, Other = 13%; 67% of students in the participating districts were eligible for FRPL). This evaluation found that students receiving instruction using the Connection Project Program showed significantly greater growth in student-report comfort with classmates than the control group (outcomes reported approximately 12 weeks and again 28 weeks after baseline, while controlling for outcome pretest). Because the significant growth relates to SEL skiills and attitudes as opposed to behavioral outcomes, this program is designated Promising .

References

Allen, J.P., Narr, R.K., Nagel, A.G., Costello, M.A., & Guskin, K. (in press). The Connection Project: Changing the peer environment to improve outcomes for marginalized adolescents. Development and Psychopathology.

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Program Design Implementation Support Evidence of Effectiveness Program Name Study Demographics Study Design Outcomes Demonstrating Effects Grades Evaluated Race/ Ethnicity RCT QE Improved Academic Performance Improved Positive Social Behavior Reduced Problem Behaviors Reduced Emotional Distress Improved SEL Skills & Attitudes Improved Teaching Practices 6th - 8th Black, Hispanic (1) 7th-10th

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CASEL's Guide to selecting an SEL Curriculum

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CASEL's Guide to selecting an SEL Curriculum

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Program Design

Implementation Support

Evidence of Effectiveness

Program Name

Study Demographics

Study Design

Outcomes Demonstrating Effects

Grades Evaluated

Race/ Ethnicity

RCT

QE

Improved Academic Performance

Improved Positive Social Behavior

Reduced Problem Behaviors

Reduced Emotional Distress

Improved SEL Skills & Attitudes

Improved Teaching Practices

6th - 8th

Black, Hispanic

(1)

7th-10th

Black, Hispanic, Multiracial

(1)

6th - 8th

Black, Hispanic, White

(1)

6th-8th

Black, Hispanic

(2)

6th, 7th

Black, Hispanic, White

(1)

(1)

6th, 7th

Black, Hispanic, White

(1)

(2)

Second Step: Student Success Through Prevention for Middle School
6th

Black, Hispanic, Multiracial, White

(1)

7th, 9th, 10th

Hispanic, White

(1)

7th

Black

(1)

Program Design

Implementation Support

Evidence of Effectiveness

Program Name

Study Demographics

Study Design

Outcomes Demonstrating Effects

Grades Evaluated

Race/ Ethnicity

RCT

QE

Improved Academic Performance

Improved Positive Social Behavior

Reduced Problem Behaviors

Reduced Emotional Distress

Improved SEL Skills & Attitudes

Improved Teaching Practices

9th

Black, Hispanic

(1)

7th-10th

Black, Hispanic, Multiracial

(1)

6th-8th

Black, Hispanic

(2)

12th

Hispanic, White

(1)

9th, 11th

Black, Hispanic, White

(1)

(1)

7th, 9th, 10th

Hispanic, White

(1)

9th - 12th

Black, White

(1)

(1)

Program Descriptions

Below are the programs that met criteria for one of the three CASEL review designations: SELect Program, Complementary Program, or Promising Program. The programs are organized first by designation and then alphabetically within designation category. Click on any program name to view the full description of that program. An index of all program descriptions can also be found on our Program Description page.

CASEL Designation: Complementary Program

Program Design

Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) is an organizational approach to promoting students' social and emotional learning. BARR is designed to be implemented in grades 6 through 10. The program organizes each grade level into teams. Each team is led by three teachers from core academic subjects (i.e., math, English, sciences, or social sciences) who are responsible for 80-120 students. Teachers on each team continually monitor the academic achievement and behavioral adjustment of the students assigned to them. The members of each team meet as a group to reflect on these ratings and to identify students at-risk. Teams also meet with school support staff on a weekly basis to develop plans for those at-risk students. This process requires daily teacher time and time in the schedule for team meetings. BARR also provides a set of activities for relationship building between teachers and students called "I-Time." BARR is designated as a Complementary program because there is a limited emphasis on the promotion of students' personal competence.

Schools implementing BARR hold an orientation for parents on the topic of the developmental needs of adolescents. Parents are also invited to serve on a parent advisory council.

Implementation Support

According to the program's recommended implementation model, BARR's professional development takes place over three years. During that time BARR offers a total of six days of onsite training (two days per year) with additional monthly phone calls for technical assistance with each school's assigned BARR educator/trainer as well as two additional onsite technical assistance and coaching visits each year. In the first year's training, which in most schools takes place early in the fall of the ninth-grade year, an administrator, a school counselor, and the core subject teachers for ninth grade attend an initial two-day training. These are always onsite trainings with two trainers, a current BARR educator assigned to work with the school across its full implementation period and a professional trainer from the program's publisher, Hazelden. The content of this initial training is the overall BARR approach. In the following two years BARR provides four days of onsite training, usually two days per year. Schools may choose based on their needs among such topics as trauma-informed classrooms, substance use, equity, and effective team meetings, to name a few of the offerings.

BARR provides significant ongoing support following the initial training. The assigned BARR educator calls once a month to check on implementation progress and offer technical assistance on barriers to implementation and other issues as needed. The "BARR coordinator" for the school facilitates the team meetings and acts as the primary liaison with the BARR educator and the school's administration. For onsite technical assistance in the first year BARR recommends two day-long visits from the school's assigned BARR educator, with the first one spaced 6-8 weeks after the initial training and the second typically taking place toward the end of the year. During these visits, the BARR educator observes core aspects of the program's implementation, interacts with administrators and teachers, reviews structural components, and assesses program fidelity. This is followed by a detailed coaching report identifying areas in need of improvement or more attention and debriefs with the school's BARR coordinator and a school administrator. In the subsequent two years BARR offers one day-long onsite visit of a similar nature. A Train the Trainer model is available in which the BARR coordinator can be trained as a trainer to provide ongoing support for the program.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of a 2013 randomized control trial evaluation supported the effectiveness of Building Assets-Reducing Risk. This evaluation was conducted on a sample of 548 adolescents in grade 9 (Hispanic = 37%, White = 52%, Other = 11%). It found that students who participated in the program reported more academic credits earned, higher standardized test scores in math, and higher standardized test scores in reading (nine months after baseline), compared to students from the control group and controlling for baseline differences in outcome.

References

Evans, J. & Sharma, A. (2013). BARR Program Performance Evaluation Report.

CASEL Designation: Promising Program

Program Design

CHARACTER plus Way uses an organizational approach to promote students' social and emotional learning. The program works at the district level with a leadership team established at the beginning of a three-year implementation process. The leadership team includes the superintendent, two principals, two teachers, a counselor or social worker, and two parents or community members.

In the first year the leadership team meets regularly to develop a character education policy, to prioritize desirable character traits, to organize data-based planning and evaluation, and to plan staff professional development. They also develop strategies and guidelines for building community involvement. In the second year the program is introduced to schools through trainings with staff conducted by the leadership team. In the third year the leadership team introduces the staff to four classroom and schoolwide strategies based on the Caring School Community program (used with permission).

At the classroom level CHARACTER plus Way focuses on helping teachers to create classroom environments in which students feel safe and where their opinions and concerns are taken seriously. The program makes instructional activities highly interactive and also emphasizes cooperative learning strategies. Students participate in meaningful conversations in order to develop positive class norms, work with others, engage in meaningful relationships, and feel connected to school. Teachers are also responsible for implementing the character development activities developed by the leadership team, with input from the whole school community, across the curriculum.

At the classroom and school level the program promotes a positive climate through activities such as pledges, mottoes, and codes of honor. Additional schoolwide strategies include providing students with opportunities to participate in school and district committees and to serve in leadership roles as peer role models, mentors, and advisors for classmates. CHARACTER plus Way resources include guidelines for organizing meetings with parents regarding their engagement in their child's school life and more generally about parenting practices. Also, an experiential learning component strengthens connections between classroom learning and the real world and encourages involvement of a broad range of community stakeholders.

Implementation Support

CHARACTER plus Way employs a train-the-trainer model. Once the leadership team is identified, a required schoolwide or districtwide climate assessment survey is used to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for growth or improvement. The survey is repeated annually, and data are used to identify goals and drive program activities for the subsequent year. A three-day training for the leadership team includes a review of the survey results, development of an initial action plan based on those results, and training in the content and implementation of the program. Leadership training takes place either at the program's St. Louis headquarters, another central location, or onsite. Following the training, the leadership team goes back to the schools, where teachers, parents, and students vote on the schoolwide and communitywide character traits they want to prioritize. The leadership team then trains the staff in its school buildings.

The first session, a three-hour orientation, is followed by six hours of customized training to integrate CHARACTER plus Way approaches throughout the school or district. The focus is on building student leadership and community engagement and implementing character and other agreed-upon goals across both the school and home settings. The program provides another 23 hours of training and other types of ongoing support through offsite trainings and networking to create professional learning communities. Networking is a strong emphasis of the program, as is coaching of the leadership team both on and offsite. Also, the leadership team attends regional and national trainings as part of the networking process. The program's detailed facilitator guide provides a core set of materials for networking, group training sessions, and the development of professional learning communities.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of a 2011 randomized control trial evaluation supported the effectiveness of CHARACTER plus Way. This evaluation was conducted on a sample of students in grades 8 and 11 from 31 Missouri public schools. Participants from schools that received the intervention reported better school climate and culture, had more prosocial behavior, and had higher rates of proficiency in Communication Arts (after four years of implementation), compared to students from control schools that did not receive the intervention, controlling for baseline differences in outcomes.

CHARACTER plus Way is designated as Promising because although the overall effects of the program evaluations are positive, there was one study in which outcomes favored the comparison group over the intervention group.

References

The CharacterPlus Way Missouri State-Wide Research. Unpublished research report.

CASEL Designation:

SELect

Implementation Support

The developers of CMCD® suggest a two-year implementation and professional development process to ensure high-quality implementation. The program uses a sequence of training that starts with a one-day training for teachers and principals, preferably in the summer. This is followed by six 90-minute workshops over the course of the school year. The six sessions provide teachers with information that is relevant using a "just in time" approach such that CMCD® trainings align with issues students are likely to be dealing with at a particular time in the semester. All training is provided onsite and in person. Principals are required to attend the first day-long training. Additional training for administrators is available and recommended but not required.

CMCD® also includes two years of individual or group coaching. In the second year the focus includes identifying the "best implementing" teachers, who are then trained to become "Teacher Implementation Pioneers" (TIP teachers) in a train-the-trainer model that helps address sustainability of CMCD® over time within that school or district. CMCD® also provides fidelity monitoring, specifically an assessment called the Walkabout TM that provides feedback to teachers in a nonevaluative framework and also helps to identify challenges that can be addressed by coaching.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of a 2011 quasi-experimental evaluation supported the program's effectiveness. This evaluation was conducted with 344 students who had repeated grade (29.5% Black; 69% Hispanic). Students participating in the program achieved higher standardized test scores for reading and math when compared to students in the control group. Group differences were statistically significant when assessed 12 months after the baseline while controlling for outcome pretest scores.

References

Freiberg, J. H., Husinec, C. A., Rubino, C., Johnson, J., Borders, K., Williams, L., & Alexander, R. (2011). Unpublished manuscript presented at the Annual International Meeting of the American Educational Research Association.

CASEL Designation:

SELect

Implementation Support

The program recommends beginning with an intensive training model of two-five days (or several weeks online), followed up with two to three days of onsite coaching, as well as virtual support, during the school year. However, professional development for the program can be accomplished through a hybrid of in-person and online training. Administrators are encouraged to attend the training along with the teachers. Schools implementing Facing History school-wide take part in faculty-wide onsite professional development, while Facing History staff provide the administrators in the Innovative Schools Network with focused sessions and a biannual conference for principals and lead teachers from all ISN schools.

The program offers conferences for districts and regions focused on specific topics. It also creates relevant community-based events, e.g., a speaker on racism in the aftermath of the police shooting of a local youth.

Among the many implementation supports provided by Facing History and Ourselves are a website featuring many digital resources, including streaming video and documentaries, microsites focused on core content (with primary sources, lessons and teaching strategies, audio, etc.), and other resources. Once teachers receive the training, they become part of the program's "educator network" and have access through the website to a free lending library of classroom sets of books, DVDs, curriculum units, and other materials they can borrow for their classrooms. Also offered are webinar-based professional learning communities and coaching options, particularly important when the program is implemented schoolwide. The program also includes fidelity guidelines (based on their outcomes research) that assist teachers in implementing successfully in the classroom and coaches to observe teachers to advice on implementation.

The program emphasizes that they will work with any school that is committed to implementing their approach and that funding should not be an obstacle. Facing History pursues grant support for its core work, and can help a district or school leverage funding to support implementation.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of two randomized control trial evaluations (2014 & 2015) supported the effectiveness of Facing History and Ourselves. In sum, these evaluations were conducted with 1867 students in grades 7 through 10 (10% Asian, 26% Black, 31% Hispanic, 10% Multi-Racial, and 24% White) and found that participants that received the intervention reported more prosocial behavior, greater ability to take others' perspective (empathy), better classroom climate, greater civic self-efficacy, greater "political tolerance", better academic achievement (historical understanding performance measure) and fewer conduct problems at post-test, compared to students from the control group. Students in the intervention group also reported that their teachers used more practices that promoted an "open" classroom climate and provided opportunities for "civic engagement", compared to students in the control group.

References

Domitrovich, C.E., Syvertsen, A., Cleveland, M., Moore, J.E., Jacobson, L., Harris, A., Glenn, J., & Greenberg, M.T. (2014). The effects of the facing history and ourselves on classroom climate and middle school studentsâ€™ social cognition and behavior. Unpublished Manuscript.

Barr, D.J., Boulay, B., Selman, R.L., McCormick, R., Lowenstein, E., Gamse, B., Fine, M., and Leonard, M.B. A Randomized Controlled Trial of Professional Development for Interdisciplinary Civic Education: Impacts on Humanities Teachers and Their StudentsTeachers College RecordVolume 117 Number 4, 2015.

CASEL Designation:

SELect

Implementation Support

For professional learning, The Get Real and Professional Training Institute recommends a two-day "Training of the Educator" grounded in research and adult learning theory to increase educators' comfort level and skill in teaching a comprehensive sex education curriculum. Get Real master trainers utilize ETR's distributive learning process which takes participants through a variety of different steps in their development that begins even before they get into the training space (participants complete an online course in advance). Throughout the training, educators have opportunities to reflect on their own values and check in on their own comfort and proficiency to support all learners. The emphasis of the training is on skill-building, including utilizing inclusive teaching practices. Get Real also offers a four-day Training of the Trainer for educators and schools interested in community scaling and sustainability.

Once educators begin implementing Get Real, they have options for how they receive support from the Get Real and Professional Training Institute team. They can access the Get Real website, which includes a monthly blog, lesson modeling videos, sample answers to frequently asked student questions, a parent support toolkit, peer-led condom demonstration videos, and additional resources. Educators can also participate in a Skills Booster day, offered once a year, to dig deeper into a particular lesson or trouble-shoot challenges they may be facing after implementation has begun. Other professional education opportunities and webinars on a variety of topics are available as well. The Get Real and Professional Training Institute team is available to provide technical assistance and feedback for those who want it.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results from a randomized control trial (RCT) evaluation published in 2014 supported the effectiveness of the Get Real: Comprehensive Sex Education That Works program for middle school students. In sum, this evaluation included 2,453 6th-8th grade students (Black = 32%, White = 24%, Hispanic = 35%; 72% of students in the participating districts were eligible for state-administered programs for low-income individuals). This evaluation found that students receiving the Get Real: Comprehensive Sex Education That Works program showed significantly lower implied likelihood of sexual debut by 8th grade than the control group (outcomes reported approximately 9 weeks after baseline, while controlling for outcome pretest).

References

Grossman J.M., Tracy A.J., Charmaraman, L., Ceder, I., Erkut, S. (2014). Protective effects of middle school comprehensive sex education with family involvement. J Sch Health. 84: 739-747

CASEL Designation: Complementary Program

Program Design

keepin' it REAL is a substance use prevention program that consists of ten free-standing lessons to promote social and emotional learning primarily in grade 7, but may also be taught in grades 6 and 8. Each lesson requires one 45-minute class period. keepin' it REAL uses a decision-making model to encourage students to make good decisions and also emphasizes social awareness and relationship skills. Because the program does not focus on self-management, it is designated complementary.

The primary strategy of keepin' it REAL is to teach students ways of dealing with peer pressure using the acronym REAL: Refuse, Explain, Avoid, and Leave. Students also learn how to recognize risk, value their perceptions and feelings, and make choices that support their values. The program integrates real stories from middle school youth throughout the curriculum through role plays, decision making scenarios, and a series of videos produced by high school youth.

Implementation Support

The recommended model of professional development for the teacher implemented version of keepin' it REAL is a two-day training offered by the program developers and their staff. This is typically an in-person training delivered onsite at the school or district. The training can take one of two forms. The first model is a direct training of up to 25 teachers in a school or district in 1 or 2 days. The second is a Train the Trainer model in which a smaller group of teachers or counselors is identified and trained over a full two days and who can then go on to train new teachers in the school or district to create program sustainability. This two-day TOT training includes a practicum with live observations of the new trainers training others. Administrators are encouraged to attend a two-day training but are not required. Training is not offered online. In addition, while some of the materials are available through the publisher without the training, both the developers and CASEL strongly discourage using the program without training.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of a randomized control trial and a quasi-experimental study conducted between 2006 and 2010 supported the effectiveness of keepin' it REAL delivered by teachers. The two evaluations included 4,426 students in grade 7 (93% FRL of those who reported). They found that students participating in the program reported lower levels of substance use and lower rates of increase in substance use 14 months after pretest when compared to students in the comparison group. Results also indicated that students participating in keepin' It REAL reported lower levels of substance use and lower rates of increase in substance use 21 months after baseline.

References

Hecht, M. L., Graham, J. W., & Elek, E. (2006). The drug resistance strategies intervention: Program effects on substance use. Health Communication, 20(3), 267-276.

Marsiglia, F. F., Kulis, S., Yabiku, S. T., Nieri, T. A., & Coleman, E. (2011). When to intervene: Elementary school, middle school or both? Effects of keepin' it REAL on substance use trajectories of Mexican heritage youth. Prevention Science, 12(1), 48-62.

CASEL Designation:

SELect

Program Design

The Leadership Program's Violence Prevention Project (VPP) uses free-standing SEL lessons and academic integration to promote SEL in middle school and high school students. The program offers two curricula, one for middle school and one for high school. The Leadership Program's VPP is unique in that rather than a uniform curriculum; teachers select twelve 45-minute lessons from a menu of options that most speak to the needs and assets of a particular school or group of students. Lessons are framed as an 'experiential learning cycle,' each starting with a statement of the aims of the lesson, then moving into a warm-up, main activity, and closing activity. Regardless of the lesson's selected, The Leadership Program's VPP culminates with a student-designed project-based learning opportunity.

Additionally, The Leadership Program's VPP aims to integrate academics into the conversation about SEL. Each lesson offers alignment to relevant common core standards for Math and ELA. Teachers are provided guidance on making those connections explicit and are encouraged to incorporate terms and concepts from the program throughout the instructional day.

Implementation Support

Schools wishing to implement The Leadership Program's Violence Prevention Project participate in an onsite training that lasts last a minimum of two days and up to five days. All trainings, regardless of selected length, feature interactive team building, facilitated curriculum walkthrough, an overview of program's evidence and theoretical base, lesson modeling, and consultation for adapting and customizing the curriculum to the context and culture of a given school. Additionally, reflective practice is embedded throughout all aspects of training. School's opting for three, four, or five-day trainings receive additional coaching and consultative interactions with trainers from The Leadership Program. This extra time can be structured in different ways, including a 'facilitation gym,' (where teacher practice facilitation of the program with structured feedback) or support for planning how to integrate the skills learned from the program into academic instruction. Precisely what those additional days look like, sound like, and feel like depends on the needs and priorities of that school community.

The program offers conferences for districts and regions focused on specific topics. It also creates relevant community-based events, e.g., a speaker on racism in the aftermath of the police shooting of a local youth.

Also, before the initial training, The Leadership Program facilitates a 3-4 hour consultation session with the school leader to ensure trainings are oriented to the needs of that community. The Leadership Program offers ongoing technical assistance in the form of coaching conversations, phone support, and onsite booster sessions. As common needs and concerns arise, The Leadership Program also creates and maintains informational webinars that address particular issues.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results from two quasi-experimental evaluations published in 2012 and 2014 supported the effectiveness of the Violence Prevention Project for middle and high school students. In sum, these evaluations included 2,597 6th- 8th grade students (Black = 36%, Hispanic = 47%) and 793 9th and 10th grade students (Black = 41%, Hispanic = 42%) in Title 1 schools. One of evaluations (2012) found that middle school students receiving instruction using the Violence Prevention Project Program experienced significantly less steep decreases in peer supportive behaviors and less steep increases in verbally aggressive behaviors strategies and normative beliefs about aggression compared to control students. Middle school students also experienced significant declines their physically aggressive and antisocial behaviors conflict resolution strategies compared to control students after exposure to the Violence Prevention Project Program (outcomes reported approximately 12 weeks after baseline while controlling for outcome pretest). The other quasi-experimental evaluation (2014) found that high schools students receiving instruction using the Violence Prevention Project Program experienced significant declines in their verbal aggression and immature avoidance conflict resolution strategies, as well as less attenuated inclines their antisocial conflict resolution strategies, compared to control students (outcomes reported approximately 12 weeks after baseline while controlling for outcome pretest).

References

Chauveron, L. M., Thompkins, A. C., & Harel, O. (2012). Urban youth violence prevention: effectiveness of a scaled-up practice-to-research programme. Journal of Children's Services, 7(4), 246-261.

Thompkins, A. C., Chauveron, L. M., Harel, O., & Perkins, D. F. (2014). Optimizing violence prevention programs: An examination of program effectiveness among urban high school students. Journal of school health, 84(7), 435-443.

CASEL Designation: Complementary Program

Program Design

Michigan Model for Health™ is a health education curriculum that uses free-standing SEL lessons to promote students' social and emotional learning. The program originated in Michigan but is appropriate for use in any state. The middle-school version, designed for use in grades 7 and 8, is comprised of five units (6-15 lessons on average per unit). Lessons are approximately 45 minutes long. The first unit (15 lessons) focuses on teaching SEL skills and is considered the foundation of the curriculum. It is followed by units on healthy eating and physical activity, smoking prevention, alcohol and other drug use prevention, and STI/HIV education. The goal of the lessons in the SEL unit is to help students understand diversity and create an atmosphere of acceptance and belonging. As part of bullying prevention, students learn to take action to walk away and get help. The curriculum also engages students in advocacy projects.

The program includes a crosswalk with the National Health Education standards, and there is a rubric for student assessment. It offers family resource sheets and other materials that provide information to parents on what is being taught, as well as encouragement to use the skills at home. Family activities include interviews with parents to learn about their views. The program also offers an instructional module devoted to service-learning at the middle-school level.

Michigan Model for Health ™ is designated as a Complementary program because most of the SEL programming is contained in a single unit presented in one year.

Implementation Support

Michigan Model for Health™ uses two different models of professional development for schools and districts in and out of the state of Michigan. Within the state there is a network of regional school health coordinators that are certified to deliver training to local schools or districts, often with state funding support. This training is typically one to two days long but can be extended to accommodate teachers' or participants' schedules, if necessary. Michigan Model for Health ™ does not typically provide extensive follow up to schools or districts once they are trained but support is available if needed. For schools or districts outside Michigan, onsite training is not available but the program offers annual summer regional Train the Trainer workshops. The format of these is a hybrid of two days of online training followed by three days of in-person training at the regional location. Following participation in a workshop, trainers are prepared to return to their home school or district and train their own teachers. The time period of that training varies and is largely up to the individual school or district. The training model for schools outside of Michigan has not been evaluated.

The format for how the Michigan Model for Health ™ is implemented in schools varies. Typically the program recommends starting with the SEL module and then doing additional modules (many of which are topic-specific) with the recommendation that the five core modules always be covered.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of a 1996 quasi-experimental evaluation supported the program's effectiveness. This evaluation was conducted with a sample of 442 adolescents in grades 6 and 7. It found that compared to students in the comparison group students who participated in the program reported lower frequencies of using drugs and alcohol at post-test. These effects were assessed 21 months after baseline, and group differences were statistically significant while controlling for baseline differences in the outcome measure.

References

Shope, J. T., Copeland, L. A., Marcoux, B. C., & Kamp, M. E. (1996). Effectiveness of a school-based substance abuse prevention program. Journal of Drug Education, 26(4), 323-337.

CASEL Designation: Complementary Program

Program Design

My Teaching Partner is a professional development program delivered exclusively through coaching that is designed to improve teaching practices (i.e., the quality of teachers' interactions with students) as a way to promote student's social and emotional development. An important element of the program is its use of the theoretically and empirically-based CLASS framework that organizes teacher-student interactions into three broad domains: Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, and Instructional Support (citation). Within these three domains are distinct dimensions: reflecting teacher behavior, student behavior and teacher-student interactions. The dimensions that reflect aspects of students' personal and social competence are Positive Climate, Teacher Sensitivity and Regard for Adolescent Perspectives, Instructional Learning Formats, and Analysis and Problem Solving.

Coaching to help increase the frequency of targeted student-teacher interactions is delivered to teachers across a series of cycles. For example, the coaching method encourages teachers to practice responding to student ideas and to use methods such as argumentation and peer dialogue to promote this skill. In each cycle coaches observe teachers' interactions with students using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (Pianta, Hamre, & Mintz, 2011) and then provide feedback following a standard protocol. The coaching encourages teachers to reflect and set goals for how they intend to adjust their practice to promote student's learning. The cycle is repeated every three to four weeks over the course of an academic year. MTP is designated as a Complementary program because its primary emphasis is on the teachers' role in promoting student social and emotional development. The approach places less emphasis on building student awareness or providing students with strategies to actively engage in their own skill development.

Implementation Support

My Teaching Partner (MTP) recommends a three-year implementation process. To make wider dissemination feasible, the program is transitioning to solely a Training of Trainers (TOT) model, but direct coaching of teachers by MTP is still available. The original coaching by MTP is the training model that was evaluated, and hence the one that CASEL recommends until the TOT model has also been tested. In the TOT model MTP provides an intensive two-day training to designated mentors, beginning with initial training and intensive ongoing coaching of the mentors in the first year. Over the next two years MTP moves into a supportive role, helping the school/district transition into a fully internalized training model in which the mentors implement the training. The MTP coaching is typically provided via Web-based video and phone calls, but the coach also works onsite three to four times during the first year. MTP also meets with administrators at the beginning of the first year to outline the program and maintains contact with them as needed.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of two randomized control trials conducted in 2011 supported the effectiveness of My Teaching Partner. Evaluations included 2,056 students in grades 6-12 (Black=23%; White=71%; approximately 36% of participants in the two trials qualified for free or reduced lunch) and found that participants who received the program exhibited more prosocial behavior (according to observation) and had higher academic achievement at post-test (nine months after baseline) compared to students from the control group, controlling for baseline differences in outcome. The results indicated that the program group's improvement in academic achievement was mediated by improved student-teacher interactions.

References

Allen, J. P., Pianta, R. C., Gregory, A., Mikami, A. Y., & Lun, J. (2011). An interaction-based approach to enhancing secondary school instruction and student achievement. Science, 333(6045), 1034-1037.

Mikami, A. Y., Gregory, A., Allen, J. P., Pianta, R. C., & Lun, J. (2011). Effects of a teacher professional development intervention on peer relationships in secondary classrooms. School psychology review, 40(3), 367.

CASEL Designation: Complementary Program

Program Design

Pure Power is a mindful movement curriculum for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade that promotes students' social and emotional learning through free-standing lessons. The middle and high school curriculum consists of five units that build on one another, entitled Power to Shine, Power of Mindfulness, Power of the Brain-Body Connection, Power of a Balanced Life, and Toolkit for a Balanced Life. Students learn strategies for managing stress, responding versus reacting, acting with compassion, and setting goals. Pure Power is designated as complementary because there is a single set of lessons for the middle and secondary level that is not sequenced across these grade levels, and because the lessons primarily emphasize self-awareness and self-management but have limited coverage of other social-emotional competencies.

There are eight to ten lessons in every unit. Each lesson includes guiding reflective questions, guidance for keeping students engaged, a mindful movement practice, and breathing exercises to relax and refocus. Each lesson closes with tips for using skills at home.

Implementation Support

Pure Edge provides tailored support to districts through a flexible professional development model. Ideally, the district commits to naming one person on the administrative team to manage and support implementation. This may be a Health and Wellness Coordinator, Student Services Administrator, or other position depending on district preferences. This manager may field questions from program implementers, connect the program to district priorities, and manage communications, among other tasks. The program itself may be implemented by teachers, counselors, P.E. teachers, and/or outside providers.

Pure Edge offers initial five-day trainings. This training teaches mindful movement postures and basic mindfulness for school-based personnel. When school systems elect to use implementers from outside the school system (e.g., a community partner), sessions on classroom management are also available. After the initial training, Pure Edge offers a variety of supports including site visits. These visits are tailored to meet the needs of schools. During this time trainers may visit classrooms, provide professional development, and meet with implementers. Classroom observation tools are also available to support implementation, and they can be used by trainers and program managers to provide feedback on content delivery and fidelity. Finally, the Pure Edge website includes a resource library with downloadable articles about mindfulness from a neuroscience perspective and additional program materials.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results from a randomized control trial conducted in 2013 supported the effectiveness of the Pure Power program for high school students. This evaluation included 112 students in one school who were in 9-11th grades (Hispanic = 59%, Black = 22%). The study found that high school students who participated in the program had higher average GPAs compared to students in the control group (outcomes reported one year after baseline while controlling for outcome pretest and student participation).

References

Hagins, M. & Rundle, A. (2016). Yoga improves academic performance in urban high school students compared to physical education: A randomized controlled trial. Mind, Brain, and Education, 10(2), 105â-116.

CASEL Designation:

SELect

Implementation Support

The training model for Reading Apprenticeship is flexible. If teachers cannot participate in training during the summer, the program can provide the initial training at the beginning of the school year aided by ongoing coaching. Reading Apprenticeship recommends a total of 7-10 days of professional development over the course of the first 12-14 months. Typically participating teachers receive 3-4 initial days of professional development in the summer, followed by 3-4 days during the following school year, divided between the fall and spring. Schools that choose the full 10-day training model receive 3 days of training the following summer as well. The program recommends that principals attend the initial training and offers an optional online course for administrators that provides implementation support.

The program provides coaching over the course of the year. Reading Apprenticeship coaches lead the teacher groups and also provide classroom coaching. The ongoing coaching is also designed to build capacity, allowing teachers to become Reading Apprenticeship facilitators/trainers for their school. The program is not considered a full training of trainer model, however, because Reading Apprenticeship facilitators work only within their own schools. Teacher groups (professional learning communities) are encouraged to meet independently as well as with the coach. Each group chooses a teacher leader who convenes the group and helps to keep the group on track using materials provided by the developers. Reading Apprenticeship recommends a multiyear professional development process that takes approximately two years for a teacher to becoming a facilitator capable of providing training.

Ideally several teachers in a school will participate in Reading Apprenticeship, but the program also provides training to teachers from a single subject area.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results from a randomized control trial and a quasi-experimental evaluation conducted between 2010 and 2011 supported the effectiveness of Reading Apprenticeship. These evaluations included 5,595 students in ninth grade as well as 47 classrooms of eleventh-graders (Black = 23.3%, Hispanic = 31.8%, Other = 17%, White = 22.6%; FRL = 67% for those who reported). Students in ninth grade who participated in the program earned higher grade point averages, achieved higher standardized test scores in English language arts and math, and had lower rates of office referrals when compared to students in the control group. These outcomes were statistically significant and were assessed approximately nine months after baseline and accounted for outcome pretest scores. For eleventh-grade classrooms that participated in the program, higher scores were achieved on standardized test scores for History, and teachers in those classrooms self-reported using teaching practices that promote SEL to a higher degree than teachers in the comparison group. Both of these outcomes were statistically significant, and outcomes related to teaching practices were assessed 12 months after baseline while accounting for outcome pretest scores.

References

Greenleaf, C., Hanson, T., Herman, J., Litman, C., Rosen, R., Schneider, S., & Silver, D. (2011). A study of the efficacy of Reading Apprenticeship Professional Development for High School History and Science Teaching and Learning. Unpublished report.

Somers, M. A., Corrin, W., Sepanik, S., Salinger, T., Levin, J., and Zmach, C. (2010). The Enhanced Reading Opportunities Study Final Report: The Impact of Supplemental Literacy Courses for Struggling Ninth-Grade Readers (NCEE 2010-4021). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

CASEL Designation:

SELect

Implementation Support

RiPP professional development is designed for a designated program specialist who delivers the curriculum to all students in the school. The professional development for these individuals includes 3 days of training regarding 6th grade program implementation, and one and a half days each regarding 7th and 8th grade program implementation. Coaching involves a monthly phone call to check in and offer technical assistance. The program specialist also receives training in how to supervise unloading of buses in the morning, loading of buses in the afternoon, and in how to monitor lunches. There are concerns about the capacity of this small organization to support large-scale implementation given its current infrastructure.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of a randomized control trial and two quasi-experimental evaluations conducted between the years 2001 and 2003 supported the effectiveness of Responding in Peaceful and Positive Ways. In sum the three evaluations included 1975 students in the 6th grade and 7th grade (Black = 31%; Hispanic = 17%; White = 49%; approximately 65% of reporting participants qualified for free or reduced lunch) and found that participants that received the program reported less drug use (4 months after baseline); fewer interpersonal problems (4 months and 21 months after baseline); less victimization (12 months after baseline), and fewer conduct problems (4 months, 7 months, and 21 months after baseline). Additionally, significant program impact was sustained at follow-up for life satisfaction (both 4 months after post-test).

References

Farrell, A. D., Valois, R. F., Meyer, A. L., & Tidwell, R. P. (2003). Impact of the RIPP violence prevention program on rural middle school students. Journal of Primary Prevention, 24(2), 143-167

Farrell, A. D., Valois, R. F., & Meyer, A. L. (2002). Evaluation of the RIPP-6 violence prevention program at a rural middle school. American Journal of Health Education, 33(3), 167-172.

Farrell, A. D., Meyer, A. L., & White, K. S. (2001). Evaluation of Responding in Peaceful and Positive Ways (RIPP): A school-based prevention program for reducing violence among urban adolescents. Journal of clinical child psychology, 30(4), 451-463.

CASEL Designation: Promising Program

Program Design

School-Connect is a lesson-based approach to SEL that also promotes students' social and emotional development through teaching practices. While the program is designed for students in grades nine through twelve, some middle schools also use this program to help students prepare for high school. Lessons are usually implemented during advisory or freshman seminar, although they can be adapted and used in multiple settings.

School-Connect has four modules with 20 lessons each. Modules include: Creating a Supportive Learning Community, Developing Self-Awareness and Self-Management, Building Relationships and Resolving Conflicts, and Preparing for College and Workforce. Each lesson is designed to reflect the "ABC's of Learning," which School-Connect defines as "autonomy," "belonging," and "competence." In practice, this means that there are multiple opportunities in most lessons for students to engage actively with the material and one another. School-Connect also provides guidance around student-led discussions and other strategies for student-centered engagement. Every lesson includes an opener, essential questions, wrap-up, and opportunities for reflection.

All lessons have "lesson extensions" that range from brief follow-up activities to "literature links," writing prompts, and research projects. These, along with the opportunities for reflection found in each lesson, are designed to reinforce, apply, and generalize aspects of the lesson beyond the classroom and into students' school, home, and community.

Implementation Support

School-Connect provides two options for initial professional development. The first, School-Connect Institute, is an intensive two-day training that takes place over the summer at various locations around the country. This training provides an SEL overview, engagement strategies, implementation guidelines, and opportunities to practice facilitation of student-driven discussions. The learning is experiential, allowing teachers to experience the student-centered curriculum first-hand.

The second option is on-site training that typically takes place in a single day or two-day session. This in-service option provides a similar knowledge base as the School-Connect Institute, but also allows schools and districts to tailor the learning to their particular needs and contexts.

School-Connect materials include an Implementation Toolkit, which provides guidance on forming a leadership team, defining program needs and goals, designing an implementation plan, and initiating and monitoring implementation. The Implementation Toolkit also provides resources for classroom observations, teacher self-assessments, student skills assessment, and teacher and student satisfaction measurements. In addition, School-Connect offers an Evaluation Toolkit to help school teams define goals and analyze data.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results from a quasi-experimental evaluation conducted in 2014-2015 support the effectiveness of School-Connect. The evaluation included 947 high school students who were in 9th grade (Hispanic = 63%, White = 18%, Black = 15%). This evaluation found that students who participated in the program demonstrated higher overall passing rates in four core subjects and were less likely to have received discipline referrals for being disruptive in class or rude to an adult compared to students in the comparison group (outcomes reported 12 months after baseline while controlling for outcome pretest). The evaluation also assessed the effects of the program six months after posttest when students were in 10th grade (all follow-up analyses controlled for previous scores on outcome measures). At follow up, students who participated in the program were less likely to have received any disciplinary referral, and outperformed the comparison group on social studies grades and social studies passing rates. However, the evaluation also found that the comparison group outperformed students who participated in the program on math grades, English language arts grades, and English language arts passing rates. For this reason, School-Connect is designated as Promising.

References

Huston, A., Beland, K., & Douglass, J. (2016). School-Connect Intervention Impact on High School Students' Discipline Referrals and Academic Outcomes. Unpublished report.

CASEL Designation:

SELect

Implementation Support

"The Second Step Program" provides highly structured and directive training. It consists of four modules that use a video-based, online format. Each module lasts between 30 to 60 minutes and is accompanied by written materials. The first module provides an overview of the program for all school staff and the administrators. The other three modules are for teachers who will be teaching the curriculum. These videos are intended to be watched in a group setting (not by individual teachers), because practice in small groups is an integral part of the training experience. One person in the training group is asked to serve as a "facilitator" whose role is to arrange the room, manage the video, and facilitate discussion, group work, and activities. The online group training modules (as well as other resource materials including lesson preparation videos) are available with the activation key that comes with the program's purchase. At a minimum, administrators and all school staff are strongly encouraged to participate in the training session for the first module. The program also offers a two-day leadership institute held in Seattle each June for district leaders to form a professional learning community across multiple implementing school districts. Each yearly cohort typically consists of 15-20 leaders from around the country and they continue to meet through regular structured web-based meetings throughout the year. Many other kinds of trainings and implementation supports are available with "The Second Step Program". Lesson preparation videos that walk teachers through the process of preparing for each lesson during each of the middle school years are also very popular. In addition, the program offers optional professional development opportunities for diverse stakeholders, as well as checklists and observational tools to monitor the fidelity of implementation.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of a 2013 randomized control trial supported the effectiveness of "The Second Step Program". This evaluation was conducted on a sample of 3,616 adolescents in sixth grade (Black = 35.2%; Hispanic = 26.1%; Multiracial = 14.8%; White = 24%). It found that students who participated in the program reported lower levels of physical aggression at post-test compared to students in the control group. These effects were assessed approximately nine months after baseline, and group differences were statistically significant while controlling for baseline differences in the outcome measure.

References

Espelage, D. L., Low, S., Polanin, J. R., & Brown, E. C. (2013). The Impact of a middle school program to reduce aggression, victimization, and sexual violence. The Journal of Adolescent Health, 53(2), 180-186.

CASEL Designation: Promising Program

Program Design

SPARK ( SPotential, Ability & Resilience Inside Every Kid) uses free-standing lessons and accompanying small group/one-on-one mentoring opportunities to promote social emotional skills in students. Using the three universal principles of mind, thought, and awareness (as articulated by Sydney Banks), SPARK aims to equip students with skills to understand and cultivate their potential as an engaged member of society. The core curriculum consists of 13 lessons, (50 minutes each), designed to be taught in 13 weeks. Lessons cover topics such as reflection on one's identity, how emotional states impact one's decision making, problem-solving abilities, and building positive habits. Additionally, the curriculum contains optional modules on specialty topics that integrate into the main scope and sequence. Optional module topics include teen pregnancy prevention, expectations and social pressures, safe relationships, leadership, and life skills.

Outside of the primary curriculum (and optional modules), SPARK provides schools and teachers with guidance for one-on-one/small group mentoring. The program suggests facilitating mentoring in parallel with teaching the main curriculum (e.g., a lesson every two weeks with mentoring sessions on the off weeks). SPARK lessons can be modified for use.

Implementation Support

Schools implementing SPARK receive two days of initial training before implementation, and each participating teacher receives three 90-minute coaching sessions throughout the school year. The initial training can be facilitated onsite or virtually (onsite is the preferred model). Aside from the number of participants either setting can accommodate (onsite training-25 people; virtual training-10 people), the two training models cover the same content. Participants in virtual training will receive a shipment of necessary materials to enable real-time participation with facilitators. Day One of training includes foundations of SEL, key SEL concepts, SPARK's evidence-based approach, and collaborative activities modeled after the primary curriculum. Day Two consists of a walkthrough of the entire program and ample time for group/team planning with the curriculum-facilitators customize support during this time to the needs of the particular school.

After initial training, each teacher receives three 90-minute virtual coaching sessions. SPARK suggests the first coaching session occur after teaching the first four SPARK lessons and the rest according to the needs of the teacher. Additionally, teacher's implementing SPARK receive access to a robust online portal with various tools and resources to support implementation. Tools and resources include demo videos of all lessons, refresher videos to review content from initial training, reflection tools, and stories from actual teachers and school leaders who have implemented SPARK. There is also content accessible to students as supplemental resources while teaching the curriculum. Parents of students receiving the SPARK curriculum have access to an online course that introduces the SPARK program and gives strategies for bridging the skills learned through the program at home. Additional implementation resources include validated pre/post-tests, fidelity checklists, an extensive theory of action, and quarterly updates from SPARK with new program developments.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results from a randomized control trial (RCT) evaluation conducted in the 2018 academic year supported the effectiveness of SPARK Teen for high school students. In sum, these evaluations included 201 9th-12th grade students (Black = 27%, White = 12%, Hispanic = 58%; 92% of participating students were eligible for FRPL). This evaluation found that students receiving instruction using SPARK Teen Program showed significantly greater growth in self-report communication skills, problem-solving skills, relatedness resiliency skills, mastery relatedness skills, and optimism relatedness skills compared to control students (outcomes reported approximately 13 weeks after baseline, while controlling for outcome pretest). Additionally, students receiving instruction using the SPARK Teen Program improved significantly in their self-reported abilities to control impulsive behaviors and understand their emotions compared to control students over this same time period. Since the changes are based on self-reported perceptions rather than behaviors, the program is designated as Promising.

References

Ferrante, S., Boaz, T.L., Kutash, K., Green, A.L., and Wheeldon-Reece, B. (2020). Effects of the Speaking to the Potential, Ability, and Resilience Inside Every Kid (SPARK) Curriculum. Manuscript submitted for publication.

CASEL Designation: Complementary Program

Program Design

Step Up is a middle school program adapted from the Camp MakeBelieve Kids 8-Step SEL elementary school program. Step Up includes free-standing SEL lessons that can be implemented as a stand-alone course during an advisory period or health class. The Step Up curriculum teaches 8 specific sets of concepts, skill-sets, and strategies designed to promote healthy interactions and safe regulation of feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. These 8 concepts, called "steps", are: Social Connections, Understanding and Expressing Feelings, Respecting Boundaries, Building Empathy, Mood Control, Stopping Manipulation, Self-Regulation, and Motivation. The steps are intentionally sequenced so that each steps' messages and skills build on the next. There are a total of 16 lessons (two for each of the eight steps), and each lesson is designed to last 25 minutes. Each lesson begins with a goal-directed "Breath-Work" strategy that is designed to promote physical relaxation, reduce stress, and re-focus energy on the upcoming lesson. A student journal accompanies the curriculum that allows students to reflect on the lessons outside of class and review information for clarity. Parents are included through informational memos called "Keeping Parents in the Loop." Step Up is designated as complementary because when the materials are broken out across multiple years they do not provide comprehensive coverage of the five SEL domains.

The original version of this curriculum is a universal prevention program that includes components related to suicide prevention. The curriculum was adapted for the CASEL program review process because CASEL does not review suicide prevention programs. The Step 6 lessons focus on teaching students to recognize manipulation strategies and associate the behaviors with illustrations of trash can characters, known as the "Trashy Tricks." The intent of these lessons is to teach students that methods of manipulation are not acceptable, should not be practiced, and that students should be conscious to ensure they are not being manipulated themselves. Given the developmental literature on the power of adolescent norms, it is important for schools using this program to think carefully about the risks involved in having students practice negative behaviors, and the norms that may be established. Guidelines about how this content should be used is addressed in the curriculum and training.

Implementation Support

Prior to designing a specific training model for schools, school administrators are invited to attend a virtual conference with the program developer. Following the introductory session, the most basic training format for Tier 1 instructors is a two-day, in-person, on-site workshop with a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 50 participants. There is one trainer for every 20 participants. Participants are provided with the program overview, key strategies, practice opportunities, important trainer tips, and resources that allow them to deliver the lesson plans with fidelity. They also receive curriculum-based assessment tools which consist of student self-report measures, student post-tests, as well as tools for parents & teachers to measure changes in observed behavior. In addition, instructors may participate in a total of six bi-monthly virtual conference calls for support and technical assistance. A Train the Trainer workshop is offered to instructors who have attended the basic training and have successfully implemented the program for at least one cycle.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of a 2014 quasi-experimental evaluation provided evidence for the effectiveness of Step Up. The evaluation was conducted on a sample of 64 students in four 8th grade classrooms. The evaluation found that compared to students in the comparison group, students who participated in the program were rated by their teachers to have demonstrated higher levels of self-regulation, social-competence, empathy, and responsibility. These effects were assessed after the students in the intervention group had participated in the program for two years and group differences were statistically significant while controlling for baseline differences in the outcome measure.

References

Grob, K., Kadlubek, R., & Canivez, G. (2014). STEP UP Curriculum Longitudinal Study: Evaluation Report. Unpublished evaluation report.

CASEL Designation: Complementary Program

Program Design

TestEdge is a stress reduction program that consists of five free-standing lessons to promote social and emotional learning in high school. The program is delivered in the classroom via video in which teenage actors present the information. The five video lessons are each broken down into several shorter segments. In between the segments, the teacher leads a discussion based on provided prompts and questions. The program is designated complementary because of its limited focus on social awareness and relationship skills, and because it is designed to be delivered in a single school year.

The primary strategy of TestEdge is to teach students ways of dealing with daily stress by using breathing relaxation tools. Three tools are taught in sequence of complexity. The first tool's purpose is to help students calm down when they experience strong negative emotions. The second is aimed at changing a feeling or attitude from negative to positive. The third is designed for solving problems by becoming calm and using intuition. All three tools incorporate deep breathing techniques.

The program encourages frequent practice of the offered techniques. Additionally, each video lesson includes printed materials for students, which provide the opportunity to review and learn more about the information presented in the video lesson, as well as for reflection and practice.

Implementation Support

TestEdge recommends a half-day training. There are two options - on site and virtual. The on-site training is not required but is recommended because it is in-person and includes time to practice applying skills and linking them to specific classroom experiences. TestEdge will send one of their own staff members or an educational consultant to instruct teachers and/or school counselors. This training covers relevant aspects of neuroscience, reviews the manual, and reviews videos presented on the TestEdge CD-ROM (which is provided as part of the training). For each video, the training follows a sequence of: watch, review, apply/practice - the same pattern teachers are encouraged to follow with their students in a social collaborative classroom framework.

The alternative virtual training involves the TestEdge CD-ROM along with a 90-minute webinar. The live webinar covers the same content as the on-site training but in a more condensed format. The TestEdge CD-ROM takes teachers through the step-by-step process of implementing this program and includes the training videos, the manual, and all the student lessons in PDF format.

Ongoing training or coaching is not offered but TestEdge provides free follow-up phone consultations. There are no dedicated administrator trainings and no fidelity measures.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of a 2007 randomized control trial supported the effectiveness of Test Edge. This evaluation was conducted on a sample of 749 adolescents in 10th grade (White = 43%; Hispanic = 36%; Other = 21%; approximately 14.3% of participants qualified for free or reduced lunch) and found that students participating in the intervention reported lower levels of test anxiety, negative affect, emotional discord, and interactional difficulty at post-test compared to students from the control group. The posttest occurred four months after baseline and analyses controlled for baseline differences in the outcome measure.

References

Bradley, R. T., McCraty, R., Atkinson, M., Arguelles, L., Rees, R. A., & Tomasino, D. (2007). Reducing test anxiety and improving test performance in America's schools: Results from the TestEdge National Demonstration Study. Unpublished evaluation report.

CASEL Designation: Complementary Program

Program Design

The Fourth R is a health education curriculum for students in ninth grade that includes  free-standing SEL lessons  that promote students' social and emotional learning. It is comprised of four units with seven lessons in each. All the lessons are designed to be implemented for 75 minutes or divided into two shorter lessons. The four units cover personal safety and injury prevention, substance use, addictions, and related behaviors, human development and sexual health, and healthy eating. The lessons in the first unit focus on teaching relationship skills, social awareness and self-awareness, and decision-making skills, with a strong emphasis on practice of communication skills supported by elaborate role plays. Content on healthy relationships and mental health literacy and wellness is integrated throughout. In addition, the program includes content on understanding the benefits and dangers of digital technologies. The program materials include short video clips with teen actors demonstrating different types of communication. Also offered are guidelines on schoolwide implementation of the program. In the most updated version of the program, there is guidance for educators around how to support students when discussing potentially sensitive topics, such as suicide. Additionally, there is a version of the program created for Indigenous youth. The Fourth R is considered Promising because the majority of the SEL programming for high school is presented in one year.

Training and Implementation Support

The Fourth R offers a five-hour training usually conducted in-person and onsite, although an online version is also available. Either training includes both learning and skills practice. Videos are used to model teacher strategies for role-playing, skill building, and collaborative instructional practices. The program recommends the in-person training whenever a school or district intends to train ten or more teachers (with a maximum of 60). The online training is identical to the in-person training, with content and practice offered through slides and videos. It is recommended when only a few teachers from a single school need to be trained.

As-needed technical assistance from the Fourth R is available. Coaching is not typically offered, but the program has created a Web-based "community of practice" that includes updated materials, video examples, and webinars for online teacher training. Another option is a Train the Trainer model to develop what the Fourth R calls "master trainers." This is appropriate for schools that have implemented the Fourth R and have teachers who have already delivered it at the classroom level. In this model Fourth R returns to a school district for a two-day training and trains a few of the experienced teachers to be trainers for future teachers in the district or the nearby region. On the first day a master trainer leads the training. The participants use the second day for practice and presentations of the program to either fellow teachers or teachers new to the Fourth R program. This training includes a master trainer manual and ongoing technical support.

The Fourth R offers a five-hour training usually conducted in-person and onsite, although an online version is also available. This training covers the curriculum content, videos on how to teach role-playing, and practice of skills. The program recommends the in-person training whenever a school or district intends to train ten or more teachers (with a maximum of 60). In most cases schools or districts are encouraged to request a site license for the Fourth R that allows them to use the materials repeatedly and have free access to the online training. The online training is identical to the in-person training, with content and practice offered through slides and videos. It is recommended when only a few teachers from a single school need to be trained. Online training is free for anyone who purchases the materials for the Fourth R or receives the in-person training. Although the program does not offer regional trainings, they do ask interested schools if teachers from nearby regions can attend a planned training in order to maximize the opportunity for other schools to receive it. As-needed technical assistance from the Fourth R is available. Coaching is not typically offered, but the program has created a Web-based "community of practice" that includes updated materials, webinars, and other content.

Another option is a Train the Trainer model to develop what the Fourth R calls "master trainers." This is appropriate for schools that have implemented the Fourth R and have teachers who have already delivered it at the classroom level. In this model Fourth R returns to a school district for a two-day training and trains a few of the experienced teachers to be trainers for future teachers in the district or the nearby region. On the first day a master trainer leads the training. The participants use the second day for practice and presentations of the program to either fellow teachers or teachers new to the Fourth R program. This training includes a master trainer manual and ongoing technical support.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results of a 2009 randomized control trial evaluation supported the effectiveness of Fourth R for high school students. This evaluation was conducted on a sample of 1,722 adolescents in ninth grade (predominantly white). It found that participants who received the intervention reported lower rates of physical dating violence at post-test (30 months after baseline) compared to students from the control group, controlling for baseline differences in rate of dating violence.

Results from a randomized control trial published in 2015 support the effectiveness of The Fourth R for middle school students. The evaluation included 1,012 students who were in 7th and 8th grade (white = 69-78%, Indigenous Peoples = 14-20%). This evaluation found that students who participated in the program demonstrated greater post-test critical thinking and awareness of the impact of violence on victims, as well as greater positive stress coping strategies compared to students in the comparison group. These findings were especially true for female students compared to male students.

References

References Reviewed by CASEL Team

Crooks, C. V., Scott, K. L., Broll, R., Zwarych, S., Hughes, R., & Wolfe, D. A. (2015). Does an evidence-based healthy relationships program for 9th graders show similar effects for 7th and 8th graders? Results from 57 schools randomized to intervention. Health Education Research, 30(3), 513-519.

Wolfe, D. A., Crooks, C., Jaffe, P., Chiodo, D., Hughes, R., Ellis, W., & Donner, A. (2009). A school-based program to prevent adolescent dating violence: A cluster randomized trial. Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine, 163(8), 692-699.

Additional References

Crooks, C. V., Zwarych, S., Burns, S., & Hughes, R. (2014). The Fourth R implementation manual: Building for success from adoption to sustainability. London, ON: CAMH Centre for Prevention Science.

Crooks, C. V., Chiodo, D., Zwarych, S., Hughes, R., & Wolfe, D. A. (2013). Predicting implementation success of an evidence-based program to promote healthy relationships among students two to eight years after teacher training. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 32,125-138.

Wolfe, D. A., Crooks, C. V., Chiodo, D., Hughes, R., & Ellis, W. (2012). Observations of adolescent peer resistance skills following a classroom-based health relationship program: A Post-intervention comparison. Prevention Science, 13,196-205.

Crooks, C.V., Scott, K., Ellis, W., & Wolfe, D. (2011). Impact of a universal school-based violence prevention program on violent delinquency: Distinctive benefits for youth with maltreatment histories. Child Abuse and Neglect, 35, 393-400.

Wyman's Teen Connection Project

CASEL Designation: Promising Program

Program Design

Wyman's Teen Connection Project (TCP) promotes high school students' social and emotional learning through 12 sequential 45-60 minute free-standing lessons delivered weekly to groups of 6-15 participants. Lessons include team building exercises, interactive activities, participant sharing, and peer discussions. Participants explore social connection, including barriers to connection, and develop positive and supportive relationships with one another. TCP is based on research that shows that for high school students, the experience of establishing supportive peer relationships will be one of the best teachers of social and emotional skills. TCP is a program of Wyman's National Network and is grounded in Wyman's "Framework for Thriving Youth," which emphasizes positive youth development and developmental relationships among youth and with supportive adults. Participant handouts are available in Spanish.

Implementation Support

Organizations implementing Wyman's Teen Connection Project (TCP) become part of Wyman's National Network, which includes partners across the country implementing Wyman programs.

Training is offered through a 5 day Training of Trainers (TOT) model, in which staff from partner organizations are trained to lead the Training of Facilitators (TOF) with their staff. For large partners, onsite training may be available. Training is experiential and grounded in tenets of adult learning theory.

During the first 2.5 days of the TOT, participants complete the TOF, and the next 2.5 days focus on how to lead the TOF. During the TOF, trainers model TCP lessons and teach participants to implement the program with fidelity and high quality. In addition to program-specific information, training includes content such as the stages of group development, high quality facilitation techniques, the importance of caring and responsive adults who build empowering environments with young people, maintaining healthy youth-adult boundaries, and creating safe spaces (including facilitating with LGBTQ inclusivity and sensitivity to cultural/human diversity). To conclude the TOF, participants deliver a TCP lesson to the group and receive structured feedback. Throughout the training, trainers build relationships among participants in a way that mirrors the work they will do with youth. In addition, trainers continually model diversity and inclusion strategies.

Partners in Wyman's National Network receive ongoing support. Partners identify a coordinator, who has completed the TOT, who is responsible for their organization's overall implementation of TCP. This includes training facilitators, monitoring fidelity, and regular feedback and coaching. Coordinators work closely with National Network staff who are available to provide guidance and technical assistance. Wyman operates an online data management system, Wyman Connect, which partners use to track implementation and outcome data. Wyman additionally provides monthly newsletters, resources hosted on Wyman Connect, webinars, a Summer Facilitator Institute, and an annual Coordinator Learning Exchange.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Results from a randomized control trial (RCT) evaluation conducted in the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 academic years supported the effectiveness of the Connection Project for high school students. In sum, these evaluations included 610 9th-12th grade students (Black = 59%, White = 17%, Hispanic = 9%, Other = 13%; 67% of students in the participating districts were eligible for FRPL). This evaluation found that students receiving instruction using the Connection Project Program showed significantly greater growth in student-report comfort with classmates than the control group (outcomes reported approximately 12 weeks and again 28 weeks after baseline, while controlling for outcome pretest). Because the significant growth relates to SEL skiills and attitudes as opposed to behavioral outcomes, this program is designated Promising .

References

Allen, J.P., Narr, R.K., Nagel, A.G., Costello, M.A., & Guskin, K. (in press). The Connection Project: Changing the peer environment to improve outcomes for marginalized adolescents. Development and Psychopathology.

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Program Design Implementation Support Evidence of Effectiveness Program Name Study Demographics Study Design Outcomes Demonstrating Effects Grades Evaluated Race/ Ethnicity RCT QE Improved Academic Performance Improved Positive Social Behavior Reduced Problem Behaviors Reduced Emotional Distress Improved SEL Skills & Attitudes Improved Teaching Practices 6th - 8th Black, Hispanic (1) 7th-10th

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Please let me know if you are interested in trying this curriculum at your school.

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Materials and Toolkit Overview

The WhyTry Program
Toolkit and Training
Includes a single license for full toolkit access and our introductory training.

Buy the program, login to the toolkit, and choose any online or in-person event that works for your schedule.

Watch a Brief Overview

This is a brief overview of the materials and toolkit resources.
(approx 5 min)

Watch a Detailed Overview

This is a detailed overview of the materials and toolkit resources.
(approx 9 min)

10 WhyTry Learning Units

The WhyTry curriculum utilizes a series often visual analogies that teach essential life skills like:

Decision-making

Positive self-esteem

Emotional regulation

Having a resilient mindset

Peer influence & relationships

Problem-solving

Hard work & Determination

Responsibility and expectations

Relationship building

Self-efficacy

The Power of Visual Metaphors

One of the most unique things about WhyTry is how we use visual metaphors to teach these important principles to students in a way they can understand and remember. The powerful thing about using this visual approach is the way it takes abstract concepts and puts them into a context through the use of a metaphor that students can understand. It essentially creates a language for educators to communicate the relevance of these things.

Start Where You Are, Work Toward Full-fidelity

Students who participate in a full-fidelity implementation of the WhyTry Program show improvement across several key metrics. To ensure you reap these benefits, we follow a rigorous, yet flexible implementation model. This includes in-person training, online program access, and tools to measure progress both before and after you implement the intervention.

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WhyTry Materials and Toolkit Overview | WhyTry.org

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WhyTry ProgramMaterials and Toolkit Overview The WhyTry ProgramToolkit and Training Includes a single license for full toolkit access and our introductory t ...

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This is a free SEL curriculum that is supported at the district level.

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Overcoming Obstacles is a free, award-winning, and research-based life skills curriculum that provides educators with the tools to teach elementary, middle, and high school students the skills necessary for success. With hundreds of easy to teach activity-based lessons covering more than 30 critical social and emotional skills, students learn how to communicate effectively. They learn how to make informed decisions. They learn how to set and achieve goals, resolve conflicts, solve problems, respect one another, and more.

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Overcoming Obstacles is a free, award-winning, and research-based life skills curriculum that provides educators with the tools to teach elementary, middle, and high school students the skills necessary for success. With hundreds of easy to teach activity-based lessons covering more than 30 critical social and emotional skills, students learn how to communicate effectively.

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Please let me know if you are interested in trying this curriculum at your school.

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Materials and Toolkit Overview

The WhyTry Program
Toolkit and Training
Includes a single license for full toolkit access and our introductory training.

Buy the program, login to the toolkit, and choose any online or in-person event that works for your schedule.

Watch a Brief Overview

This is a brief overview of the materials and toolkit resources.
(approx 5 min)

Watch a Detailed Overview

This is a detailed overview of the materials and toolkit resources.
(approx 9 min)

10 WhyTry Learning Units

The WhyTry curriculum utilizes a series often visual analogies that teach essential life skills like:

Decision-making

Positive self-esteem

Emotional regulation

Having a resilient mindset

Peer influence & relationships

Problem-solving

Hard work & Determination

Responsibility and expectations

Relationship building

Self-efficacy

The Power of Visual Metaphors

One of the most unique things about WhyTry is how we use visual metaphors to teach these important principles to students in a way they can understand and remember. The powerful thing about using this visual approach is the way it takes abstract concepts and puts them into a context through the use of a metaphor that students can understand. It essentially creates a language for educators to communicate the relevance of these things.

Start Where You Are, Work Toward Full-fidelity

Students who participate in a full-fidelity implementation of the WhyTry Program show improvement across several key metrics. To ensure you reap these benefits, we follow a rigorous, yet flexible implementation model. This includes in-person training, online program access, and tools to measure progress both before and after you implement the intervention.

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WhyTry Materials and Toolkit Overview | WhyTry.org

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WhyTry ProgramMaterials and Toolkit Overview The WhyTry ProgramToolkit and Training Includes a single license for full toolkit access and our introductory t ...

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School-Connect has your S-C Digital Solution-EQ @ Home or School. Designed for remote, in-person, or hybrid SEL instruction, our new 35-lesson series provides essential strategies for supporting the social, emotional, and mental health needs of students - and preparing them for brighter, successful futures.

Video-based instruction on key SEL concepts

Asynchronous research/evidence-based SEL lessons and student handouts

Collaborative check-in activities and PBLs

Writable PDFs compatible with most learning management systems

Google Classroom compatible lessons

Spanish translations for all student handouts

View a EQ @ Home or School Sample Module

1.1: Getting to Know You

1.2: Checking In with Ourselves and Others

1.3: Moving from Surviving to Thriving

3.1: Making the Most of Your Time

3.2: From Procrastinating to Productive

3.3: Studying Smarter

3.4: Preparing for Tests

5.1: Bouncing Rather Than Breaking

5.2: Understanding Grief and Loss

5.3: Recognizing Healthy and Unhealthy Levels of Emotions

5.4: Tending and Befriending

8.1: Envisioning Your Future

8.2: Setting and Achieving Life Goals

8.3: Taking Full Responsibility

8.4: Staying the Course and Choosing Wisely

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social emotional learning middle and high school curriculum

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School-Connect has your S-C Digital Solution-EQ @ Home or School. Designed for remote, in-person, or hybrid SEL instruction, our new 35-lesson series provides essential strategies for supporting the social, emotional, and mental health needs of students - and preparing them for brighter, successful futures.

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Take a look at this 4-slide power point to get better acquainted with the staff self-care options being offered.

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Access Code: 4TGT-QFS5-942HN

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Schoology allows instructors, students and administrators to create a meaningful virtual classroom and extend learning beyond the boundaries of the physical classroom

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Access Code: 4TGT-QFS5-942HN

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Schoology allows instructors, students and administrators to create a meaningful virtual classroom and extend learning beyond the boundaries of the physical classroom

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These are the 5 CASEL 'SEL' Competencies. You might consider printing this poster out for each of your teachers to hang in their classroom for their own reference and to help educate more on what SEL is and how it can be integrated into student learning.

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Foster knowledge, skills, and attitudes across five areas of social and emotional competence;

Establish equitable learning environments and coordinate practices across four key settings that support students' social, emotional, and academic development.

Download more information on the framework (available in and Spanish).

Use our reflection protocol to facilitate a discussion on implementation efforts in your school, district, or other setting.

Read more about the 2020 update to our framework, which highlighted the potential of SEL in promoting educational equity and excellence.

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Communities

Communities. Community partners often provide safe and developmentally rich settings for learning and development, have deep understanding of community needs and assets, are seen as trusted partners by families and students, and have connections to additional supports and services that school and families need. Community programs also offer opportunities for young people to practice their social and emotional skills in settings that are both personally relevant and can open opportunities for their future. To integrate SEL efforts across the school day and out-of-school time, school staff and community partners should align on common language and coordinate strategies and communication around SEL-related efforts and initiatives.
Learn more: CASEL Guide to Schoolwide SEL - Community Partnerships

Families & Caregivers

Families & Caregivers. When schools and families form authentic partnerships, they can build strong connections that reinforce students' social and emotional development. Families and caregivers are children's first teachers, and bring deep expertise about their development, experiences, culture, and learning needs. These insights and perspectives are critical to informing, supporting, and sustaining SEL efforts. Research suggests that evidence-based SEL programs are more effective when they extend into the home, and families are far more likely to form partnerships with schools when their schools' norms, values, and cultural representations reflect their own experiences. Schools need inclusive decision-making processes that ensure that families-particularly those from historically marginalized groups-are part of planning, implementing, and continuously improving SEL.

Schools can also create other avenues for family partnership that may include creating ongoing two-way communication with families, helping caregivers understand child development, helping teachers understand family backgrounds and cultures, providing opportunities for families to volunteer in schools, extending learning activities and discussions into homes, and coordinating family services with community partners. These efforts should engage families in understanding, experiencing, informing, and supporting the social and emotional development of their students.
Learn more: CASEL Guide to Schoolwide SEL - Family Partnerships

Schools

Schools. Effectively integrating SEL schoolwide involves ongoing planning, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement by all members of the school community. SEL efforts both contribute to and depend upon a school climate where all students and adults feel respected, supported, and engaged.

Because the school setting includes many contexts-classrooms, hallways, cafeteria, playground, bus-fostering a healthy school climate and culture requires active engagement from all adults and students. A strong school culture is rooted in students' sense of belonging, with evidence that suggests that it plays a crucial role in students' engagement. SEL also offers an opportunity to enhance existing systems of student support by integrating SEL goals and practices with universal, targeted, and intensive academic and behavioral supports. By coordinating and building upon SEL practices and programs, schools can create an environment that infuses SEL into every part of students' educational experience and promotes positive social, emotional, and academic outcomes for all students.
Learn more: CASEL Guide to Schoolwide SEL

Classrooms

Classrooms. Research has shown that social and emotional competence can be enhanced using a variety of classroom-based approaches such as: (a) explicit instruction through which social and emotional skills and attitudes are taught and practiced in developmentally, contextually, and culturally responsive ways; (b) teaching practices such as cooperative learning and project-based learning; and (c) integration of SEL and academic curriculum such as language arts, math, science, social studies, health, and performing arts. High-quality SEL instruction has four elements represented by the acronym SAFE: Sequenced - following a coordinated set of training approaches to foster the development of competencies; Active - emphasizing active forms of learning to help students practice and master new skills; Focused - implementing curriculum that intentionally emphasizes the development of SEL competencies; and Explicit - defining and targeting specific skills, attitudes, and knowledge.

SEL instruction is carried out most effectively in nurturing, safe environments characterized by positive, caring relationships among students and teachers. To facilitate age-appropriate and culturally responsive instruction, adults must understand and appreciate the unique strengths and needs of each student and support students' identities. When adults incorporate students' personal experiences and cultural backgrounds and seek their input, they create an inclusive classroom environment where students are partners in the educational process, elevating their own agency. Strong relationships between adults and students can facilitate co-learning, foster student and adult growth, and generate collaborative solutions to shared concerns.
Learn more: CASEL Guide to Effective SEL Programs

Self-Awareness

Self-awareness: The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior across contexts. This includes capacities to recognize one's strengths and limitations with a well-grounded sense of confidence and purpose.

Such as:

Integrating personal and social identities

Identifying personal, cultural, and linguistic assets

Identifying one's emotions

Demonstrating honesty and integrity

Linking feelings, values, and thoughts

Examining prejudices and biases

Experiencing self-efficacy

Having a growth mindset

Developing interests and a sense of purpose

Check out this video from PBS Learning Media for more information.

Self-Management

Self-management: The abilities to manage one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations and to achieve goals and aspirations. This includes the capacities to delay gratification, manage stress, and feel motivation and agency to accomplish personal and collective goals.

Such as:

Managing one's emotions

Identifying and using stress management strategies

Exhibiting self-discipline and self-motivation

Setting personal and collective goals

Using planning and organizational skills

Showing the courage to take initiative

Demonstrating personal and collective agency

Check out this video from PBS Learning Media for more information.

Social Awareness

Social awareness: The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and contexts. This includes the capacities to feel compassion for others, understand broader historical and social norms for behavior in different settings, and recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.

Such as:

Taking others' perspectives

Recognizing strengths in others

Demonstrating empathy and compassion

Showing concern for the feelings of others

Understanding and expressing gratitude

Identifying diverse social norms, including unjust ones

Recognizing situational demands and opportunities

Understanding the influences of organizations and systems on behavior

Check out this video from PBS Learning Media for more information.

Responsible Decision-Making

Responsible decision-making: The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across diverse situations. This includes the capacities to consider ethical standards and safety concerns, and to evaluate the benefits and consequences of various actions for personal, social, and collective well-being.

Such as:

Demonstrating curiosity and open-mindedness

Learning how to make a reasoned judgment after analyzing information, data, and facts

Identifying solutions for personal and social problems

Anticipating and evaluating the consequences of one's actions

Recognizing how critical thinking skills are useful both inside and outside of school

Reflecting on one's role to promote personal, family, and community well-being

Evaluating personal, interpersonal, community, and institutional impacts

Check out this video from PBS Learning Media for more information.

Relationship Skills

Relationship skills: The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and to effectively navigate settings with diverse individuals and groups. This includes the capacities to communicate clearly, listen actively, cooperate, work collaboratively to problem solve and negotiate conflict constructively, navigate settings with differing social and cultural demands and opportunities, provide leadership, and seek or offer help when needed.

Such as:

Communicating effectively

Developing positive relationships

Demonstrating cultural competency

Practicing teamwork and collaborative problem-solving

Resolving conflicts constructively

Resisting negative social pressure

Showing leadership in groups

Seeking or offering support and help when needed

Standing up for the rights of others

Check out this video from PBS Learning Media for more information.

Social & Emotional Learning

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.

SEL advances educational equity and excellence through authentic school-family-community partnerships to establish learning environments and experiences that feature trusting and collaborative relationships, rigorous and meaningful curriculum and instruction, and ongoing evaluation. SEL can help address various forms of inequity and empower young people and adults to co-create thriving schools and contribute to safe, healthy, and just communities.

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Our SEL framework, known to many as the "CASEL wheel," helps cultivate skills and environments that advance students' learning and development.

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Unified student SupportS: Social and Emotional Learning Team

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Unified student SupportS: Social and Emotional Learning Team

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Big shout out to ROOTS Academy for going all in to be the district's first 'Option 3' Self-Care school. Ted Rutowski and Principal Wallace have made it clear that self-care is a top priority. They are meeting monthly to go through the book 'Onward' by Elena Aguilar and practice self-care strategies from the 'Onward' workbook. By the end of the year their staff will understand at least 15 new self-care strategies.

See more about the 3 options your school can choose from around self-care

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Principal: Robert Mosses

Champion: LeeAnn Wheilhammer

SEL Curriculum: Overcoming Obstacles

Location: Simon Mall

Teachers: ?

Classrooms: Blended open 'Google concept

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Principal: Shannon Ray (AP at 49)

Champion: Mary Fiedler

SEL Curriculum: Second Step (1st year) and Why Try (1st year)

Staff: 2 gen ed teachers, 1 sped, 1 counselor, 2 interns (with counselor)

Classrooms: 4

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Principal: Treena Sultzer

Champion: Yoshida Williams

SEL Curriculum: Why Try

Location: Tech H.S.

Teachers: 13 teachers

Classrooms: 13

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Principal: Eric Jackson

Champion: Suprena Tarver

SEL Curriculum: None

Location: McFarland Middle School

Teachers: 18 (1 counselor and 2 counselors)

Classrooms: 14 High School and 4 Middle School

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Principal: Angela Denman

Champions: Julanne DuBouis and Ariana Adams

SEL Curriculum: Second Step (3rd year)

Location: Francis Bellamy School 102

Teachers: 9

Classrooms: 9

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Principal: Christie Wallace

Champion: Ted Rutowski

SEL Curriculum: Self-Made; Second Step at Middle School;

Location: McFarland Middle School (Shared with PSA)

Teachers, Social workers, counselors: 18 (3 people per room)

Classrooms: 6

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Champions Meeting #3 Video Recording  (11/4/2020) 

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Champions Meeting #3 Video Recording  (11/4/2020) 

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Here is the recording for our 3rd Champion's meeting. This is a one-stop-shop for all need to know items.

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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School-wide Self-Care Planning Tool (3-5 min)

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School-wide Self-Care Planning Tool (3-5 min)

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Due Date: Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020
This form will provide details around what kind of Self-care initiatives you school has done, is doing, and is planning to do moving forward.

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Due Date: After each monthly Champions meetings

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District SEL Preparedness Survey (5-6 min)

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District SEL Preparedness Survey (5-6 min)

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Due Date: 11/13 or ASAP
Please distribute this survey to all teachers at your school to fill out. All teachers who do not implement Second Step can skip the 2nd Page of the survey.

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This playbook has 53 pages of strategies and ideas that you can use to help your students feel welcome, increase student engagement, and solidify all learning that happens throughout your classrooms and school. Many of these strategies can be incorporated into adult interactions such as staff meetings as well.

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Principal: Ann Toombs

Champions: Renee Barnes and Simone Hamel-Smith

SEL Curriculum: Second Step (1st year) (possibly Why Try with some teachers)

Locations: Courage Center, NDI, Resource Inc, Lutherwood, Juvenile Detention Center

Teachers: 9 teachers

Classrooms: ? (9)