1. CASEL Research Updates
Roger P. Weissberg
Linda Dusenbury
Jessy Newman
October 11, 2011
CASEL Collaborating Districts Initiative
Cross-District Meeting, Anchorage, AK
Originally titled “The CASEL Review of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Programming”

2. Overview of Today’s Presentation
Background on SEL standards
Process and criteria for the SEL Program Review
Program design
Professional development
Evidence base
Current status
Next steps
Advanced organizer

3. Four Components for Promoting Students’ Social and Emotional Learning
Clear and developmentally appropriate preK-12 educational standards and benchmarks
Evidence-based SEL curricula and instruction to achieve those goals
Professional development for educators to support high-quality programming
Assessment that allows teachers to monitor and promote student progress.

4. Preschool State Learning Standards
Ohio does not have SEL stand

5. Alaska Standards for Social and Emotional Development (Birth-5 years)
Social Development
Interactions with adults
Interactions with peers
Adaptive social behavior
Appreciating diversity
Emotional Development
Self-concept
Self-efficacy
Self-control
Emotional expression
Talk about Alaska at the state level because we are in Anchorage

6. K-12 State Learning Standards
IL is the only state with free-standing comprehensive standards for social and emotional learning

7. Illinois Social & Emotional Learning Standards
SEL Goal 31
Develop self-awareness and self-management skills to achieve school and life success.
SEL Goal 32
Use social-awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive relationships.
SEL Goal 33
Demonstrate decision-making skills and responsible behaviors in personal, school, and community contexts.
Self
Other
Decision-making
2005 7

8. Anchorage SEL Standards

9. Collaborating Districts Initiative: SEL Standards
Anchorage has implemented PreK–12 SEL and cultural responsiveness standards and has developed a Six-Year SEL Instructional and Evaluation Plan.
Austin has a completed SEL scope and sequence for elementary school grade levels that will be implemented in the coming school year.
Cleveland has started to develop a PreK–12 SEL scope and sequence and has SEL goals reflected in the school improvement process.  

10. Safe & Sound: An Educational Leader’s Guide to Evidence-based SEL Programs
80 multiyear SEL classroom-based programs
22 CASEL Select SEL Programs
Reviewed program design, professional development, and evidence of effectiveness
Over 150,000 downloads

11. Since 2003, the field of social and emotional learning has developed and matured
2004
Publication of Building Academic Success on Social and Emotional Learning. What Does the Research Say? (Zins, Weissberg, Wang, & Walberg)
2005
Illinois establishes K-12 student learning standards in social and emotional learning
2006
Publication of Sustainable Schoolwide Social and Emotional Learning: Implementation Guide and Toolkit (Devaney, O’Brien, Resnik, Keister, & Weissberg)
2010
CASEL commits to advancing a national implementation of evidence-based preschool to high school social and emotional learning programming
2011
Publication of The Impact of Enhancing Students’ Social and Emotional Learning: A Meta-Analysis of School-Based Universal Interventions (Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger)
Introduction of the Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning Act (H.R. 2437)
A lot has happened since New programs developed. New evaluation studies were conducted. A lot of pivotal events occurred, as well, which needed to be incorporated into the kind of review we had done with Safe and Sound. Here’s a little chronology of some of the more significant events. But the point I want to make as I go through them is that because of developments in the field it was time to update Safe and Sound.

12. Goals for the SEL Program Review
Establish a common framework for evaluating evidence-based SEL
Communicate clear messages to program providers, researchers, and educators about quality programming and implementation
Review SEL programs and offer guidance for identifying, selecting, implementing, integrating, and sustaining appropriate strategies

13. Search Processes for Identifying Effective SEL Programs
Various search methods for identifying programs
Publishing “call for evaluations”
Consulting major national reviews (NREPP, WWC, OJJPD)
Contacting researchers from CASEL’s meta-analysis
Contacting developers or marketers
Contacted 170 Pre-K – 12 programs
100 programs submitted evaluations
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

14. Program Design: Approaches that Foster Social, Emotional, and Academic Learning
Explicit instruction in social and emotional competencies that can be broadly applied
Domain-specific problem-prevention or promotion programming
Integration of SEL with academic content
Engaging pedagogies and supportive learning environments

15. Program Design: Social and Emotional Skill Emphases
Self-awareness
Self-management
Social awareness
Relationship skills
Responsible decision-making

16. Program Design: Opportunities for Practice and Generalization
Information only?
Practice within the lesson only?
Practice beyond the lesson?
Generalization beyond the lesson
Classroom-wide
School-wide
School-family partnerships
School-community partnerships

17. Evidence of Effectiveness
Uses an experimental-control group design
Has significant positive student outcomes in one or more of the following categories:
Positive social behavior
Conduct problems
Emotional distress
Academic performance

18. The Importance of Evaluation: Available Assessment Tools
Implementation Tools
General implementation guidelines or procedures
Teacher self-monitoring tools
Classroom observation tools
Student Outcomes Measurement Tools
Summative
Formative

19. Professional Development & Training
Does the program provide quality training and support for teachers and administrators?
Initial training
On-site coaching
In what formats?
Onsite
Distance learning
Are train-the-trainer approaches available?
What is the average cost of training and materials?

20. Current Status of the Review
Evaluation and program design reviews are almost complete for 28 programs
Grade Level
% of programs
Prekindergarten
32%
Elementary (K-5)
82%
Middle (6-8)
57%
High (9-12)
25%
Because programs often cover more than one grade level, the sum of the numbers presented here is greater than the total number of programs reviewed.

21. Currently Being Used in Collaborating and Affiliated Districts
4Rs (Youngstown)
Caring School Community (DuPage)
PATHS (Cleveland)
Resolving Conflict Creatively Program (Anchorage)
Responsive Classroom (DuPage)
Ripple Effects (Cleveland)
RULER Program (Cleveland, adopted not yet implemented)
Second Step (Austin)

22. Program Characteristics
Program Name
Available Grades
Lessons per Year
4R’s
PreK – 8 27
Caring School Community
K – 6
30-35 class meetings
PATHS
PreK, K – 6
119
Resolving Conflict Creatively Program
K – 8 16
Responsive Classroom
n/a
Ripple Effects
2 – 11
390+ (flexible)
RULER
10-15 “feeling words”
Second Step
13-25

23. Coverage of Social and Emotional Competencies
Program Name
Self -Awareness
Self -Management
Social Awareness
Relationship Skills
Responsible Decision -Making
4R’s 
Caring School Community
PATHS
RCCP
Responsive Classroom
Ripple Effects
RULER
Second Step
All programs cover all five competencies

24. Implementation Monitoring Tools Student Outcomes Measures
Evaluation Tools
Program Name
Implementation Monitoring Tools
Student Outcomes Measures
4R’s 
Caring School Community
PATHS
Resolving Conflict Creatively Program
Responsive Classroom
Ripple Effects
RULER
Second Step
All programs provide tools to monitor implementation and assess and promote student progress

25. Next Steps Continue reviewing additional programs
Identify new programs that should be in the review
Disseminate findings
Continue to refine and expand the review to meet the needs of program providers, researchers, and educators going forward