1. Developing Safe and Civil Schools (DSACS) Initiative
Putting the Pieces Together:
Improving Academic Outcomes and School Climate,
Safety and Civility
Presented by Maurice J. Elias, Ph.D.
Rutgers University and CASEL, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning
and Members of the DSACS Team
A Program of the Rutgers Social-Emotional Learning Lab
( and
the Center for Applied Psychology,
Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology

2. Vision for Students’ Success
That every student live a satisfying life and meet life’s challenges by:
Achieving personal goals
Fulfilling family responsibilities
Enjoying good health
Producing high-quality work
Contributing to their community

3. the new challenges facing children
Increased pace of life
Greater economic demands on parents
Alterations in family composition and stability
Breakdown of neighborhoods and extended families
Weakening of community institutions
Unraveling of parent-child bonds due to work, school demands, time, drugs, mental health, and economic burdens
Ongoing exposure to an array of digital media and pervasive advertising that encourage violence as a problem-solving tool and other health-damaging behaviors and unrealistic lifestyles

4. If You Had a Magic Wand, What Values Would You Wish for Children?
Friendship
Peace
Wisdom
Beauty
Long Life
Riches
Popularity
Family

5. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL): A Coordinated Framework Provides Synergy
School-Wide Efforts
Violence Ed
Character Ed
Sex Ed
Prevention Programs without a Common Framework
Academic Skills
Drug Ed
Families
Health Ed
Service Learning
Community Involvement
SEL
A Common Framework Provides Synergy
Violence Ed
Sex Ed
Health Ed
Academic Skills
Drug Ed
Service Learning
Character Ed
SCHOOL-FAMILY-COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

6. Much is Already Being Done
Schools are already engaged in a variety of SEL-related efforts, including character education, bully/violence prevention, substance abuse prevention, counseling and related services, SEL curriculum programs such as Social Decision Making/Social Problem Solving, Responsive Classroom, Second Step, Quest, or Resolving Conflicts Creatively, positive behavior supports and similar efforts at school-wide positive recognition of students, and service learning.

7. Most Efforts Are Not Coordinated
This has two major results, especially in low-performing settings:
1. The whole is less than the sum of its parts; you do not get benefit in proportion to effort and expenditure.
2. Students’ emotional, behavioral, and attitudinal skills are not affected to the point where they can direct sufficient energy to academic learning to make real progress. Therefore, you also do not get benefit in proportion to your effort in academics.

8. What SEL Facilitates
SEL refers to the skills, structure, and content necessary for all children to optimize their potential to be caring, competent, committed individuals.
SEL is necessary because it promotes success behaviors, reduces safety concerns, positively impacts on academics, builds caring communities, prepares students to be ethical leaders, and provides resources and political capital in the community.

9. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): Scope and Fundamental Principles
Successful academic performance by students depends on:
students’ social-emotional skills,
their approaching education with a sense of positive purpose, and
the presence of a safe, supportive school climate that fosters a respectful, challenging, and engaging learning community
These conditions are referred to collectively as social-emotional learning, or SEL

10. Students
Inconsistent messages with little
reinforcement of them
Confusion about expectations
Decreased sense of common purpose
Fewer connections to one another,
to teachers, to school—less bonding
Across
Grades
Teachers
Decreased sense of common purpose
Frustration w/ inconsistent messages
and eroded quality of teaching
Decreased communication, less
connected to staff and students
Less holistic teaching
Fragmented,
Uncoordinated
Services
Within
Grades
Across
Schools
School
No unified mission
Little sense of community
Decreased cooperation and
competition for resources
Inefficient use of resources
Duplication of services

11. Outcomes of Fragmented, Uncoordinated Services
Less engagement and attachment to school; lower participation in class and activities
Higher disciplinary, drop-out, suspension, and expulsion rates; lower academic achievement
Less satisfaction with teaching and higher levels of stress
More confrontational means of resolving disputes; less empathy and caring behaviors
Fewer student-teacher interactions

12. Positive Contributions,
Paths to Success in School and in Life:
Role of Evidence-Based SEL Programming
Evidence-
Based SEL
Programming
Teach SEL
Competencies
Less Risky
Behavior, More
Assets, &
Positive
Development
Better
Academic
Performance
and Success
in School
and Life
Provide
Opportunities for
Positive Contributions,
Recognition, and
A Sense of Purpose
And Pride in Being
Part of the School
Safe, Caring,
Cooperative,
Well-Managed
Learning
Environments
Greater
Attachment,
Engagement, &
Commitment
to School

13. Fundamental Principles of SEL
Caring relationships provide the foundation for all lasting learning.
Emotions affect how and what we learn.
Goal setting and problem solving provide direction and energy for learning.

14. SEL Skill Competencies
Recognize and manage own emotions
Be aware of feelings and circumstances of others
Organize and manage oneself and one’s time effectively
Develop positive relationships in school, family, community, team, and leadership roles
Communicate appropriately and effectively
Make responsible decisions, solve problems thoughtfully, and resolve conflicts non-violently
Show empathy, active caring and compassion for others
Behave ethically, responsibly, and respectfully
Avoid negative, high-risk, unhealthy behaviors

15. Examples of Research Support for Effectiveness of SEL
School Preventive Intervention Studies
Mental Health and Positive Youth Development Studies
Substance Abuse Prevention Studies
Academic Performance and Learning Studies

16. Academic Performance and Learning Studies
Wang et al. (1997) examined 28 categories of influences on learning based on 179 handbook chapters, 91 research syntheses, and surveys of 61 national experts

17. Findings
Among top 11 most influential categories, 8 involved SEL (e.g., student-teacher social interactions, classroom climate, peer group)
Conclusion: “direct intervention in the psychological determinants of learning promise the most effective avenues of reform” (p. 210)

18. Durlak, Weissberg et al. (2005) Meta-analysis: Inclusion Criteria
School, family, or community programs that promote SEL assets and influence behavior
Target a school-aged population (5 – 18 years old)
Promotion or prevention, but not treatment
Employ a control group design
Report by the end of 2004 & in English
Present sufficient data to calculate effect sizes
Excluded:
Interventions whose exclusive purpose was to prevent drug use, pregnancy, and HIV/AIDS or promote physical health
Interventions whose exclusive purpose was to improve academic functioning
CASEL at UIC

19. Universal Interventions
Durlak, Weissberg et al (2005): Meta-analysis of 665 School, Family, and Community PYD Interventions
n = 65
Universal Interventions
n = 42
n = 179
n = 486
n = 379
Joe says: We’ve come to the conclusion that there are at least 3 different settings in which these types of studies need to be evaluated. It’s not useful to compare ES across these settings because they differ in focus, method, & goals.
Total Interventions = 665

20. School Universal: Overall Findings
Post: n=379
Follow-up: n=93 n ES
SEL Assets
223
0.29* 52
.18*
Environmental Influences 36
0.47* 8
0.17
Positive Outcomes
184
0.43* 38
0.28*
Negative Outcomes
187
0.23*
0.19*
Note that this slide contains only the information discussed in more detail in the following slides. So, for example, not all possible positive outcomes were analyzed here, only the ones detailed on the outcome slides.

21. School Universal: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Assets
Post n
Post ES
Follow-up n
Follow-up ES
Socio-emotional-cognitive Skills 97
0.41* 29
0.20*
Self-perception
131
0.22* 30
0.11*
School Bonding 25
0.27* 7
0.10
Social Norms 52
0.21* 15
0.07
family bonding *
community bonding *

22. School Universal: School Outcomes
Post n
Post ES
Follow-up n
Follow-up ES
Pos. Behav-School
129
0.47* 26
0.30*
Academic Achievement Tests 37
0.39* 9
0.22*
Grades 34
0.28* 8
0.21*
Peer Acceptance
0.06 3
0.07
Neg. Behav-School
134 42
0.16*
Violence/Aggression in School 62 14
0.17*
School Discipline/ Suspension 40 13
0.10
Peer Rejection
0.27* 6
0.25*
Note: I’ve only put peer acceptance and rejection on this slide, not the family and community, because peer measures didn’t occur there, and adding them makes the slide fairly crowded. Is that OK?

23. Outcomes of Integrated and Coordinated Services
More empathy and social awareness
Higher engagement and participation in classroom and school activities including community service
Better attendance, fewer drop-outs; increased requests for assistance; higher achievement
Higher teacher retention and satisfaction
Greater attachment and commitment; improved care for facilities
Fewer disruptive behaviors; greater sense of safety

24. Short-Term, Measurable Outcomes of SEL Interventions
Fewer decreases in student academic performance
More interactions/more inclusion among diverse groups including special education
Improved understanding on the part of students of expectations and of their value as members of the community
More involvement in community service efforts (e.g., Katrina)
Better care of the building and books
Additional volunteering by parents
Fewer teacher absences
Reduced time spent on correcting negative behaviors
More class time devoted to academic tasks

25. “Working to put the pieces of the puzzle together to reduce fragmentation, increase synergy, and enhance social, emotional, and academic learning for all children.”

26. Students
Improved climate; view school as
supportive and safe
Closer connections to students,
teachers, school; greater bonding
Consistent messages and common
purpose; mutual support
Across
Grades
Teachers
Common sense of purpose, higher
morale and mutual support
More efficient use of classroom time
Better communication among staff
and with students and families
Address needs of whole child
Integrated,
Coordinated
Services
Within
Grades
Across
Schools
School
Commitment to unified mission
Greater sense of community, higher
morale, increased cooperation
More efficient use of resources and
expanded roles
Fewer marginalized services

27. Value Added by Coordination of SEL
SEL Coordination adds value to schools by building success skills, developing character, and preventing harmful and hurtful behavior in young people

28. Success Skills Builds academic, career, and relationship skills
Meets NCLB mandates
Builds caring communities of learners with connections to adults in the building to peers, and to the school as a valued place to which to belong

29. Character
Fosters good citizenship, teaches how to make sound choices, and develops purpose and sense of optimism about the future
Increases likelihood of students’ making realistic means-ends connections
Builds skills and values through community service and service learning in and out of school

30. Prevention
Provides a safe environment free from bullying, intimidation, peer harassment, and victimization
Reduces likelihood of problem behaviors such as violence, bullying, substance abuse,
truancy, school dropout, depression, apathy, disaffection

31. Our Vision for Safe and Civil Schools Through SEL
We envision a time when all students entering schools in New Jersey will feel they have a positive purpose in being there. They will feel engaged, attached, and connected and see the schools as a place they can learn and do things to contribute to the world around them, advance their sense of purpose, and become more literate in academic, media, artistic, technology, and civic areas. This will be accomplished in part because the students will experience coordinated and continuous efforts to build their social-emotional skills, positive character, service-learning contributions, and health, and to prevent substance abuse and violent/bullying behavior in a safe, caring, supportive, healthy, and ethical environment.

32. How will fragmentation get reduced?
Ask yourself what efforts are being made in your schools and districts to reduce fragmentation
Consider the financial costs of programs, personnel involved-- is the whole greater than the sum of its parts?
Are some of your professional colleagues operating heroically to try to solve these problems?

33. Coordination Requires Coordinators
How will coordination take place if no one is qualified, competent, supported, and, ultimately, certified to lead it and take responsibility for it on an everyday basis?