Examining the effectiveness of a universal social-emotional learning program in second-grade classrooms

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Classroom Interventions
• Social-Emotional Learning

Background:

• Universal social-emotional learning (SEL) programs aim to improve student behavior.
• Routine implementation in diverse classroom settings presents unique challenges.
• Effectiveness often depends on fidelity, training, and support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a universal SEL program's effectiveness in second-grade classrooms under typical conditions.
• To examine the impact of routine implementation on students' social behaviors.
• To identify factors influencing program outcomes in real-world settings.

Main Methods:

• Cluster randomized trial involving 39 teachers and 332 students across 13 schools.
• Treatment group used the Social Skills Improvement System SEL Classwide Intervention Program.
• Data collected via teacher ratings and independent observations; analyzed with a three-level random-intercept model.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant main effects were found for the SEL program.
• Most effect sizes for student social behaviors were small.
• High fidelity of lesson implementation was observed, but dosage varied.

Conclusions:

• Typical implementation of universal SEL programs may not yield significant student outcomes.
• Varied training, support, and adherence across classrooms likely influenced results.
• Higher levels of training, support, and dosage are likely necessary for SEL program effectiveness.