Cluster-randomized trial.pdf (178.65 kB)
Download fileCluster-Randomized Trial Demonstrating Impact on Academic Achievement of Elementary Social-Emotional Learning.
journal contribution
posted on 11.02.2016, 00:00 authored by DJ Schonfeld, RE Adams, BK Fredstrom, RP Weissberg, R Gilman, C Voyce, R Tomlin, D Speese-LinehanThis study evaluated the results of a social and emotional learning (SEL) program on academic
achievement among students attending a large, urban, high-risk school district. Using a clusterrandomized
design, 24 elementary schools were assigned to receive either the intervention
curriculum (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies, or PATHS) or a curriculum that delivered
few if any SEL topics (i.e., the control group). In addition to state mastery test scores,
demographic data, school attendance, and dosage information were obtained from 705 students
who remained in the same group from the 3rd to the 6th grade. Analyses of odds ratios revealed
that students enrolled in the intervention schools demonstrated higher levels of basic proficiency
in reading, writing, and math at some grade levels. Although these between-groups differences
held for race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status, significant within-group differences
also were noted across these variables. Collectively, these findings indicated that social development
instruction may be a promising approach to promote acquisition of academic profi-
ciency, especially among youth attending high-risk school settings. Implications of these findings
with respect to SEL programs conclude the article.