Social and emotional skills, such as Sustaining Effort and Maintaining Composure, are related to many positive outcomes, including academic performance and life satisfaction, and are often taught through social and emotional learning (SEL) programs. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between these skills and ACT® test…

There is a tradeoff between scale length and psychometric concerns. The two are, in fact, directly linked. Generally, when scales are shortened, reliability is reduced, and when scales are lengthened, reliability is improved, provided the items added to the scale are comparable psychometrically (AERA et al., 2014). Scale reliability, in turn,…

Given recent interest and increasing popularity of social and emotional learning (SEL) in education settings, the authors surveyed students taking the ACT test and parents/caregivers of ACT test-takers on their beliefs around social and emotional (SE) skills. The study had three primary goals. First, the authors were interested in obtaining…

The moderating effects of motivation, social control, and self-regulation in predicting academic achievement were examined in Grades 11-12 for 3,281 seventh through nine graders. Standardized assessments of college readiness and student self-reported measures of psychosocial factors were used in the study. The results showed that females in Grades…

Social and emotional (SE) skills are related to many positive outcomes, including degree attainment, improved academic performance, and increased life satisfaction, and are often taught through social and emotional learning (SEL) programs. A positive school climate is important for students' social and emotional wellness and ability to learn. For…