Just because a school has adopted a social and emotional learning (SEL) program does not mean it will work. This book explores the conditions needed to implement, strengthen, and sustain effective SEL, and identifies paths that schools, districts, and states have taken to create those conditions. Major themes include equity of access to…

The reauthorization of the U.S. Elementary and Secondary Education Act, referred to as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), emphasizes evidence-based interventions while giving states and districts new flexibility on the use of federal funds, including funds that could be used to support social and emotional learning (SEL). The authors review…

Social and emotional competencies are proving critical to students' success in the classroom and in life. Although the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) does not explicitly reference social and emotional learning (SEL), this legislation in fact offers opportunities to support school-based SEL interventions. How is SEL supported by ESSA? Which SEL…

Everyone who runs a youth program believes in their hearts that their program helps kids, but in their heads, they know they need convincing data to prove it. This guide--updated from 2011--is here to help them get the data they need. The guide addresses a common problem throughout the youth field: Out-of-school time (OST) programs can help youth…

Research evidence suggests that summer breaks contribute to income-based achievement and opportunity gaps for children and youth. However, summertime can also be used to provide programs that support an array of goals for children and youth, including improved academic achievement, physical health, mental health, social and emotional well-being,…

Social and emotional learning (SEL) involves the processes through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.…

There are a number of different approaches and therapies available for children, young people and adults on the autistic spectrum, and the amount of information available on each one can be daunting for professionals and parents alike. "Autism, Educational and Theoretical Approaches" offers concise and clear explanations of a variety of…

The purpose of this article is to critically review the literature on parent-implemented interventions aimed at promoting and enhancing the social and communicative behavior of young children with autism spectrum disorders. Twelve parent-implemented intervention studies that were conducted, at least in part, in home environments and were published…

A 4-day developmental drama workshop was held for 12 visually impaired adolescents at a rehabilitation center for blind persons. Pretest-posttest measures of social skills revealed increased levels of individual concentration, increased interaction within the group and with friends and acquaintances outside the group, and higher levels of…

College students were studied to determine if taking a communication skills course increased actual communication skills. Videotape feedback was used to assess changes in skills of students. A discussion of sex differences and treatment-group differences is offered for educators. (DF)

This study examined relationships between teacher implementation of a comprehensive bullying prevention program and student outcomes. Implementation in third- through sixth-grade classrooms (N = 36) was measured by observation and teacher report. Student outcomes were measured by student surveys and teacher ratings of peer social skills (N = 549)…

The paper describes the 26-unit program called "Let's Be Social Home Program" intended to encourage parents to teach social skills to young handicapped children. The program was developed to supplement the "Let's Be Social" preschool program. The home program allows parents a choice in the amount and type of teaching activities…

The final report describes the 3-year project, "Functional Mainstreaming for Success," designed to develop a model for instructional mainstreaming of 162 handicapped children (3-6 years old) in community settings. The major feature of the project was development of a full reverse mainstreamed preschool program, which included children…

Examination of the treatment program for learning-disabled adolescents at McGill-Montreal Childrens Hospital Learning Centre (Quebec) suggests intervention can mitigate effects of even severe learning disabilities if it addresses consequences of prolonged stress and failure and affective and social competence as well as cognitive and academic…

Social problem solving was taught to four groups of third and fourth graders: (1) control; (2) video modeling tapes; (3) tapes plus discussion; and (4) tapes plus role playing. Significant treatment effects were revealed on problem solving thinking, group interaction, and locus of control. (Author/GDC)