Leveraging Educator and Student Voices and Experiences to Refresh a Social and Emotional Learning Program Focused on Equity

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Voice and Social and Emotional Learning Implementation (Table 43)

Abstract

Developed in 2008 and refreshed in 2022, Harmony is a Pre-K-6th grade social emotional learning (SEL) program that focuses on building students’ social and emotional competencies (SECs) and relationship-driven strategies. As part of the refresh process, educators across 4 mid-sized districts in the Midwest, South, and Southwest piloted the program and provided feedback (e.g., surveys, focus groups, and observations). Research questions focused on educators’ experiences, the extent Harmony meets students’ needs, and the relationship between educators’ use of Harmony and their perceptions of students’ outcomes. Educators’ experiences influenced real-time revisions to the program. Findings suggest that educators and students need time to build relationships and apply their SECs in authentic situations; and illustrates the importance of using Harmony with fidelity.

Authors

• Whitney Impellizeri Cignatta, Independent Researcher

• Nick Yoder, American Institutes for Research