2-184 - Evaluation of Three Curricula Designed to Integrate Social-Emotional and Academic Learning in Classrooms

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

There has been a surge of interest in social and emotional learning (SEL) in schools as evidenced by 8 states adopting state-wide standards for SEL in K-12, rising interest in preparing students with 21st Century Skills, and a national commission focused on the integration of social and emotional skills into school life. Despite rises in interest, curricular strategies to improve SEL tend to be entirely separate from those designed to enhance academic learning. Here lies the problem. Classrooms are a critical context for children’s development and learning of social and academic skills needs to be integrated so that teachers can leverage students’ social and emotional skills toward the purpose of academic learning. This symposium focuses on three cutting-edge programs designed to integrate social, emotional and academic domains of learning. One paper reports findings from a quasi-experimental study and two papers describe new results from randomized controlled trials. The first paper focuses on a preschool program, Connect4Learning, that integrates social-emotional, language and literacy, mathematics, and science. The second examines the 4Rs curriculum designed to integrate literacy and SEL. The third presents work on Connect Science, a program designed to blend science, SEL and service-learning. The discussant is a nationally-known thought leader who will offer critique and recommendations for next steps, particularly as it relates to translating this work into actionable steps for educators. This symposium will describe the promise (and challenges) of embedding integrative programs such as these into schools.

Sub Unit

• Education, Schooling

Chair

• Sara Rimm-Kaufman, University of Virginia

Discussant

• Karen Bierman, Pennsylvania State University

Individual Presentations

• Interdisciplinary teaching across multiple domains: Efficacy of the C4L (Connect4Learning) Curriculum - Presenting Author: Julie Sarama, University of Denver; Non-Presenting Author: Douglas H. Clements, University of Denver; Non-Presenting Author: Holland Banse, University of Denver; Non-Presenting Author: Crystal A. Day-Hess, University of Denver

• Experimental impacts of the 4Rs+MTP Program on children’s social-emotional and academic development - Presenting Author: Joshua L. Brown, Fordham University; Non-Presenting Author: Amy E. Lowenstein, Fordham University; Non-Presenting Author: Essie Sutton, Fordham University; Non-Presenting Author: Jason Downer, University of Virginia - CASTL

• The Impact of Connect Science: A Program Integrating Social and Emotional Learning, Science, and Service-Learning - Presenting Author: Sara Rimm-Kaufman, University of Virginia; Non-Presenting Author: Eileen Merritt, Arizona State University; Non-Presenting Author: Candace Lapan, Wingate University; Non-Presenting Author: Jamie DeCoster, University of Virginia; Non-Presenting Author: Ashley Elizabeth Hunt, University of Virginia