Key Components of Successful Social and Emotional Learning Intervention Programs

• In Event: Current International Practices and Challenges in Social and Emotional Learning Intervention Programs

Abstract

A multitude of meta-analytic evidence supports the notion that social and emotional skills can be explicitly developed in students through social and emotional learning (SEL) intervention programming (e.g., Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, and Schellinger, 2011; Taylor, Durlak, Oberle, and Weissberg, 2017). Moreover, SEL interventions are also associated with the development of other positive outcomes, such as increased academic performance and reductions in problematic behaviors (e.g., Corcoran, Cheung, Kim, & Chen, 2018). There are a great deal of SEL intervention programs available that practitioners can implement across grade levels. However, interventions differ vastly in terms of their theoretical foundation, pedagogic approach, sequence, scope, and scalability. This paper will present a summary of several identified universal best practices for SEL interventions in addition to key factors in supporting intervention implementation. The purpose of this paper is to serve as a foundation for the remaining papers in this session and introduce unifying themes that will be built upon throughout the symposium.
This paper will first briefly introduce several theoretical frameworks that are frequently used as guiding principles behind interventions. Then, different universal best practices at the intervention level will be discussed, such as taking a SAFE (sequenced, active, focused, and explicit) approach, building student-teacher relationships when classroom teachers deliver interventions to students, and involving families in school-wide SEL initiatives as well (Durlak et al., 2011).
The next part of this paper will focus on various implementation factors that come into play when implementing SEL programming. It has been well-documented that these factors contribute to program outcomes. These factors include fidelity, dosage, quality, participant responsiveness, program differentiation, program reach, and adaptation (Durlak & DuPre, 2008). Each of these factors will be discussed in the context of implementing SEL programs.
The last part of the paper will focus on the aspect of teacher preparation and support in teaching and supporting SEL in schools. Teachers frequently report limited training and confidence in their abilities to support SEL, in addition to limited school and district-level support (Bridgeland, Bruce, & Harihan, 2013). This portion of the paper will discuss initiatives such as extended professional development and pre-service training (e.g., Schonert-Reichl, Hanson-Peterson, & Hymel, 2015) that can be taken in order to equip teachers to successfully implement SEL with their students.
Overall, this paper serves to introduce the audience to key themes and challenges that arise surrounding intervention implementation. The introduction provided by this paper will serve as a foundation that the following presenters will build upon, as well as a foundation for later discussion between symposium presenters and audience members.

Author

• Dana Murano, ACT, Inc.