Poster #165 - Social and emotional learning in middle school settings: An evaluation of Lions Quest Skills for Adolescence program

• In Event: 3-003 - Poster Session 09
  In Poster Session: PS 09 Section - Prevention and Interventions

Integrative Statement

Over the past decade, emerging research in neuroscience and prevention science has transformed the way that scientists understand social and emotional learning. There is growing consensus among researchers who study child development, education, and health that these skills are essential to learning and life outcomes. Research indicates that high quality, evidence- based programs and policies that promote these skills among students can improve academic achievement as well as positive behavior, physical and mental wellbeing, college and career readiness, and economic productivity. Furthermore, a strong body of research has documented that classrooms function better and students learn more when children and adolescents have the skills to manage negative emotions, focus attention, persist in the face of difficulty, and navigate relationships with peers and adults (Ladd, Birch & Buhs, 1999; Raver, 2002). As efforts to integrate social-emotional learning into the fabric of schools, leaders and practitioners are eager to know what is effective among the many programs and materials available.

Lions Quest, developed by Lions Club International, is a PreK-12 program that integrates social and emotional learning, character education, drug and bullying prevention, and service learning to build 21st century life skills. The grade-differentiated program targets a set of social-emotional competencies including self-awareness, self-management, relationship skills, social awareness, and responsible decision-making. Lions Quest also includes opportunities for family involvement, service learning and community connections. These skills and opportunities may be particularly important to behavioral and academic success in middle childhood – the years between childhood and young adulthood when children are entering into and navigating the terrain of adolescence. Despite growing interest in programs and strategies developed for middle schools, relatively few programs and evaluations have provided evidence about how to most effectively build social and emotional learning in these settings.

In this paper, we present key findings from a two-year longitudinal, quasi-experimental study designed to evaluate the impact of Lions Quest on student-, classroom-, and school-level outcomes in two middle schools. Drawing upon prior studies of the program, we collected both quantitative and qualitative data including: (a) student and staff surveys of school climate and social and emotional learning beliefs, (b) classroom observations, (c) implementation logs, (d) administrative data, (e) key informant interviews, and (f) focus groups with students and staff. Preliminary findings demonstrate statistically significant gains in three domains of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System—Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, and Student Engagement at the intervention school. Promising findings also indicate statistically significant improvements in students’ perceptions of physical and emotional safety and peers' social and problem-solving skills. Additional analysis will include the analysis of focus groups and interviews as well as the use of administrative data to learn more about (1) the relationship between the data collected and academic and attendance outcomes, and (2) whether and how these associations vary by subgroup.

Findings from this study will add to the body of evidence for SEL programs overall, and for Lions Quest in particular. These findings also provide important information about implementation and feasibility that may be unique to middle school settings.

Authors

• Jennifer Ann Kahn, Harvard Graduate School of Education
  Presenting Author

• Bryan Nelson, Harvard Graduate School of Education
  Non-Presenting Author