Universal school-based SEL programs produce statistically significant positive effects on social-emotional and related outcomes, per two comprehensive meta-analyses¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2017 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Two comprehensive meta-analytic reviews of school-based SEL programs (213 studies in one case and 75 in the other) found statistically significant positive effects on a host of social-emotional and related outcomes, with average effect sizes ranging from small to moderate-to-large. → Stephanie M. Jones 2017

Evidence¶

Stephanie M. Jones 2017¶

Stephanie M. Jones, Sophie P. Barnes, Rebecca Bailey, and Emily J. Doolittle. (2017). Promoting Social and Emotional Competencies in Elementary School. The Future of Children, Vol. 27, No. 1, Spring 2017. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1144815

q3 · i? · review · r2

The article's synthesis of two comprehensive meta-analytic reviews of school-based SEL and/or behavioral learning programs, compiling 213 studies in one case and 75 in the other. The reviews found that "universal, school-based SEL programs produced statistically significant positive effects." No exact effect size values are printed; the article describes magnitudes only as ranging from small to moderate-to-large.

"Both reviews found that universal, school-based SEL programs produced statistically significant positive effects on a host of social-emotional and related outcomes."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• SEL programs improve students' engagement and academic performance, with an 11-percentile-point achievement gain in the Durlak meta-analysis — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Universal school-based SEL programs improve students' behaviour, with a small and, in recent randomised trials, negligible effect on academic achievement — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• SEL programs improve social emotional skills — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Schoolwide SEL programs are associated with long-term achievement gains, with multiple meta-analyses estimating an 11-percentile-point gain on average for participating students — related
• SEL programs implemented well show positive impacts on targeted skills and academic outcomes, including meta-analytic support — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• SEL interventions improve attitudes, self-regulation, behaviour, and academic performance across reported effect-size ranges — related
• Social and emotional learning programs promote competencies, reduce behavior problems, and improve engagement and achievement, with sustained longer-term benefits — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Social-emotional learning benefits persist at follow-up — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Universal school intervention programs typically show small average effect sizes, with median effects between d = 0.07 and d = 0.16 per a cited review of 74 meta-analyses — related