SEL Program Comparative

Growing Early Mindsets is a program for PreK-3 and helps young learners grow in their capacity as learners. For any young learner, starting school can cause changes in behavior and personality as routines are disrupted, new social norms are learned, and education expectations are introduced(Mindset Works, 2017). Through alignment with CASEL, Common Core, and Head Start Early Learning standards, the GEM program teaches students growth mindset, SEL competencies, and mindfulness through interactive daily lessons. CASEL ranks GEM as Promising in their rankings, meaning that GEM has demonstrated effectiveness in improving, at the highest level, student outcomes across two or more competencies of SEL (CASEL, 2022).

Al's Pals is a program for PreK students that usings interactive lessons, puppets, music, and teaching approaches to give children skills in all competencies of SEL, mindfulness, empathy, and relationships (Al's Pals, 2022). They are recognized by CASEL as a “SELect” program, meaning that Pals has demonstrated effectiveness in improving, at the highest level, student outcomes across all competencies of SEL (CASEL, 2022). Al’s Pals is also nationally recognized by the National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning, The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Department of Education as a program of worth based on high evidential performance (Al's Pals, 2022). Al’s Pals has demonstrated exceptional results across rural and urban communities, including students who exhibit the following characteristics: Hispanic/Latinx, White, and Low Income. Al’s Pals shows that SEL education positively impacts the classroom, the home, and the community.

Collaborative Classroom’s Caring School Community is an SEL education program designed to build classrooms and school communities based upon increased connection, relationships, and bonding associated with the school. The Caring School Community framework is 30 weeks of 30 minute daily lessons that teach students self skills and interpersonal skills with a focus on creating relationships with all school community members (Collaborative Classroom, 2022). CSC also has an approach to self-discpline versus external discipline. CASEL has awarded CSC with a SELect rating, meaning that Caring School Community is an “evidence-based, well designed, and classroom-based program that systematically promotes students’ social and emotional competence, provides practice opportunities, offers multiyear programming, and delivers high-quality training and other implementation supports” (CASEL, 2022).

Inner Explorers focuses on developing all five core competencies of SEL and incorporating mindfulness practices. While CASEL has only ranked IE as an SEL Supportive Program, other studies have shown proven success in improving school culture); prompting mental well-being); Enhancing academic performance; and reducing teacher and student stress (Mindfulness-Based Social Emotional Learning Research, n.d.)

Facing History and Ourselves (FHAO) is a program that focuses on integrating character education into social students and language arts through historical context and examples of conflict, injustice, and discrimination (Jagers et al. 2015, 174, in Durlak et al. 2015). Through the historical lessons, FHAO embeds teaching of tolerance, social skills, social justice, and civic responsibility to allow students to create a culture of growth, empathy, and restorative justice. CASEL has rated FHAO as SELect, meaning that FHAO “has demonstrated effectiveness in improving, at the highest level, student outcomes across all competencies of SEL” (CASEL, 2022). One study in 2001 found that using FHAO in the classroom had significant impacts on “student psychosocial competence and racist attitudes (Jagers et al. 2015, 174, in Durlak et al. 2015).

Keeping It Real (KIR) focuses on the SEL competency of responsible decision-making. KIR is a substance abuse prevention program aimed at middle school students which utilizes a set of ten lessons focusing on youth, ethnicity, gender, and cultural relevancies to help students understand responsible decision making (Jagers et al. 2015, 174, in Durlak et al., 2015). CASEL has given KIR a rating of Promising. KIR has been shown to be impactful compared to other substance abuse programs for middle school students (Jagers et al. 2015, 174, in Durlak et al., 2015).

Peer Connection Group-High School (PCGHS) is an evidence-based school-based program that provides scaffolding and support for students as they transition from middle school to high school through peer groups of older students working for and with younger students (Center for Supportive Schools, n.d.). CASEL has given PCGHS a rating of SELect as it utilizes methods that align with the five SEL competencies. Studies have shown that PCGHS is effective at having an impact on students and their social relationships, feelings towards school, and their attendance and academic performance (Jagers et al. 2015, 174, in Durlak et al. 2015).

Check & Connect (C&C) is an SEL program that targets students at risk of dropping out of school or in trouble of academic underperformance. Through engaging lessons and activities that build connections between youth and school, students obtain self-responsibility for their actions and seek pathways to connect to the classroom or teachers in order to self-correct their behavioral or academic issues. C&C aligns with the five CASEL competencies for SEL along with academic motivations. Studies have shown that C&C has increased academic achievement and increased behavior correction competence (Jagers et al. 2015, 174, in Durlak et al., 2015).