We are excited to bring you information about a unique opportunity in FCPS. Our team at the University of Virginia secured a federal grant to implement and evaluate RULER, a social-emotional learning program.

RULER is an evidence-based MTSS Tier 1 social-emotional learning program created by Yale University's Center for Emotional Intelligence. It is designed as a school-wide intervention to help teachers and students Recognize, Understand, Label, Express, and Regulate emotions.

Schools in FCPS will be collaborating with the University of Virginia research team to examine the effectiveness of RULER in a large-scale implementation. The research will evaluate RULER by asking, “Does large-scale implementation of RULER improve school and classroom climate? Does RULER have benefits for students’ behavior, social skills, and achievement?"

We have the opportunity to implement RULER across 49 elementary schools over the next three years to learn more about if and how RULER works in schools. Schools are divided into Cohort 1, 2, and 3.

• • Cohort 1 had 22 schools which began data collection in winter 2019 and ended in spring 2021.

  • Cohort 2 has 11 schools which began data collection in winter 2020 and will end in spring 2023.

  • Cohort 3 has 16 schools which began data collection in fall 2021 and will end in spring 2023.

For more details, visit here for Cohorts 2 & 3 data collection activities.

After baseline data collection in each cohort, half of the schools will be randomly assigned into the intervention group and the other half into the waitlist comparison group.

• • Intervention schools in each cohort will receive RULER training the following summer and have the RULER curriculum in their schools during data collection. RULER intervention will happen in two phases as described here.

  • Waitlist comparison schools in each cohort will delay their RULER training after data collection, in order for us to better understand how RULER works in schools.

Coaches from Yale will be working with school-level RULER Intervention Teams (RIT) to deliver training and support throughout RULER implementation. RITs will consist of the principal and 2-4 other staff members.

For more details, visit here.

Data will be kept confidential and secure—only the research team will have access to the data. All names and identifiers will be assigned pseudonyms and codes. The list connecting names to this code will be kept in a locked file. When the study is completed and the data have been analyzed, this list will be destroyed. No names will be used in any report.

• All participating schools will receive a one-time $1,000 payment for assistance coordinating school-based data collection and training activities, which can be used for teacher training stipends or materials.

• Participants (principal and all teachers) in the RULER School Survey will be entered into a raffle for a prize ($50 value).

• Teachers selected to complete the more comprehensive data collection will be compensated for their time ($40-80, depending on the year).

• Students selected to participate will receive an age-appropriate book after completing a Social-Emotional Skills computer game.