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Questions of whether and to what degree universal social-emotional learning (SEL) programs generate academic benefits are complicated by the multi-componential nature of SEL. To address this challenge, this study examined whether the revised Second Step® intervention enhanced with tips for proactive classroom management provided to teachers predicted academic growth in math and reading through improvements across various social-emotional competencies. Data were drawn from a 2-year school-level randomized controlled trial involving 321 randomly selected kindergarten, first and second grade classrooms from 61 schools and 8,976 children (3,538 males; 44% White, 27% Hispanic, 11% Asian, 7% Black or African American; 50% receiving free/reduced lunch). Results indicated that most competencies were associated with growth in reading and math, however, emotion management was the only SEL skill to statistically explain (i.e., mediate) intervention effects on academic growth. Contextualized by the strength of the basic science evidence connecting SEL competencies to academic success, these findings may inform the precision with which programs like Second Step® are applied to generate academic benefits.Impact StatementThis study confirmed the robust connection between social-emotional skills and academic growth. However, limited support was found for the indirect benefits of Second Step® on academics, via improvements in social-emotional skills. Only intervention-affected changes in emotion management predicted growth in academic achievement for children in early elementary school. By equipping a rigorous longitudinal and cluster-randomized control design, this study both adds to and expands upon prior literature demonstrating similar effects among preschoolers. This study has implications for understanding how programs like Second Step® are able to facilitate children’s early academic success.
Low et al. (Thu,) studied this question.