Grantee: PowerMyLearning
Study Type: Pre-Post
Principal Investigator: Katie James and Neha Pandit – PowerMyLearning
Project Description: This is a pre-post study of PowerMyLearning’s social-emotional learning (SEL) program—Nurture Student Growth Through Social Emotional Learning—which serves teachers, students, and families with children in first through sixth grade with the goals of addressing challenging behaviors and supporting family wellbeing. Over the course of a school year, the program provides four workshops for teachers and school staff, nine 45-minute small-group coaching sessions for teachers, and four 60-minute family workshops on various interrelated topics. The study sample is comprised of (i) 18 teachers in San Jose, CA who completed surveys before and halfway through one school year of program participation, and (ii) 342 students for whom academic achievement data were collected at the beginning and end of the school year. The study and its findings are described in two reports on program implementation, and changes in teachers’ self-reported SEL competencies and students’ academic achievement from the beginning to the end of the 2021-22 school year.
Key Findings:
Mid-Year: The results of this study indicate that PowerMyLearning’s SEL program led to better student SEL skills, teacher confidence in supporting SEL, teacher-family relationships, and school climate. These findings were statistically significant. Students had significantly better self-efficacy (+12%; p<.10) and also had significantly better self-management (+7%; p=.08). In addition, teachers were significantly more confident in supporting students’ SEL, including self-efficacy (+11%; p<.10), sense of belonging (+10%; p<.10), and sense of safety (+11%; p=.08). The study also showed significant improvements in teacher-family relationships (+13%; p<.01) and school climate (+7%; p=.03).
School Year: The results of this study indicate that PowerMyLearning’s SEL program was related to significantly better student SEL skills, teacher confidence in supporting SEL, teacher family relationships, and school climate. The program was also associated with significant differences in math and reading achievement. Students had significantly better self-efficacy (+12%; p<.10) and self-management (+7%; p=.08) after the program. In addition, teachers were significantly more confident in supporting students’ SEL, including self-efficacy (+11%; p<.10), sense of belonging (+10%; p<.10), and sense of safety (+11%; p=.08) after the program. The study also showed significant improvements in teacher family relationships (+13%; p<.01) and school climate (+7%; p=.03).
Study Citations:
James, Katie. Impact of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Program: 2021-2022 Mid-Year Analysis. PowerMyLearning, 2022. Retrieved from https://www.powermylearning.org/learn/about-us/blog/sel-impact/?hsLang=en.
James, Katie & Neha Pandit. Impact of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Program: 2021-2022 School Year Analysis. PowerMyLearning, 2022. Retrieved from https://www.powermylearning.org/learn/about-us/blog/sel-impact-fy.
Full mid-year report here.
Full school year report here.
The Key Findings above were reproduced from the published report and do not necessarily reflect interpretation of Overdeck Family Foundation staff.
