SEL and Academics
The SECOND STEP program supports academics in two ways:
- Lessons align with academic content standards, character education principles, and Head Start performance standards.
- Social and emotional learning (SEL), the basis of the skills taught in the program, supports academics.
To learn more about SEL and academics, see below and download Academic Achievement and the SECOND STEP Program (PDF).
Alignment Charts
The alignment charts below illustrate the many connections between the SECOND STEP program and academic standards from Pre/K through Grade 8:
- Pre/K Alignment Chart (PDF)
- Grades 1–5 Alignment Chart (PDF)
- Grades 6–8 Alignment Chart (PDF)
The SECOND STEP program also aligns with character education principles set by the Character Education Partnership and performance standards set by Head Start:
- Character Education and the SECOND STEP Program
- Alignment with Head Start Performance Standards (PDF)
(Note: These PDFs are best viewed if printed on ledger-sized paper. Contact us if you'd like a copy mailed to you.)
CASEL Makes the Case: SEL Improves Academic Performance
Some educators worry that teaching our SEL programs will take time away from academics. The latest research can help put that fear to rest.
CASEL, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, recently published a meta-analysis that includes the findings of the largest, most scientifically rigorous review of research ever done on school-based intervention programs (Durlak, Weissberg, Taylor, & Dymnicki, in preparation). The findings are rich, but one result really stands out:
Those same students also attained higher grades while improving:
- Classroom behavior
- Feelings about themselves
- Handling of emotional problems
- Social and emotional skills
Teaching the SECOND STEP program isn't only about changing behaviors—it's about helping your students reach their highest potential. Read The Positive Impact of SEL for Kingergarten to Eighth-Grade Students (CASEL) to learn more.
References
Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Taylor, R. D., & Dymnicki, A. B. (in preparation). The effects of school-based social and emotional learning: A meta-analytical review. Chicago: CASEL.
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (2008). Social and emotional learning and student benefits: Implications for the Safe Schools/Healthy Students core elements. Washington, DC: National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention, Education Development Center.
