The purpose of this project is to evaluate the effect of Second Step, a curriculum designed to develop students' social-emotional skills. The curriculum is being evaluated in the context of schools in which Character Development Planning Teams are utilized to plan specific strategies or activities in the school, set implementation standards, review feedback on program implementation, and engage in group planning.

The Second Step curriculum, focused on developing students' social-emotional skills, is being evaluated in Maryland. Through the use of lessons, discussions, role-play exercises, decision-making practice sessions, and behavioral skill rehearsal, the program targets the development of empathy, social problem solving, impulse control, and anger management. The curriculum is being evaluated in the context of schools in which Character Development Planning Teams are utilized to plan specific strategies or activities in the school, set implementation standards, review feedback on program implementation, and engage in group planning.

In additional to attending to how well the Second Step curriculum and Character Planning Teams are implemented, in their complementary study, the researchers are examining the effects of the program on school personnel's modeling of civility and social competence, rewards conferred for student displays of civility and social competence, and opportunities made available to display helping behavior and cooperation. In the primary grades, the researchers are also examining the reliability and validity of student, teacher, and parent surveys of social-emotional competence, and classroom observations.