Research References
Brown, J. A., Jimerson, S. R., Dowdy, E., Gonzalez, V., &
Stewart, K. (2012). Assessing the effects of school-wide
“Second Step” implementation in a predominately English
language learner, low SES, Latino sample.
Psychology in the Schools, 49(9), 864–875. Retrieved
from
https://bobcat.militaryfamilies.psu.edu/sites/default/files/placed-programs/Brown,%202012.pdf
From the abstract: “Because school violence is
widespread, social and emotional competence must be targeted.
‘Second Step’ is a social and emotional violence-prevention
curriculum that teaches prosocial skills and reduces
aggressive behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine
the effects of ‘Second Step’ implementation on students (N =
403) in preschool through fourth grade who were predominately
Latino, English language learners, and from families with low
socioeconomic status. The data of 165 out of the 403 students
were included in the present study. Analyses consisted of
paired-samples t-tests to identify changes in social and
emotional knowledge and behavioral and emotional risk. Results
showed that there was a significant increase in both social
and emotional knowledge and behavioral and emotional risk
following the implementation of ‘Second Step.’ These results
are discussed with regard to previous and future research,
limitations, and implications for school practice.”
Cuccaro, C. & Geitner, G. (2007). Lunch and recess: The “eye
of the storm”—Using targeted interventions for students with
behavioral problems.
TEACHING Exceptional Children Plus, 3(4), Article 2.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ967453
From the abstract: “A group of fifth-grade students who
had persistent problems at lunch and recess were identified
and provided with direct instruction in pro-social skills.
These skills were taught by the authors in a two-week program
that they called the ‘Alternative to Lunch Program for
Students’ (ALPS). This action research study measured the
impact of the intervention on their ability to demonstrate
skills such as using self-control, avoiding trouble, and
accepting consequences. The ALPS was part of a larger
school-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
(PBIS) program. Pre- and post-intervention data suggest that
for a majority of the students, the ALPS resulted in improved
behavior within the cafeteria and at recess.”
Espelage, D. L., Low, S., Polanin, J. R., & Brown, E. C.
(2013). The impact of a middle school program to reduce
aggression, victimization, and sexual violence.
Journal of Adolescent Health, 53(2), 180–186. Retrieved
from
https://www.academia.edu/27336416/The_Impact_of_a_Middle_School_Program_to_Reduce_Aggression_Victimization_and_Sexual_Violence
(log-in required)
From the abstract: “Purpose: To evaluate the impact of
the Second Step: Student Success Through Prevention (SS-SSTP)
Middle School Program on reducing youth violence including
peer aggression, peer victimization, homophobic name calling,
and sexual violence perpetration and victimization among
middle school sixth-grade students. Methods: The study design
was a nested cohort (sixth graders) longitudinal study. We
randomly assigned 18 matched pairs of 36 middle schools to the
SS-SSTP or control condition. Teachers implemented 15 weekly
lessons of the sixth-grade curriculum that focused on social
emotional learning skills, including empathy, communication,
bully prevention, and problem-solving skills. All sixth
graders (n = 3,616) in intervention and control conditions
completed self-report measures assessing verbal/relational
bullying, physical aggression, homophobic name calling, and
sexual violence victimization and perpetration before and
after the implementation of the sixth-grade curriculum.
Results: Multilevel analyses revealed significant intervention
effects with regard to physical aggression. The adjusted odds
ratio indicated that the intervention effect was substantial;
individuals in intervention schools were 42% less likely to
self-report physical aggression than students in control
schools. We found no significant intervention effects for
verbal/relational bully perpetration, peer victimization,
homophobic teasing, and sexual violence. Conclusions: Within a
1-year period, we noted significant reductions in
self-reported physical aggression in the intervention schools.
Results suggest that SS-SSTP holds promise as an efficacious
prevention program to reduce physical aggression in adolescent
youth.”
Espelage, D. L., Rose, C. A., & Polanin, J. R. (2016).
Social-emotional learning program to promote prosocial and
academic skills among middle school students with
disabilities.
Remedial and Special Education, 37(6), 323–332.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1119329
From the ERIC abstract: “This 3-year study evaluated
the effectiveness of the Second Step-Student Success Through
Prevention (SS-SSTP) social-emotional learning program on
increasing prosocial behaviors that could serve as protective
factors against peer conflict and bullying among students with
disabilities. Participants included 123 students with
disabilities across 12 schools in Midwest United States.
Students labelled with a disability were selected for
inclusion. Students completed self-report measures of school
belonging, empathy, caring, and willingness to intervene in
bullying situations. Report card grades and standardized test
scores were collected from school records. Students with
disabilities in the intervention schools reported a
statistical and clinical significant increase in willingness
to intervene in bullying incidents in comparison with students
with disabilities in control schools and an increase of half a
grade on their report cards in comparison with the control
sample. The current study demonstrates the promise of
social-emotional learning programming for students with
disabilities.”
Flannery, K. B., Fenning, P., Kato, M. M., & McIntosh, K.
(2014). Effects of school-wide positive behavioral
interventions and supports and fidelity of implementation on
problem behavior in high schools.
School Psychology Quarterly, 29(2), 111–124. Retrieved
from
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/6970/1f40438fb17c173f9f220f7ef3231d35d5fc.pdf
From the abstract: “High school is an important time in
the educational career of students. It is also a time when
adolescents face many behavioral, academic, and
social-emotional challenges. Current statistics about the
behavioral, academic, and social-emotional challenges faced by
adolescents, and the impact on society through incarceration
and dropout, have prompted high schools to direct their
attention toward keeping students engaged and reducing
high-risk behavioral challenges. The purpose of the study was
to examine the effects of School-Wide Positive Behavioral
Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS) on the levels of
individual student problem behaviors during a 3-year
effectiveness trial without random assignment to condition.
Participants were 36,653 students in 12 high schools. Eight
schools implemented SW-PBIS, and four schools served as
comparison schools. Results of a multilevel latent growth
model showed statistically significant decreases in student
office discipline referrals in SW-PBIS schools, with increases
in comparison schools, when controlling for enrollment and
percent of students receiving free or reduced price meals. In
addition, as fidelity of implementation increased, office
discipline referrals significantly decreased. Results are
discussed in terms of effectiveness of a SW-PBIS approach in
high schools and considerations to enhance fidelity of
implementation.”
Graves, S. L., Jr., Herndon-Sobalvarro, A., Nichols, K.,
Aston, C., Ryan, A., Blevari, A., et al. (2017). Examining the
effectiveness of a culturally adapted social-emotional
intervention for African American males in an urban setting.
School Psychology Quarterly, 32(1), 62–74. Retrieved
from
http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/features/spq-spq0000145.pdf
From the abstract: “The purpose of the present study
was to assess the efficacy of a culturally adapted version of
the Strong Start intervention program on the social-emotional
outcomes of African American male students. Externalizing
behavior problems of children, specifically African American
males, are of great concern for schools. Punitive discipline
polices such as expulsion and suspension have proved to be
ineffective and harmful. Consequently, school-based
social-emotional learning (SEL) interventions have been
proposed to teach children coping skills that can help them
increase positive social behaviors and emotional regulation.
Sixty-one African American male students enrolled in an urban
elementary school participated in this intervention. This
study employed a randomized delayed treatment control design.
Results indicated positive effects in the areas of
self-regulation and self-competence. However the intervention
did not have an impact on student's empathy, responsibility,
or externalizing behavior. Implications are discussed in terms
of developing culturally relevant school-based interventions
for African American males.”
Jolstead, K. A., Caldarella, P., Hansen, B., Korth, B. B.,
Williams, L., & Kamps, D. (2017). Implementing positive
behavior support in preschools: An exploratory study of CW-FIT
Tier 1.
Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 19(1),
48–60.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1123735
From the ERIC abstract: “Challenging behavior in
preschool is a serious concern for teachers. Positive behavior
interventions and supports (PBIS) have been shown to be
effective in reducing such behaviors. Class-Wide
Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) is a specific
multi-tiered intervention for implementing effective classroom
management strategies using PBIS practices. CW-FIT has been
shown to be effective in elementary classrooms but has not yet
been evaluated with younger age groups. CW-FIT Tier 1 is a
group contingency utilizing social skills training, teacher
praise, and positive reinforcement to improve student
behavior. The present study examined the effects of CW-FIT
Tier 1 implementation on student group on-task behavior and on
teacher praise and reprimand rates in four preschool
classrooms. A single-subject delayed multiple baseline design
with embedded reversals was used to evaluate impact. Results
indicated the intervention increased student group on-task
behavior and teacher praise to reprimand ratios. Both teachers
and children found CW-FIT Tier 1 to be socially valid.
Limitations and implications of this study for researchers and
practitioners are discussed.”
Nese, R. N. T. & McIntosh, K. (2016). Do school-wide positive
behavioral interventions and supports, not exclusionary
discipline practices. In B. G. Cook, M. Tankersley, & T. J.
Landrum (Eds.),
Advances in Learning and Behavioral Disabilities (pp.
175–196). Bingley, UK: Emerald Group.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED571283
From the ERIC abstract: “All educators will inevitably
face unwanted student behavior that they need to address. A
ubiquitous response to unwanted behavior is exclusionary
discipline practices, including time-out, office discipline
referrals, and suspensions. However, extensive research has
demonstrated that these practices are associated with negative
outcomes, including increased likelihood of further unwanted
behavior, decreased achievement, and racial/ethnic discipline
disparities. In this chapter, we provide a preventative
alternative to exclusionary practices, school-wide positive
behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS). SWPBIS is an
evidence-based framework for implementing systems to reduce
unwanted behavior and increase prosocial behavior, decreasing
the need for exclusionary practices.”
Snyder, F. J., Flay, B. R., Vuchinich, S., Acock, A.,
Washburn, I. J., Beets, M. W., & Li, K.-K. (2010). Impact of a
social-emotional and character development program on
school-level indicators of academic achievement, absenteeism,
and disciplinary outcomes: A matched-pair, cluster-randomized,
controlled trial.
Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 3(1),
26–55. Retrieved from
https://www.isbe.net/Documents/sel-impact-sch-indicators.pdf
From the abstract: “This article reports the effects of
a comprehensive elementary school-based social-emotional and
character education program on school-level achievement,
absenteeism, and disciplinary outcomes utilizing a
matched-pair, cluster-randomized, controlled design. The
"Positive Action" Hawai'i trial included 20
racially/ethnically diverse schools (M enrollment = 544) and
was conducted from the 2002-03 through the 2005-06 academic
years. Using school-level archival data, analyses comparing
change from baseline (2002) to 1-year posttrial (2007)
revealed that intervention schools scored 9.8% better on the
TerraNova (2nd ed.) test for reading and 8.8% on math, that
20.7% better in Hawai'i Content and Performance Standards
scores for reading and 51.4% better in math, and that
intervention schools reported 15.2% lower absenteeism and
fewer suspensions (72.6%) and retentions (72.7%). Overall,
effect sizes were moderate to large (range = 0.5-1.1) for all
of the examined outcomes. Sensitivity analyses using
permutation models and random-intercept growth curve models
substantiated results. The results provide evidence that a
comprehensive school-based program, specifically developed to
target student behavior and character, can positively
influence school-level achievement, attendance, and
disciplinary outcomes concurrently.”
Sullivan, T. N., Sutherland, K. S., Farrell, A. D., & Taylor,
K. A. (2015). An evaluation of Second Step: What are the
benefits for youth with and without disabilities?
Remedial and Special Education, 36(5), 286–298.
Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275642497_An_Evaluation_of_Second_Step
From the abstract: “The impact of a school-based
violence prevention program, Second Step, on peer
victimization and aggression, and emotion regulation was
evaluated among 457 sixth graders. A cluster-randomized trial
was conducted with classrooms randomly assigned to
intervention (n = 14) or control (n = 14) conditions. A
repeated measures analysis of covariance on each measure was
conducted using random effects. Several intervention effects
were moderated by gender and disability status. Teacher-rated
relational victimization at posttest decreased for students
with disabilities in intervention but not control classrooms.
Students without disabilities in intervention classrooms
reported greater decreases from pretest to 6-month follow-up
in overt aggression. Boys in the intervention classrooms had
smaller increases in teacher-rated overt aggression at
posttest than boys in control classrooms. Girls in
intervention classrooms reported greater decreases from
pretest to 6-month follow-up in relational aggression than
girls in control classrooms. Study implications and directions
for future research are discussed.”
Top, N., Liew, J., & Luo, W. (2016). Effects of Second Step
curriculum on behavioral and academic outcomes in 5th and 8th
grade students: A longitudinal study on character development.
Novitas-ROYAL (Research on Youth and Language), 10(1),
24–47.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1167262
From the ERIC abstract: “School-based programs designed
to reduce problem behaviors, increase prosocial behaviors, and
improve academic achievement have often been characterized as
social-emotional learning or character development (education)
programs. This longitudinal study investigated effects of such
a program, called ‘Second Step’, on observed problem
behaviors, observed prosocial behaviors, and school grades
across 4 school semesters for 5th to 8th grade students. A
sample of 5,189 from 35 schools (16 control and 19 treatment
schools) in an open-enrollment charter school system
participated. Results from a three-level longitudinal growth
model analysis indicated that students in the treatment
schools (with ‘Second Step’ curriculum) attained higher school
grades and exhibited fewer problem behaviors than students in
the control schools across 4 school semesters. Students in the
treatment schools also exhibited more prosocial behaviors, but
this increase was marginally significant or approaching
significance. The findings have implications for promoting a
positive classroom or school climate that supports engagement
and achievement.”
