SEL CASE STUDY PROJECT

Transcription

1 SEL CASE STUDY PROJECT October 21, 2009 Center for Prevention Research & Development Institute of Government & Public Affairs University of Illinois Peter Mulhall, Ph.D. Angela Farnham, Ph.D.

2 Defining Characteristics of Case Studies Focus on the individual but not necessarily on the singular Narrow in focus with an explicit purpose Usually involve thick description Usually retrospective, after a process or event has taken place For many purposes, prospective case studies are also used

3 Purpose of the SEL Case Study Project To explore the planning phases of SEL implementation To identify obstacles & barriers to successful planning & implementation To provide teams with an opportunity to reflect upon & share their experiences To provide feedback to state funders

4 Design & Methods of the Case Study Project Purposeful statewide sample Community level census data School report card data Rubric Ratings Surveys of SEL team members Surveys of school administrators Focus groups with SEL teams Interviews of SEL coaches

5 About the Schools 21 SEL sites participated 15 elementary & middle schools, 6 high schools Mean enrollment at elementary / middle schools was 406; at high schools, mean enrollment was /15 elementary / middle schools had attained AYP; 2 of 6 high schools had attained AYP Wide range of racial / ethnic composition Wide range of family income

6 About the Communities 8 were rural, 8 were suburban, 5 were urban Wide range in poverty levels, with highest poverty levels in urban & rural communities Lowest parent education levels in urban communities

7 About the Respondents 164 surveys were completed 132 team member surveys; 32 administrator surveys 31% classroom teachers; 31% other school staff, 13% parents, 12% building principals Surveys were also completed by community representatives, district administrators, others

8 Key Findings All SEL teams report awareness of ISBE s SEL Standards We re already doing this kind of work Most focused on a single school Issues with grant requirements Some schools lacked readiness Training was perceived by nearly all as beneficial

9 Key Findings (cont.) Team structure and effectiveness varies from site to site Administrative support is crucial Teacher buy-in is also crucial Many teams struggled with curriculum adoption versus school-wide approaches Wide range & variety of SEL activities planned & implemented Integrating multiple initiatives is a challenge for schools

10 Coach Satisfaction How well did the coach assist your team in understanding the importance of SEL? How would you rate your coach s understanding of the SEL needs of a school like yours? How would you rate access to or amount of time that your school received from your coach? Overall, how would you rate the quality of training/support/information provided by your SEL coach?

11 More Findings Related to Coaching Coaching plays a key role in the success of planning & implementation, but varies widely from site to site There is a range is the quality of the coach-team relationship Many coaches experience the challenge of working with teams at different levels of development Role clarity is key for coaches There is agreement about essential qualities of a great coach

12 Early Reports of Program Impacts 21% of administrators report improved student behavior 14% of team members report improved school climate 12% of team members report improved student social & emotional skills

13 What Team Members Are Saying It has changed the way I teach and plan for each day. It makes my job a job I love to do and want to continue to do. They re more calm about things. They talk things out instead of fighting them out. It s not a scary hallway anymore. How should we act in the office? How should we act in the hallway? It s not something that happens from 1 to 2; it s all the time.

14 Recommendations Develop systematic way to promote grant to all schools statewide Design future RFPs and grant requirements with the typical school calendar in mind Explore developing uniform grant requirements for related school initiatives Develop a readiness assessment tool & include it as part of the RFP process

15 Recommendations (cont.) Customize training to match school s stage of implementation and/or building type Continue provision of professional development for coaches Promote coach areas of expertise Develop / define / clarify roles Ensure administrative support through readiness assessment, training requirements, transition plans Carefully delineate how various school initiatives fit together

16 Next Steps for CPRD Another round of focus group discussions with SEL Teams On-line survey of school staff (team members and others)