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The Positive Impact of Social and Emotional Learning for
Kindergarten to Eighth-Grade Students:
Findings from Three Scientific Reviews
Addendum: Promoting the Social-Emotional Health of Children in
California’s San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties
John Payton
Hank Resnik
Roger P. Weissberg
Joseph A. Durlak
Allison B. Dymnicki
Rebecca D. Taylor
Kriston B. Schellinger
Molly Pachan
September 2009
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning
Commissioned by the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health
1
Addendum: Promoting the Social-Emotional Health of Children in
California’s San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties
This is an addendum to an earlier report, The Positive Impact of Social and
Emotional Learning for Kindergarten to Eighth-Grade Students: Findings from Three
Scientific Reviews (available at www.casel.org or www.lpfch.org/sel). This earlier report
defined social and emotional learning (SEL) as the process through which children and
adults acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to:
Recognize and manage their emotions
Set and achieve positive goals
Demonstrate caring and concern for others
Establish and maintain positive relationships
Make responsible decisions
Handle interpersonal situations effectively
Its purpose was to summarize the findings and implications of three large-scale reviews
of research evaluating the impact of SEL programs for school children in kindergarten
through 8th grade. The three reviews summarized in the report included: (a) a review of
school-based universal interventions appropriate for a general student body; (b) a review
of school-based indicated interventions that identify and work with students who are
displaying early signs of behavioral or emotional problems and (c) a review of
interventions conducted in after-school programs.
This addendum compares relevant national (Youth Risk Behavior Survey),
California (California Healthy Kids Survey--CHKS), and local data from San Mateo and
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Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning 3
Santa Clara counties (CHKS) on the prevalence of selected risk factors, resilience assets,
and emotional health problems among 5th to 9th graders. We focus on this age group to
highlight the need to provide students making a transition to middle or high school with
effective, preventive SEL programming. Then we describe examples of SEL programs
currently being implemented in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties that address these
risk and protective factors in order to promote the healthy development and school/life
success of youth.
Student Risk Factors1
In order to compare California and U.S. data on the prevalence of students’ social
and emotional health problems, this section describes available information for 9th
graders. The most recent data available indicate a high degree of risk for both groups of
9th graders. According to the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), during a recent
12-month period, 28% of 9th graders nationwide “felt so sad or hopeless almost every
day for two or more weeks in a row that they stopped doing some usual activities”
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008). Comparable data from the California
Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) indicate that a slightly greater proportion of 9th graders
(32%) reported experiencing this degree of sadness or hopelessness (WestEd, 2005-
2007).
The percentages of 9th-grade students in the California counties of San Mateo and
Santa Clara reporting such sadness or hopelessness during a recent 12-month period were
29% and 30%, respectively (WestEd, 2006-2008). (Table 1).
1 National prevalence data on risk factors for emotional health problems and social-
emotional development are unavailable for 5th and 7th graders.
Student prevalence of a perceived lack of physical safety is also high. Seven
percent of 9th graders nationwide reported that they had not gone to school on one or
more of the past 30 days because they felt unsafe at school or on their way to or from
school (CDC, 2008). Although this item was not used on the CHKS, 9% of California 9th
graders reported feeling unsafe or very unsafe at school (WestEd, 2006-2007). Five
percent and 7%, respectively, of San Mateo and Santa Clara County 9th graders reported
feeling unsafe or very unsafe at school (WestEd, 2006-2008) (Table 1).
Alcohol use is another factor that may increase students’ risk for impaired social-
emotional development and/or emotional problems in school. Among 9th graders, the
prevalence of having at least one drink of alcohol during the previous 30 days was about
36% nationwide (CDC, 2008), 27% in California (WestEd, 2005-2007), and 26% and
21% in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, respectively (WestEd, 2006-2008)
(Table 1).
Student Assets
Risk factors can contribute to an increased prevalence of conduct problems and
emotional distress (e.g., depression and anxiety) among children and youth. Conversely,
factors such as high levels of internal and external resilience assets (e.g., social-emotional
skills and positive behaviors and having caring relationships with others) help to reduce
such problems. Although national data on the prevalence of these resilience assets are not
available, data from the California Healthy Kids Survey indicate that about 60% of 5th
graders statewide scored "high" on having a caring adult relationship at school; i.e., they
reported that it is “very much” or “pretty much” true that they have such a relationship at
school (WestEd, 2005-2007).
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Similar percentages of both San Mateo and Clara County 5th graders (61% and
62%, respectively) reported this external resilience asset (WestEd, 2006-2008). Sixty-
three percent of California 5th graders, and comparable percentages of 5th graders in San
Mateo and Santa Clara counties (65% and 61%) reported that it is “very much” or “pretty
much” true that an adult at their school has high expectations for them. Approximately
one in five California 5th graders (19%), including those in San Mateo and Santa Clara
counties (19% and 20%), reported it was “very much” or “pretty much” true that their
participation at school was “meaningful” (State data from WestEd, 2005-2007; county
data from WestEd, 2006-2008).
The prevalence rates for these external resilience assets were even lower among
California, San Mateo, and Santa Clara 7th graders. For California students, only 33% of
7th grade students reported having a caring adult relationship at school (compared to 60%
of 5th graders). In addition, only 48% of 7th- grade students reported that an adult at
school had high expectations for them (compared to 63% of 5th graders). County-level
data also demonstrated lower levels of these external resilience assets among 7th graders
compared to 5th graders. The levels of these external resilience assets were even lower
among 9th graders in all three geographic areas (State data from WestEd, 2005-2007;
county data from WestEd, 2006-2008).
With regard to internal resilience assets, only 42% of California 5th graders
reported “high” levels of empathy. Thirty-seven percent reported “high” levels of
problem solving skills, and 83% scored “high” on setting goals and having aspirations
(WestEd, 2005-2007) (Table 2). The 5th- grade prevalence rates of these internal
resilience assets in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties mirror those for California as a
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning 5
whole. Data on the prevalence of internal resilience assets for a representative sample of
7th and 9th graders are unavailable at the county level. It should be noted, however, that
the prevalence rates across grades for students in these counties on the other risk and
protective factors reported here were similar to those for students in California as a
whole.
This profile of student risk behaviors, unsafe environments, and internal and
external resilience assets suggests that students in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties,
and those across California, could benefit from the types of SEL programs included in the
three reviews summarized in the report described earlier (Findings from Three Scientific
Reviews). Research on SEL programs summarized in these three reviews measured and
found positive student impacts in both the reduction of risk factors and the increase of
protective factors (internal and external resilience assets).
SEL Program Descriptions
Below we describe three examples of such programs currently being implemented
in these counties. They include a range of different program models and approaches,
including a universal SEL skills-building program conducted during the school day in
grades 4-5; an in-school elementary and middle school indicated program providing
student counseling and consultation for teachers of students with emotional or behavioral
problems; and an after-school and in-school skills education and peer mentoring program
for at-risk middle- and high-school students. Programs illustrating these different models
were selected by the authors based on their representation of a diversity of program types
and methodologies, the reliability of their program reporting and data, and
recommendations of key informants in California familiar with the programs.
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning 6
Tribes Learning Communities:
An In-School Universal Program in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties
The Tribes Learning Communities research-based program is a universal
intervention that aims to develop a caring community of learners in the classroom
through a process of participants observing four “agreements” (attentive listening, no
putdowns, mutual respect, and the right to pass—i.e., not being required to share one’s
own experience during an exercise). The program also teaches a set of collaborative skills
in long-term cooperative learning groups called “tribes.” These skills include helping
each other work on tasks, setting goals and solving problems, monitoring and assessing
progress, and celebrating achievements. The Tribes Learning Community process was
developed for use in grades K-12.
Instead of teaching formal lessons, the teacher’s role in the Tribes process is
providing on-going support to the tribes by assessing the stage of development of each
learning group, teaching the agreements and collaborative skills using a seven-stage
process, and developing “learning experience plans” designed to give students on-going
practice in the agreements and skills. These learning plans follow a format provided in
the Tribes teacher manual and are comprised of strategies taken from program materials
and categorized by developmental stage. Teachers are also taught how to integrate
curriculum in order to create relevant and meaningful learning experiences for students.
Approximately 300 teachers in seven public elementary and middle schools in
San Mateo County and four Catholic schools and one public school in Santa Clara
County have been trained in the Tribes program and are implementing it in their
classrooms (Rankin, 2008; Guidi, Bryan, 2008). Tribes was initiated at the Franklin
School in the Burlingame School District in San Mateo County seven years ago with
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support of a grant from funds administered by the school’s Site Council. Currently, 525
Franklin students in grades K-5 participate in the program. Each participating teacher
also has received a copy of the program manual, Reaching All by Creating Tribes
Learning Communities, and each has completed the 24-hour Tribes training facilitated by
a Certified Tribes Trainer.
Implementation of Tribes appears to be integral to the district’s values and
planning process. The mission and core values of the Burlingame School District cite an
emphasis on developing students socially for responsible citizenship, as well as
academically. The district’s strategic plan calls for developing the whole child and
implementing Tribes Learning Community at all K-8 sites. A related action included in
its strategic plan is providing on-going training for staff at school sites whose personnel
have already been trained in Tribes to continue the process of building classroom
communities. The program has demonstrated increased student achievement, social-
emotional learning skills, and a high degree of teacher satisfaction in the Burlingame
District (Guidi, 2008). For more information about Franklin School and the Burlingame
School District, visit www.greatschools.net/modperl/browse_school/ca/6847;
www.bsd.k12.ca.us). For more information about the Tribes program, visit
www.tribes.com.
Cleo Eulau Center Services:
An Indicated, In-School Intervention in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties
This program for at-risk teens includes a highly successful counseling program in
San Mateo County and a resiliency consultation program for teachers and administrators
working with at-risk students in both San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. The program,
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developed by the Cleo Eulau Center (CEC) in Mountain View, now in its 13th year, is
based on research showing that promoting youth resilience is key to effective prevention
and intervention programming for this population.
The counseling component of the program is conducted by 14 CEC-assigned PhD
psychology student interns assigned to local court and community schools. CEC provides
these graduate students with ongoing training and supervision of their individual and
group psychotherapy services, for which they receive graduate internship credit. This
program component is a collaborative effort with the San Mateo County Office of
Education, the Juvenile Probation Department, and the Wright Institute of Psychology.
Approximately 250 youth each year receive weekly individual counseling sessions and/or
group therapy sessions through this program. In these sessions, students learn the social
and emotional skills of empathy and respect for one another’s differences. Participating
students have demonstrated improved school attendance and classroom behavior
(Sorensen, 2008).
The consultation program component promotes resilience among both school staff
and students on-site at eight public elementary and middle schools. CEC has hired,
trained, and placed eight skilled mental health and child development experts in these
schools to help them promote student success in school and life. As consultants they
observe classrooms and conduct one-on-one consultations with teachers and
administrators to help them develop caring and supportive relationships with their
students, many of whom have been identified as at-risk. For example, a consultant may
help a teacher understand what a student with a history of abuse might be experiencing in
class and how classroom processes might be modified to address this student’s needs.
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning 9
Bringing such resources into the classroom helps teachers who are under a great deal of
pressure to improve students’ test scores and better manage their own stress by
addressing key social and emotional issues that may get in the way of students’ learning
(Sorensen, 2008). This counseling and consultation program of the Cleo Eulau Center is
funded largely by the juvenile court system and foundation grants and provides
consultation to about 250 adults each year.
A recent formal evaluation of the consultation component of the program
indicated success in teacher mastery of effective strength-based classroom interventions
that foster positive changes in their students’ lives (Sorensen, 2008). For more about
programs of the Cleo Eulau Center, visit www.cleoeulaucenter.org.
STAY Safe Program:
An Indicated, In-School and After-School Program in San Mateo County
Now in its eighth year, the STAY Safe (Supportive Transitions for All Youth to
be Safe) Program provides a range of in-school, after-school, and off-campus activities
for at-risk students in four high schools in the Jefferson Union High School District in
northern San Mateo County. These include activity-based education groups, support
groups, peer mentoring opportunities, youth-led leadership development groups,
community involvement, and other alternative activities. STAY Safe is a program of
Asian American Recovery Service (AARS) and has been funded by the U.S. Center for
Mental Health Services and the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (Mineta, 2008).
Students are referred to a STAY Safe support group because they are showing
some level of risk (e.g., lack of commitment to school, declining grades, high
absenteeism, engaging in problem behavior and/or holding favorable attitudes toward
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning 10
such behaviors, feelings of alienation, or a lack of community recreational activities)
associated with future drug use. Group participation increases student and community
protective factors, such as building the social and emotional skills of decision-making,
communication, and goal-setting; decreasing access to harmful drugs; increasing school
bonding; actively creating coalitions of parents and youth to support positive norms and
values; and networking with community leaders and organizations (Mineta, 2008; Pinto,
2008).
One of the most successful components of this program has been peer/cross-age
mentoring, which pairs students from two area high schools who have been trained as
mentors with 8th-grade students from two middle schools who are about to face the
challenge of transitioning to high school. In 2006, students from Westmoor High School
mentored 33 students from Fernando Rivera Middle School, and students from Jefferson
High School mentored 22 students from T.R. Pollicita Middle School. In the fall of each
year, prospective peer mentors are required to complete a comprehensive six-week
training course prior to being paired the following spring with a middle-school mentee.
This training covers confidentiality issues, communication skills, goal setting and
knowing where to go for help (Mineta, 2008; Pinto, 2008).
Mentors and mentees meet together in groups facilitated by STAY Safe staff.
Toward the end of the semester, the program sponsors a “shadow day” at each of the two
participating high schools, during which mentees tour their prospective high school for
half a day with their mentor. The STAY Safe Program also provides opportunities over
the summer for mentors and mentees to continue building healthy peer relationships. For
more about STAY Safe visit www.aars-inc.org/programs/staysafe.html.
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning 11
Conclusion
Data from the California Healthy Kids Survey indicate that the prevalence rates of
some risk factors for emotional problems among 9th graders in both Santa Clara and San
Mateo counties are generally as high as those of 9th graders statewide, including almost
one-third of these students reporting severe sadness and hopelessness over an extended
period of time. Moreover, the percentages of 5th graders in these counties reporting
external resilience assets such as having a relationship with a caring adult at school or
describing their participation in school as “meaningful” range from only 20% to 60%.
The percentages of 5th graders in these counties reporting high levels of internal resilience
assets such as empathy and problem-solving ability are 40% or less. Available data also
indicate that in general the prevalence of risk factors among 7th and 9th graders in these
counties is greater than that of 5th graders, while their prevalence of protective factors is
less.
This student profile of risk and protective factors suggests that students in these
counties could benefit from wider implementation of SEL programs such as those
highlighted here: in-school universal, in-school indicated, and after-school SEL programs
currently being implemented in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. These programs
demonstrate various approaches to enhancing social and emotional skills and positive
attitudes and behaviors, reducing conduct problems and emotional distress, and
improving students’ academic performance. They are specific examples of the kinds of
programs described in the previously mentioned report, Findings from Three Scientific
Reviews. Their success in improving student risk and protective factors provides
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning 12
educators and students in California with examples of how SEL programs have promoted
the healthy development and school success of children in their area.
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning 13
Table 1. Percentages of 9th Graders Reporting Selected
Risk Factors for Emotional Health Problems by Geographic Region*
Risk Factor
U.S.
California San
Mateo
County
Santa
Clara
County
Felt so sad or hopeless almost every
day for 2+ weeks during the past 12
months that they had stopped doing
some usual activities
28
32
29
30
Didn’t go to school at least 1 day of
the past 30 because they felt unsafe
at school or on their way to or from
school
7
--
--
--
School perceived as unsafe or very
unsafe -- 9 5 7
Took at least 1 drink of alcohol
during the past 30 days 36 27 26 21
*U.S. data taken from CDC, 2008, Youth Risk Behavior Survey; California state and
county data taken, respectively, from West Ed, 2005-2007, and West Ed, 2006-2008,
California Health Kids Survey.
Table 2. Percentages of 5th Graders by Geographic Region*
Reporting “High”** Levels of External or Internal Resilience Assets
External Resilience Assets California San Mateo
County Santa Clara
County
Has a caring adult
relationship at school
60
61
62
Adult at school has high
expectations of him/her
63
65
61
Participation at school is
meaningful 19 19 20
Internal Resilience Assets
Empathy 42 42 41
Problem solving 37 40 34
Goals and aspirations 83 84 82
*State and county data taken, respectively, from WestEd 2005-2007 and WestEd 2006-
2008, California Healthy Kids Survey
**A high asset level represents the percentage of students with an average score of 3+ on
related questionnaire items using a 4-point scale, where 4 = “very much true” and 3 =
“pretty much true” of me. (See WestEd presentation, Using the Resilience and Youth
Development Module at www.wested.org/chks/pdf/rydm_presentation.pdf).
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning 14
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning 15
References
Bryan, J., Counselor and Tribes Learning Communities TLC Certified Trainer. (October
2, 2008). Woodside, CA. Interview conducted by Hank Resnik.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2008). Youth risk behavior surveillance –
United States, 2007. MMWR, 57(No. SS-4).
Guidi, L., Teacher and Tribes Learning Communities TLC Certified Trainer. (October 3,
2008). Burlingame, CA. Interview conducted by Hank Resnik.
Mineta, D., Deputy Director, Asian American Recovery Services. (October 2, 2008).
Daly City, CA. Interview conducted by Hank Resnik.
Pinto, L., Supervisor, Afterschool Programs, Asian American Recovery Services STAY
Safe Program. (October 3, 2008). Daly, City, CA. Interview conducted by Hank Resnik,.
Rankin, C., Director, Tribes Learning Communities TLC. (October 2008). E-mail
communication with Hank Resnik.
Sorensen, H., Resiliency Consultant and Resiliency Consultant Program Coordinator,
Cleo Eulau Center (October 3, 2008). Palo Alto, CA. Interview conducted by Hank
Resnik.
WestEd. (2006) California Healthy Kids Survey: Aggregated California Data Technical
Report 2005-2007 & 2006-2008. San Francisco: WestEd.
WestEd. (2003, October).Using the Resilience and Youth Development Module at
www.wested.org/chks/pdf/rydm_presentation.pdf.
