How effective are universal school-based SEL programs in the U.S.?

By Li Li, Johns Hopkins University

Promoting social-emotional learning (SEL) in schools has come under public scrutiny in the United States. Controversies aside, what are the benefits of SEL in U.S. schools? A meta-analysis by Cipriano et al. reviewed 90 studies from 2008 to 2020 on 47 universal school-based SEL programs implemented across the United States. This analysis sought to evaluate the impact of these programs on student academic, social, and emotional outcomes.

The meta-analysis found that SEL programs are effective in improving students’ perception of school climate and safety (ES =+0.32), student civic attitudes and behaviors (ES =+0.18), prosocial behaviors (ES=+0.18), SEL skills (ES =+0.17), and school functioning (ES =+0.10). Notably, SEL programs were found to improve student academic achievement (ES =+0.08). The programs also yielded benefits in reducing students’ externalizing behaviors (ES =+0.15) and emotional distress (ES =+0.12). The program effects were marginally significant in improving student physical health (ES =+0.31) and peer relationships (ES =+0.16). Teacher-delivered SEL programs demonstrated greater effectiveness than programs delivered by others (b =.107, p = .028). Programs were equally effective across elementary and secondary school levels (b = -.042, p = .450), and there were no significant differences in program effects across gender subgroups (ES =+0.01). The study also presented descriptive findings of how program effects differed by students’ racial and ethnic identities.