Program Description

"Students build essential competencies in behavior, belonging, and readiness to learn with the Second Step® human skills curriculum—the leading PreK–12 solution made for real classrooms and proven to work."

Cost

Contact Second Step to purchase digital programs or workshops. Visit the online store or use the order form to purchase kit-based programs or other products.

Intended Population

• Core
• Intervention

Grade

• Pre-K
• Elementary School
• Middle School
• High School

Intended Group Size

• Any

ELL/DLL

• Unspecified

Multisensory Applications

• Yes

Delivery Method

• Hybrid / blended delivery

Scripted

• Instructor Scripted

Comprehensive or Skill Specific

• Comprehensive

Placement Tests

• No

Accelerated Learning

• No

Assessment to Monitor Skills Mastery

• Unspecified

Error Correction Built In

• Unspecified

Fidelity Measures Provided by Publisher

• Unspecified

Research Summary

NeMTSS team literature review indicated positive effects of Second Step on children and adolescents' social-emotional skills. A number of randomized controlled trials have been conducted on Second Step.

Study Citations

Cook, C. R., Low, S., Whitaker, K., Pullmann, M. D., & Lally, J. (2018). Evaluation of Second Step on early elementary students' academic outcomes: A randomized controlled trial. School Psychology Quarterly, 33(4), 561-572.

Upshur, C. C., Wenz-Gross, M., Rhoads, C., Heyman, M., Yoo, Y., & Sawosik, G. (2019). A randomized efficacy trial of the second step learning (SSEL) curriculum. Journal of Apllied Developmental Psychology, 62, 145-159.

Espelage, D. L., Low, S., Polanin, J. R., & Brown, E. C. (2015). Clinical trial of Second Step middle-school program: Impact of aggression & victimization. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 37, 52-63. 

Holsen, I., Smith, B. H., & Frey, K. S. (2008). Outcomes of the social competence program Second Step in Norweigen elementary schools. School Psychology International, 29(1), 71-88. 

Taub, J. Evaluation of the Second Step violence prevention program at a rural elementary school, School Psychology Review, 31(2), 186-200. 

Low, S., Smolkowski, K., Cook, C. & Desfosses, D. (2019). Two-year impact of a universal social-emotional learning curriculum: Group differences from developmentally sensitive trends over time. Developmental Psychology, 55(2), 415-433.

Wenz-Gross, M., Yoo, Y., Upshur, C. C., & Gambino, A. J. (2018). Pathways to kindergarten readiness: The roles of second step early learning curriculum and social emotional, executive functioning, preschool academic and task behavior skills. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1-19.

Espelage, D. L., Low, S., Polanin, J.r., & Brown, E. C. (2013). The impact of middle school program to reduce aggression, victimization, and sexual violence. Journal of Adolescent Health, 53, 180-186.

Currie, C., Rajanbabu, P. & King, D. (2022). A Toolbox of Adaptations for Online Delivery of SEL Programming. Journal of Online Learning Research, 8(1), 7-35. Waynesville, NC USA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved April 24, 2023 from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/220258/.

What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Report

• No studies met WWC inclusion criteria

Evidence Base (ESSA)

• Promising
• Strong

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

• Evidence-based practice

Additional Reviews

• https://www.philasd.org/research/programsservices/projects/evaluation-of-second-step-social-emotional-learning-curriculum/