Captain McFinn: Explore Kindness

Get info and pricing on the provider’s website

Go to Provider Site
Designated
Promising
Indicates that a program demonstrates evidence of effectiveness at improving student or teacher outcomes, as well as supporting students’ social and emotional growth through at least two competencies. May offer multi-year programming. For a full list of Promising student outcomes see Promising designation.
Program description

McFinn: Explore Kindness provides a lesson-based approach to SEL. It includes programming for grades PreK-1 and demonstrates evidence of effectiveness at grades K-1.

/
      • SEL lessons
      • Instructional practices
      • Relationship building
      • Activities and Resources for Home
    • Onsite in-person training
    • Virtual training
    • Offsite training
    • Train the trainer model
    • Administrator support
    • Coaching
    • Technical assistance
    • Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)
    • Online resource library
    • Self-report tools for monitoring implementation
    • Observational tools
    • Tools for measuring student success

Evidence of effectiveness

Results from a quasi-experimental longitudinal study (unpublished report written in 2020) supported the effectiveness of Captain McFinn: Explore Kindness for young children in public and private schools. This evaluation included 122 students who were in kindergarten and grade 1 (Black, Latinx, and White >10%; 46 – 74% were eligible for FRPL) in an inner-city. The study found that students who participated in the program demonstrated fewer problem behaviors (i.e., relational and physical aggression) and showed more positive social behaviors (i.e., empathy, prosocial behavior, emotion regulation skills, and prosocial communication) at post-test (outcomes reported eight weeks after baseline), while controlling for outcomes at pretest.

/
  • Evidence shown in grades
    K, 1
    School characteristics
      • Urban
    Student characteristics
    • Black / African American
    • Hispanic / Latinx
    • White
    • Low income
    Percentage Low Income
    • Percentage of students eligible for free or reduced price lunch: 74%
    Study design type
    • QE
    Greater than 350 students included in study design type
    • No
    Multiple school districts included at study design type
    • Yes
    • Improved academic performance
    • Reduced emotional distress
    • Improved identity development and agency
    • Reduced problem behaviors
    • Improved school climate
    • Improved school connectedness
    • Improved social behaviors
    • Improved teaching practices
    • Improved other SEL skills and attitudes

How does Captain McFinn support SEL implementation across multiple settings?

“Free resources related to enhancing SEL for children are available on the website for schools, families, and the community. Resources include lesson plans, cartoons, videos, activity handouts, and family sheets. Specific lessons are designed to help children celebrate differences and practice kindness, empathy, respect, and tolerance. ”

Get info and pricing on the provider’s website

Go to Provider Site

References

Access the latest, most trusted information on SEL
Sign up for our newsletters