Caring School Community

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Designated
SELect
Indicates that a program demonstrates evidence of effectiveness at improving student outcomes at the highest level, supports students’ social and emotional growth through all five competencies, and offers multi-year programming. For a full list of SELect student outcomes see SELect designation.
Program description

Caring School Community, offered by Collaborative Classroom, provides a teaching practices approach to SEL. It includes programming for K-8 and demonstrates evidence of effectiveness at grades 3-6. Translated materials for Caring School Communities are available in Spanish.

Strategies supporting educational equity

Caring School Community features strategies for understanding and customizing for context. This includes school-wide community building activities to help develop teacher knowledge about the cultural backgrounds and perspectives of students. Additionally, teacher manuals provide explicit guidance for customizing the program to meet the needs of students in a given context.

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      • SEL lessons
      • Instructional practices
      • Positive classroom management
      • SEL generalization
      • Systemic support for SEL
      • Group structures
      • Peer mentoring
      • Service-learning
      • School Involvement
      • 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 (QE) evaluation conducted over three consecutive academic years (1992-1995; reports written in 1996 and 2000) supported the effectiveness of Caring School Community for elementary school students. This evaluation included grade 4 through 6 students enrolled in urban, suburban, and rural schools in the U.S. Southeast, West, and Northeast. These evaluations found that students participating in the program showed significant improvements in student-reported SEL skills and attitudes compared to students in the control group (outcomes reported one year after baseline; however, outcome pretest was not statistically accounted for). Additionally, students in grades 5 and 6 had significantly less alcohol use compared to students in the control group (outcomes reported two years after baseline, while controlling for outcome pretest).

Results from a QE conducted in the 2005-2006 school year (published reports written in 2006; Chang & Muñoz; Muñoz & Vanderhaar) supported the effectiveness of Caring School Community for elementary school students. This evaluation included 1,039 grade 3 through 5 students enrolled in urban schools in the U.S. Southeast (58% white, 35% Black/African American; 61% free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL) eligible). These evaluations found that students participating in the program showed significant improvements in student-reported classroom climate and school connection, as well as improvements teacher-reported student-teacher relationship compared to students in the control group (outcomes reported one year after baseline, while controlling for outcome pretest).

Results from a randomized controlled trial conducted over four consecutive academic years (2002-2006; unpublished report written in 2007) supported the effectiveness of Caring School Community for elementary school students. This evaluation included 5,700 grade 3 and 4 students enrolled in urban and suburban schools in the U.S. Midwest. This evaluation found that students participating in the program showed significant improvements in mathematics and communication arts achievement test scores, as well as student-reported altruistic and bullying behaviors compared to students in the control group (outcomes reported one year after baseline, while controlling for outcome pretest).

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  • Evidence shown in grades
    3, 4, 5, 6
    School characteristics
      • Rural
      • Urban
      • Suburban
      • Northeast
      • Southeast
      • Midwest
      • West
    Student characteristics
    • Black / African American
    • White
    • Low income
    Percentage Low Income
    • Eligible for FRPL: 61%
    Study design type
    • RCT
    Greater than 350 students included in study design type
    • Yes
    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 Caring School Community support SEL implementation across multiple settings?

“Caring School Community provides whole-class instruction and three levels of individual interventions to address problem behaviors. Schoolwide supports, Home Connection/Sharing Activities, and a Principal’s Leadership Guide provide activities to support the development of community among students, staff, families, and the community. ”

Get info and pricing on the provider’s website

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References

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