Character Playbook

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.

    • Compare
    Program description

    Character Playbook, offered by Everfi, provides a lesson-based approach. Character Playbook offers programming for grades 6-9. A CASEL-approved evaluation demonstrates evidence of effectiveness in grades 6-12. The program consists of five digital lessons and optional offline learning. Translated materials are available in Spanish.

    /
        • SEL lessons
        • Instructional practices
        • Relationship building
        • Positive classroom management
        • Shared agreements
      • 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    Results from a quasi-experimental study conducted in fall 2025 (unpublished report written in 2026) supported the effectiveness of Character Playbook for public school students. This evaluation included 221 students in 6th-12th grade from three districts in the U.S. Midwest and Southeast regions (31% Black/African American, 18% White, 12% Hispanic/Latinx, 12% multiracial; 67% of students were in schools described as low-medium income, defined as more than 50% of the school population received free or reduced lunch). The study found that students who participated in the program had significantly higher ratings of responsible decision-making, confidence in relationship building, and confidence in managing emotions and relationships relative to students in the comparison group while controlling for outcome pretest, race, gender, and low-medium income status.

    /
    • Evidence shown in grades
      6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
      School characteristics
        • Rural
        • Urban
        • Suburban
        • Southeast
        • Midwest
      Student characteristics
      • Black / African American
      • Hispanic / Latinx
      • White
      • Multi-racial / other
      Percentage Low Income
      • Eligible for FRPL: 67%
      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 Character Playbook support SEL implementation across multiple settings?

    “Character Playbook is composed of five modules that are designed for students to complete individually on a digital device, at their own pace, either in the classroom or at home. There are also five lesson plans teachers can use for group discussions and activities. In this way, the course can be implemented within or outside any classroom and can be accompanied by teacher intervention or assigned as individual activities that the teacher can monitor online.”

    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