Growing Early Mindsets (GEM)

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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

Growing Early Mindsets (GEM), offered by Mindset Works, provides a lesson-based approach to SEL with academic integration with literacy and science. It includes programming for grades Pre-K-3 and demonstrates evidence of effectiveness at grades K-3.

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      • SEL lessons
      • Instructional practices
      • Student voice
      • 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Results from a quasi-experimental evaluation conducted over three consecutive academic years from 2013-2016 (unpublished report written in 2020) supported the effectiveness of GEM for early elementary school students. This evaluation included 554 kindergarten through grade 3 students in rural and urban schools in the U.S. West region (79-84% white, 11-16% Latino; between 43-58% were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL)). This evaluation found that students participating in the GEM program showed significantly greater growth in teacher-reported classroom self-regulation behaviors compared to students in the control group (outcomes reported approximately 18 weeks after baseline, while controlling for outcome pretest).

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  • Evidence shown in grades
    K, 1, 2, 3
    School characteristics
      • Rural
      • Suburban
      • West
    Student characteristics
    • Hispanic / Latinx
    • White
    • Low income
    Percentage Low Income
    • Eligible for FRPL: 58%
    Study design type
    • QE
    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 Growing Early Mindsets (GEM) support SEL implementation across multiple settings?

“GEM includes explicit instruction and embedded learning routines and practices across learning environments; home/school connections via family newsletters (available in Spanish) that introduce families to the learning routines practiced at school; and community problem-solving via service learning projects.”

Get info and pricing on the provider’s website

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References

  • Accepted by CASEL

  • Coates, K., Fredericks, A., & Roberts, S. (2020). Growing Early Mindsets (GEM): A Preliminary Test of Impacts Shows Promise for GEM to Increase K-3 Students Approaches to Learning and Social and Emotional Development. Unpublished Manuscript.
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