I Can Problem Solve

Get info and pricing on the provider’s website

Go to Provider Site
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.

    • Compare
    Program description

    I Can Problem Solve provides a lesson-based approach to SEL. It includes programming for grades PreK-5 and demonstrates evidence of effectiveness at grade 1. Translated materials for the preschool & kindergarten levels as well as the parent program are available in Spanish.

    /
        • SEL lessons
        • Positive classroom management
        • SEL generalization
        • Systemic support for SEL
        • Family Intervention Component
      • 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 randomized control trial (RCT) conducted in the 1997-1998 school year (published in 2002) supported the effectiveness of I Can Problem Solve for early elementary school students. This evaluation included 578 grade 1 students enrolled in multiple rural schools in the US West region (87% white; sample was largely middle class). Students who participated in the program had greater growth in teacher-reported self-regulation (i.e., decreases in impulsivity, hyperactivity, aggressive, disruptive behaviors) and in student-reported school bonding (i.e., engagement and student-teacher relationship quality) compared to students in the control group (9 months after baseline, analyses controlled for outcome pretest).

    /
    • Evidence shown in grades
      1
      School characteristics
        • Rural
        • West
      Student characteristics
      • White
      Percentage Low Income
      • Not Specified
      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 I Can Problem Solve support SEL implementation across multiple settings?

    “The I Can Problem Solve (ICPS) program teaches students to recognize that when there is a problem, there is a process they can call upon to solve it. With support materials across settings, the ICPS problem solving approach creates consistent communication between adults and youth by engaging students as active participants, not passive recipients. ”

    Get info and pricing on the provider’s website

    Go to Provider Site

    References

    • Accepted by CASEL

    • Kumpfer, K. L., Alvarado, R., Tait, C., & Turner, C. (2002). Effectiveness of school-based family and children’s skills training for substance abuse prevention among 6-8-year-old rural children. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 16(4S), S65-S71.
    • Other references

    • Boyle, D., & Hassett-Walker, C. (2008). Reducing overt and relational aggression among young children: The results from a two-year outcome study. Journal of School Violence, 7, 27-42.

    • Feis, C. L., & Simons, C. (1985). Training preschool children in interpersonal cognitive problem-solving skills: A replication. Prevention in Human Services, 3, 71-85.

    • Gaete, J., Nejaz, L., Otegui, M., Perry, R. (2019). Mental health prevention in preschool children: An acceptability and feasibility of the implementation of the culturally adapted version of I Can Problem Solve (ICPS) program in Chile. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Prevention Research, San Francisco, CA.

    • Shure, M. B., & Spivack, G. (1982). Interpersonal problem-solving in young children: A cognitive approach to prevention. American Journal of Community Psychology, 10, 341-356.

    • Shure, M. B., & Spivack, G. (1980). Interpersonal problem solving as a mediator of behavioral adjustment in preschool and kindergarten children. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 1, 29-44.

    • Shure, M. B., & Spivack, G. (1979). Interpersonal cognitive problem solving and primary prevention: Programming for preschool and kindergarten children. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 2, 89-94.
    Access the latest, most trusted information on SEL
    Sign up for our newsletters