Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS)

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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

Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS) provides a lesson-based approach to SEL. It includes programming for grades Pre-K-6 and demonstrates evidence of effectiveness in Pre-K and grade 1-3 students. Translated materials for PATHS are available in French and Spanish. Demonstrated evidence of effectiveness utilized the training and implementation support model offered by SEL Worldwide.

Strategies supporting educational equity

PATHS provides strategies for youth action projects. This includes student led community-focused activities and projects starting in grade 2.

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      • SEL lessons
      • Positive classroom management
      • SEL generalization
      • Group structures
      • Service-learning
      • Family Intervention Component
      • School Involvement
      • Activities and Resources for Home
      • Individualized Communication
    • 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 several randomized controlled trials (RCT) support the effectiveness of the PATHS program for diverse preschool and elementary school students at decreasing problem behaviors and emotional distress, as well as improving positive social behaviors, school climate, and academic behaviors. PATHS has also demonstrated effectiveness with students at risk for behavioral challenges.

Results from an RCT published in 1999 supported the effectiveness of PATHS with elementary students. This evaluation included 6,715 grade 1 students enrolled in urban, suburban, and rural schools in the U.S. Northeast, Southeast, and West regions (predominately Black and white students; 55% free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL) eligible). This evaluation found that students participating in the PATHS program demonstrated significant decreases in peer-nominations of aggressive and hyper-disruptive behaviors, as well as significant increases in observer-reported classroom climate compared to students in the control group (outcomes reported nine months after baseline while controlling for outcome pre-test and a host of relevant covariates).

Results from an RCT published in 2010 supported the longitudinal effectiveness of PATHS with elementary students. This evaluation included 2,937 grade 1-3 students enrolled in urban, suburban, and rural schools in the U.S. Northeast, Southeast, and West regions (predominately Black and white students; 57% FRPL eligible). This evaluation found that students participating in the PATHS program from grades 1 through 3 demonstrated significantly less teacher-reported aggression problem behaviors and significantly greater teacher-reported social competence and behavioral engagement compared to students in the control group (outcomes reported two years after baseline while controlling for outcome pre-test and a host of relevant covariates).

Results from an RCT published in 2007 supported the effectiveness of PATHS with preschool students. This evaluation included 201 preschool students enrolled in Head Start centers in the U.S. Northeast (47% Black/African American, 38% white, 10% Latinx). This evaluation found that students participating in the PATHS program demonstrated significant increases in emotional knowledge, teacher- and parent-reported social competence, as well as significant decreases in assessments of anger attributional bias and teacher-reported anxious and socially withdrawn behavior compared to students in the control group (outcomes reported nine months after baseline while controlling for outcome pre-test and a host of relevant covariates).

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  • Evidence shown in grades
    Pre-K, 1, 2, 3
    School characteristics
      • Rural
      • Urban
      • Suburban
      • Northeast
      • Southeast
      • West
    Student characteristics
    • Black / African American
    • Hispanic / Latinx
    • White
    • Low income
    Percentage Low Income
    • Eligible for FRPL: 57%
    • Enrolled in Headstart: 100%
    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 Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS) support SEL implementation across multiple settings?

“The PATHS® program's lessons support students and teachers at the classroom level. School leaders receive access to administrator support tools. Embedded materials for parents/guardians supports SEL skill development both at home and at school. To build community engagement, a community-focused project is included in each grade level starting in grade 2.”

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References

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