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.

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    Program description

    Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS) provides a lesson-based approach to SEL. It includes programming for grades PreK-6 and demonstrates evidence of effectiveness in preK 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 control trials support the effectiveness of the Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (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 a randomized control trial (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 US Northeast, Southeast, and West regions (predominately Black and white students; 55% 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 9 months after baseline while controlling for outcome pre-test and a host of relevant covariates).

    Results from a randomized control trial (RCT) published in 2010 supported the longitudinal effectiveness of PATHS with elementary students. This evaluation included 2,937 grade 1 through 3 students enrolled in urban, suburban, and rural schools in the US 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 2 years after baseline while controlling for outcome pre-test and a host of relevant covariates).

    Results from a randomized control trial (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 US Northeast (Black = 47%, white =38%, Latinx = 10%). 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 9 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.”

    Get info and pricing on the provider’s website

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    References

    • Accepted by CASEL

    • Domitrovich, C. E., Cortes, R., & Greenberg, M. T. (2007). Improving young children’s social and emotional competence: A randomized trial of the preschool PATHS curriculum. Journal of Primary Prevention, 28, 67-91.

    • Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group. (1999). Initial impact of the Fast Track Prevention Trial for Conduct Problems II: Classroom Effects. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67, 648-657.

    • Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group. (2010). The effects of a multiyear universal social-emotional learning program: The role of student and school characteristics. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78, 156-168
    • Other references

    • Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group. (1999). Initial impact of the Fast Track prevention trial for conduct problems: I. The high-risk sample. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67, 631-647.

    • Greenberg, M. T., & Kusché, C. A. (1998). Preventive intervention for school-age deaf children: The PATHS curriculum. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 49-63.

    • Kam, C., Greenberg, M. T., & Kusché, C. A. (2004). Sustained effects of the PATHS curriculum on the social and psychological adjustment of children in special education. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 12, 66-78.
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