Responding in Peaceful and Positive Ways

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

    Responding in Peaceful and Positive Ways provides a lesson-based approach to SEL. It includes programming for grades 6-8 and demonstrates evidence of effectiveness in grades 6-7.

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      • 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) evaluation conducted in 1995-1996 academic year (published in 2001) supported the effectiveness of the RIPP program for secondary school students. The evaluation included 626 students in grade 6 (Black = 96% as per school records) across 3 public schools in an urban setting in the southeast. This evaluation found that students receiving the RIPP program self-reported significantly fewer cases of disciplinary violations and in-school suspensions than the control group (controlling for pretest).

    Results from a quasi-experimental (QE) evaluation published in 2002 supported the effectiveness of the RIPP program. The evaluation included 161 grade 6 students (White = 24%, Latinx = 61%) in one school in rural Southeastern US. The study found that students who received the program self-reported significantly lower instances of problem behavior – physical aggression and drug use – as compared to the control group at post intervention (accounting for pretest).

    A quasi-experimental (QE) evaluation conducted in 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 academic years (published in 2003) supported the effectiveness of the Responding in Peaceful and Positive Ways (RIPP) program for middle school students. The evaluation covered 1,340 students in grades 6-7 (Black = 11%, White = 65%, Hispanic = 22%; 66% eligible for FRPL; 29% were children of migrant workers; 32% students were from households where English was not the primary language). The study found that students who received the program self-reported significant reduction in problem behavior and a sustained positive impact on their life satisfaction on follow-up (reported 4 and 9 months after intervention) as compared to students in the control group (controlling for pretest).

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    • Evidence shown in grades
      6, 7
      School characteristics
        • Rural
        • Urban
        • Southeast
      Student characteristics
      • Black / African American
      • Hispanic / Latinx
      • White
      • Low income
      Percentage Low Income
      • Eligible for FRPL: 66%
      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

    References

    • Accepted by CASEL

    • Farrell, A. D., Meyer, A. L., & White, K. S. (2001). Evaluation of Responding in Peaceful and Positive Ways (RIPP): A school-based prevention program for reducing violence among urban adolescents. Journal of clinical child psychology, 30(4), 451-463.

    • Farrell, A. D., Valois, R. F., & Meyer, A. L. (2002). Evaluation of the RIPP-6 violence prevention program at a rural middle school. American Journal of Health Education, 33(3), 167-172.

    • Farrell, A. D., Valois, R. F., Meyer, A. L., & Tidwell, R. P. (2003). Impact of the RIPP violence prevention program on rural middle school students. Journal of Primary Prevention, 24(2), 143-167
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