Well-Managed Schools

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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.

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    Program description

    Well-Managed Schools, offered by Boys Town, provides a lesson-based teaching practices approach. Well-Managed Schools offers programming for K-8. A CASEL-approved evaluation demonstrates evidence of effectiveness at grades 1-5.

    Strategies supporting educational equity

    Well-Managed Schools features strategies for customizing for context, including task-analyzing lessons to reflect the needs of their students.

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        • SEL lessons
        • Instructional practices
        • Relationship building
        • Positive classroom management
        • SEL generalization
        • Shared agreements
        • Adult SEL
        • Student supports
        • 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 controlled trial conducted in waves across the 2016-2020 academic years (published report written in 2025) supported the effectiveness of Well-Managed Schools on teaching practices for public and charter school students. This evaluation included 168 teachers of students in 1st-5th grade from 24 districts in the U.S. Southeast and Midwest region (student-level demographics not reported). The study found that teachers who participated in the program had significantly higher ratings of relationships, classroom management self-efficacy, and social skill instruction relative to teachers in the control group while controlling for outcome pretest and years teaching.

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    • Evidence shown in grades
      1, 2, 3, 4, 5
      School characteristics
        • Rural
        • Urban
        • Suburban
        • Southeast
        • Midwest
      Student characteristics
      • Not Specified
      Percentage Low Income
      • Not Specified
      Study design type
      • RCT
      Greater than 350 students included in study design type
      • No
      Multiple school districts included at study design type
      • No
      • 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 Well-Managed Schools support SEL implementation across multiple settings?

    “Well-Managed Schools is a universal, evidence-based, tiered solution known to reduce challenging behavior, improve students’ physical/emotional safety and increase teacher efficacy. WMS is supported by Lift with Boys Town online resources, Common Behavior Challenges, and Skill of the Week lesson plans to teach students social skills, fostering success at school, home, and in the community.”

    Get info and pricing on the provider’s website

    Go to Provider Site

    References

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