WITS

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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

    WITS provides a lesson-based approach to SEL with academic integration with literacy. It includes programming for grades K-6 and demonstrates evidence of effectiveness in grades 1-3. Translated materials for WITS are offered in Spanish and French Canadian.

    Strategies supporting educational equity

    WITS provides strategies for understanding context. This includes a guide for using WITS with indigenous communities.

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        • SEL lessons
        • Instructional practices
        • Relationship building
        • Positive classroom management
        • SEL generalization
        • Shared agreements
        • Peer mentoring
        • Community partnerships
        • Family Intervention Component
        • Activities and Resources for Home
      • 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 quasi-experimental evaluation conducted between 2006 and 2008 (published in 2011) supported the effectiveness of the WITS Program for elementary school students. The evaluation included 830 students who were in grades 1-3 (13% children from households with annual income of less than $30,000 CAD) from 67 classrooms across 11 schools in a mid-sized city in Western Canada. This evaluation found that students who participated in the program exhibited a significant reduction in physical and relational peer victimization behaviors compared to students in the control group (outcomes reported at post-test approximately 10 months after baseline and at follow-up approximately 15 months after baseline, while controlling for outcome pretest).

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    • Evidence shown in grades
      1, 2, 3
      School characteristics
        • Urban
        • Non-US location
      Student characteristics
      • Not Specified
      Percentage Low Income
      • Percentage of children from households with total annual income of less than CAD $30,000: 13%
      Study design type
      • QE
      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 WITS support SEL implementation across multiple settings?

    “The WITS® group of programs brings together schools, families and community members to help elementary school children learn effective strategies on how to deal with bullying and peer victimization.”

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    References

    • Accepted by CASEL

    • Leadbeater, B., & Sukhawathanakul, P. (2011). Multicomponent programs for reducing peer victimization in early elementary school: A longitudinal evaluation of the WITS primary program. Journal of Community Psychology, 39, 606-620.
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