Summary
Competent Kids, Caring Communities, offered by the Ackerman Institute for the Family, provides a lesson-based approach to SEL. It offers programming for K-5 and demonstrates evidence of effectiveness at grade 4.
Strategies supporting educational equity (CASEL)
Competent Kids, Caring Communities offers strategies for understanding context and working with bias. This includes school-wide community building activities designed to develop teacher knowledge about the cultural backgrounds and perspectives of students. Additionally, the program offers training on a framework for conducting reflective conversations on issues such as bias and privilege in a supportive, non-judgemental atmosphere.
Implementation
Below are key implementation details for this program. These specifications help determine if the program is a good fit for your school or organization.
Grade(s)
Elementary (K-5)
Setting
Classroom, Schoolwide, Home, Community
Language
English
Cost
Pricing available through provider
# Lessons
35
Program Design
Tier 1 (Universal)
Technology Requirements
Unspecified
Staffing Requirements
No additional staffing required
Professional Development
On-site, Virtual, Offsite, Train the Trainer
Outcomes
Advocate for reducing stigma associated with emotional and mental and behavioral health
Compare & contrast emotional, mental-behavioral illness, mental well-being and concurrent disorders
Decreased suicidal behavior
Describe how self-harm or suicide impacts other people
Describe laws related to minors accessing mental health care
Explain how to help someone who is thinking about attempting suicide
Identify school and community resources that can help a person with emotional, mental and behavioral health concerns
Improved Academic Performance
Improved attitude/behavior related to suicide
Improved identification of individuals at-risk for suicide
Improved Identity Development/ Agency
Improved Prosocial Behavior
Improved School Climate
Improved School Connectedness
Improved SEL Skills and Attitudes
Improved Teaching Practices
Increased help-seeking behavior
Reduced Emotional Distress
Reduced Problem Behavior
Evidence of Effectiveness
Results from a quasi-experimental evaluation (published in 2005) supported the longitudinal effectiveness of Competent Kids, Caring Community Program for elementary school students. This evaluation included 119 students in grade 4 (37% white, 19% Asian/Asian American, 19% Hispanic/Latinx; 52-63% free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL)). This evaluation found students who participated in grade 4 showed improvements in mathematics grades, teacher-reported social and emotional behavior (i.e., attention and concentration, social and emotional competence, lack of aggression), self-reported self-efficacy, and problem solving skills compared to students in the control group (outcomes were assessed in grades 5 and 6, one and two years after pre-test respectively while controlling for outcome pre-test).
Published Studies
Refer to the provided CASEL for the most up-to-date published studies.
Linares, L. O., Rosbruch, N., Stern, M. B., Edwards, M. E., Walker, G., Abikoff, H. B., & Alvir, J. M. J. (2005). Developing cognitive‐social‐emotional competencies to enhance academic learning. Psychology in the Schools, 42(4), 405-417.