Patterns of Social-Emotional Learning Needs Among High School Freshmen Students

Background: Although the relationships among social-emotional learning (SEL) needs, academics, and behaviors have been widely established, research exploring patterns of co-occurring SEL problems among high school students as they transit into high school is limited. The movement from smaller, structured middle schools into larger high schools where students are expected to be more independent can be a time of increased risk for academic failures and problem behaviors. The purpose of this study is to understand how heterogeneous patterns of 9^th grade students based on their SEL needs relate to grades, behaviors, and their mindsets about the importance of social skills.

Methods: Data were collected from 9^th grade students (N=323) enrolled in one high-school in a semi-urban city in central Illinois using the Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS) which measures both frequencies and mindsets of students SEL needs. Grade point averages, attendance, and office disciplinary referrals were obtained from students’ end-of-year administrative records and transcripts. To identify patterns of co-occurring SEL needs, latent class analysis was used. To understand how patterns relate to academics and behaviors, a posterior probability Wald chi-square test was used to. Lastly, a three-step multinomial logistic regression was used to compare how mindsets of social skills differ across the patterns. This approach used the mindset variables as dependent variable to examine association of the class probabilities of each individual with their most likely class membership (independent variable).

Results: The five-pattern solution was selected because of its unique configurational patterns demonstrated in the item probability plots. It represented the following patterns: low-needs across all domains (44.2%), assertion, engagement, and internalizing (AEI) needs (25.2%), social skills needs (SSN) only (16.7%), high behavioral needs (HBN) with some issues in self-control and engagement (6.5%), and high-needs across all domains (7.4%). More females were observed in the pattern of high-all needs (65.8% compared to low-all). More black students were noted in the high-all and SSN only (70.7% and 63.2%, compared to low-all, AEI, and HBN needs). More students in free and reduced lunch were represented in the SSN only (75.9% compared to low-all and AEI needs) and high-all (70.0% compared to AEI needs). In addition, students in the high-all and SSN performed poorly in academics, e.g. students in high-all pattern scored the lowest GPA in ninth grade. Disciplinary referrals in eighth grade were associated with increased odds of membership in SSN, while ninth grade disciplinary referrals are associated with the high all pattern. Consistent across all social skills mindset domains, students in the low-all pattern reported the highest ratings, while students in the SSN only and high-all patterns reported the lowest ratings.

Conclusion and Implications: Findings highlight the importance of addressing configurations of co-occurring SEL needs for long-term academic and behavioral successes of the students. School personnel, such as school social workers, should prioritize attention and resources to address the full constellation of SEL needs of the students rather than implementing a “one-size fits all” approach to teaching the importance of social skills.