Session: Leading with Data: Using an Impact-Driven Research Consortium Model for the Advancement of Social Emotional Learning and Youth Development Programs (Society for Social Work and Research 23rd Annual Conference - Ending Gender Based, Family and Community Violence)

Research on evidence-based programs in social emotional learning (SEL) and prevention show that these high quality and well-implemented programs can improve school climate and safety and student engagement and academic outcomes. At the same time, many school-and youth development programs in SEL are not monitored for implementation quality or assessed for overall impact. Researchers and programmers alike have therefore called for increased attention to quality improvement and evaluation strategies to advance the study and practice of SEL. Given the task to strengthen evaluation in SEL is daunting and complicated in practice, collaboration between academic and practice partners is critical because it provides a foundation for an ongoing exchange of ideas and expertise that enriches and sustains the work to the point of completion. We, therefore, developed a research consortium that positions university researchers alongside school and youth development professionals to ensure SEL-related information can be readily shared and discussed, and for timely engagement of research projects.

Presenters in this symposium will describe the early achievements of the SEL Research Consortium and discuss how it has helped to advance the practice and assessment of SEL in schools of our local region in Washington state. Presenters will also describe two research projects initiated by the consortium in partnership with the Seattle Public Schools (SPS), a large urban district with over 53,000 K-12 students. The two research projects focus on strengthening and refining the district's school climate and SEL survey by testing its psychometric properties and investigating racial disparities in SEL and academic indicators. Recently, the consortium has begun to explore the topics of racial equity and students' of color perceptions of school climate. This work is designed to add “youth voice” to the survey refinement process. Together, these projects reflect a growing interest of the consortium in making connections between SEL, racial equity, cultural identity, and school climate.

The symposium will feature three papers:

Paper 1 will describe the theory and conceptual underpinnings of the research consortium model, as well as its role in helping to support the development of data strategies to improve the practice and assessment of SEL. The presentation will also attend to questions about data literacy embedded assessment strategies for the advancement of SEL at the local and national levels.

Paper 2 will feature the work of an ongoing partnership with SPS to refine and target its survey assessment of SEL and school climate. The presentation will reference strategies to advance work on the assessment of SEL and racial equity in student outcomes.

Paper 3 will describe a process of gathering qualitative data on SEL and school climate from SPS students and the ways these data are being used to both extend and deepen the survey work within the district. Findings discussed by the presenter will illustrate how youth-centered work on SEL and school climate can advance efforts to address questions about race and equity.