The Impact of a School Wide Social Emotional Learning Program on School Climate: A Mixed Methods Case Study of the RULER Program

Abstract

To succeed in an ever-changing and challenging society, students need to have strategies to negotiate emotions, relationships, and challenging experiences. Schools throughout the United States have adopted school wide social emotional learning (SEL) programs in order to combat the destructive effects of disruptive behaviors and negative school climates all the while improving student academic and behavioral outcomes. This case study investigates the impact that a school wide SEL program has on school climate at one high-needs, urban pre-K-8 school by measuring changes in student suspensions, student attendance, student academic achievement, and faculty and staff perceptions of school climate.