Title: SocialEmotional Learning and Academic Funtioning
1 Using a Public Health Approach to Promote Mental
Health in Preschool and Young Children Celene
Domitrovich, Ph.D. Penn State University Barnardo
ss Tomorrows Child Conference Dublin,
Ireland November 5, 2008
2Accomplishments in the Field of Prevention
- The number of empirically validated (EV)
preventive interventions has grown substantially - RCTs have been crucial in legitimizing efforts
and creating a science of prevention - Reviews of these programs are now widely available
3The Public Health Approach
- Based on the concept of risk and protective
factors. - Adolescent problems (e.g. mental disorders,
substance abuse, delinquency) share common risk
factors (equifinality). - Risk factors increase the chance of a variety of
behavioral and emotional disorders
(multifinality). - Protective factors help buffer the effects of
risk factors. -
4Example of Heart Disease HSEs Ireland Take
Heart
RISK FACTORS Increase the likelihood of
developing a disease or disorder
PROTECTIVE FACTORS Decrease the likelihood of
developing a disease or disorder
5Preventive Intervention Research Cycle
Feedback Loop
1. Identify problem or disorder (s) and review
information to determine its extent
2. With an emphasis on risk and protective
factors, review relevant information both from
fields outside prevention and from existing
prevention literature.
3. Design, conduct, and analyze pilot studies and
confirmatory and replication trials of the
preventive intervention program
4. Design, conduct, and analyze large-scale
trials of the preventive intervention program
5. Facilitate large-scale implementation
and on-going evaluation of the preventive
intervention program in the community
Institute of Medicine, 1994
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7Community Risk Factors
- Economic Deprivation
- High Mobility
- High Crime
- Community Laws and Norms
- Availability of Drugs
- Low Neighborhood Attachment and Community
Disorganization - Limited Resources Supports
8Family Risk Factors
- Ineffective Parent Management
- Punitive Discipline
- Negative P-C Relationship
- Inadequate Home-School Communication
-
9School Risk Factors
- Crowded Classrooms
- High Rates of Negative Behavior
- Unstable Administration
- Low Achievement
- High Rates of School Dropout
10Individual Risk Factors
- Impulsivity
- Early Aggression Disruptive Behavior
- Low Cognitive Ability
- Academic Failure
- Poor Peer Relations
- Poor School Bonding
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12EARLY STARTER PATHWAY TO ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR
Preschool Years
Early Education Years
Early Adolescence
School Entry
- Early child, family, and community risk factors
- Poor school readiness in cognitive, social, and
emotional domains
- Academic failure
- Peer rejection
- Social coping deficits
- Adult support/
- supervision
- Deviant peers
- Poor adult monitoring
- Alienation/
- depression
Increased and Diversified Antisocial Behavior
13Intervention Model for Prevention of Conduct
Disorder
Intervention
Parenting Peer Relations Social
Cognition Academics
Early Starter
Conduct Disorder
14Elementary -Aged Intervention Components
- Parenting (weekly groups, bi-weekly home visits)
- Behavior management, warmth, monitoring
- Peer Relations (friendship groups, peer coaching)
- Behavioral and social skills, prosocial
groups - Social Cognition (universal classroom-based
skills training) - Problem solving and attributions
- Academics (tutoring, after-school groups)
- Reading and organization skills
15IMPLICATIONS OF THE DEVELOPMENTAL MODEL FOR
INTERVENTION DESIGN
- Multiple skill domains
- Multiple socialization support systems
- Sustained, well-integrated
- Developmentally and culturally informed
16Protective Factors that may be Targets of
Preventive Interventions
Person-Centered Focus Self-Regulation/Emotion
Regulation Cognitive Skills Social-Emotional
Skills Normative Beliefs Resistance
Skills Environmental Focus Supportive
Environments (home school) Positive Relations
with Peers and Adults Community Policies
17Core SEL Competencies
Recognizing ones emotions and values as well as
ones strengths and limitations
Making ethical, constructive choices about
personal and social behavior
Managing emotions and behaviors to achieve ones
goals
Forming and maintaining positive relationships,
working in teams, dealing effectively with
conflict
Showing understanding and empathy for others
18Key SEL Competencies
- Responsible Decision-Making
- Managing Emotions
- Analyzing Situations
- Goal Setting
- Problem-Solving
- Communication
- Building Relationships
- Negotiation
- Refusal
- Help Seeking
19To Learn More About The Field of Social-Emotional
Learning Go To
The Collaborative for Academic,Social and
Emotional Learning
http//www.CASEL.org
20Elementary SEL Programming Key to Social
Academic Success
Evidence-Based SEL Programming
Teach SEL Competencies (Self awareness, Social
awareness, Self-management, Relationship skills,
Responsible decision making)
Greater Attachment, Engagement Commitment to
School
Fewer MH Problems Better Academic Performance
and Success in School and Life
Less Risky Behavior, More Assets, Positive
Development
Safe, Caring, Cooperative, Well-Managed Learning
Environments
Provide Opportunities Reinforcement for
Positive Behavior
CASEL, 2004 Hawkins Catalano, xxxx
21The PATHS Curriculum
Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies
Elementary Version Mark Greenberg Carol
Kusche in collaboration with Rosemary Calderon,
Ruth A. Gustafson, Lisa Anderson, and Christa
Turksma.
22PATHS Theoretical Model
- Developmental theory based on the integration of
affect, behavior, cognition, and language. -
- Neuro-cognitive model of regulatory function of
language and emotional awareness for frontal Lobe
control of behavior. -
- Ecological model focused on building a caring
school environment in addition to individual
skills.
23Elementary Curriculum (Age 5-11)
- Twice Weekly Lessons
- Readiness Self-Control
- Feelings Unit
- Friendship and Manners
- Problem Solving Unit
- Generalization Activities
- Supplemental Activities
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26Findings on the Effectiveness of The Elementary
PATHS Curriculum
- There have been four studies with randomized
control groups 2 with regular education, 1 with
special needs children, and 1 with
deaf/hearing-impaired children. - Findings
- Significant reductions in aggressive behavior by
both teacher and child reports - Significant reductions in child and teacher
report of internalizing (anxiety and depressive
symptoms) - Significant improvements in children social
competence by teachers reports of child behavior - Significant improvement in childrens
understanding of emotions and their ability to
generate effective, peaceful solutions to
everyday peer conflicts
27Promoting School Readiness
Key Competencies
Getting Along With Others
Engaging in Learning Tasks
High Quality Early Years Program
Following Rules
Anger Management
Managing conflicts Problem-solving
Universal Social-Emotional Curriculum
28Preschool SEL Programming Key to Social
Academic Success
Evidence-Based SEL Programming
Teach SEL Competencies (Emotion Knowledge, Self
Control, Social Problem Solving)
Greater Social Competence, Less Negative Behavior
Fewer MH Problems Better Academic Performance
and Success in School and Life
Safe, Caring, Cooperative, Well-Managed Learning
Environments
Greater Engagement in Learning
Promote Autonomy, Provide Opportunities
Reinforcement for Positive Behavior
Jenkins Greenberg, in press Bierman et al,
2008
29Preschool PATHS
Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies
Authors Celene Domitrovich, Mark Greenberg,
Carol Kusché, and Rebecca Cortes
30Preschool Curriculum (Age 3-5)
- Introduction (4 lessons)
- Feelings Units (22 lessons)
- Self-Control Unit (6 lessons)
- Friendship Skills (5 Lessons)
- Problem Solving Unit (3 lessons)
- Informal Formal Generalization Activities that
integrate with the structure of most early
childhood
31Findings on the Effectiveness of The Preschool
PATHS Curriculum
- There has been two randomized clinical trials of
Preschool PATHS. In the first the program was
evaluated as a stand-alone intervention and in
the REDI project it was integrated with
evidence-based language and literacy components. - Findings
- Significant improvement in childrens
understanding of emotions. - Significant improvements in children social
competence by teacher and parent report of child
behavior. - Significant reductions in social withdrawal by
parent and teacher report. -
32Why is Prevention Critical to Community Mental
Health with Children?
- Building protective factors that promote good
mental health is an essential role of the mental
health system. - Protective factors that promote mental health
also promote more general successful life
outcomes (e.g. life skills, academic success) - There is evidence-base that MH disorders can be
prevented. - Treatment (even when effective) will not have a
substantial impact on new cases. - Treating disorders at their outset leads to
better prognosis. - Cost-benefit analysis provides support that
prevention is the most economic strategy.
33Best Practice Guidelines
- Theoretically-Based
- Empirically Evaluated
- Developmentally Appropriate
- Comprehensive/Multi-Level
- Integrated with Broader Systems
- Clear Implementation Guidelines
- Sustainable
34Prevention Challenges
- Systems Integration
- Implementation Quality and Sustainability
35Challenge 1
- Systems Integration to Achieve a Comprehensive
Approach - Levels of Care
- Developmental Stages and Theory
- Institutional Structures
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37Interconnected Systems for Meeting the Needs of
All Children
Prevention and Positive Youth
Development Universal and Selective
Prevention (low end need/low cost per child)
Early Intervention Early-after-onset-Indicated (m
oderate need/cost per child)
Systems of Care Treatment of severe and chronic
problems (High end need/ cost per child)
Systemic collaboration is essential to establish
inter-program connections within and across
systems of prevention, early intervention, and
treatment
Adapted from Adelman et al.
(UCLA Center for Mental Health in the Schools)
38Building Systems Integration Across
Institutional Structures
- Develop Community Level Leadership across Schools
and Agencies. - Educate Leadership regarding Impact of Prevention
and need for Cross-Institution Cooperation. - Provide Training to Agency Staff, Teachers, and
School Support Staff on Prevention Programming. - Develop and Showcase Model Communities.
-
39Challenge 2
2. Implementing Evidence-based Practices with
Quality and Sustaining them over time
40General Definition of Implementation Quality
What a program consists of in practice and the
degree to which it was conducted as it was
originally intended (Durlak, 1995 Yeaton
Sechrest, 1981)
41Measurement of Evidence-Based Intervention
Implementation
- Fidelity
- Dosage
- Quality of Delivery
- Participant Responsiveness
- Program Differentiation
42Why monitor implementation?
- In community replications the quality of
implementation varies considerably - Dusenbury, Brannigan, Flaco, Hansen (2003)
- Gottfredson Gottfredson (2002)
- Ringwalt, Vincus, Ennett, Johnson, Rohrbach
(2004) - When monitored, quality of implementation has
been found to be related to variation in
outcomes - Derzon, Sale, Springer Brounstein (2005)
- Durlak Weissberg (2005)
- Durlak Dupree (2008)
-
43A Model of Factors Influencing Program
Implementation
Support System
44Strategies to Ensure High Quality Implementation
- Pre planning
- Quality Training
- Ongoing Coaching
- Using Data to Monitor and Adapt the Intervention
- A Plan for Continuous Training and Improvement
45JOINING TOGETHER FOR WITH A COMMON GOAL
- I was taught that the world had a lot of
problems that I could struggle and change them
that intellectual and material gifts brought the
privilege and responsibility of sharing with
others less fortunate and that service is the
rent each of us pays for living - it is the very
purpose of life. - Marian Wright Edleman