4Rs (Prek-8)
The 4Rs curriculum (Reading, Writing, Respect & Resolution) engages the imagination
and creativity of children in grades PreK-5 to help develop critical skills including empathy,
community building, and conflict resolution. It begins with a story. Gathering the class
together, the teacher reads aloud from a children’s book, choosing a story that dramatizes
a social and emotional challenge for the main characters. Children are guided through
writing exercises, role-playing, and meaningful discussion, as the teacher poses questions
about how the characters handled conflict, how they might be feeling, and what alternatives
exist for making new decisions.
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The 4Rs curriculum opens the door for children to look more closely at their own experiences, and gives them clear tools for handling difficult emotions and resolving conflict with their peers. Meanwhile, teachers learn strategies they can use throughout the day to create a higher quality classroom experience in which students are focused, settled, and poised to learn.
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https://www.morningsidecenter.org/4rs-program
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Goals:
Help develop empathy, community building and conflict resolution skills
Help students handle difficult emotions and resolve conflict with peers
Teach teachers strategies to create a classroom experience with students who are focused, settled and poised to learn
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Cost:
Teaching guides are priced at $225 and are available only with the purchase of 4Rs training and coaching services
Training:
Typically 25-30 hours of required initial training
Train the trainer system available
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Duration:
Approximately 35 lessons, once a week throughout the year
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Evidence:
In a CASEL study of the 4R Program on grades 3-4, researchers found improved academic performance, increased positive social behavior, reduced conduct problems, and reduced emotional distress
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Caring School Community (K-8)
Caring School Community is a comprehensive, research-based social and emotional
learning (SEL) program that builds school-wide community, develops students’ social
skills and SEL competencies, and enables a transformative stance on discipline.
This CASEL SELect program promotes positive behavior through direct teaching of
responsibility, empathy, and cooperation, creating settings where students feel heard,
known, and cared for. Students become intrinsically motivated to contribute productively
to a community they feel invested in, and where they know they matter.
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https://www.collaborativeclassroom.org/programs/caring-school-community/
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Goals:
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Build and focus on the school community - including students, parents, and all school staff
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Build and foster relationships between peers, students and the school, and school staff and students
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Develop student self-discipline and responsibility to others through a unique stance on discipline
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Create calm, safe classrooms more conducive to learning
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Address discipline practices and shift from punishment to restorative repair
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Cost:
$200 per teacher's package
$175 per principal's package
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Packages come with 7 years access to the online learning portal
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See the program brochure here: http://online.fliphtml5.com/srupx/siuu/
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Training:
Collaborative Classroom works in partnership with the school district to implement the program. Online professional learning and development resources are also available, including webinars, articles, a Facebook Community, and the Teacher Learning System the provides ongoing professional learning opportunities.
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Duration:
30 lessons, 30 minutes each, once a day
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Evidence:
In three CASEL studies of the Caring School Community program on grades K-6, researchers found improved academic performance, increased positive social behavior, reduced conduct problems, and reduced emotional distress.
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School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (K-12)
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based three-tiered framework for improving and integrating all of the data, systems, and practices affecting student outcomes every day. It is a way to support everyone – especially students with disabilities – to create the kinds of schools where all students are successful.
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PBIS isn’t a curriculum you purchase or something you learn during a one-day professional development training. It is a commitment to addressing student behavior through systems change. When it’s implemented well, students achieve improved social and academic outcomes, schools experience reduced exclusionary discipline practices, and school personnel feel more effective.
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Tier 1 practices include:
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School-wide positive expectations and behaviors are taught
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Established classroom expectations aligned with school-wide expectations
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A continuum of procedures for encouraging expected behavior
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A continuum of procedures for discouraging problem behavior
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Procedures for encouraging school-family partnership
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Goals:
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To use a proactive systems approach to establish the behavioral supports and social culture needed for all students in a school to achieve social, emotional, and academic success.
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To develop support systems and sustained implementation of a data-driven, problem-solving model in schools to help students become socially skilled learners.
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To make problem behaviors less effective, efficient, and relevant, and desired behavior more functional.
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Evidence:
Many studies have assessed the outcomes of PBIS schools with Tier 1 systems. Various student outcomes include improved academic performance, reduced bullying behaviors, and higher levels of social-emotional competence (Horner et al, 2009; Ross & Horner, 2009; Bradshaw, Waasdorp & Leaf, 2012).
I Can Problem Solve (PreK-5)
The ICPS lessons are presented in the form of games, role plays and puppet experiences, all focused on developing students’ interpersonal cognitive problem-solving skills. The ICPS skills include: use of pre-problem-solving vocabulary and skills, identifying feelings in self and others, developing alternative solutions to problems, use of consequential thinking, and means-ends thinking. By teaching children how to think, not what to think, the program changes thinking styles and, as a result, enhances children’s social adjustment, promotes pro-social behaviors and prevents negative, impulsive and withdrawn behaviors.
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http://www.icanproblemsolve.info/
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Goals:
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Teach the use of pre-problem-solving vocabulary and skills
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Teach students how to identify feelings in self and others
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Develop alternative solutions to problems
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Use consequential thinking
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Develop means-ends thinking
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Cost:
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$46.99 per ICPS manual
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Training:
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1 day training is required - being held virtually with the six hours split over three days
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A 2-day on-site training is recommended and costs $1,500 per day plus travel expense​
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Training of trainers sessions available upon request and cost $740 per person plus travel
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Duration:
59-83 lessons per grade​ conducted 2-3 times per week over 4-5 months
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Evidence:
In two CASEL studies of the I Can Problem Solve program on grades preK-1, researchers found increased positive social behavior and reduced conduct problems.
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Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS; PreK-6)
The PATHS® curriculum is a comprehensive program for promoting emotional and social competencies and reducing aggression and behavior problems in elementary school-aged children while simultaneously enhancing the educational process in the classroom. This innovative curriculum is designed to be used by educators and counselors in a multi-year, universal prevention model. Although primarily focused on the school and classroom settings, information and activities are also included for use with parents.
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Goal:
​The PATHS® program aims to promote emotional and social competencies and reduce aggression and behavior problems in elementary school children.
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Cost:
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Classroom Implementation Packages range from $499 to $899 depending on grade level. Each implementation package includes a 3-hour self-paced online teacher training.
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Training:
​Training to effectively implement the PATHS® curriculum is optional. A 3-hour self-paced online teacher training is included with each classroom implementation package. On-site workshops can be arranged by request. Each workshop can accommodate up to 30 individuals and will encompass two full training days, which can either be consecutive or conducted with an introductory day followed by a second day held 4-8 weeks after implementation has started. The cost for the two day workshop is $5,000 ($2,500/day), plus reimbursement for trainer expenses (travel, accommodations, $50/day per diem).
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Duration:
2+ times per week for 20-30 minutes
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Evidence:
In two CASEL studies of the I Can Problem Solve program on grades preK-1, researchers found increased positive social behavior and reduced conduct problems.
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Note:
PATHS has a program for grades 6-8 called Emozi.
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Resolving Conflicts Creatively (PreK-8)
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Goal:
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Cost:
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Training:
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Duration:
16 lessons a year, integrated into language arts classes
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Evidence:
In two CASEL studies of the Resolving Conflicts Creatively program on grades 1-6 researchers found reduced conduct problems and reduced emotional distress.
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