Yale Professors Receive IES Funding to Launch a SEL Living Systematic Review

New Haven, CT — August 2024

Yale University Associate Professors, Christina Cipriano and Michael Strambler, have been awarded a new grant from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) to launch "A Living Systematic Review of Universal School-Based Social and Emotional Learning Programs in the United States (R305A240148)". This initiative aims to revolutionize the availability and accessibility of contemporary research evidence for universal school-based (USB) social-emotional learning (SEL) programs in the United States.

This work was the organic evolution of the team’s groundbreaking registered report updating the state of the evidence for SEL. Since the report's registration, it has been cited in two bipartisan resolutions to ensure the mental health and well-being of students nationwide, named one of the top ten studies in education in 2023, and was the most cited paper in Child Development in the last two years. As the U.S. grapples with a continual and unprecedented mental health crisis, amid an increasingly polarized political climate, understanding and applying what is being learned from the evolving evidence base for school-based SEL programs is pivotal.

In response, Drs. Cipriano and Strambler, in collaboration with Dr. Joshua Polanin, principal researcher at the American Institutes for Research, will provide continuous, real-time updates on the effectiveness of USB SEL programs, crucial for informing decision-making and resource allocation in education.

The project's primary objectives include conducting a living systematic review (LSR) of USB SEL interventions, developing an online dashboard for public access to visualized data and meta-analytic findings, and engaging decision-makers to optimize the use of the evidence and corresponding dashboard. By leveraging the expertise of researchers at Yale and AIR, who have a proven track record in conducting rigorous evidence syntheses and translational science, the project aims to bridge the gap between research and practice in SEL programming, nationwide.

The project's timeline includes six updates over four years, culminating in a comprehensive living synthesis of USB SEL programs in the United States. Each update will incorporate newly available studies, ensuring that the review remains relevant and responsive to emerging evidence.

The Education Collaboratory at Yale anticipates that the project's outcomes will not only inform the implementation of SEL programs but also contribute to a broader dialogue on the importance of social-emotional learning in education policy and practice.

The project team is actively recruiting SEL decision-makers to inform and test the LSR. Are you a SEL educator, administrator, provider, or policymaker? We’d love to learn with you. To sign up to receive more details on the project, including opportunities to participate, complete this form or email SEL_evidence@yale.edu.