Social and Emotional Learning in Out-of-School Time Settings

This brief is part of a commissioned series that draws upon Navigating Social and Emotional Learning from the Inside Out, a resource that analyzes 25 widely-used SEL programs, providing comprehensive details, transparent information, and cross-program analyses about the various in-school and out- of-school-time programs currently available in the United States.

As schools have begun to bring social and emotional learning (SEL) into their curricula, a growing body of research suggests that focusing on SEL in out-of-school-time (OST) settings could have benefits for children as well. In fact, according to this brief by Harvard researchers, OST leaders are often more likely to say that SEL is central to their mission than education leaders.

The brief draws on a content analysis of 25 top SEL programs by Stephanie Jones and her team at Harvard’s EASEL Lab and brings a sharper focus to programs that can be applied to an OST setting. While the group identified only three programs that explicitly target OST settings, they reviewed a number of others than can be adapted by OST programs. The adaptable programs focus on a variety of skills, employ different teaching strategies, provide varying levels of implementation support, and have different levels of effectiveness.

Practitioners can use charts to determine which programs are adaptable to their context, or have the potential to be. They can also read through the underlying principles of successful SEL implementation and grapple with the five key considerations for adapting a program.

An attachment includes a worksheet for OST settings with three hypothetical case studies.

Points of Interest

A new brief by Harvard researchers provides a set of guidelines and considerations for adapting SEL programs for OST and for making decisions about SEL programming that best fit an organization’s needs and goals.
Brief by Harvard researchers offers guidelines and considerations for adapting SEL programs to OST settings.
While only three of the top-25 evidenced-based SEL programs researched explicitly target out-of-school settings, others are designed for use across multiple settings or to be adapted based on context.
3 of top-25 evidence-based SEL programs target OST but more can be adapted based on an org’s context.

Supplementary Materials

Download the Table
Program Selection Process
Download the Worksheet
Out-of-School Time Worksheet

Download Brief

Social and Emotional Learning: Feedback and Communications Insights from the Field	https://www.wallacefoundation.org/knowledge-center/Pages/SEL-Feedback-and-Communications-Insights-from-the-Field.aspx	Social and Emotional Learning: Feedback and Communications Insights from the Field	Market researchers explore the linguistic landscape of the many terms used to describe non-academic skills, finding some familiarity with “social and emotional learning.”	54092405-3ed7-43af-891b-ab77fa4f2517	Slide Presentation	<img alt="Social and Emotional Learning: Feedback and Communications Insights from the Field" src="/knowledge-center/PublishingImages/SEL-Feedback-and-Communications-Insights-from-the-Field-b.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> <img alt="Social and Emotional Learning: Feedback and Communications Insights from the Field" src="/knowledge-center/PublishingImages/SEL-Feedback-and-Communications-Insights-from-the-Field-a.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" />
The Value of Out-of-School Time Programs	https://www.wallacefoundation.org/knowledge-center/Pages/the-value-of-out-of-school-time-programs.aspx	The Value of Out-of-School Time Programs	To better understand the value and effectiveness of out-of-school-time programs, RAND researchers examined programs through the lenses of content, dosage (the hours of content provided), and outcomes measured.	54092405-3ed7-43af-891b-ab77fa4f2517	Report	<img alt="" src="/knowledge-center/PublishingImages/The-Value-of-Out-of-School-Time-Programs-b.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> <img alt="" src="/knowledge-center/PublishingImages/The-Value-of-Out-of-School-Time-Programs-a.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" />
Social and Emotional Learning Interventions Under the Every Student Succeeds Act: Evidence Review	https://www.wallacefoundation.org/knowledge-center/Pages/SEL-Interventions-under-ESSA-Evidence-Review.aspx	Social and Emotional Learning Interventions Under the Every Student Succeeds Act: Evidence Review	This RAND analysis offers guidance to states and districts on how they can use funds through ESSA to support Social and Emotional Learning.	54092405-3ed7-43af-891b-ab77fa4f2517	Report	<img alt="" src="/knowledge-center/PublishingImages/SEL-Interventions-Under-ESSA-Evidence-Review-a.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" />
Navigating Social and Emotional Learning from the Inside Out	https://www.wallacefoundation.org/knowledge-center/Pages/navigating-social-and-emotional-learning-from-the-inside-out.aspx	Navigating Social and Emotional Learning from the Inside Out	Looking Inside and Across 33 leading SEL Programs: A Practical Resource for Schools and OST Providers; Revised and Expanded 2nd Edition (Preschool and Elementary Focus)	54092405-3ed7-43af-891b-ab77fa4f2517	Report	<img alt="" src="/knowledge-center/PublishingImages/Navigating-Social-and-Emotional-Learning-from-the-Inside-Out-Revised-Expanded-b.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> <img alt="" src="/knowledge-center/PublishingImages/Navigating-Social-and-Emotional-Learning-from-the-Inside-Out-Revised-Expanded-a.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" />

Social and Emotional Learning in Out-of-School Time Settings

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