Challenges and Opportunities in the Assessment of
Children’s Social-Emotional Development
Co-authors
• Nicole Russo-Ponsaran
• Adelaide Allen
• Jason Johnson
• Jaclyn Russo
2
Acknowledgment
This project was supported by the Institute of
Education Sciences, Grant R305A110143 to
Rush University Medical Center. The opinions
expressed are those of the authors and do not
represent views of the Institute or the U.S.
Department of Education.
3
Why assess children’s social-emotional learning?
SEL matters
The ability to do this…
Difficulty connecting…
Teachers care about SEL
Eight out of ten teachers believe socialemotional learning is critical for
student success in school and beyond.
(Civic Enterprises , 2014)
SEL programs work
Well-taught SEL programs produce
many benefits.
(Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011)
SEL standards are proliferating
(Source: Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning)
But there’s a problem…
There are few scalable, feasible,
psychometrically sound and informative
assessment systems.
Our attempt to address the problem
SELweb: A system for assessing social
emotional comprehension in K to 3
10
Emotion
Recognition
Peer
Health
Social
PerspectiveTaking
Social ProblemSolving
SELweb
Measures…
Self-Control
SELweb field trial results
12
Sample characteristics
Characteristic
Sex—Male
Ethnicity
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Native Am
Mixed
Grade
K
1
2
3
TOTAL
Setting
Districts
Schools
Classrooms
Study 1
n
(%)
616 (49.7)
Study 2
n
(%)
1641 (50.9)
675
25
470
55
3
15
(54.5)
(2.0)
(37.8)
(4.4)
(0.2)
(1.2)
1,830 (56.8)
132 (4.1)
873 (27.1)
219 (6.8)
32 (1.0)
133 (4.1)
271
312
311
345
1,239
n
4
7
66
(21.9)
(25.2)
(25.1)
(27.8)
495
985
891
852
3,223
n
6
17
158
(15.4)
(30.6)
(27.6)
(26.4)
Factor structure
Social
Awareness
Social
Meaning
Social
Reasoning
Self
Control
14
Factor structure
e
Happy
Recognition
e
Sad
Recognition
e
Angry
Recognition
e
Scared
Recognition
e
Perspective
Taking
e
Problem ID/
Pos Attribution
e
Social
Goal
e
Positive
Solution
e
Delay of
Gratification
e
Frustration
Tolerance
Social
Awareness
Social
Meaning
Social
Reasoning
Self
Control
15
Factor structure
e
Happy
Recognition
e
Sad
Recognition
e
Angry
Recognition
e
Scared
Recognition
e
Perspective
Taking
.27*/
.36*
.34*/
.59*
.41*
.41*
Social
Awareness
.67*
.77*/
.80*
.80*
.62*/
.52*
.44*/
.48*
Social
Meaning
.60*/
.54*
.62*/
66*
e
Problem ID/
Pos Attribution
e
Social
Goal
.37*/
.72*
.42*/
.69*
.60*
.76*
e
Positive
Solution
e
Delay of
Gratification
.54*/
.52*
e
Frustration
Tolerance
.49*
.49*
Social
Reasoning
.99*/
94*
.64*/
.64*
Self
Control
CFI = .95/.95
RMSEA = .046 (90% CI = .037 to .056)/
049 (90% CI = .044 - .055)
16
Score reliabilities
Measure
SELweb Composites
SE Comprehension
Social Awareness
Social Meaning
Social Reasoning
Self-Control
# Scores/ Study 1
ryy
r12
Items
Study 2
ryy
r12
4
4
1
3
2
.91
.82
.80
.81
.85
.71
.60
.62
.65
.70
.91
.84
.78
.88
.81
.75
.52
.69
.63
.57
10-11
10-11
10-11
10-11
11-12
.65
.73
.62
.79
.80
.46
.43
.35
.47
.62
.68
.73
.64
.78
.78
.41
.40
.46
.51
.66
6
6
6
.69
.71
.46
.57
.72
.72
.55
.44
SELweb Modules and Scores
Social Awareness
Happy
Sad
Angry
Scared
Social Meaning
Social Reasoning
Problem ID
Positive Attribution
Positive Social Goal
17
Criterion-related validity
e
Happy
Recognition
e
Sad
Recognition
e
Angry
Recognition
e
Scared
Recognition
e
Perspective
Taking
e
Problem ID/
Pos Attribution
e
Social
Goal
e
Positive
Solution
e
Delay of
Gratification
e
Frustration
Tolerance
Social
Awareness
Social
Meaning
Social-Emotional
Composite
Social
Reasoning
Self
Control
18
Criterion-related validity
Criterion
Teacher Report
SS1 SS2
PB
Variable
Age
-.04
IQ
.06
Sex
.30 *
-.23 *
.30 *
.32 *
-.09
-.37 *
AC
-.36 *
.32 *
Aimsweb
Read Math
-.17
.28 *
Peer Acceptance
Study 1
Study 2
-.32 *
-.09
-.25
.47 *
.07
-
-.18
.13
-.27 *
-.05
.12
.74 *
.09
.20
White
.32
-.12
-.68
.31
.30
Black
-.20
.38
-.29
-.05
-.09
-.04
-1.66 †
Hispanic
.53
-.14
.74 †
.10
.39
.26
Asian
-.24
-
1.12 *
.14
1.32 *
-.32
.61 †
.22 †
.25 *
-.82 *
-.48
SE Comp .28 * .42 * -.36 * .46 * .27 * .21 *
.26
19
Age-related changes
1.0
0.5
z Score
0.0
-0.5
-1.0
-1.5
-2.0
-2.5
5
6
7
Age
8
9
20
Convergent and discriminant validity
.21 /.26*
Social
Awareness
-.02
Social
Awareness
-.09
-.07
-.02
.49*/.69*
Social
Meaning
-.08
Social
Meaning
-.13
-.14
.05
.50†/.45*
Social
Reasoning
Social
Reasoning
.21
.20 .22
Self
Control
.11
.63*/.60*
Self
Control
21
Convergent and discriminant validity
.19† /.54*
Social
Awareness
-.10
Social
Awareness
-.25*
.04
.27*
.60*/.72*
Social
Meaning
.06
Social
Meaning
-.16
.01
-.10
.61*/.73*
Social
Reasoning
Social
Reasoning
.00
.25 .30*
Self
Control
.22
.49†/.39*
Self
Control
22
What SELweb doesn’t measure
Behavior
23
Pathways from SEL to achievement
24
Pathways from SEL to achievement
25
Turning data into information
26
Applying information to decision-making
29
Linking information to action
• To integrate isolated/
rejected children
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Linking information to action
• To integrate isolated/
rejected children
• Cooperative grouping, peers as
resources, skills training
random acts of kindness,
MOSAIC, PEERS
32
Linking information to action
• To integrate isolated/
rejected children
• Cooperative grouping, peers as
resources, skills training
random acts of kindness,
MOSAIC, PEERS
• To build skills
33
Linking information to action
• To integrate isolated/
rejected children
• Cooperative grouping, peers as
resources, skills training
random acts of kindness,
MOSAIC, PEERS
• To build skills
• Tier I and II support
– EB SEL curriculum
– Targeted intervention
35
Linking information to action
• To integrate isolated/
rejected children
• Cooperative grouping, peers as
resources, skills training
random acts of kindness,
MOSAIC, PEERS
• To build skills
• Tier I and II support
– EB SEL curriculum
– Targeted intervention
• For children who need Tier
III support
36
Linking information to action
• To integrate isolated/
rejected children
• Cooperative grouping, peers as
resources, skills training
random acts of kindness,
MOSAIC, PEERS
• To build skills
• Tier I and II support
– EB SEL curriculum
– Targeted intervention
• For children who need Tier
III support
• Intervention targeting need, or
social skills groups
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Contact Information
Clark McKown, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Clark_A_McKown@rush.edu
(847) 763-7957