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Numerous studies have demonstrated that social and emotional skills (SE skills) can predict academic achievement, including grades and test scores, and prior research at ACT has shown that stronger SE skills are associated with higher ACT scores. However, despite the abundant evidence that SE skills are beneficial for students in general, less is known about the relationship between SE skills and academic achievement among students with disabilities, who make up approximately 15% of all public school students (National Center for Education Statistics, 2023). In this study, the relationship between SE skills and ACT scores among students with and without disabilities was examined. Using data from the Mosaic™ by ACT® Social and Emotional Learning assessment, two matched groups of 410 students each were created, one whose members had disabilities and one whose members did not. Findings show a positive relationship between SE skills and ACT Composite scores in both students with disabilities and students without disabilities.

Social and emotional (SE) skills are interpersonal, self-regulatory, and task-related behaviors that are important for adaptation to and successful performance across all domains of life, including education and workplace settings (Casillas et al., 2015). Family engagement affects the development of these important skills (Brooks & Lambert, 2019). As such, parents and caregivers are viewed as an integral part of social and emotional learning (SEL). For instance, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) includes families and caregivers as part of their model of SEL (2023). Given the importance of family involvement, a growing number of studies have examined the perceptions of family members toward SEL. For example, studies have found that parents support teaching students SE skills in schools (Committee for Children, 2022; Daley et al., 2002; Horowitz, 2022; National PTA, 2022). Additionally, parents perceive SEL positively (Committee for Children, 2022; Murano et al., 2022) and think SE skills are important to develop (Daley et al., 2021). These positive perceptions suggest that caregivers are generally supportive of SEL. To examine this support more directly, the current study surveyed caregivers of high school students.

Social and emotional (SE) skills are "individual capacities that (a) are manifested in consistent patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, (b) can be developed through formal and informal learning experiences, and (c) influence important socioeconomic outcomes throughout the individual's life" (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2015, p. 34). Fortunately, students can improve their SE skills through social and emotional learning (SEL), which refers to programming designed to develop students' SE skills (Mahoney et al., 2018). Caregivers play a critical role in SEL by modeling and reinforcing their students' SE skill development. Caregivers may be more likely to participate willingly in SEL if they perceive SE skills and SEL interventions as beneficial. The current study examined the extent to which the views of caregivers align with the benefits demonstrated in past research on SE skills and SEL.

The ACT® Holistic Framework® describes the knowledge and skills that students need for success during their kindergarten through postsecondary education and throughout their careers. The four areas included in the framework are core academic skills, behavioral skills, education and career navigation skills, and cross-cutting capabilities (CCCs). This paper examines parent/caregiver support and knowledge of non-cognitive skills by focusing on the CCCs. To do this, a group of parents/caregivers of students taking the ACT® test were surveyed. The survey focused on five school programs corresponding to the five CCCs: (1) critical thinking; (2) creative thinking and innovation; (3) collaborative problem-solving; (4) information and communication technology; and (5) self-directed learning.

The analyses presented here are part of a larger project, "Understanding Children's Transitions from Head Start to Kindergarten" (HS2K), a joint research venture between NORC at the University of Chicago, Child Trends, and the National P-3 Center at University of Colorado Denver, with funding from the U.S. Administration for Children and Families' Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation. This secondary data analysis supports other project activities, including a review of the knowledge base, case studies, instrument development, and other secondary data analyses. The HS2K research team analyzed 23 MOUs from 10 Head Start programs that participated in the Office of Head Start & Public Schools Collaboration Demonstration Project (CDP). This 2020 initiative brought together many early childhood partners and staff across Head Start and public-school systems to improve collaboration and coordination on kindergarten transitions. These MOUs, a federal legislative requirement for both Head Start and Title I funded public-school systems, are written expressions of these partnerships that can shed light on the perspectives, policies, professional supports, and practices that influence kindergarten transition experiences. (1) Although kindergarten transitions were not the explicit primary focus of the MOUs, these documents often included detailed descriptions of partnerships across two systems that attempted to align expectations, resource allocations, and key activities; (2) When MOUs explicitly mentioned kindergarten transitions, there were three federal policy requirements often noted: (1) creating cross-system communication channels; (2) developing family collaboration and involvement practices; and (3) transferring, sharing, and obtaining student records and data; (3) Findings suggest that relatively few MOUs currently contain explicit references to kindergarten transition perspectives, policies, professional supports, or practices. Yet, MOUs remain an important potential vehicle by which to align transition-related activities with key legislation, statutes, and requirements, and create collaboration and communication structures. This brief provides examples of MOU language that may support aligned transition activities; and (4) There is an opportunity for HS programs and LEA administrators to think more collectively about and articulate joint policies, perspectives, practices and professional supports that support the kindergarten transition. However, there is also an opportunity for more specific federal and state guidance to programs and schools on what should be included in MOUs. [This report was prepared with the National P-3 Center.]

Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) programs uniquely support the frequent transitions, including the transition to kindergarten, that children in migrant and seasonal families may experience. Lessons learned from how MSHS programs support transitions may have implications for MSHS and other federally funded early care and education (ECE) programs. This brief discusses children and families served by MSHS, details on MSHS centers, and transition practices offered in MSHS centers. Data for this brief come from the 2017 Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Study dataset. [This report was produced as part of the Head Start to Kindergarten (HS2K) Transitions Project and was produced with the National P-3 Center.]

This study examines the perceptions of parents and caregivers on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), or in-school programs designed to teach social and emotional skills. The study aims to replicate the main findings from the Fordham report (Tyner, 2021) and examine how the rank-order method used in the study may have influenced the interpretation of parents'/caregivers' support for SEL. Aside from replication, the first goal was to examine if the results would differ based on the response options provided for the rank-order questions. Specifically, both Social-Emotional Learning and Social-Emotional & Academic Learning were included in the list of 12 programs as response options. The second goal was to examine what parents and caregivers knew about the program labels examined. The third goal was to provide a direct measure of support for each of the program labels. Due to the rank-order nature of the questions in the previous study, the overall level of support for each of the programs was unclear because individuals could only select up to three of the 12 programs. Finally, a fourth goal of the study was to examine potential subgroup differences based on political affiliation. [For the 2021 Fordham report "How to Sell SEL: Parents and the Politics of Social-Emotional Learning," see ED616280.]

Given recent interest and increasing popularity of social and emotional learning (SEL) in education settings, the authors surveyed students taking the ACT test and parents/caregivers of ACT test-takers on their beliefs around social and emotional (SE) skills. The study had three primary goals. First, the authors were interested in obtaining student and parent/caregiver perceived value levels of SE skills and their utility in students' academic success. Second, the authors were interested in asking, in an open-ended fashion, what skills students and parents/caregivers perceived as being most important to student success. Last, the authors were interested in whether favorability ratings or skills perceived as most important to student success differed across student and parent/caregiver subgroups. Results from this study underscore the importance of SE skills from student and parent/caregiver perspectives. Furthermore, findings show more consistency across demographic subgroups than differences, further highlighting the universal perceived importance. These findings show SE skills are perceived as valuable and important in educational contexts.

Social and emotional (SE) skills are interpersonal, self-regulatory, and task-related behaviors that are important for adaptation to and successful performance in educational and workplace settings. These skills are related to important outcomes such as academic achievement and job satisfaction. A recent report suggests the term "durable skills" can be used to describe the skills typically defined as SE skills in the K-12 space. However, little is known about how parents and caregivers perceive durable skills and which skills they believe fall in this category. To gauge the familiarity, favorability, and understanding of the label "durable skills" to describe SEL-related programs, the authors surveyed parents and caregivers of students taking the ACT® test. This Data Byte describes the methodology and findings from the study.

As the global economy transforms into a knowledge-based society with an enhanced focus on information and innovation, success will depend on the ability of global citizens to work effectively with knowledge and technology (Drucker, 1993; Sawyer, 2006; Schwab, 2017). Working effectively with knowledge and technology requires thinking critically and creatively, solving problems collaboratively, using technology effectively, and understanding our capabilities as lifelong learners. These skills are referred to as 21st-century skills or crosscutting capabilities (CCCs). The inclusion of these skills in the classroom requires the ability to continue to effectively define, teach, and measure these skills in a way that will allow us to track, cultivate, and share student proficiency. Defining and organizing the CCCs so they can be taught and measured is a critical first step that drives the design and development of learning and measurement tools. This paper provides ACT's construct definitions for these skills based on prior research, including research into how individuals use these skills in applied settings. It also provides an overview of the value and application of these skills in academic and workforce settings. [For "Beyond Academics: A Holistic Framework for Enhancing Education and Workplace Success. ACT Research Report Series. 2015 (4)," see ED558040.]

Social and emotional (SE) skills are interpersonal, self-regulatory, and task-related behaviors that are important for adaption to and successful performance in educational and workplace settings (Casillas et al., 2015). Students can improve these skills through social and emotional learning (SEL) interventions or programming designed to teach SE skill development to students in school settings (e.g., Mahoney et al., 2018). While teaching SEL shows promising results and continues to gain traction in the K-12 education space, little consensus exists on what label should be used to describe this skill set (e.g., Berg et al., 2017). A recent study with parents suggests that, although support for social and emotional learning (SEL)-related skills is relatively strong, the label "social-emotional learning" itself is unfavorable (Tyner, 2021). This conclusion was based on a rank order item which presented parents with a list of 12 undefined, SEL-related program titles and asked them to select three school programs they would most and least want their child enrolled in. To test the assumption that respondents perceived all program labels as teaching SEL, the authors conducted a survey with parents and caregivers of ACT® test takers. Results from this follow-up study demonstrate that the program label "life skills" represents a far broader range of skills than those we would typically conceptualize as SE skills. While skills such as financial management, completing taxes, and taking care of homes and automobiles are undoubtedly important, they are fundamentally different from SE skills such as persistence, empathy, and resilience. [For the 2021 study "How to Sell SEL: Parents and the Politics of Social-Emotional Learning," see ED616280.]

Social and emotional (SE) skills are interpersonal, self-regulatory, and task-related behaviors that are important for adaption to and successful performance in educational and workplace settings (Casillas et al., 2015). These skills are related to important outcomes such as academic achievement and job satisfaction (e.g., Judge et al., 2002; Mammadov, 2022; Poropat, 2009). Additionally, students can improve these skills through social and emotional learning (SEL) interventions: programming designed to teach SE skill development to students in school settings (e.g., Mahoney et al., 2018). Despite research showing the benefits of SE skills and SEL programming, recent research with parents suggests that the term "social-emotional learning" is relatively unpopular (Tyner, 2021). To examine caregiver support, the authors surveyed a group of parents and caregivers, asking them to rate their support for the 12 programs examined in the Tyner (2021) study. Parents/caregivers were informed that the survey was voluntary, and no incentives were given. The results show overall support was high for all the programs. Support ranged from 77.8% for Soft Skills to 90.7% for Life Skills, and 84.5% of parents/caregivers reported some level of support across programs. Additionally, 81.8% of parents/caregivers supported the Social-Emotional Learning program. [For the 2021 study "How to Sell SEL: Parents and the Politics of Social-Emotional Learning," see ED616280.]

Social and emotional learning is often cited as a means through which to improve equity outcomes for learners from historically underserved populations. The research compiled in this review shows how social and emotional skills are intertwined with meeting the needs of all students, and particularly those from historically underserved populations. It is critical that scholars in the field of social and emotional learning fully understand these connections and further unpack causal mechanisms in order to develop solutions that can increase equity outcomes and help all students succeed.

This issue brief is part of a five-part series that reports findings from research conducted by ACT in collaboration with Region One Education Service Center. This brief focuses on the efficacy of social and emotional learning (SEL) lessons implemented and includes results from surveys completed by students who participated in an SEL lessons during the 2019-2020 school year. The goal of the study was to better understand students' reactions to SEL lessons, including whether they found the lessons engaging, whether they acquired knowledge and skills, and whether they were able to apply content from the lessons in and out of school. Results from the study suggest SEL programming may be an effective way to support learners who have been historically underserved and who often need additional supports because they face significant barriers to college entry and completion. This research can help inform efforts to focus on the whole child in education while supporting diverse learners. [For Brief 1 in the series, see ED616537. For the Executive Summary, see ED616534.]

This brief is part of a five-part series that reports findings from research conducted by ACT in collaboration with Region One Education Service Center. This brief focuses on family engagement with social and emotional learning (SEL) and includes results from surveys administered to two samples of parents/family members, one sample within Region One and one national sample. The goal of the study was to better understand parents' and family members' familiarity with and attitudes toward SEL for themselves and for their school-age children. The study examined attitudes toward SEL with a sample of families from Region One and a larger, geographically distributed sample of parents and families. Results show positive attitudes and perceptions of SEL from family members. These results are promising because positive attitudes increase the likelihood that family members are willing to participate in SEL programming. Future research can continue to examine partnerships between educators and families to develop student SE skills, especially with families from historically underrepresented communities. [For Brief 4 in the series, see ED616540. For the Executive Summary, see ED616534.]

This issue brief is part of a five-part series that reports findings from research conducted by ACT in collaboration with Region One Education Service Center. This brief focuses on the efficacy of SEL lessons implemented during the 2019-2020 school year and examines their relationship to school-reported student outcomes such as grades, attendance, and conduct. The goals of the study were to better understand the effects of SEL programming on student outcomes and to explore other factors related to efficacy, such as lesson dosage and fidelity of implementation. Results of the study suggest time and effort are required to provide the sustained implementation of programming that may be necessary to produce long-term benefits to students. Findings from the current study also underscore the importance of a structured implementation plan and continued monitoring of the fidelity and dosage of implementation. [For Brief 2 in the series, see ED616538. For the Executive Summary, see ED616534.]

This issue brief is part of a five-part series that reports findings from research conducted by ACT in collaboration with Region One Education Service Center. This brief focuses on establishing conditions for social and emotional learning (SEL) implementation and includes results from a survey administered to educators who attended a professional development series on SEL. The goal of the study was to better understand participants' progress and areas of need in implementing schoolwide SEL. The current study provides insight on how educators serving primarily Latinx students in low-income communities perceive their schools' progress toward schoolwide SEL implementation. Overarching needs that emerged from all rubric areas include more professional development opportunities, including opportunities that involve parents and the broader community, a detailed plan for implementation, an SEL team that meets regularly, more time dedicated to SEL, and budget to make SEL resources available to students and teachers on a sustainable basis. By working to support these areas, districts can empower schools to implement schoolwide SEL and better prepare students for college, career, and life. [For Brief 3 in the series, see ED616539. For the Executive Summary, see ED616534.]

This issue brief is part of a five-part series that reports findings from research conducted by ACT in collaboration with Region One Education Service Center. This study focuses on SEL implementation and includes results from surveys completed by educators and administrators who participated in an SEL implementation study during the 2019-2020 school year. The goal of the study was to better understand educators' and administrators' attitudes toward and beliefs about SEL prior to SEL implementation. This study utilized the Theory of Planned Behavior as an organizing framework through which to examine factors related to SEL implementation. Results show that while educators and administrators value SEL, they also perceive conditions within their schools that stand as barriers to implementation. Future research could continue to explore educators' and administrators' perspectives on SEL implementation under the Theory of Planned Behavior framework with larger, more heterogenous samples, and consider the impacts on implementation dosage and fidelity. [For the Executive Summary, see ED616534.]

Starting in the 2019-2020 school year, NewSchools Venture Fund awarded a research grant to ACT to better understand factors related to social and emotional learning (SEL). SEL lessons were implemented in schools serving students who were 96% Latinx, 85% economically disadvantaged, and 38% English learners during the 2019-2020 school year. The overarching goal of the research was to determine the efficacy of SEL lessons while also examining factors affecting SEL implementation. To understand the factors related to successful implementation, ACT sought perspectives from multiple stakeholders, including students, educators, administrators, and families. Findings are reported in a series of issue briefs, and each brief highlights findings gleaned from various stakeholders involved. This executive summary provides a broad overview of each component of the research, underscores key findings from each brief, and provides implications for research and practice.