Kids are more likely to feel connected to school if:
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They are connected to at least one adult at school
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They are challenged academically and supported in their learning
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They have friends at school
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They like school
Most curriculum interventions combine specific material and techniques to “challenge and support” students, with a plan to improve the social aspects of classrooms and schools. Below you will find program descriptions as well as links to research that supports these strategies.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, the Child Development Project (CDP) is “a comprehensive elementary school program designed to enhance children’s social and ethical development through systematic changes in the classroom and school environments.” The program fosters prosocial behaviors and works to increase intrinsic motivation to learn through three main curriculum areas: Cooperative LearningReading and Language Arts. The program includes buddies from different grades, tutoring, and community service projects. The fee for this comprehensive program is negotiated with individual schools/districts. Read the program evaluation here.
The Institute for Research and Reform in Education
First Things First is a program designed to reform schools on all levels. It seeks to improve relationships between students and adults, to increase the rigor and efficiacy of classroom teaching strategies and to reallocate resources (money, space, staff) more appropriately. According to the organization’s website, they use “small learning communities, the Family Advocate System and instructional improvement.” The desired outcome for the program is for students to graduate from high school with more ambitious educational and career goals. Click here for a thorough description of First Things First and an index of empirical evaluations.
CASEL’s program focuses on social-emotional learning, a set of skills that prepares students for academic success. With interventions ranging from pre-K to high school, CASEL seeks to increase self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, responsible decision making and relationship skills. Social-emotional learning is correlated with increased motivation to succeed, commitment to school work, positive health outcomes and less engagement in risky behavior, increased graduation and attendance rates and fewer expulsions and grade retentions. Click here to read about the link between academic success and social-emotional learning here. Click for some SEL activities and best practices.
The RAP program is a universal depression prevention program for schools. The program uses 11 group sessions to teach students behavioral control strategies, how to build and use support networks, perspective taking and problem-solving, themes which consistently arise in other school connectedness programs. Findings from the initial program indicate that school climate and connectedness are important for students’ mental health, and RAP is currently evaluating an intervention for teachers to implement in the classroom.
