Enhancing social-emotional and character development for youths' success : a theoretical orientation and an evaluation using a cluster-randomized design

Graduation date: 2011Interest in social-emotional and character development (SECD) programming has intensified in recent years. SECD-related programs often seek to enhance a variety of health-related outcomes by addressing multiple influences and embracing a comprehensive approach that includes youth, school personnel, families, and communities. Alongside a comprehensive approach arises the need for a comprehensive, integrative theory. To address this need, the first manuscript serves as 1) an empirical review of the SECD-related literature and 2) a theoretical orientation whereby the Theory of Triadic Influence provides a roadmap to guide the design and evaluation of SECD-related programs. \ud The second and third manuscripts examine one example of a SECD program, Positive Action (PA), utilizing data from the PA Hawai`i trial conducted from 2002-03 through 2005-06. The trial was a matched-pair, cluster-randomized, controlled trial that included 20 racially/ethnically diverse schools. Specifically, the second manuscript builds upon previous research and examines a mechanism whereby improvements in academic-related behaviors mediated the PA program effects on negative behaviors. Structural equation models, with a latent academic behavior mediator, indicated that students attending program schools reported significantly better academic behavior. Program effects on student-reported substance use, violence, and sexual activity were mediated by greater academic behavior. Teacher reports corroborated these results. \ud The third manuscript explores the impact of the PA program on school-level indicators of school quality, thereby examining the ability of a SECD program to create contextual, whole-school change. Teacher, parent, and student archival school-level data were analyzed to examine indicators of school quality such as student safety and well-being, involvement, and satisfaction, as well as overall school quality. Program schools demonstrated a significant improvement in individual indicators and overall school quality compared to control schools. Therefore, consistent with theory, a SECD program demonstrated the ability to enhance school quality and facilitate whole-school change