A Multisite Randomized Controlled Trial of the Second Step Middle School Program

A Multisite Randomized Controlled Trial of the Second Step Middle School Program is sponsored by Institute of Education Sciences (IES). A randomized controlled trial assessing the impact of the Second Step program on middle school students' social-emotional competencies and academic outcomes.

Research Validating Efficacy of Human Skills Curricula | Second Step® }) to set unique ID for a customer. --> Grounded in research and evidence-based practices We take great pride in the fact that Second Step programs are based on current research in the field.

Translating research findings into key components of our programs helps us design our curricula to be effective in learning environments and proven effective by independent studies.

Independent studies representing more than 25,000 students show that the Second Step® Elementary and Second Step® Middle School digital programs deliver critically important outcomes for students, including increased academic motivation, improved school climate, reduced disciplinary referrals and suspensions, heightened prosocial behaviors, and strengthened family-school engagement.

Committed to continuous improvement Committee for Children’s research team is deeply involved in the development process for each program we create, from initial conceptualization to continuous improvement efforts after program release.

The team ensures programs reflect up-to-date scholarship and leads research partnerships with educator and field-leader advisory groups, as well as field-test sites, to gather and respond to expert feedback on our programs. Randomized control trials and quasi-experimental trials of Second Step® programs provide evidence of the programs’ effectiveness.

This section provides an overview of these studies, organized by program, and includes links to the published research.

Second Step® Elementary digital program Increased Academic Motivation, Prosocial Behavior, and Parental Involvement Shown in Students Who Received the Second Step® Elementary Digital Program Findings from an independent quasi-experimental study show significant evidence of positive program effects in schools using the Second Step Elementary digital program.

Specifically, students in schools that implemented this program with sufficient fidelity reported significantly higher levels of academic motivation, prosocial behavior, and parental involvement in schooling compared to a matched sample of peers in non-implementing schools. Gage, N. A.

, Ulrich, T. , Grasley-Boy, N. , & Lee, R.

(2025). The effect of Second Step on elementary students’ perceptions of a healthy school climate . WestEd.

Improved Self-Management Skills and a Reduction in Out-of-School Suspensions Shown for Students who Receive the Second Step® Elementary Digital Program Findings from an independent study using data from over 23,000 students in a large, diverse school district in North Carolina show that using the Second Step Elementary digital program with fidelity led to significant improvements in students’ self-management skills and a meaningful reduction in out-of-school suspensions.

Gage, N. A. (2025).

The impact of the Second Step program on elementary students’ social and emotional skills, exclusionary discipline, and attendance . WestEd.

Second Step® Middle School digital program Second Step® Middle School Enhances Students’ Perceptions of School Climate Compelling evidence from an independent quasi-experimental study shows that using Second Step Middle School can meaningfully enhance students’ perceptions of school climate, including teacher-student relationships, school belonging, and overall school environment. Gage, N. A.

, & Ulrich, T. (2025). The effect of Second Step on middle school students’ perceptions of a healthy school climate .

WestEd.

Second Step® Middle School Leads to Better Teacher-Student Relationships, Greater School Belonging, Improved English Language Arts Performance, and Reductions in Behavioral Infractions Findings from a two-year, independent quasi-experimental study of 4,903 middle school students in a large school district in the Southeastern US showed significant improvements in English language arts (ELA) performance, substantial reductions in behavioral infractions (office referrals and in-school and out-of-school suspensions), and increased school attendance (about 2.

5 more days per year). Additionally, treated students reported better teacher-student relationships, greater school belonging, and improved perceptions of school climate. These multi-dimensional effects highlight the value of continuing to strengthen human skills during the challenging middle school years.

Gage, N. A. (2025).

The effects of Second Step on middle school students’ academic, behavioral, and social-emotional well-being . WestEd. Second Step® Early Learning Second Step® Early Learning Is Shown to Significantly Increase Executive Function, Which Leads to Kindergarten Readiness Executive function, a set of foundational cognitive skills, is strongly linked to young students’ kindergarten readiness and academic success.

Findings from a recent randomized control trial indicate that participation in Second Step Early Learning leads to significant increases in preschoolers’ executive function. Growth in preschoolers’ executive function subsequently predicted gains in students’ pre-academic skills and on-task behavior, which in turn predicted their kindergarten readiness. Wenz-Gross, M.

, Yoo, Y. , Upshur, C. C.

, & Gambino, A. J. (2018, October).

Pathways to kindergarten readiness: The roles of Second Step Early Learning curriculum and social emotional, executive functioning, preschool academic and task behavior skills. Frontiers in Psychology , 9 , 1886. https://doi.

org/10. 3389/fpsyg. 2018.

01886 Increased Executive-Function Skills Shown in Preschoolers Who Received Second Step® Early Learning A classroom randomized control trial was conducted using Second Step Early Learning compared to the most commonly used curricula in Head Start and community preschools. Children receiving Second Step Early Learning had significantly better end-of-preschool executive-function skills than students who didn’t receive the program.

Upshur, C. C. , Heyman, M.

, Wenz-Gross, M. (2017). Efficacy trial of the Second Step Early Learning (SSEL) curriculum: Preliminary outcomes.

Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology , 50 , 15–25. https://doi. org/10.

1016/j. appdev. 2017.

03. 004 Second Step® Elementary classroom kits (Conducted with the 2011 Edition) Improvements in Prosocial Skills, Empathy, Conduct Shown with Second Step® Elementary Classroom Kits This study (the first with the 2011 edition of Second Step Elementary) conducted a randomized control trial over a one-year period with 7,300 students and 321 teachers in 61 schools across six school districts, from Kindergarten to Grade 2.

Significant improvements in social-emotional competence and behavior were made by children who started the school year with lower baseline skills than their peers. Additionally, the number of lessons completed and student engagement were predictive of improved student outcomes. Low, S.

, Cook, C. R. , Smolkowski, K.

, & Buntain-Ricklefs, J. (2015). Promoting social–emotional competence: An evaluation of the elementary version of Second Step.

Journal of School Psychology , 53 , 463–477. https://doi. org/10.

1016/j. jsp. 2015.

09. 002 Second Step® Elementary Classroom Kits: Student Engagement and Number of Lessons Received Improved Both Social-Emotional and Academic Outcomes In a randomized control trial study, Kindergarten to Grade 2 students’ academic performance was increased only when they received the intervention with high implementation fidelity.

Compared to students in low implementation fidelity classrooms, students who were more engaged in the lessons showed small but significant improvement in oral reading fluency and decreases in disruptive classroom behavior. Students who participated in more lessons had increased on-task behavior and improved math computation. Cook, C.

R. , Low, S. , Buntain-Ricklefs, J.

, Whitaker, K. , Pullmann, M. D.

, & Lally, J. (2018). Evaluation of Second Step on early elementary students’ academic outcomes: A randomized controlled trial.

School Psychology Quarterly , 33 (4), 561–572. https://doi. org/10.

1037/spq0000233 Two-Year Study Found Second Step® Elementary Increased Social and Emotional Skills and Decreased Disruptive Behaviors in K–2 Students In a two-year randomized control trial, students (Kindergarten to Grade 2 in year one) receiving Second Step Elementary had increased social and emotional skills and decreased disruptive behaviors compared to the control group.

These effects were strongest for students who had the lowest baseline skills at the beginning of the study. Both groups exhibited summer learning loss in their social and emotional skills, signaling a need to extend human skills instruction through the summer. Low, S.

, Smolkowski, K. , Cook, C. , & Desfosses, D.

(2019). Two-year impact of a universal social-emotional learning curriculum: Group differences from developmentally sensitive trends over time. Developmental Psychology , 55 (2), 415–433.

https://doi. org/10. 1037/dev0000621 Second Step® Middle School classroom kits (Conducted with the 2008 Edition) Physical Aggression 42 Percent Less Likely Thirty-six middle schools in the Chicago and Wichita areas participated in an evaluation of Second Step Middle School classroom kits.

Schools in the study were randomly assigned to teach either Second Step Middle School or be control schools. After one year, sixth-graders in schools that implemented Second Step Middle School were 42 percent less likely to say they were involved in physical aggression compared to sixth-graders in schools that didn’t implement the program. Espelage, D.

L. , Low, S. , Polanin, J.

R. , & Brown, E. C.

(2013). The impact of a middle school program to reduce aggression, victimization, and sexual violence. Journal of Adolescent Health , 53 (2), 180–186.

https://doi. org/10. 1016/j.

jadohealth. 2013. 02.

021 Twenty Percent Reduction in Bullying by Students with Disabilities This three-year study followed 123 students with disabilities from sixth through eighth grade. The 47 students in the intervention group received Second Step® lessons during these three years. The control group of 76 students received no Second Step lessons.

The study found that bullying by students with disabilities decreased by one-fifth during this three-year period of middle school among the intervention group participating in Second Step programs. Espelage, D. L.

, Polanin, J. R. , & Rose, C.

A. (2015). Social-emotional learning program to reduce bullying, fighting, and victimization among middle school students with disabilities.

Remedial and Special Education , 36 (5), 299–311. https://doi. org/10.

1177/0741932514564564 Second Step® Out-of-School Time Second Step® Out-of-School Time Leads to a Significant Reduction in Student Problem Behaviors and an Increase in Prosocial Skills An independent cluster-randomized trial evaluated 71 after-school sites in Chicago, IL.

Students who received Second Step Out-of-School Time showed significant reductions in staff-rated problem behaviors, including conduct behaviors, difficulty engaging with others, and impulsive behavior. The data also shows an increase in human skills like self-regulation, empathy, and perspective-taking. xSEL Labs.

(2024). Evaluating the impact of the Second Step® Out-of-School Time program .

Second Step® Child Protection Unit PreK to Grade 4 Students Participating in the Second Step® Child Protection Unit Increased Knowledge About Child Sexual Abuse and Improved Relationships with Their Teachers A randomized control trial tested the effects of the Second Step Child Protection Unit on PreK to Grade 4 students’ conceptual knowledge of child sexual abuse and their recognition, reporting, and refusal of unsafe touches.

Compared to the control group, students who participated in the six-week curriculum had increased conceptual knowledge about child sexual abuse. This effect was strongest for younger versus older students and for girls versus boys. In addition, the Child Protection Unit improved the students’ relationship with their teacher.

Nickerson, A. B. , Tulledge, J.

, Manges, M. , Kesselring, S. , Parks, T.

, Livingston, J. A. , & Dudley, M.

(2019). Randomized controlled trial of the Child Protection Unit: grade and gender as moderators of CSA prevention concepts in elementary students. Child Abuse & Neglect ,* 96*.

https://doi. org/10. 1016/j.

chiabu. 2019. 104101 Teaching the Second Step® Child Protection Unit Increases Educators’ Knowledge About Child Sexual Abuse and Improves Relationships with Students A randomized control trial tested the effects of the Second Step Child Protection Unit on teachers’ knowledge of and attitudes toward child sexual abuse and teacher-student relationships.

Teachers completed surveys before the training and after teaching the unit. Compared to the control group, teachers who completed the Child Protection Unit had higher child sexual abuse-related knowledge and improved relationships with students. Kim, S.

, Nickerson, A. , Livingston, J. A.

, Dudley, M. , Manges, M. , Tulledge, J.

, & Allen, K. (2019). Teacher outcomes from the Second Step Child Protection Unit: Moderating roles of prior preparedness and treatment acceptability.

Journal of Child Sexual Abuse , 28 (6), 726–744. https://doi. org/10.

1080/10538712. 2019. 1620397 Higher Adherence to Second Step® Implementation Increased Student Knowledge of Child Sexual Abuse Prevention One Year Later This article explores the effect of teachers’ implementation fidelity when teaching the Second Step Child Protection Unit.

Teachers were observed teaching Child Protection Unit lessons and rated on adherence to content, teacher quality (teacher enthusiasm, encouragement of student behavior, and use of behavior-management strategies), and dosage received (student engagement in lessons).

Only adherence predicted student knowledge: Teachers who adhered to the content more had students who had greater knowledge of child sexual abuse prevention 12 months after the intervention. Manges, M. E.

, & Nickerson, A. B. (2020).

Student knowledge gain following the Second Step Child Protection Unit: The influence of treatment integrity. Prevention Science , 21 , 1037–1047. https://doi.

org/10. 1007/s11121-020-01146-y Increased Parent Knowledge About and Motivation to Discuss Child Sexual Abuse Prevention A randomized control trial examined the effects of the Second Step Child Protection Unit’s family videos* on parents’ knowledge, motivation, and self-reported communication with their child about personal safety and childhood sexual abuse (CSA) prevention.

Parents who watched the videos had significant increases in knowledge about CSA and parental motivation to have conversations with their children about personal safety and CSA at a two-month follow-up compared to those who did not watch the videos. *Also publicly available at EarlyOpenOften. org and in Spanish at abiertoyamenudo.

org Nickerson, A. B. , Livingston, J.

A. , Kamper-DeMarco, K. (2018).

Evaluation of Second Step child protection videos: A randomized controlled trial. Child Abuse & Neglect , 76 , 10–22. https://doi.

org/10. 1016/j. chiabu.

2017. 10. 001 Making the case for human skills instruction These seminal studies present field-level and longitudinal evidence for the positive effects of strengthening human skills.

Human Skills Interventions Have Positive, Lasting Impact for K–12 Students In a follow-up to their groundbreaking 2011 meta-analysis, CASEL and collaborating researchers have found that students from kindergarten to high school significantly benefit from school-based, universal human skills interventions.

This meta-analysis, released in July 2017, evaluated results of nearly 97,500 students in 82 schools, and the effects were assessed six months to 18 years after the program had ended. The study shows that 3. 5 years after their last human skills intervention, students fared markedly better academically than their peers in control groups by an average of 13 percentile points, based on eight studies that measured academics.

Additionally, researchers saw that conduct problems, emotional distress, and drug use were much lower for students with exposure to human skills instruction than those without. The study also indicates that—regardless of race, socioeconomic background, or school location—students showed significant positive benefits one year post-intervention.

This finding suggests that human skills interventions can support the positive development of students from diverse family backgrounds or geographical contexts. Read the full report. (PDF) Taylor, R.

D. , Oberle, E. , Durlak, J.

A. , & Weissberg, R. P.

(2017). Promoting positive youth development through school-based social and emotional learning interventions: a meta-analysis of follow-up effects. Child Development , 88 (4), 1156–1171.

https://doi. org/10. 1111/cdev.

12864 Human Skills Programs Studied Return $11 for Every $1 Invested This pioneering report from Columbia University details a benefit-cost analysis evaluating six human skills interventions (including Second Step® programs) that shows an average return on investment of $11 for every dollar spent. Until now, there has been little to no data to show policymakers and grant givers the economic benefits of human skills curriculum.

The researchers acknowledge the limitations of imprecise data and say their conservative estimates may not capture the full benefits of the human skills programs evaluated. Known benefits of the interventions studied include: reductions in child aggression, substance abuse, delinquency, and violence; lower levels of depression and anxiety; and increased grades, attendance, and performance in core academic subjects. Read the full report.

(PDF) Belfield, C. , Bowden, B. , Klapp, A.

, Levin, H. , Shand, R. , & Zander, S.

(2015). The economic value of social and emotional learning. Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis , 6 (3), 508–544.

https://doi. org/10. 1017/bca.

2015. 55 Social Competence in Kindergarten a Predictor of Future Outcomes In a study released in July 2015 that examined nearly 20 years of data from the Fast Track Project, researchers found that teacher-rated social competence in kindergarten consistently and significantly predicted outcomes in education, employment, criminal justice, substance use, and mental health into adulthood.

Kindergartners with higher social competence scores were measurably more likely to attain a college degree, more likely to earn a high school diploma, and more likely to have a full-time job at age 25. Read the full report. (PDF) Jones, D.

E. , Greenberg, M. , and Crowley, M.

(2015). Early social-emotional functioning and public health: The relationship between kindergarten social competence and future wellness. American Journal of Public Health , 105 , 2283–2290.

https://doi. org/10. 2105/AJPH.

2015. 302630 How Human Skills Instruction Helps Prevent Bullying Research has shown that building the social and emotional competence of students is an important component of effective bullying prevention. This article examines how human skills development contributes to bullying prevention efforts in schools and discusses specific skills that can be taught to students to help prevent bullying.

Read the full report. (PDF) Smith, B. H.

, & Low, S. (2013). The role of social-emotional learning in bullying prevention efforts.

Theory into Practice , 52 (4), 280–287. https://doi. org/10.

1080/00405841. 2013. 829731 Schoolwide Gains in Human Skills Development A meta-analysis of 213 school-based, universal human skills programs was conducted.

Compared to students who didn’t participate in a human skills program, those who did showed significant improvements in social and emotional skills, attitudes, behavior, and academic performance that reflected an 11-percentile-point achievement gain. Read the full report. (PDF) Durlak, J.

A. , Weissberg, R. P.

, Dymnicki, A. B. , Taylor, R.

D. , & Schellinger, K. B.

(2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development , 82 (1), 405–432.

https://doi. org/10. 1111/j.

1467-8624. 2010. 01564.

x Second Step® Early Learning Review of Research (PDF) Second Step® Elementary Classroom Kits Review of Research (PDF) Second Step® Elementary Digital Program Review of Research (PDF) Second Step® Middle School Review of Research (PDF) Second Step® High School Review of Research (PDF) Second Step® Out-of-School Time Review of Research (PDF) Second Step® SEL for Adults Review of Research (PDF) Second Step® Bullying Prevention Unit Review of Research (PDF) Second Step® Child Protection Unit Review of Research (PDF) Second Step is a registered trademark of Committee for Children