The Project: PEAK
Evaluating the effectiveness of a classwide social skills program.Positive, Engaged, Achieving Kids (PEAK) is a national study to evaluate the effectiveness of a classroom social skills curriculum in early elementary grades. Our team will collect information about how teachers like the program and how students respond to it. Specifically, we will measure whether students’ social skills, classroom behaviors, and academic skills change in response to the curriculum.
Who can participate?
The project will focus on first and second grade classrooms at school sites across the country.
Will it cost anything to participate?
All curricular materials (manuals, videos, student booklets) will be provided at no cost to schools participating in our study. Pending district approval, teachers will also be compensated for time spent on study activities and students will receive educational materials (trade books, notepads, pencils) for their involvement in the project.
What is required of teachers?
After teachers provide consent to participate, some teachers will be assigned to teach the program to their students immediately, and the remaining teachers will have the opportunity to implement the program the following year. All teachers will complete questionnaires about their students and classroom at different points in the year. We anticipate these questionnaires taking approximately 4-6 hours of time (total) across the school year. We know teachers have many demands on their time and very much appreciate their consideration of this project. As a thank you for their involvement, teachers will be compensated for time spent in data collection activities (pending district approval).
What are the benefits of participation?
PEAK provides an opportunity to bring universal social skills instruction into primary classrooms, while helping to inform national understanding about the social-emotional learning programs.
Can my school or district participate?
We’d love to discuss possibilities with you! We are currently recruiting sites for 2022 and beyond. Contact us here, and we will gladly pass along additional informational materials about PEAK that you can share with your colleagues.
Interested?
We’d be happy to share information and additional materials at no cost to your classroom, school, or district.
Connect With PEAK
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