SEL for All: Measuring Up RULER to Promote SEL Access and Outcomes for All Learners

We are looking for general and special educators and their students in U.S. elementary schools who are interested in helping us identify and test specific malleable factors within the design and implementation of RULER that can be improved under the UDL framework.

Classroom participation will include:

• 6 structured interviews with students with learning differences (either 2 learners x 3 interviews each, or 3 learners x 2 interviews, respectively)
• 3–6 focus groups with students
• 3–6 structured classroom observations
• 3–6 debrief interviews with educators following each observation

School Advise-and-Design teams will include:

• 1 Youth Team featuring representation from students with and without learning differences across grades, reflecting the diversity of the school settings.
• 1 Educator Team featuring half educators who are participating as classroom labs and half educators who are implementing without study support. To the degree possible, these teams will reflect the diversity of the school community.
• Each team will meet 5 times across the academic year (estimated October, November, December, February, and March). Youth and educator teams will mix for design work in February and March, and be joined by RULER content team members and/or UDL/CRT instructional designers.

All data we collect will be kept private, and will only be accessible to members of the research team. We will not provide or share any information that individually identifies schools, staff, or students. All data will be anonymous in any reporting of research findings and will become anonymous upon completion of the study.

Anticipated Timeline: August 1, 2021—December 31, 2022.

As a result of participating in our study, educators may learn and adopt novel and appropriate strategies to support diverse learners in benefiting from the RULER curriculum. By reflecting on their teaching behaviors, participants’ pedagogical awareness also may increase and inform their teaching practice. Additionally, students may learn more about themselves and their peers, and practice leading efforts towards inclusion through co-construction of a supportive school climate. Further, study participation is part of a larger effort to improve access to SEL and outcomes for diverse learners. Accordingly, all participating schools will receive a report (using de-identified aggregate-level data) at the conclusion of the study with summary findings and recommendations for classroom pedagogical practice improvement.

If you would like to become involved as a research partner in our work, please fill out this brief form indicating your interest.

Each participating school will receive $1,000 per year for participation. Educators can receive up to $500 in compensation per year, and students can receive up to $100 in material incentives per year, depending on the activities they engage in.

We welcome other elementary schools from your district or network.

After you fill out the interest form, if you or your students/school are eligible to participate in the study, we will reach out to provide you with the necessary consent forms for participation.

Yes! Please contact Lauren Naples for more information.