Bridging Research, Practice, & Policy in Education

Researchers from the Education Collaboratory at Yale Child Study Center (YCSC) will share findings from their evidence-based work to advance the science of social and emotional learning (SEL) at a national conference this October. The annual conference, convened by the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE) will be held in Chicago, Illinois from October 8-11, 2025. The theme of this year’s conference is “Education in Context: Research, Systems, and the Future of Evidence-Based Change.”

Two of the YCSC presenters, Sophie Barnes, PhD, and Michael McCarthy, PhD, received travel awards to support their participation at the conference. Barnes was the recipient of a YCSC postdoctoral travel award and McCarthy received a SREE presenter travel award.

Areas of focus for the YCSC presentations are summarized below. The research is supported by non-presenting authors including Associate Professor of Psychiatry Michael Strambler, PhD; and Cheyeon Ha, PhD, a former YCSC postdoctoral associate and current assistant professor at University of Southern California.

“Together, these presentations showcase the Education Collaboratory’s commitment to bridging research, practice, and policy—from rigorous meta-analyses on SEL effectiveness and implementation to navigating the political challenges of evidence-based education reform,” comments Education Collaboratory Director Christina Cipriano, PhD, who also serves as an associate professor at YCSC.

In a paper symposium titled “Policy Practice, and Politics of SEL: Evidence for Action,” Barnes will explore how SEL program implementation—including quality assurance factors such as adherence, dosage, and delivery quality—shapes intervention outcomes.

In a paper symposium organized by Vanderbilt University Professor Jason Chow, PhD, and titled “Methodological Advances that Expand the Relevance, Scope, and Utility of Research Synthesis in Education,” presenting author Cipriano will introduce methodological challenges and necessary decision-making to execute a living systematic review (LSR) of U.S. school-based SEL interventions. “Unlike traditional reviews that quickly become outdated, an LSR provides a continuously updated evidence base, making findings timelier and more relevant for decision-makers,” says Cipriano.

In a symposium panel with discussant Wendy Wei, PhD, of Arnold Ventures and titled “Driving Evidence-Based Change in SEL and Beyond through Rigor, Relevance, and Representation” Barnes, Cipriano, McCarthy, and Strambler will showcase new ways evidence can inform SEL practice and policy. Their presentations will cover three main topics, including a meta-analysis of SEL programs, a qualitative study of education stakeholders, and findings from the first LSR of SEL, conducted from 2020–2023 with results from over 100,000 students and 500 outcomes.

“This panel highlights how rigorous, accessible, and up-to-date evidence can strengthen SEL’s impact and relevance in today’s education landscape,” shares Cipriano. The session will introduce the new, free, public online dashboard with interactive meta-analytic results, visualizations, and stakeholder-informed design.