ADDRESSING STUDENT ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL UNDERACHEIVEMENT IN NINTH GRADE: THE IMPACT OF A SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING PROGRAM ON AT-RISK STUDENTS IN THE NINTH GRADE

The purpose of this action research study was to measure the impact of a social and emotional learning program on the academic and behavior of at-risk ninth-grade students. To address the purpose of this action research study, the following research questions guided this inquiry:1. How does the implementation of the social and emotional learning program impact the academic and behavior performance of academically at-risk ninth-grade students during their first year in high school? 2. How do school faculty and staff describe the necessary skills for ninth-grade students to experience academic and behavioral success in the first year of high school? 3. What can an action research team learn as they collaboratively develop and implement a social and emotional learning program? Under the guidance of action research, the research team reviewed artifacts of historical cohort performance, the examination of course academic performance, school-wide behavioral data, pre and post-interview transcripts, weekly student surveys, meeting notes from planning sessions, and team reflections to determine the impact of the interventions. Conclusions on how the implementation of a social and emotional learning program impacted at-risk student academic and behavior performance included increased academic performance, decreased negative behaviors, increased the need to develop relationships, supported the need for collaboration during the implementation phase, and the increased need to create engagement and involvement opportunities for all students in the school community. The study's findings had implications for future research on the impact of universal implementation of social and emotional learning programs at the secondary level and the impact of school-level administrative support on the implementation process and teacher buy-in.

INDEX WORDS: Social and Emotional Learning, At-Risk Students, Ninth-Grade Students, Interventions, Secondary School Level, Academic Performance, Behavior Performance