Caring School Community

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Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade

About the Intervention

Caring School Community (CSC), formerly the Child Development Project, is a multiyear school improvement program for students in grades K-6 that aims to promote core values, prosocial behavior, and a schoolwide feeling of community. The program consists of four elements: (1) class meeting lessons that provide teachers and students with a forum to discuss issues, solve problems collaboratively, and make classroom decisions; (2) cross-age buddies programs pairing older and younger students for academic and recreational activities; (3) homeside activities—short conversational activities sent home with students to discuss with parents or caregivers and then share back in the classroom; and (4) schoolwide community-building activities bringing students, parents, and school staff together to create new school traditions. All four components are designed to be introduced over the course of one year. Teachers participate in a one-day workshop to explore program components, discuss ways to build caring environments, learn facilitation strategies, and view classroom practice videos.

Statistical Findings

Positive effect on spontaneous prosocial behavior

Positive effect on supportive, friendly and helpful behavior

More Intervention Details

Focus Areas

Social-Emotional Learning

Programs & Services

General Education

Delivery Methods

Face-to-Face

Disability Support

N/A

Target Groups

Student(s), Teachers/Instructional Teams, Schoolwide Policy

Source

U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse. (2007). Caring School Community (CSC). Retrieved from https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/WWC/intervention/103.

Study Demographics

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Other Participant Characteristics

Geographical Setting

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