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In a year-long evaluation study of nearly 3,000 elementary school students participating in the Second Step Out-of-School Time (OST) program, findings showed a significant decrease in problem behavior for students who received the program, compared to students in the control group.

Analysis of a large-scale, randomized control trial reveals that among sixth-grade students who received the Second Step Middle School program, bullying victimization perpetrated by students with disabilities was reduced by 20 percent.

In a large-scale, multi-year randomized control trial involving 6,715 sixth-grade students, those who received Second Step Middle School were 42 percent less likely to report engaging in physical aggression.

A large-scale, two-year randomized control trial found that Second Step Elementary led to increases in executive function, emotional regulation, and other social-emotional competencies, and simultaneously decreased hostile attribution and disruptive behavior.

In a large multi-year study involving 61 elementary schools, authors found that when students engaged with the Second Step Elementary Classroom Kits program and received more lessons, they showed significant growth in both prosocial skills and academic achievement.

Students who received the Second Step Elementary Classroom Kits human skills program showed significant improvements in teacher-rated prosocial behaviors, empathy, conduct, and emotional symptoms, as well as significant decreases in teacher-rated peer problems. Students who were taught fewer Second Step Elementary Classroom Kits lessons showed fewer gains and significant increases in peer problems.

Preschoolers who participated in the Second Step Early Learning program performed better on two measures of executive function than their peers who did not participate. Executive function is a strong predictor of kindergarten readiness, academic performance, and social competence.

Executive function, a set of foundational cognitive skills, is strongly linked to young students’ kindergarten readiness and academic success. Findings from a recent randomized control trial indicate that participation in Second Step Early Learning leads to significant increases in preschoolers’ executive function. Growth in preschoolers’ executive function subsequently predicted gains in students’ pre-academic skills and on-task behavior, which in turn predicted their kindergarten readiness.