SEL in Context: School Mobility and Social-Emotional Learning Trajectories in a Low-Income, Urban School District

Abstract

Social-emotional competencies (SECs) stand to benefit children in a myriad of ways. However, school-based social-emotional learning (SEL) programs are often ineffective in low-income, urban school districts, calling into question whether they adequately address student needs. The present study investigated whether and how one source of stress more common in these communities—school mobility—impacted SEL for predominantly African American students living in a low-income, urban district. Using a series of multi-level growth models, we found that school mobility was only detrimental (on average) under certain circumstances—for example, when students moved to schools with worse relative levels of school safety. These findings suggest that SEL programs should address school climate and safety in addition to individual-level competencies.