Groundbreaking New Research Reveals Second Step Human Skills Programs Significantly Boost Key Student Outcomes

Studies highlight notable improvements in school climate, student behavior, and academic performance

SEATTLE, May 5, 2025 Committee for Children, the global nonprofit and creator of the research-based Second Step human skills programs, announces the results of four new groundbreaking school climate studies conducted by San Francisco-based research firm WestEd. The findings reveal Second Step's digital programs for elementary and middle school deliver critically important outcomes for students, including increased academic motivation, reduced disciplinary referrals and suspensions, heightened prosocial behaviors, and strengthened family-school engagement, substantially outperforming their peers in non-implementing schools. The study was conducted in late fall 2024 to April 18, 2025, based on data collected during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years. The dataset included over 25,000 students in grades 3 to 8 across 242 schools in California, North Carolina, and South Carolina that implemented Second Step with at least 80% fidelity. The results are a major triumph for Second Step's newest generation of programs, affirming and continuing its legacy of effective, evidence-based programs that help students thrive both in the classroom and beyond.

"Findings like this are exciting and rare! These results affirm the significant impact of Second Step programs on school climate and student outcomes," said Andrea Lovanhill, CEO of Committee for Children. "By fostering academic motivation, reducing disciplinary issues, and enhancing positive behavior, Second Step is not only helping students excel in the classroom—it's equipping them with essential life skills for future success."

"These results affirm the significant impact of Second Step programs on school climate and student outcomes," said Andrea Lovanhill, CEO of Committee for Children.

The WestEd findings elevate the K-8 digital programs to evidence-based status, underscoring Second Step's impact as the go-to provider to improve the most important student outcomes. Second Step offers comprehensive PreK-12 curricula that equip children with human skills like emotion regulation, problem-solving, growth mindset, confidence, and resilience. These skills are integrated into daily classroom activities, providing students with the building blocks needed for academic achievement, digital well-being, and conflict management.

The new studies reviewed Second Step implementation across schools in California, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and merged the data with school-level demographics from the National Center for Educational Statistics. For each of the studies, school-level reading achievement data and student-level survey data focused on school climate, skills for learning, and well-being. To learn more about these studies, go to .

About Second Step: For four decades, Second Step has been providing educators with valuable tools to enhance the classroom experience, providing human skills curricula for Early Learning through Grade 12 and are used in 46,000 K-12 schools across all 50 states, reaching over 20 million children worldwide annually. Second Step also provides human skills curriculum for Bullying Prevention (K-5), Child Protection (PreK-5), Out-of-School Time (K-5), and programs for educators. Visit SecondStep.org to learn more.

About Committee for Children: Committee for Children is a global nonprofit organization founded in 1979 dedicated to promoting the safety and well-being of children through innovative research-based programs. Visit cfchildren.org to learn more.

About WestEd: WestEd is a nonpartisan research, development, and service agency dedicated to promoting excellence, improving learning, and increasing opportunities for children, youth, and adults. Visit wested.org to learn more.