Abstract
Students attending disciplinary alternative schools are an at-risk population in need of social emotional learning interventions to learn how to better manage their behavior, build healthy relationships, improve their decision-making skills, and, thereby, be socially and academically successful. Using multiple methods within-case study, the researcher explored the perceptions of the students participating and the educational staff implementing SEL programs in two Florida disciplinary alternative schools on the effectiveness of the program on student academic, behavioral, and social emotional outcomes. Purposeful and convenient samplings were used to collect data from surveys on 21 educational staff members and 38 students, in addition to five semi-structured web-based interviews. Five factors emerged from the educator survey: (1) SEL practices/strategies, (2) educator perceptions on SEL effectiveness, (3) educator beliefs about SEL, (4) educator personal experience with SEL, and (5) student impact on SEL. Five factors emerged from the student survey as well: (1) SEL knowledge; (2) ASCA Mindsets: self-management, relationship skills, self-awareness, social awareness, and responsible decision making; (3) CASEL Competencies: self-management, relationship skills, responsible decision making, self-awareness; (4) self-awareness, self-management, and relationship skills, and (5) responsible decision making, social awareness, and relationship skills. The results from this study have implications for educators, policymakers, educational stakeholders, and educational leaders for SEL training, policy mandates, and SEL program implementation. Keywords: at-risk youth, teacher perceptions on social emotional learning, student perceptions, social emotional learning, alternative schools, social learning theories, and SEL programs/models