Adaptations to Social Emotional Learning Programs: A Study on Toolbox

Introduction: Nearly 20% of youth have mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders (Kessler et al., 2009; O’Connell, Boat, & Warner, 2009).  An array of interventions, including social emotional learning (SEL) programs, have been designed to prevent such disorders in youth by promoting positive psychosocial development. Implementation researchers have found adaptations to these interventions to be the “rule rather than the exception” (Moore, 2013, p 148), often to adapt prevention programming to cultural context (Castro et al., 2004; Ferrer et al., 2011). “Culturally blind” programs may impede community participation and hinder the success of the intervention for all students (Castro et al., 2004). However, more work is needed to understand how prevention programs are being adapted.  A study of TOOLBOX, a SEL program implemented in over 100 schools across 30 cities, provides an opportunity to understand the extent and nature of adaptations in classroom settings including the extent to which culture informed adaptation decisions.

Methods: The demographic composition of students served by the Berkeley Unified School District is 24% Latino, 20% black, 35% white, and 21% other races. Data were collected through online surveys and interviews with teachers implementing TOOLBOX™ during the 2014-15 school year within this district. The survey yielded a 73% response rate district-wide.  A thematic analysis of open-ended survey items explored reasons for adaptations. Subsequent in-depth interviews were conducted in order to further understand curriculum adaptation.  

Results: Over 80% of teachers adapted TOOLBOX™ in some way (i.e. additions/deletions, changes to the curriculum, etc). The qualitative analysis yielded trends in reasons for adaptation including:  age-appropriateness, time constraints, creative and engaging additions. A common theme involved adaptations that were aimed at making the curriculum more culturally responsive and applicable to the real world situations.  Interviewees identified ways the curriculum could be more connected to the culture, language, struggles, and  social contexts that characterized the students’ home lives and communities. Participant suggestions for the cultural adaptation of TOOLBOX™, and the process of making cultural adaptations, will be discussed.

Conclusion: This study highlights the adaptations made to a SEL prevention intervention. Programs are modified by practitioners to fit the environments and communities in which they are being implemented. These adaptations are of great interest to program developers, practitioners, social justice advocates, and prevention scientists, and require more extensive study in their natural contexts. This study demonstrates the value of mixed-methods research for understanding program adaptation (Palinkas et al., 2013).