SEL Is Adaptive: Exploring Implementation Integrity Through SEL Adaptations in OST Settings

Although social emotional learning (SEL) is generally regarded as beneficial for children, there is an enduring tension between the need to observe fidelity to SEL programming (to reach desired outcomes) and the need to adapt SEL programming (to make implementation more feasible in a given setting). This tension can be heightened in out-of-school time (OST) settings, which are often not considered in the design of traditional SEL programming. The perspective presented in this paper examines the fidelity–adaptation dilemma by describing the SEL adaptations of one OST practitioner to illustrate integrity-centered, effective SEL implementation. As such, we consider this paper a “case illustration.” We begin by presenting the characteristics of OST settings that create unique opportunities and challenges for SEL implementation. We summarize the tension between fidelity, integrity, and program adaptations, and we position an intervention called SEL Kernels as a flexible, adaptable SEL solution for OST settings. Next, we describe recent research on SEL Kernels in OST settings in the American Midwest and present a compelling case illustration that centers the SEL Kernels implementation of one afterschool practitioner whose work strikes a noteworthy balance between integrity and adaptation. We outline our process for coding and mapping her adaptations onto high-quality SEL implementation practices, which are essential for effective learning. Finally, we present our findings as a series of classroom challenges surmounted by integrity-centered, effective adaptations to SEL Kernels. Possible future directions for this work include the continued collection and coding of integrity-centered adaptations to SEL Kernels in OST to learn more about what drives those adaptations, how they are implemented, and how to make them successful for a wider population of OST practitioners.