As your school prepares for next year’s school improvement plan, make sure you are at the table advocating for presenting your evidence-based programs to students in the classroom and in your small group counseling groups. There has never been a more important time for school counselors to show their impact on student achievement, behavior, and well-being.  Check out the newest research on our Student Success Skills programs below and visit our website for a summary you can download to present to your administration and teachers.

Three Recent Meta-analyses Highlighting SSS Research

Meta-analysis of social and emotional learning interventions delivered by school counselors

  Matthew E. Lemberger-Truelove, Dan Li, Hyunhee Kim, LeAnn Wills, Kaleb          Thompson, Yung-Yu Lee. Journal of Counseling and Development. January, 2025

This was a 20-year review citing 28 studies of school counselor led interventions. Of the 28 studies identified, 14 were focused on Student Success Skills programs. All 14 studies showed positive impact of SSS programs.

School counselors in the classroom: A systematic review

Christopher D. Slaten, Jisu Lee, Carrie Wachter-Morris, Michael Steven Williams, Jenny Huynh

Journal of Counseling and Development, October, 2024

This was a 30-year review of studies showing school counselor impact of classroom program interventions. Of the 40 studies identified, 12 were focused on Student Success Skills programs. All 12 studies showed positive impact of SSS programs.

The effects of the Student Success Skills program on academic achievement and social-emotional skills and competence: A meta-analysis. Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling

Villares, E., Brigman, G, Carbonneau, K., Lemberger-Truelove, M., &. Bowers, H. Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling, 2023.https://doi.org/10.1080/23727810.2023.2236144

This was a 17-year review of Student Success Skills programs implemented by school counselors. A total of 13 studies were included, all showing positive impact on student performance.

Three recent SSS articles:

• Bowers, H., Villares, E., & Kwok, S. (2025). Elementary Special Education Students’ Engagement in the Exceptional Student Success Skills Program: A Mixed-Methods Study. Counseling Scholarship & Practice in Educational Communities, 1 (1) 1-31.
• Villares, E., Bowers, H., Brigman, G., & Bottini, C. (2024). The effects of Student Success Skills on attendance and emotion regulation. Journal of Counseling & Development, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12503
• Chance, E., Villares, E., Brigman, G., & Mariani, M. (2023). The Effects of the Ready for Success Classroom Program on Third-Grade Students’ Social/Emotional Skills and Competence. Professional School Counseling, 27(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X231182134