Mosaic by ACT: Social Emotional Learning Screener Technical Manual

Industry Overview - The Mosaic by ACT Social Emotional Learning Screener assesses social emotional skills in elementary, middle, and high school students, measuring skills such as Sustaining Effort, Getting Along with Others, and Maintaining Composure [9] - The screener also evaluates two dimensions of school climate: Relationships with School Personnel and School Safety [9] - The elementary school screener uses image-based Likert items, while middle and high school screeners use forced-choice items for social emotional skills and text-based Likert items for school climate perceptions [9] - The screener can be completed online in 5–7 minutes, with elementary school screener containing 23 items and middle/high school screeners containing 30 items each [9] Framework and Definitions - Social emotional skills are defined as interpersonal, self-regulatory, and task-related behaviors important for adaptation and success in educational and workplace settings [12] - These skills are linked to the Behavioral Skills portion of ACT's Holistic Framework, which is based on the Big Five personality factors [13] - The framework aligns with the five competencies outlined by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) [14] - School climate dimensions, such as Relationships with School Personnel and School Safety, are positively associated with student motivation, self-regulation, and social engagement [15] Assessment and Scoring - The elementary school assessment measures three social emotional skills and two school climate dimensions using Likert items, with 12 items for social emotional skills and 8 items for school climate [17][18] - Middle and high school assessments measure five social emotional skills and two school climate dimensions, with 30 items for social emotional skills and 15 items for school climate [20][22] - Scores are norm-based, with students receiving scores from 1 (Developing) to 4 (Mastering) for each skill and school climate area [24][25] - Reports flag students who score 1 in any category, indicating a need for further skill development [25] Reliability and Validity - Reliability estimates for elementary school screener scales range from α = .63 to α = .79, with similar reliability found in middle and high school screeners [35][64][88] - Convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity evidence supports the screener's effectiveness, with social emotional skills correlating most highly with their respective Big Five factors [38][66][92] - Students scoring at the Developing level for social emotional skills or school climate had significantly lower academic performance and less positive attitudes toward school [43][44][72][107] Subgroup Differences - Subgroup differences by grade, gender, and race/ethnicity were evaluated, with small but significant differences observed across various scales [48][52][55][74][77][109][112][114] - Females scored higher than males on Getting Along with Others and Relationships with School Personnel, while males scored higher on Maintaining Composure [52][112] - White students generally scored higher than other racial/ethnic groups on most scales, with Black students scoring lower on several measures [55][114]