The study established a 500-point benchmark, representing the expected level of SEL competency for students at their respective grades. Students who scored above 500 demonstrated strong SEL skills, those at 500 met expectations, while those below 500 needed additional support to develop these competencies.

Key Performance Insights.

Empathy: Understanding and Connecting with Others

The ability to recognize and respond to emotions is fundamental for student leadership. The highest-performing class in empathy was Grade 6 at one of the grade  6 classes, where students consistently scored above 500. However, Grade 4 students across various schools exhibited significant disparities, with scores ranging from 350 to 650.

• Success Spotlight: A cluster of Grade 5 students scoring above 600 demonstrated exceptional empathy, showing a strong correlation between their self-perceptions and performance in assessments.
• Growth Opportunity: Several Grade 6 classes , scored below 450, highlighting the need for continued nurturing of empathy skills in upper grades.

Communication: The Bridge to Understanding

Communication is a core skill in student leadership, enabling learners to express themselves clearly and engage in meaningful dialogue.

• Top Performers:
  • Grade 6 students excelled in formal communication task , where students consistently scored above 550.
  • Several students across different schools achieved scores above 700, showcasing exceptional communication abilities.
• Areas for Development:
  • Grade 4 students showed significant variation in communication skills.
  • a Grade 4 class in Kisumu recorded consistently low communication scores, indicating a need for targeted interventions.
  • Self-report scores were often higher than performance scores, suggesting potential gaps in self-awareness.

Collaboration: Strength in Unity

Collaboration fosters teamwork and problem-solving—essential skills for learners. Our data revealed that collaboration can be systematically nurtured through intentional strategies.

• High-Performance Indicators:
  • a school in Nairobi demonstrated strong collaboration, with students scoring above 575, indicating effective implementation of cooperative learning strategies.
  • Grade 5 students, across multiple schools, consistently scored above 600 in self-report and performance assessments.
• Challenges:
  • a Grade 6 class in Machakos reported particularly low collaboration scores.
  • Grade 4 students demonstrated the greatest need for structured collaborative exercises.
  • Large discrepancies between self-report and performance assessments highlight the need for better alignment.

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Challenges Faced by Students

Several behavioral and environmental factors influenced student performance:

• Limited Peer Engagement: Some students preferred seeking help from research assistants rather than engaging with peers, indicating a lack of confidence in group discussions.
• Disruptions & Distractions: Some learners caused disturbances or struggled to focus, affecting their individual and collective performance.
• Social Dynamics: Shifting group formations to be with friends negatively impacted team performance, while occurrences of bullying and exclusion affected participation, particularly in Grade 6.

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Actionable Coaching Interventions

To address these challenges and enhance SEL skills, we propose the following interventions:

For Classes Scoring Below 500:

• Schedule weekly observations to assess SEL integration in lessons.
• Develop lesson plans that explicitly incorporate SEL activities.
• Implement bi-weekly progress monitoring to track student growth.

For Classes Scoring Above 500:

• Encourage peer learning by allowing high-performing students to mentor their peers.
• Foster cross-classroom collaboration to share best practices.
• Conduct peer observation sessions to replicate successful strategies across different classrooms.

Grade-Specific Recommendations:

• Grade 4: Focus on foundational SEL skills, emotional vocabulary development, and safe spaces for practice.
• Grade 5: Expand on peer collaboration, introduce complex emotional discussions, and encourage student-led SEL initiatives.
• Grade 6: Implement targeted perspective-taking exercises, provide leadership opportunities, and create cross-grade mentoring programs.

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Next Steps: Transforming Insights into Action

• Discuss findings with school leadership to integrate SEL into teaching practices.
• Conduct data interpretation sessions with teachers to ensure effective application of results.
• Develop customized coaching plans for classrooms based on performance trends.
• Create professional learning communities for teachers to collaborate on SEL strategies.
• Establish ongoing monitoring to evaluate progress and refine interventions.

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This study underscores a crucial truth: social-emotional learning is not just about soft skills—it is about preparing students to be the empathetic, effective, and collaborative leaders of tomorrow. By leveraging these insights, we can create learning environments that empower every child to succeed, both inside and outside the classroom.

The future of leadership begins with SEL, and together, we can make a lasting impact on the next generation.