The Development of and Disparities in Student Social-Emotional Competence in the Context of School-Based Social and Emotional Learning Initiatives

This dissertation study examines: (1) the average multi-year developmental trajectory of social and emotional competence (SEC) among school-aged children, using a measure tested for longitudinal invariance; (2) gender, racial-ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in this SEC developmental trajectory, using a measure tested for invariance across subgroups; and (3) the potential of universal social and emotional learning (SEL) programs to prevent some disparities from widening further, though not necessarily to close all existing gaps.