Summary
Facing History and Ourselves (FHAO) provides a lesson-based approach to SEL with academic integration with social studies. It includes programming for grades 6-12 and demonstrates evidence of effectiveness at grades 7-10. Several of FHAO’s major resources are translated into Spanish, with some materials also available in Czech, French, and Hungarian.
Strategies supporting educational equity (CASEL)
FHAO offers strategies for understanding context, working with bias, customizing for context, and youth action projects. This includes centering the program’s training around helping teachers to create student-centered classrooms with established norms that promote an equitable learning environment. Additionally, FHAO offers a professional workshop series focusing on unpacking bias, equity, and social justice as well as creating opportunities for students to collaborate to create change in their school and local communities.
Implementation
Below are key implementation details for this program. These specifications help determine if the program is a good fit for your school or organization.
Grade(s)
High School (9-12)
Setting
Classroom, Schoolwide, Home, Community
Cost
Online courses are currently offered at no cost. In-person professional development ranges from $6,000 – $30,000. Resources can be downloaded at no charge or ordered for $12-$50 per text.
# Lessons
Unspecified
Program Design
Tier 1 (Universal)
Technology Requirements
Need computers and access to the internet
Staffing Requirements
No additional staffing required
Professional Development
Teachers receive 7 to 35 hours of professional development. In the seminars and online courses, a resource book for each historical case with materials and activities is provided. Upon completion of the training, teachers have access to ongoing coaching, an on-demand learning center, as well as print and digital resources., Onsite, Virtual, Offsite, Train the Trainer
Outcomes
Improved SEL skills and attitudes
Reduced Emotional Distress
Improved Identity Development/ Agency
Improved Academic Performance
Reduced Problem Behavior
Improved School Climate
Improved School Connectedness
Improved Prosocial Behavior
Improved Teaching Practices
Improved SEL Skills and Attitude
Evidence of Effectiveness
Results from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted in the 2007-2009 school year (unpublished report written in 2013) supported the effectiveness of FHAO for secondary school students. This evaluation included 694 students in grade 7 and 8 enrolled in rural schools in the U.S. Northeast (63% Black/African American, 19% other/mixed race, 16% Hispanic; 16% of students’ mothers did not complete high school). This evaluation found that students who participated in the program self-reported greater prosocial behaviors, empathy, perspective-taking skills, and participatory citizenship beliefs (i.e., whether students were inclined to get involved in their communities), as well as fewer self-reported conduct problems (e.g., losing temper, lying) compared to students in the control group (outcomes measured six months after pre-test while controlling for outcome pre-test). Additionally, students who participated in the FHAO program self-reported experiencing more positive classroom and school climates, including greater student-teacher respect and student interpersonal relationships, compared to students in the control group.
Results from an RCT (published in 2015) supported the effectiveness of FHAO for public, private, and charter high school students. This evaluation included 1,371 students in grades 9 and 10 in multiple cities and states (36% Hispanic, 32% white, 13% Asian American, 13% Black; 40-90% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL)). This study found that students who participated in the program self-reported greater civic self-efficacy (i.e., how efficacious one feels in understanding and/or engaging in civic matters), political tolerance, and historical thinking skills (i.e., comprehension of historical facts) compared to students in the control group (outcomes reported approximately one year after baseline while controlling for outcome pre-test). Additionally, students who participated in the program reported improvements in their teachers’ practices; more specifically that FHAO teachers increased their use of practices that are promotive of civic engagement and an open, respectful classroom climate compared to students in the control group.
Academic
Strong
Strong Relationships
Strong
Published Studies
Barr, D. J., Boulay, B., Selman, R. L., McCormick, R., Lowenstein, E., Gamse, B., Fine, M., & Leonard, M. B. (2015). A randomized controlled trial of professional development for interdisciplinary civic education: Impacts on humanities teachers and their students. Teachers College Record, 117, 1-52.
Domitrovich, C. E., Harris, A. R., Syvertsen, A. K., Morgan, N., Jacobson, L., Cleveland, M., … & Greenberg, M. T. (2022). Promoting social and emotional learning in middle school: Intervention effects of Facing History and Uurselves. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 51(7), 1426-1441.