| The African-American male has historically underperformed when compared to other subgroups on academic measures, and research shows that academics are impacted by social and emotional skills (Hymel & Schonert-Richel, 2007). Despite the compelling research connecting social and emotional learning to improved academics, the nation's schools have been slow to adopt social and emotional learning programs as part of the overall curriculum. This study sought to describe the social and emotional differences between proficient readers and non-proficient readers for African American male students of poverty. It also sought to describe the perceptions and beliefs of teachers of students of poverty around social and emotional learning. The researcher found the Social Emotional Assets and Resilience Scales (SEARS)-T short form scores for proficient readers were significantly higher than their non-proficient peers. The data reveal the social emotional competencies of responsibility, self-regulation, and empathy as likely to impact reading achievement. The beliefs and perceptions of social and emotional learning for teachers in high poverty environments are also described in detail. Themes emerged in the areas of professional development, the influence of the home, the need for differentiated student support, and social emotional differences of proficient readers. |
