CSEL SCIENCE
Evidence of Impact
Experimental Study Results
In an experimental within-teacher study focused on biology, the treatment sections used CSEL Science, and the control sections used the teacher's usual approach to teaching the same biology content (business as usual). After controlling for pretest performance, both English-proficient students and English learners in treatment sections where teachers used CSEL Science to teach biology scored significantly higher at posttest on both overall science content and vocabulary knowledge than students in control sections. Currently, data on middle school science is being analyzed.
Teacher Survey Results
Throughout two years of CSEL Science implementation, all teachers involved in the treatment sections completed an anonymous survey. Fourteen seventh-grade teachers taught 559 students, and 13 high school biology teachers taught 574 students in CSEL Science treatment-class sections. Teacher survey results for middle and high school teachers who participated in CSEL Science indicated that those who implemented CSEL Science reported very high satisfaction with the materials and instructional strategies. More than 90% of teachers agreed that the lessons are appropriate for their students, easy to use, and aligned with the standards they are expected to teach. Teachers also reported that the lessons help students build knowledge of science content, academic language, and discipline-specific vocabulary. Overall, teachers indicated that the program is practical to implement and beneficial for student learning.
Educator Testimonials
District Science and Engineering Curriculum Specialist
District science leader with 13+ years of experience across science teaching, STEM leadership, and department administration, following a nearly 20-year career in biomedical research.
Our district has been fortunate to participate in CSEL science, which supports both ELs and English-proficient students in mastering grade-level, standards-aligned scientific concepts. The feedback from biology teachers who participated in the study has been overwhelmingly positive.
High School Biology Teacher and Science Department Chair
24-year biology teacher and 10-year department chair; participated in the CSEL Science study supporting multilingual learners and general education students in mainstream science classrooms.
I participated in the pilot implementation of the CSEL biology curriculum in my classroom, alongside my biology colleagues. The CSEL program, including its instructional resources, scaffolds, and ongoing support, was highly effective in engaging all students while providing targeted, meaningful access for multilingual learners (ML). The curriculum supported language development alongside content mastery, allowing ML students to participate more confidently in scientific discussions, investigations, and assessments without lowering academic rigor. As a result, student engagement, comprehension, and confidence noticeably improved.
Based on my experience as a 24-year veteran Biology teacher and my 10 years as Department Chair of Science, I highly endorse CSEL and believe it would be incredibly beneficial to expand CSEL resources across additional science disciplines to support both ML students and the broader student population.
Middle School Teacher (Grades 7–8) and Science Department Chair
Department chair with 10+ years of teaching experience and a master’s in curriculum and instruction; teaches in an inner-city middle school where 80%+ of students are multilingual learners and has implemented the CSEL curriculum for three years.
I am the Science Department Chair at an inner-city school where over 80% of our students are multilingual learners. I have used the CSEL curriculum for three years and am continually impressed by the academic growth I see in all students. Not only do our MLs thrive with CSEL’s culturally responsive and rigorous content, but our students with disabilities and general education students also excel. I teach both 7th and 8th grade, and I would love to see CSEL develop a comprehensive middle school curriculum so that even more students can benefit from this exceptional program.