A Structured Approach to Equity Analysis of SEL outcomes: Evidence from IRS’s 3EA in Niger Silvia Diazgranados, Senior Researcher for Education, IRC; Pierre de Galbert, HGSE; Vidur Chopra, HGSE

IRC’s and 3EA In 2015, more than 65 million people around the world were forcibly displaced due to violence, nearly half of whom were children. Neuroscience shows that adversities can cause a toxic stress response that has long term effects on behavior, relationships and abilities to learn. Research from stable contexts show that the damage caused by toxic stress can be reduced by quality educational opportunities that include social-emotional learning. IRS programming actively tries to promote SEL among children affected by conflict and crisis, and in partnership with 3EA Global TIES we generate evidence about what works and from whom in contexts of conflict and crisis. An equity approach to analyzing data helps us advance our agenda

Research Questions Are students with abnormal levels of social strengths and difficulties different from students with normal SEL competencies by gender, socioeconomic status and refugee status? Do students with abnormal levels of social difficulties have different individual characteristics and attend schools that are different characteristics than children who do exhibit abnormal levels of social difficulties? What is the within and between school variation in SEL levels?

DATASET RCT from our 3EA in Diffa, Niger Assessment of Socio-emotional skills and academic outcomes in primary school aged children Baseline data collected in December 2016 Participants: 1928 2-4th graders (6-14 years old) 1928 students (912 boys and 1016 girls) in 30 schools. Average age: 9.18 years

Outcomes: Socio-Emotional Learning Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: teacher report 25 items with 4 point Likert Scale (never=0/ sometimes=1/ often=2). 1. Social difficulties: Sum of items for overall scores of 0-40 Normal: 0-11, Borderline 12-15;, Abnormal 16-40. Hyperactivity: Restless, overactive, cannot stay still, Peer problems: Rather solitary, prefers to play alone Conduct problems: Often lies or cheats Emotional problems: Many worries or often seems worried 2. Social strengths: Sum of items for scores 0-10 Abnormal: 0-4, Borderline: 5, Abnormal: 6-10 Prosocial skills: Helpful if someone is hurt, upset or feeling ill

Equity Variables Gender: Male / Female Refugee status Refugee: Born outside of Niger and moved in the last few years Internally Displaced: Born in Niger, but moved to Diffa fleeing from violence Returnee: Left Diffa, but came back Local: From Diffa SES: High / Medium SES, Low SES Categories were obtained using a PCA that included variables like phone, radio, refrigerator, electricity, toilet, bicycle, motorcycle, car. High and low SES were estimated one sd above and below the mean.

Analytic Process Identify Equity composition Group students into SEL performance categories using international cut points for SDQ Identify individual and school level characteristics associated with SEL performance profiles Examine disparities in distribution of SEL outcomes by key equity variables at the individual and school level We used an structured approach to analyze equity v

Equity Sample Composition

SEL Performance Categories

On average, girls exhibit higher levels of social difficulties than boys. Girls exhibit higher levels of social difficulties than boys, and differences are statistically significant

On average, refugees exhibit the highest levels of social difficulties, in ways that are statistically significant from all other groups. Locals are experiencing more social difficulties than IDPs and returnees

Students from low SES exhibit the highest levels of social difficulties.

Girls exhibit higher levels of social strengths than boys, differences are not statistically significant

Children from high and medium SES exhibit higher social strengths than children from low SES. Differences are statistically significant.

IDPs and returnees exhibit higher levels of social strengths than locals and refugees. Refugees exhibit the lowest levels of social strengths, and differences are statistically significant.

Do students who exhibit abnormal levels of social difficulties attend schools with different characteristics than students with normal levels of social difficulties? School Characteristics (teachers' averages)   SDQ Normal (n=673) SDQ Borderline (n=456) SDQ Abnormal (n=438) Proportion of male teachers 84% 87% 85% Proportion of female teachers 16% 13% 15% Teacher's experience 10.86 10.26 10.30 Teachers' perception of social support 2.96 2.97 2.95 Teacher's anxiety 1.53 1.51 Teachers' depression 1.18 1.13 1.25 Average Teachers' Burn-out 3.34 3.39 3.47 Compared to students with normal levels of social difficulties, students with high levels of social difficulties have teachers that are less experienced and have higher levels of depression and burn out, but differences are not statistically significant. We probably need a larger sample of schools and students to find differences.

Within School Distribution of Normal Social Strengths and Difficulties 10% of schools have high percentage of students (35-40%) who exhibit abnormally low levels of prosocial skills Strengths: Schools variation in the proportion of students they have with normal social strengths profiles range from 60 to 100%. For example, we observe that 10% of schools have a population of students where 60% exhibit normal social strengths. On the other extreme we observe that 25% schools have a population of students where a 100% exhibit normal social strengths Difficulties: Within schools variation for normal social difficulties is in the range of 20 to 100%. 10% of schools have 20% of children with social difficulties, 25% of schools have children with approx. 30% of normal difficulties, 5% have children with 100% normal difficulties.

Within School Distribution of Abnormal Social Strengths and Social Difficulties Less than 10% schools work with population of students where more than 80% of them have normal social strengths 40% of schools work with 40% to 50% of students with abnormal social difficulties Schools vary in the proportion of students they have with normal and abnormal social difficulties. Less than 5% of schools have 100% of students without social difficulties.

The Big Picture Girls, children from low SES and refugees exhibit significantly more social difficulties and less social strengths than boys, children from medium and high SES, IDPs and returnees. Locals exhibit more social difficulties and less social strengths than IDPs and returnees Compared to students with normal levels of social difficulties, students with high levels of social difficulties have teachers that are less experienced and have higher levels of depression and burn out, but differences are not statistically significant. There are significant variations between and within schools in the proportion of students they have with high levels of social difficulties and low levels of social strengths.

Next steps Discuss with technical team and country team implications of findings for research and practice Analyze midline and endline data to identify the differential effects that 3EA’s SEL intervention is having on students’ social strengths and difficulties by equity dimension, and whether gaps are being reduced or further reinforced by the intervention.

Thank you.

EGRA/EGMA Performance Categories