The FastBridge Social Academic Emotional Behavior Rating Scale (SAEBRS) is a 19-item assessment of students’ social, emotional, and academic behaviors. To enhance the utility of SAEBRS for program planning, the SAEBRS behaviors have been aligned with the Second Step© program published by the Committee for Children.
The SAEBRS total score is used primarily to identify students who are at risk for social-emotional challenges. Its three domain scores are used to further identify areas of greatest need.
The Second Step© curriculum is available for kindergarten through grade 8. For kindergarten through grade 5 the program includes four major units: (1) Growth Mindset and Goal-Setting; (2) Emotion Management; (3) Empathy and Kindness; and (4) Problem-Solving. For grades 6 through 8, the program shifts focus and includes the following units: (1) Mindsets and Goals, (2) Recognizing Bullying and Harassment, (3) Thoughts, Emotions, and Decisions, and (4) Managing Relationships and Social Conflict. Within each unit, the scope of skills taught increases in depth across grades.
Second Step© represents a social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum that teaches children how to approach social and learning situations, manage the emotions that occur within everyday classroom settings, treat others kindly, and how to tackle new problems as they arise. Second Step© is a universal intervention intended to be used with all students through whole-class instruction. Second Step© has been extensively researched and found to be an evidence-based program.
The following table includes information about how the SAEBRS and Second Step© are aligned and can be used together to screen students and provide effective SEL instruction. The SAEBRS domains (e.g. social, academic, emotional) are best measured through the combination of items that make up each domain, however, the individual items are listed in the table to demonstrate alignment with selected Second Step© units.
SAEBRS Items |
Second Step Units |
How they work together |
Social: 1,2,5 Academic: 1,2,3,4,5,6 Emotional: 3,4,5,6 |
Growth Mindset and Goal-Setting |
The Second Step Growth Mindset and Goal-Setting modules include content related to Self-Management, Self-Awareness, and Responsible Decision-Making. In elementary school, skills include recognizing that you can improve with practice and perseverance, mistakes are a part of learning, and, in Grades 3-5, early goal-setting skills. The middle school curriculum builds on these skills and students learn more advanced goal-setting skills. SAEBRS addresses social behaviors related to reciprocal social relationships and cooperation with others (Social), academic enabling skills related to preparation, planning, production, and work toward achieving goals (Academic), and self-management of emotions and reactions to others (Emotional). |
Social: 2,3,4,5,6 Emotional: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 |
Emotion Management |
The Second Step Emotion Management unit focuses on recognizing one’s own and others’ emotions and developing emotion management skills. In elementary, this begins with labeling emotions and learning ways to calm down in the younger grades to the neuroscience of emotions, what emotions tell us and anticipating strong emotions in the older grades. In middle school, students learn more about how emotions affect their thoughts and decisions and practice identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts. SAEBRS addresses social behaviors related to reciprocal social relationships, behaviors that are related to social awareness and self-management, cooperation with others (Social) and self-management of emotions, awareness of emotions, management of emotions in social settings such as the classroom, and adapting emotions following success or changes (Emotional). |
Social: 1,2,4,5 Emotional: 3,4,6 |
Empathy and Kindness |
The Second Step Empathy and Kindness unit. In elementary school, younger students learn about kindness and kind acts. In older grades, they learn about empathy, its role in establishing and maintaining friendships, and taking another’s perspective. At the Second Step middle school level, relationship skills include avoiding and resolving conflicts. SAEBRS addresses social behaviors related to reciprocal social relationships, behaviors that are related to the application of appropriate social skills, and cooperation with others (Social), as well as awareness of emotions, management of emotions in social settings, and adapting emotions following success or changes (Emotional). |
Social: 1,2,5 Academic: 4 Emotional: 3,4,6 |
Problem-Solving |
The Second Step Problem-Solving modules include Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision-Making. At the Second Step middle school level, problem-solving may include managing relationships and conflict. SAEBRS addresses social behaviors related to reciprocal social relationships, behaviors that are related to the application of appropriate social skills, cooperation with others (Social), independent completion of tasks (Academic), as well as awareness of emotions, management of emotions in social settings, and adapting emotions following success or changes (Emotional). |