PreK–12.

Second Step is a family of programs from Committee for Children used from preschool through high school. It combines lessons, practices, and resources for creating a supportive school environment. Elementary and middle school versions have separate CASEL ratings. Current brand messaging uses the term "human skills."

The program aims to build critical thinking, empathy, and cooperation, solve problems as they arise, manage emotions and regulate stress levels, resolve conflicts, and make responsible decisions. Second Step treats social-emotional skills and human skills as an integral part of the school environment that supports behavior, a sense of belonging, and readiness to learn.

The program covers 4 stages (Early Learning, Elementary K–5, Middle School 6–8, High School 9–12). In elementary school, there are 4 units per grade of 5 lessons each (20 lessons per year), lasting 15–30 minutes. In middle school, according to other sources, there are 15 lessons in the first year and 8 in the second; overall lesson length by stage ranges from 5–7 minutes (early learning) to 50–60 minutes (middle school).

More than 20 million students in grades from preschool through 12 are reached by the program each year (according to the provider); it is used in more than 45,000 schools.

Widely used in the USA; the exact number of countries is not indicated on the pages reviewed.

Officially translated Second Step materials are available in Spanish (all versions of the program), Portuguese (the middle school version), and Mandarin Chinese. The program has also been adapted by national partners in a number of countries, including Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Japan, Norway, and Turkey.

The program is included in the CASEL Program Guide with SELect status (for the Elementary and Middle School levels).

An RCT for elementary school: 7,300 students in grades K–2 across 61 schools; found reduced emotional problems and hyperactivity, as well as teacher-rated improvements in academic skills, with the effect especially pronounced among children with behavioral difficulties at baseline.

An RCT for middle school: 2010–2011, 3,616 sixth-graders across 36 schools; found a reduction in problem behavior.