An Evaluation of the PEDALS Program

PEDALS is a social-emotional learning (SEL) program that combines a SEL curriculum, teacher coaching, and the use of data to identify the needs and promote the SEL of children ages zero to five—all with an eye towards sustainability.

PEDALS providers in Southeast Michigan and Western and Central New York have partnered with RAND to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of PEDALS. The evaluation has two parts:

1. an implementation study to better understand how PEDALS is delivered in a variety of childcare settings that serve children ages zero to five
2. an impact study to understand the efficacy of the program in building SEL and executive functioning skills of children in prekindergarten classrooms.

Results of the project will help PEDALS providers understand the successes and challenges in providing services to children to facilitate continuous improvement. The results will also provide information to the broader early childhood education on this approach to improving child outcomes.

This study is generously funded by the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation and the Health Foundation of Western & Central New York.

Study Timeline and Findings

The evaluation took place during the 2023-2024 school year.

In addition to the early findings from the implementation study that are now available (see above), the final implementation and impact study results will be published at the end of 2024.

All reports will be available on the RAND website.