University of California Santa Barbara

Project Covitality

Social Emotional Health Survey Validation Study Funded by the U.S. Office of Education, Institute of Education Science


Validation of a Measure to Assess the Social-Emotional Health of Secondary Students

Project Covitality gratefully acknowledges funding from the Institute of Education sciences that is supporting enhanced research on the measurement of youths’ social emotional health and its use as part of best practice school based universal assessment (2016-2020; R305A160157).

We further validated the Social Emotional Health Survey (SEHS), a measure designed to assess the social-emotional assets of high school students. The transition into high school is characterized by increasing academic demands, increasingly more diverse and complex social interactions/relationships, and increasing pressure associated with the looming transition into adult life and related responsibilities. This assessment meaningfully measures key elements of high school students' social-emotional health that are correlated with positive academic, social, behavioral, and quality of life outcomes. These key elements are essential for educational success and set the foundation for the successful transition into adulthood.

IES Project Covitality Blog, April 2021

Gevirtz Graduate School of Education

Erin Dowdy, PhD

Michael Furlong, PhD

Karen Nylund-Gibson, PhD