Prepared by: RISE — Resilience • Inspire • Self-Empower
Theme: Hope Inspires. Evidence Demonstrates.
RISE conducted a student outcomes analysis using 83 student surveys from South Valley Preparatory Academy. Students completed a RISE Student Skills Self-Assessment rating themselves "Before RISE" and "After RISE" across 10 Social Emotional Learning competencies.
The assessment measured student-perceived growth in emotional regulation, focus, goal setting, conflict resolution, empathy, positive self-talk, responsible decision-making, self-advocacy, reflection, and resilience.
Across the dataset, students reported meaningful growth across all 10 competencies.
Students reported closing nearly half of the possible growth gap between their starting self-ratings and the highest possible score.
This study should be understood as student self-reported evidence of perceived growth after participating in RISE. It is not presented as causal proof, but as an important early validation study demonstrating consistent student-reported improvement across core SEL competencies.
The South Valley Preparatory Academy Validation Study represents the first major quantitative study within the growing RISE Evidence Library. It is accompanied by an earlier qualitative study documenting authentic student reflections from a separate school implementation during the initial development of RISE.
Together, these complementary studies provide the foundation for a growing body of evidence supporting student resilience, Social Emotional Learning, and personal growth.
The foundational study at South Valley Preparatory Academy.
Documenting authentic student reflections from an early implementation.
Across these two independent studies, the current RISE Evidence Portfolio includes:
Rather than relying on a single source of information, RISE intentionally combines measurable student outcomes with authentic student voice. This mixed-methods approach strengthens our understanding of how students experience growth and provides the foundation for continuous improvement, future research, and evidence-informed implementation.
The Phase I master research database includes:
Some survey entries were marked "Needs Review" due to handwriting clarity, non-numeric answers, corrections, or unusual markings. These were preserved transparently to protect the integrity of the dataset.
The following table summarizes student-reported growth across the 10 competencies.
Table 1: Core Growth Statistics
Table 2: Distribution Statistics
The largest average growth appeared in:
The following graphics should be created in Gamma using the data above.
Students reported meaningful growth across 10 SEL competencies after participating in RISE.
Students reported a +2.19 point average increase on a 10-point self-assessment scale.
Students reported improvement across all measured competencies, with the strongest gains in conflict resolution, resilience, positive self-talk, and reflection.
RISE helps students take their next better step.
The written student reflections should become the qualitative companion to the quantitative survey data.
The survey scores answer:
The written reflections answer:
Each written reflection should be reviewed and coded for recurring themes. A single student reflection may include multiple codes.
Example coding structure:
Student writing should not be used only as testimonials. It should be analyzed as qualitative evidence that helps explain the patterns found in the survey data.
For example, if students reported strong growth in resilience and positive self-talk, the written reflections can be reviewed for statements about:
RISE Validation Study — Phase I
South Valley Preparatory Academy Student Outcomes Study
RISE is building an evidence-based model for student resilience, self-awareness, emotional regulation, confidence, and Social Emotional Learning growth.
This Phase I validation study analyzes 83 student surveys collected from South Valley Preparatory Academy. Students rated themselves Before RISE and After RISE across 10 SEL competencies using a 1–10 scale.
The purpose of this study is to examine student-perceived growth after participating in RISE and to establish an anchor dataset for the larger RISE Evidence Library.
This report does not claim causal proof. Instead, it presents transparent evidence of student-reported growth, identifies areas of strongest improvement, acknowledges limitations, and establishes a foundation for future evaluation.
The dataset includes 83 student surveys. Of these, 82 contained at least some numeric Before/After data. Documenting 21 authentic student reflections from an early implementation.
Some responses were marked "Needs Review" where handwriting, non-numeric answers, or corrections required caution.
The instrument used was the RISE Student Skills Self-Assessment.
Students rated themselves Before RISE and After RISE on the following 10 competencies:
I can manage my emotions in stressful situations.
I can stay focused and complete tasks on time.
I can set and follow through with personal goals.
I am able to resolve conflicts in a calm and respectful way.
I show empathy and try to understand how others feel.
I use positive self-talk when I'm feeling down and frustrated.
I make responsible decisions that consider the outcome.
I am confident when speaking up for myself when needed.
I reflect on my behavior and how it affects others.
I can adapt and bounce back from challenges and failures.
Students reported growth across all 10 SEL competencies.
Overall, students reported:
This means students reported closing nearly half of the possible growth gap between their starting point and the top of the 10-point scale.
The strongest student-reported gains appeared in conflict resolution, resilience, positive self-talk, and behavioral reflection.
These findings align closely with RISE's core purpose: helping students regulate emotions, reflect on behavior, build resilience, and take their next better step.
Each competency should be developed into a RISE Competency Evidence Profile.
Each profile should include:
Competency statement
Why the skill matters
Quantitative results
Student voice evidence
Compass alignment
Classroom application
Parent/family connection
Future measurement plan
Student Statement: I can adapt and bounce back from challenges and failures.
Why It Matters: Resilience helps students recover from setbacks, persist through academic and personal challenges, and continue moving toward goals even when life becomes difficult.
South Valley Evidence: Students reported one of the strongest outcomes in resilience.
Evidence Statement: Students participating in RISE reported meaningful growth in their ability to adapt, recover, and bounce back from challenges and failures.
RISE Interpretation: This competency is central to RISE's mission. The resilience result suggests that students perceived notable growth in one of the organization's defining skill areas.
The Phase I findings suggest that students perceived meaningful growth across a broad range of SEL competencies after participating in RISE.
The results are especially strong in areas connected to:
The empathy competency showed the smallest numerical growth, but students began with a relatively high average Before score. This suggests students may have already viewed themselves as moderately strong in empathy before RISE, leaving less room for numerical improvement.
The findings support the continued development of RISE as an evidence-informed SEL model.
This study has several important limitations:
The data is based on student self-report.
The Before and After ratings were collected retrospectively.
The study reflects one implementation setting.
There was no comparison or control group.
Some responses required review due to handwriting or non-numeric entries.
Results should be interpreted as student-perceived growth, not causal proof.
These limitations do not invalidate the findings. Instead, they clarify how the results should be understood and guide the next stage of RISE evaluation.
The Phase I findings suggest RISE may support student growth in competencies that are highly relevant to school climate, classroom behavior, emotional wellness, and academic readiness.
The results show that RISE is beginning to build a measurable evidence base rather than relying only on mission language or anecdotal feedback.
This study establishes a foundation for continuous improvement and future validation.
Future RISE evaluation should include:
This Phase I study marks the beginning of the RISE Evidence Library.
RISE is not only building curriculum, tools, and AI-supported reflection systems. RISE is building a transparent evidence base to understand what helps students grow, where the program is strongest, and how it can continue improving.
Anchor Study for the RISE Evidence Library