Research behind the Success Highways Resiliency Solution

The Success Highways Resiliency Solution was developed based on the research of Boston University Professor, V. Scott Solberg, that has shown:

• Among matched groups of students, resiliency is the key factor in determining why one group succeeds academically while the other does not.
• Six interrelated resiliency skills can be measured and taught.
• When students’ resiliency increases, their academic performance improves, along with their attendance and behavior.

Over the years, as the Success Highways Resiliency Solution has been used by districts across the United States, ScholarCentric’s researchers have undertaken efficacy studies to ensure the effectiveness of the resiliency curriculum to teach students the six social and emotional skills critical to academic achievement. These studies clearly demonstrate that students who are exposed to Success Highways achieve higher academic success, including:
• Better attendance
• Higher grades
• More credits earned
• Higher levels of resiliency

Learn more about these studies and their results by downloading our Empirical Research Brochure.

Longitudinal Predictability Study

ScholarCentric’s researchers have also conducted three separate studies to evaluate whether students’ resiliency scores, as measured by the Success Highways Resiliency Assessment, could 1) differentiate high from low academically achieving students using several factors; and/or 2) identify whether the  assessment could be further refined to serve as an early warning indicator of potential high school failure.

Download a PDF of Resiliency as an Indicator of Academic Success which outlines the results of the longitudinal studies.

Technical validation study of grades 6-10 Success Highways Resiliency Assessments

Studies measuring the validity of Success Highways assessments were first conducted in 1998 and then re-validated in 2000 for use with urban precollege populations (Solberg, n/d). After the program was used by approximately 25,000 students, a subsequent re-validation was conducted at the University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee in 2008 (Gillis & Sedivy, 2008).

Measures for each of the six resiliency skills were validated using a sample of 4,922 students from various high schools across the United States. Roughly 51% of the participants were male and 47% were female. Additionally, of the participants where race was reported, 1,706 (41.7%) were White, 650 (15.9%) were African American/Black, 33 (.8%) were American Indian, 91 (2.2%) were Asian/Pacific Islander, 1,224 (29.9%) were Hispanic and/or Latino/a, and 387 (9.5%) identified as Other or More than One. The free and reduced lunch percentage of students included in the study was 46.46%. 52% of students were middle school students (7-8 grade) and 48% were high school students (9-12 grade).

The results of the study found the overall reliability of the measures as follows, illustrating that each of the components within the assessment is accurately measuring resiliency as intended (Gillis & Sedivy, 2008).

Download a PDF of the technical validation study

Other research on the impact of resiliency on academic outcomes

• Structural Equation Model of Resiliency in Adolescence
• Effects of Social Emotional Learning on Resiliency of Students At Risk

Also be sure to check out our white papers for more insight into the importance of resiliency, including the impact of resiliency in dropout prevention and college and career readiness.