Student Success Skills  

The Student Success Skills program was developed and tested by Drs. Brigman, Webb and Campbell, who teach in the Department of Counselor Education at Florida Atlantic University.  The SSS model includes a group counseling and a classroom guidance curriculum designed to help students develop critically important cognitive, social and self-management skills. 

The SSS program is designed for students in grades 4-10.   

Four recent studies found that students improve in math, reading and social skills when they participate in the SSS program. 

For an overview of the Student Success Skills program click below:
Student Success Skills PowerPoint

Overview of Research on Student Success Skills
Key findings of four recent research studies involving school counselor led groups and classroom guidance focused on Student Success Skills (SSS) are provided below.  The four studies combined, included 50 school counselors in thirty-six schools, working with over 1100 students in grades 5, 6, 8 and 9.  The students mirrored the diverse student population of Florida.   

• FCAT math scores improve for approximately 86% of SSS students.  The average increase was 30 scale score points.
   
• FCAT reading scores improve for approximately 78% of SSS students.  The average increase was 25 scale score points.
   
• The  SSS students had gains comparable to an intensive FCAT tutoring program.   The tutoring program involved 44 hours of tutoring with certified teachers (two hours per week for 22 weeks).  The SSS counselor led groups  involved 9 hours ( 45 minutes per week for eight weeks followed by four 45 minute booster sessions spaced one month apart).  The cost to replicate  the tutoring program is $272 per student each year.  The cost to replicate the SSS program is $6 per student for the first year and zero $ for subsequent years.
   
• Teacher ratings of student behavior improved for approximately 70%  of SSS students.  The average gain was 20 percentile points.  The nationally normed behavior scale focused on academic, social and self-management skills.  The same skills areas are involved in the SSS program.
   
• Over 90% of principals surveyed supported school counselors implementing the SSS approach.
   
• Each school counselor could reach 100 students per year with only one hour per day focused upon the SSS program.  For every 100 counselors trained 10,000 students receive the SSS program per year.

For an independent review of research on the Student Success Skills program click below:

Umass Research Brief on Student Success Skills Article  

For more information contact:
Greg Brigman, Ph.D.
Atlantic Education Consultants
(561) 451-9719
sssaec@aol.com

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