A rigorous, independent evaluation conducted by WestEd, a nationally recognized research organization specializing in education and workforce development, confirms that Find Your Grind improves student outcomes. With flexible implementation models and measurable impact, Find Your Grind aligns seamlessly with district priorities to enhance college and career readiness, increase engagement, and support Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Tier 2 funding eligibility.
The quasi-experimental study involved schools that chose to implement the Find Your Grind program in either Fall or Spring, with the former serving as the treatment group and the latter serving as a comparison group. Teachers who implemented in the Fall integrated Find Your Grind’s SEL content into their classes for 12–15 weeks, while comparison teachers continued their usual curriculum. Both groups participated in pre- and post-implementation assessments using the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA) tool to measure students’ social-emotional competencies. Teachers in the treatment group received in-person professional learning, completed surveys, logged their experiences, and participated in interviews to discuss their use of the program. The study’s data came from teacher surveys on instructional practices and perceptions of student readiness, professional learning feedback, and student demographic records. Additionally, the Find Your Grind platform tracked student engagement and completion rates of activities related to core competencies such as Self Awareness and Career Awareness.
The program was a godsend… ahead of the curve.
Impact of Find Your Grind on SEL Outcomes
Students who used the Find Your Grind program self-rated their social-emotional skills higher than those who did not, according to a statistical analysis. The analysis, which adjusted for initial self-ratings, revealed a model-predicted mean difference with a standardized effect size of 0.50, indicating a medium-sized positive effect of the program. This translates to an approximate 19 percentile point improvement on the social-emotional composite score for Find Your Grind students.
The What Works Clearinghouse recommends using an Improvement Index alongside effect sizes to gauge educational interventions’ impact on student performance. Predicted means from the model indicate that starting from the same baseline, Find Your Grind students were expected to rate themselves 6 points higher on average after completing the program compared to the comparison group, which showed little change.
What This Shows:
- Self-Confidence & Decision-Making: Students improved by 19-17 percentile points, showing they feel more secure about their future.
- Career Awareness & Teacher-Rated SEL Growth: Improvements of 15-14 percentile points, confirming strong career readiness and social-emotional development.
- Student Engagement: The highest gain at 20 percentile points, proving that students actively engage with Find Your Grind.
We also compared teacher ratings of students on the DESSA Social-Emotional Composite (SEC) for students who used Find Your Grind to students who did not use the program. Teachers rated students who used the program higher on social-emotional skills compared to students who did not use the program, as shown by a statistical analysis using a two-level HLM model. The analysis, which considered initial teacher ratings, found a mean difference of over 5 points favoring the Find Your Grind students. This difference corresponds to an effect size of 0.45 and suggests an improvement of 17 percentile points when translated into the improvement index.
What This Shows:
- Participation in Career Planning improved by 18 percentile points, meaning more students took an active role in exploring their futures.
- Collaboration & Communication improved by 20 percentile points, proving that students developed better teamwork and interpersonal skills.
- Interest in Future Careers saw the highest gain at 22 percentile points showing that students became more motivated and future-focused.
How Students Engaged with Find Your Grind
The study found a significant positive correlation between student engagement in the Find Your Grind program and improvements in social-emotional learning (SEL) outcomes. Higher completion rates of Find Your Grind activities were associated with greater positive changes in students’ self-ratings on the DESSA scales, suggesting that active participation in the program supports SEL development. Students on average completed 73% of the Find Your Grind curriculum, with middle school students completing slightly more activities than high school students, although the differences were minimal.
Moreover, students who completed over 60% of the program activities exhibited more substantial gains in their SEL competencies, suggesting that the program may be particularly beneficial for students requiring additional support.
Key Insights:
- Less than 25% completion = Minimal improvement.
- 50% + completion = Significant gains in self-confidence, decision-making, and career readiness.
- 75-100% completion = Maximum student growth-proving that full engagement delivers the best results.
Bottom Line: Schools should aim for high participation to see the greatest impact from Find Your Grind. More engagement = Bigger results!
Find Your Grind is student-focused and very personalized.
How Find Your Grind is Leading the Charge
Find Your Grind’s research-backed approach, validated by WestEd, helps students build self-awareness, career confidence, and life skills—all while aligning with ESSA Tier 2 funding eligibility. Schools and districts that implement this model see measurable improvements in career readiness and student engagement.
Why Districts Choose Find Your Grind
- Meets ESSA Tier 2 requirements, enabling eligibility for federal and state funding.
- Addresses career readiness, workforce alignment, and social-emotional learning in a single solution.
- Flexible implementation makes it easy for districts to integrate within existing career pathways and advisory programs.
- Research-backed results from WestEd ensure district leaders can trust in the program’s efficacy.