News & Events


SETL Lab Research Presented at Head Start Research Conference

posted Jul 9, 2014, 1:36 PM by kzinsser@psch.uic.edu

Research by members of the SETL lab was well received this week at the Head Start 12th National Research Conference on Early Childhood. You can download PDFs of these presentations below. 

Claire Christensen Wins Provost's Award

posted Apr 25, 2014, 9:03 AM by kzinsser@psch.uic.edu

Congratulations to Senior SETL Lab member, Claire Christensen who this week was awarded the competitive UIC Provost's Award for Graduate Research. The award will provide Claire with $2,000 to support her dissertation research. Claire will propose her dissertation, Teachers as Observers of Preschoolers’ Social-Emotional Behavior, in a few short weeks. 

SETL Lab represented at UIC Student Research Forum

posted Apr 9, 2014, 8:49 AM by kzinsser@psch.uic.edu   [ updated Apr 9, 2014, 8:59 AM ]

Congratulations to SETL Lab member Luz Torres for her presentation of her senior research project at the UIC Student Research Forum on April 8th, 2014. Luz's poster, "The Impact of Teachers’ Emotional Well-being on Children’s Social-Emotional Behavior" is available for download on the Resources page.

A Mixed-Method Examination of Preschool Teacher Beliefs About Social–Emotional Learning and Relations to Observed Emotional Support

posted Mar 6, 2014, 2:45 PM by kzinsser@psch.uic.edu


In collaboration with Elizabeth Shewark, Susanne Denham and Timothy Curby, Dr. Zinsser Just published an article about a mixed method examination with preschool teachers regarding their beliefs concerning social-emotional learning and its relations to observed emotional support! Read about her work here: A Mixed-Method Examination of Pre-School Teacher Beliefs about Social Emotional Learning and Relations to Observed Emotional Support 

 Mixed-Method Examination of Preschool Teacher Beliefs About Social–Emotional Learning and Relations to Observed Emotional Support

How Preschoolers' Social–Emotional Learning Predicts Their Early School Success

posted Mar 6, 2014, 2:39 PM by kzinsser@psch.uic.edu   [ updated Mar 6, 2014, 2:40 PM ]


In a collaboration with Susanne Denham, Hideko Bassett and Todd Wyatt Dr. Zinnser just published an article discussing how preschooler's social-emotional learning can predict their success later in school. This work specifically focuses on their developing theory and assessments that can be used to to rate competency! Check it out: How Preschooler's Social-Emotional Learning Predicts Their Early School Success: Developing Theory-Promoting, Competency-Based Assessments


Can TV Promote Kids’ Social-Emotional Skills?

posted Feb 26, 2014, 10:36 AM by kzinsser@psch.uic.edu   [ updated Feb 26, 2014, 10:46 AM ]

Dr. Zinsser and Claire Christensen together demonstrate the the positive impact television can have on children's social emotional learning. In their article "Can TV Promote Kid's Social-Emotional Skills," they discuss different facets of your child's life when considering what TV shows may actually benefit your child!

Ethical Research Procedures When Working with Children

posted Feb 12, 2014, 12:17 PM by kzinsser@psch.uic.edu   [ updated Feb 12, 2014, 12:29 PM ]

Dr. Zinsser recently worked in collaboration with Dr. Stacy Horn to wrote this blog entry about gaining assent when working with young here. The entry "Gaining Assent From Young Research Participants," shows that conducting research with children really is more than fun and games! 

Lifting up Illinois as SEL Trailblazer!

posted Dec 18, 2013, 2:05 PM by kzinsser@psch.uic.edu   [ updated Feb 26, 2014, 10:41 AM ]

Drs. Kate Zinsser and Linda Dusenbury recently published an article for the American Education Research Association highlighting the gains made in by the Illinois Board of Education in the realm of early childhood social and emotional learning. 

Aligning Preschool through High School Social and Emotional Learning Standards: A Critcal and Doable Next Step

posted Dec 18, 2013, 1:04 PM by kzinsser@psch.uic.edu   [ updated Dec 18, 2013, 1:56 PM ]

The brief by 
Kate Zinsser, Linda Dusenbury, and Roger Weissberg is part of CASEL's continuing review and study of standards for social and emotional learning from preschool through high school in states across the country. It presents a detailed review of the SEL standards in two states, Illinois and Pennsylvania, that have been national leaders in SEL standards development. It also offers recommendations and guidelines that will be helpful to other states, and school districts as well, as they develop their own SEL standards. 

Download the brief from the CASEL website here.

Dr. Zinsser's recent SETL Research Webinar

posted Jun 10, 2013, 11:22 AM by Kate Zinsser   [ updated Dec 18, 2013, 1:51 PM by kzinsser@psch.uic.edu ]

On April 25th, 2013, Dr. Zinsser participated in a webinar through the HATCH early learning experts program entitled "Plays Nice with Others: How educators can best support social emotional learning in young children"  The full webinar is available online through HATCH

Also check out the interview with Dr. Zinsser and the follow up blog

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