Frequently Asked Questions

The availability of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) programs has grown significantly in the past decade and options for selecting SEL curriculum are numerous today. With the advancement of SEL programming, we know you likely have questions about program options. The following are answers to frequently asked questions. If you do not find information you are looking for, please email deanrenfrow@comcast.net us or call: (503) 585-5189.

• What is the 180 Degrees Program?

  • The 180 Degrees Program is a for-profit organization providing research based social emotional learning curriculum for use by schools, youth organizations, and individuals.

• How long has the 180 Degrees Program been in existence?

  • The 180 Degrees Program has been providing schools and youth organizations social emotional learning curriculum since 2008.

• How is the 180 Degrees Program different than other social emotional learning curriculum?

  • We believe the 180 Degrees Program curriculum is the most comprehensive social emotional learning program available because of the ability to collect, track, and report program performance outcomes that demonstrate the effectiveness of the program. We are not aware of any other social emotional learning program that offers performance measures and an electronic data collection system specifically designed for reporting program impacts.

• What are the program performance areas that the 180 Degrees Program reports?

  • The 180 Degrees Program tracks and reports on the following program performance areas:

    • Academic achievement (GPA)
    • Student attendance
    • Student disciplinary incidents
    • Student personal development in 10 key areas:
            • Attitude
            • Motivation
            • Achieving goals
            • Organization skills
            • Self control
            • Decision making
            • Communication skills
            • Teamwork
            • Leadership skills
            • Citizenship

• What are the curriculum offerings of the 180 Degrees Program?

  • The 180 Degrees Program offers research based social emotional learning curriculum for youth in academic grades 3 – 12 and a curriculum for young adults. 

    The program also offers a curriculum designed for African American males ages 11 – 17.

    Refer to the “Curriculum” page of our website for information on each curriculum.

• What evidence indicates the effectiveness the 180 Degrees Program?

  • The program has collected years of outcome performance data from numerous school and youth program sites over the past ten years. This data demonstrates the positive impact of the curriculum within each of the program performance areas. This data can be reviewed on our website under “180° Program” then “180° Projects” in the form of program executive summaries.

• How do I purchase 180 Degrees Program curriculum and services?

  • You may purchase curriculum and services through our website or by contacting us directly via phone: (503) 585-5189.

• May I copy 180 Degrees Program materials?

  • All 180 Degrees Program materials are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any manner including placement on the Internet unless otherwise designated.

• What are potential outcomes if I use the 180 Degrees Program?

  • The positive outcomes resulting from use of the 180 Degrees Program curriculum are many! Specific areas of impact will be in academic achievement, school attendance, and positive behavior. We invite you to review the program performance measures found on our website homepage for a detailed look at performance outcomes.

• Does the 180 Degrees Program support the use of local outcome data to measure program performance?

  • Yes. In addition to the 180 Degrees Program performance measures, school and youth programs may use local data to track and report student performance. The 180 Degrees Program will work with local programs to incorporate their performance data. This option will be an additional program cost.

• What type of training does the 180 Degrees Program offer to learn how best to use the curriculum?

  • Training directed at effective program delivery and performance measurement has been key in producing high level program impacts and student achievement. For an additional cost, the 180 Degrees Program will provide training in the use of the curriculum and program performance measurement. Training classes normally range from 16 – 32 hours and are tailored to meet individual program needs. We invite you to contact us directly to discuss your training interests: (503) 585-5189.

• Can I use 180 Degrees Program curriculum in a non-school setting?

  • TYes. The curriculum can be used outside of a school setting. Course content will be useful in any youth educational setting both formal and informal.

• Are there professional references that can be contacted to discuss use of the 180 Degrees Program?

  • Yes! You are invited to contact us by phone to obtain a reference list of organizations and individuals that have used the 180 Degrees Program curriculum and services (503) 585-5189. You will also find partner organizations on our website under “180° Program - 180° Projects, and Partners”.