The purpose of this study was to understand the perceptions of middle school principals or Social Emotional Learning (SEL) program designees on the implementation practices of SEL programs at their school sites. Adolescents in grades sixth through eighth experience diverse changes that are physical, social, and emotional in nature given their developmental stage. The academic demands of the current educational systems leave little room for the adequate implementation of SEL programs at the intermediate school level. This study explored the SEL implementation and practice of six cases in the rural areas of the central valley in California. The theoretical frameworks selected for this study were the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), and the Learner-Centered Psychological Principles (LCPP). The CASEL Framework was used as a conceptual framework to explore the levels of social-emotional learning supports, program, and practice implementation at the intermediate school level. Six program designees were interviewed. Among the participants were principals, psychologists, counselors, and directors. The study identified diverse modalities of program implementation through a semi-structured interview protocol and the collection of program artifacts provided by the participants. The findings of the study indicate that while the CASEL Framework competencies are research-based, schools are not using the framework or familiar with the evidence-based practices. The participating school SEL programs were identified as crisis intervention programs rather than preventative programs. Only one of the participants intentionally used resources prepared by CASEL and intentionally integrated the three signature SEL practices prepared by CASEL. Key implications of this study include the identification of SEL needs of each district school and the acknowledgment that programs and practices will look different at each school based on the needs. The need for SEL practices and processes is critical at the middle school level and it is imperative that the state department of education engage in making SEL practices a priority to support academic achievement overall. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]