School-based social emotional instruction

Program basics

School-based instruction that focuses on self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making
Lessons help students recognize and manage emotions, set goals, understand others’ perspectives, etc.
Whole-class settings (rather than focusing only on at-risk students) have demonstrated better results

All school-aged children

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Strong evidence that social-emotional instruction improves high school graduation rates, academic achievement, self-confidence, motivation to learn, social emotional skills, and prosocial behavior
Demonstrated to reduce depression, anxiety, and social withdrawal
Interventions are effective in low-income communities
Effects tend to be strongest in younger children

Note: This content is under review
Programs can be designed for students of all ages but interventions that begin in earlier grades show stronger results over time.
Successful programs emphasize building staff capacity for cultivating their own social, emotional, and cultural competence and building collaborative and trusting relationships within the school environment. This enables staff to model SEL learnings to their students.
High-fidelity program design and execution, along with regular, independent measurement, are critical for ensuring successful outcomes.
Vocal support from local officials is essential in ensuring funding and advocacy for SEL programs in schools.
Partnerships with independent program evaluators are critical in measuring student progress and program success.
Partnerships with case management professionals can help students in need of mental health support or behavioral counseling access services.