School-based social emotional instruction
- Issue Areas
- Health and well-being K-12 education
Local governments can invest in this strategy using State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
- This strategy can help address educational disparities. The U.S. Department of Treasury has indicated that strategies that help achieve this outcome are eligible for the use of Fiscal Recovery Funds.
- Investments in this strategy are SLFRF-eligible as long as they are made in qualified census tracts or are designed to assist populations or communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
Program overview
Promoting pro-social behavior: Social emotional learning (SEL) helps students develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to engage in pro-social behaviors (e.g., managing emotions, feeling and showing empathy, and making responsible decisions). School-based SEL instruction is associated with improved academic, behavioral, and mental health outcomes for K-12 students.
Varied approaches to delivering instruction: SEL content may be delivered through a dedicated SEL program or as a component of broader school climate and student success efforts. Regardless, SEL programming often includes a classroom-based component, which may involve explicit instruction about social and emotional skills and attitudes, the use of cooperative or project-based learning, among other approaches. SEL efforts may also incorporate school-wide (e.g., setting universal academic and behavioral expectations) and family and community-facing components (e.g., out-of-school time programs offered by community-based groups).
Clear social-emotional learning objectives: SEL initiatives typically teach toward a set of interrelated areas of competence. The CASEL 5 is a commonly used SEL framework, and includes the following competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
- Cost per Participant
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Not available
Multiple studies with rigorous designs demonstrate that school-based social emotional instruction is a well-supported strategy for improving academic, behavioral, and mental health outcomes among K-12 students.
- This assessment is based on evidence from a 2018 systematic review.
Analyze the status quo: Before implementing a SEL program, schools should assess their readiness and the current state of their social-emotional supports. CASEL offers implementation surveys geared toward school staff, families/caregivers, and community partners. These surveys can help school SEL teams to better understand stakeholders’ perceptions around SEL programming before and during implementation.
Include key elements: High-quality SEL instruction typically includes four elements. Lessons are sequenced, so that instruction builds on itself as students gain greater competency; they incorporate active forms of learning; they are focused on the intentional development of SEL competencies; and they are explicit, meaning they work toward a defined set of competencies.
Monitor results: Implementing SEL programming is an ongoing process and requires schools to collect and analyze data to assess their progress and identify opportunities for further improvement. CASEL has identified ten indicators that are associated with high-quality, systemic implementation of SEL instruction. Schools may use these or similar indicators to monitor their implementation efforts.
Incorporate SEL for adults: Students may be more likely to learn and use SEL concepts when they see the adults around them practice, model, and implement them. When educators use these concepts themselves, they may also be better positioned to teach them to students. As such, schools should provide teachers and other staff with professional learning opportunities focused on adult SEL and its applications to a work and learning environment.