This Month's SEL Conversation / November 2022

This month’s SEL-inspired art: First grade project from San Diego Unified School District

Dear Carolina,

During this month of gratitude, we want to take a moment to say thank you. Never before has social and emotional learning (SEL) been so widely recognized and embedded into classrooms, homes, and communities—and it’s because of your dedication and support.

We are grateful to students and educators who have shared their own SEL journeys to help others with implementation. We are grateful to parents and caregivers who are working to create bridges between homes and classrooms, since children learn in both. We are grateful to leaders who use their power to advocate for evidence-based SEL programs and provide schools the resources they need to succeed. And we are grateful to all SEL champions for helping to grow this movement and shape high-quality education for every child.



As my one-year anniversary as CASEL CEO approaches, I am so appreciative of this powerful community of students, educators, families, community partners, researchers, policy leaders, and advocates who support SEL nationwide. Together, we have sustained and grown our impact, improved understanding of SEL, and increased implementation across the nation and the world. Thank you.

In the spirit of gratitude and celebration, this newsletter features SEL “bright spots” from across the country. Read on for more about new SEL data, equity in action, and caregiver conversations.

-Dr. Aaliyah A. Samuel, on behalf of the CASEL team

SEL Bright Spot: Strong Support Across the Nation

Despite a challenging political climate this year, the Midterm elections showed that attempts to position SEL as a “wedge issue” were largely unsuccessful. On the contrary: support for SEL among parents and educators remains strong, and more and more communities are experiencing the benefits of SEL firsthand. Educators overwhelmingly report that SEL has a positive effect on academic learning, and SEL adoption has jumped from 74 percent in March 2020 to 86 percent in fall 2022. Parents are on board, too. Independent polls have found that SEL was one of the least divisive school issues and 93 percent of parents believe it’s important for their children’s school to teach them social and emotional skills. Let’s be clear: SEL is not a political issue but an essential part of quality education for PreK-12th grade.

SEL Bright Spot: Equity in Action 

SEL can be a powerful way to make sure everyone is valued, engaged, and fully supported in their school communities. But what does it take to move from commitment to action? All over the country, we see examples of how districts and states are bringing their communities together to answer this question. In Portland Public Schools (PPS), the SEL team embarked on a process for selecting an SEL program that aligned with their equity goals by creating meaningful opportunities for all stakeholders to weigh in. Wisconsin invested in resources to support student, family, and community engagement as well as a parent advisory council. California developed strong guidance for creating inclusive environments, including how to adopt curricula to integrate culturally sustaining learning. While SEL is tailored to each of these communities, it is a common thread for bringing students, families, and educators together around equity and excellence.

SEL Bright Spot: Learning with Parents & Caregivers

What do parents want educators to know about their children’s social, emotional, and academic priorities? How can we learn and work together to achieve these goals? These are the questions that educators, parents, and CASEL team members explored during a series of caregiver roundtables across the country. In Ohio, parents shared their desire to emphasize SEL in order to turn schools into places of joy where students come in every day eager and excited to learn. In Texas, many worried about their children’s social and emotional needs and saw well-implemented SEL with two-way communication as part of the solution. And in Nevada, both students and caregivers stressed the importance of personal connections, a sense of belonging, and ongoing communication with teachers. These community conversations were “bright spots” of rich dialogue on how we can work together to support all young people.

Community Spotlight

Learn more about the 2022 SELLY Recipients

Share With Your Network

• Education Week: Make SEL Work by Applying These 6 Best Practices

• Phi Delta Kappan: Controversy-Mongering Coverage of Social And Emotional Learning—and How to Fix It

• Now through January 11: Registration for "Leading Schoolwide SEL" Workshop Series



• Now through April 14: Purchase on-demand access to the 2022 SEL Exchange

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