This Month's SEL Conversation | November 2021 |
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Top of Mind: What Makes Social and Emotional Learning Last? |
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Record numbers of schools and districts nationwide are investing in social and emotional learning (SEL). With urgent needs and new sources of funding, education leaders are turning to SEL to support students’ learning and well-being. How can they ensure wise investments in staff, resources, and time that last beyond the moment?
School districts that we have partnered with over the past decade offer insight into how to sustain SEL efforts, even when faced with challenges such as leadership turnover, fluctuating budgets, and competing priorities. Our new report, 2011–2021: 10 Years of Social and Emotional Learning in U.S. School Districts, identifies six elements that support long-term SEL work based on CASEL’s Collaborating Districts Initiative.
Each insight is rooted in insights and examples from districts advancing this work, as well as the research basis that aligns with our findings.
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“I don’t believe SEL works when it’s ‘a thing you do.’
I believe SEL works when it’s ‘a way of being.’”
Eric Gordon, Chief Executive Officer of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District
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Did you miss today's webinar on sustaining SEL? The recording will be available here next week
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Hear from our district partners: “What I wish I knew when I started SEL implementation.”
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Speak Up for SEL: Champion the Facts
SEL is driven by what the research says, what families want, and what is best for children – not by politics on any side. But when political agendas are prioritized over children’s healthy development, students risk losing out on an education that will help them succeed in school and in life. Communities across the political spectrum recognize that all students deserve a high-quality education that fully supports their social, emotional, and academic learning. Unfortunately, a lack of understanding and targeted misinformation are causing confusion. Our new webpage can help you cut through the confusion and promote the facts in your community. In this political climate, students need champions more than ever. Now is the time for brave thinkers and tireless doers to speak up for SEL.
Related action: Share feedback and any additional resources that would be helpful. Then use the hashtag #SpeakUpforSEL to make your voice heard on social media.
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Beyond Elementary School: The Rise of Middle and High School SEL
The teenage years are filled with social pressure, hormones – and now, more SEL than ever before. Over the last year, the biggest increase in SEL adoption occurred in middle and high schools. While the pandemic played a role, the increase stems from growing awareness of the critical role of SEL in the teen years. As one former teacher explained, “the teenage years are very tumultuous with big emotions and novel situations and extreme social pressure.” In middle school, students are experiencing many changes, expanding peer relationships, and resolving new conflicts. In their high school years, young people are forming a deeper awareness of who they are, while building more mature relationships. But as teens become more independent, adults continue to play important roles in their lives, and SEL remains essential.
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2021 SELLY Awards: Celebrating Leadership in SEL
SEL champions spend their time improving the lives of young people, not counting up accolades. But we think great collaborators, innovators, and educators deserve some SELebration! To recognize outstanding achievements and encourage high standards in the field, CASEL presents annual awards in research, practice, and public policy. This year, we honor six inaugural “Social and Emotional Learning Leaders of the Year” (SELLYs):
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Research: Tia Barnes, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in Human Development and Family Sciences at the University of Delaware, and Dr. Edmund Gordon, John M. Musser Professor of Psychology, Emeritus at Yale University
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Practice: R. Keeth Matheny, award-winning teacher, author, and speaker and founder of SEL Launchpad, and Eric Moore, Senior Accountability, Research and Equity Officer in Minneapolis Public Schools
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Public Policy: Linda Darling-Hammond, President & CEO at Learning Policy Institute, CASEL Board Member Emeritus, and U.S. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, representing Connecticut's 3rd Congressional District, House Appropriations Committee Chair
Related action: Check out videos from our virtual celebration of the SELLYs, featuring perspectives from these SEL innovators.
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- A blog post by Linda Darling-Hammond and Sheldon Berman about the importance of communicating the interconnectedness of SEL and academic learning
- A report based on a recent survey of almost 2,000 school and district leaders, more than 100 product suppliers, and interviews with SEL providers and practitioners
- Federal funding, parent demand, and evidence of payoff fuels support for SEL in the classroom, but continuation may hinge on rebranding and local investment
- A report based on a survey of approximately 700 educators, administrators, and parents about their opinions about the importance of SEL
- An argument in favor of funding SEL to promote belonging and mental wellness
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- Spread the word about SEL by posting on social media using the prompts below:
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November 26, co-hosted with Educating All Learners Alliance (EALA): Share your ideas about how to support educators to understand the impact of their own beliefs and perspectives via social media using #SELshowcase and tagging @SEL4USA, @caselorg, and @educateall_org
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December 17, co-hosted with America’s Promise: Share your ideas about how to engage students to be part of decision-making in meaningful ways via social media using #SELshowcase and tagging @SEL4USA, @caselorg, and @AmericasPromise
- Submission deadline for the 2022 AERA-wide awards
- Webinar led by students will focus on intergenerational co-design and co-leadership
- Registration is now open for our workshop series to help you plan, sustain, and continuously improve systemic SEL implementation throughout your school community
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In their recent survey, McGraw Hill named five areas that SEL can help improve.
In your school community, which area needs the most SEL support?
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Lack of student motivation and engagement in learning
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Poor teacher-student relationships
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Transitioning students from remote to in-person learning
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Thank you to CASEL's generous sponsors
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The Allstate Foundation and CASEL are collaborating to focus the country’s attention on the power of social and emotional learning to equip the next generation with the skills they need to succeed. The Allstate Foundation champions SEL and service-learning programs to ensure youth reach their full potential and have the power to build the just, equitable and healthy world we all deserve. www.AllstateFoundation.org
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