1. Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
Promoting the Social, Emotional, and Academic Learning of Millions of Young People
Roger P. Weissberg
Novo Foundation Endowed Chair in Social and Emotional Learning University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
President and CEO
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
Social and Emotional Learning Research Group
Department of Psychology

2. A Coordinated District-wide Model for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning
Systematic classroom-based SEL instruction and a supportive school climate
Coordinated mental health and health services
School-family-community partnerships
After-school and community activities

3. Collaborators Care about Context, Connections, and Competence
Readings
Who is in the room?
Agenda and Goals 3

4. Readings SEL Alliance for Massachusetts
Guidelines on Implementing SEL Curricula (MA Dept of Elementary and Secondary Education)
Creating Safe, Healthy, and Supportive Learning Environments to Increase the Success of All Students (MA Behavioral Health and Public Schools Task Force) 4

5. Who Is in the Room? John D’Auria, Teachers 21
Larry Dieringer, Educators for Social Responsibility
David Zussman & Debbie Peck, Boston Development Group
Nova Biro & Nancy McKay, Open Circle
Nicholas Covino, MA School of Professional Psychology
Roxann Kriete, Responsive Classroom
Joan Duffell, Committee for Children
Mitch Lyons, GetPsychedSports.org, Inc.
And Others 5

6. Agenda and Goals: Promoting SEL in K-12 Education
Educators Panel: From Theory to Action
DESE Initiatives, Frameworks, and Guidance
Putting Good Ideas to Work
Bringing SEL to Children’s Lives
Curriculum, School Programs, and Student Activities
Staff Activities, Support, and Professional Development
School- and District-level Organization and Leadership
Data Collection to Assess Progress and Outcomes
Public Policy and Advocacy
Next Steps 6

7. Children Must Be a National Priority
No higher cause can trump that obligation – not a church, and certainly not a football program. And not even a lifetime of heroism can make up for leaving a single child alone, abandoned to evil, weeping in the dark.
- Ross Douthat (2011)

8. The more SEL promotes these capacities, the better off the world will be!
Manhood that is rooted in a sense of humanity, in peace, in love, in nonviolence, in honesty and transparency, in constant self-criticism and self-reflection, and in respect and honor of women and girls, again, as our equals.
- Kevin Powell (2011)

9. Some [people] see things as they are and ask why.
I dream things that never were and say why not.
—Robert Kennedy 9

10. Objectives of Today’s Presentation
Professional focus
Pose key questions and core beliefs
Overview research, practice, and policy advances in social and emotional learning (SEL)
Summarize CASEL’s National SEL Initiative
Discuss future priorities to advance SEL in Massachusetts 10

11. Professional Focus—Since 1976
How can schools, families, and communities partner to promote positive outcomes in children and youth? 11

12. Actionable, Feasible, Research-based Family, School, and Community Approaches
Support and strengthen family functioning
Sustained relationships with caring adults
Provide high-quality education
Connecting students and their schools
Make communities safe and supportive for children
High quality out-of-school-time programs
Provide children and youth with opportunities to build social and emotional competence 12

13. Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
CASEL was founded in 1994 to make SEL an essential part of every child’s education.
Advance the science of SEL
Expand effective SEL practice
Improve federal and state policies
CASEL serves as strategist, collaborator, convener, and supporter for the SEL community 13

14. Key Questions and Core Beliefs
Are people with better social and emotional skills more likely to succeed in school and life?
Can social and emotional skills be taught?
Will children be better prepared for college and life if we teach social, emotional, and academic skills?
How can we ensure that teachers teach social and emotional skills effectively?
Can research inform educational practice and policy?
Can a group of SEL collaborators improve the education of pre-K to 12 students across the US? 14

15. Essential Questions Each Community Must Answer
What do we want our children to be, to know, and to be able to do when they graduate?
How can the entire community be organized to ensure that all students reach the stated goals?

16. Risky Youth Behaviors and Attitudes: Prevalence for High School Students
Physical fight 1 or more times (12 mos.): 31%
Carried a weapon (30 days): 17%
Bullied at school (past 6 months): 28%
5 or more drinks in a couple of hours (30 days): 24%
Seriously considered attempting suicide: 14%
Sexual intercourse with > 3 people: 14%
Chronically disengaged from school: %

17. Social and Emotional Skills and Attitudes: Prevalence for 6th to 12th graders
How people you know well would rate you on:
Thinking through the results of your 29% choices, planning ahead
Caring about others’ feelings, feeling sad 45% when a friend is unhappy, being good at making and keeping friends
Respecting the values/beliefs of people of 43% different races/cultures
My school provides a caring, encouraging 29% environment

18. 1997: CASEL Defines the Field of SEL18

19. What is Social and Emotional Learning?
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is a process through which children and adults learn to recognize and manage emotions, demonstrate care and concern for others, develop positive relationships, make good decisions, and behave ethically, respectfully, and responsibly.
Let’s look at the definition that CASEL uses for social and emotional learning . Many of you are familiar with this. We will take it in sections. [Prepare to click the graphics into place.]
“SEL is lifelong process whereby students and adults…..”
Why are both adults and students included in this definition? [Gather 1 – 2 responses.] Think about your experience of arriving here this morning. What knowledge and skills did you use just to show up here and be ready to engage in this workshop? [Gather 1 – 2 responses.] Thank you. As we know, SEL is as much for adults as for students.
“acquire knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to five core competencies of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. “
Let’s look at some examples of the types of knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are related to five core competencies.
These five core competencies are inter-related; our emotional responses, thinking, and actions are intricately connected; brain research confirms that strong emotions can override our higher-order thinking. Our emotional state also influences our ability to attend to, concentrate, and remember what we learn. SEL helps us develop our ability to recognize and manage our emotions so that we can think clearly, choose wisely, and act deliberately. It also helps us become interpersonally effective, by learning to build healthy and productive relationships and to be responsible decision-makers.
Finally, research confirms that these skills can be taught (it’s more than a way of being smart), and outcomes for students improve when they develop SEL competence. In fact, many of the most effective prevention and intervention efforts teach SEL skills. We’ll be looking at the research later in this session. And later in the workshop we’ll explore the ways in which many of our prevention and intervention efforts support student SEL.

20. SEL Is a Process of Acquiring Knowledge, Attitudes, and Skills
Related to Five Core Competencies
Recognize one’s emotions, values, strengths, and limitations
Manage emotions and behaviors to achieve one’s goals
Self-awareness
Make ethical, constructive choices about personal and social behavior
Responsible decision making
Self-management
SEL
Social awareness
Relationship
skills
Show understanding and empathy for others
Form positive relationships, work in teams, deal effectively with conflict

21. A Caring, Connected, Responsible, Contributing Problem Solver
STOP, CALM DOWN, & THINK before you act
Say the PROBLEM and how you FEEL
Set a POSITIVE GOAL
THINK of lots of SOLUTIONS
THINK ahead to the CONSEQUENCES
GO ahead and TRY the BEST PLAN
STOP
THINK GO

22. Learning Environment Safe & well-managed Respectful & supportive
High expectations & challenging
Participation & leadership
Behavioral standards & prosocial norms

23. Promoting Students’ Autonomy, Belonging, and Competence
Less
Teacher lecture
Teacher intervention
External rewards
Inflexible discipline
Independent seatwork
Parent-school isolation
More
Student input
Student problem solving
Self-assessment
Natural consequences
Cooperative learning
Sense of partnership

24. SEL Conceptual Framework
Academically Successful
Coordinated School, Family, and Community Programming
Social and Emotional Learning
Healthy
Engaged Citizens
Good Social Relationships 24

25. What are the Latest Research Advances?

26. Does SEL programming positively affect students?
Social-emotional skills
Attitudes
Positive social behavior
Conduct problems
Emotional distress
Academic performance
Outcomes
Percentile Imp & (ES)
22 (.57)
9 (.23)
9 (.24)
9 (.22)
10 (.24)
11 (.27)
—Durlak et al. (2011)

27. Longitudinal Findings from the Seattle Social Development Project at Age 21
More high school graduates
More attending college
More employed
Better emotional and mental health
Fewer with a criminal record
Less drug selling
Cost-benefit: $3.14/student for $1 invested
—Hawkins et al. (2008) 27

28. Are SEL programs conducted by existing school staff effective?
Teacher
Researcher
Social-emotional skill
Attitudes
Positive social behavior
Conduct problems
Emotional distress
Academic performance
—Durlak et al. (2011)

29. Does the quality of implementation affect student outcomes?
Implementation Problems? No
Yes
Social-emotional skills
Attitudes
Positive social behavior
Conduct problems
Emotional distress
Academic performance
—Durlak et al. (2011)

30. How do we develop students’ social and emotional skills?
Sequenced, Active, Focused, Explicit (SAFE)
Adults and students model SEL skills and discuss relevant situations
Developmentally/culturally competent instruction and community-building activities
Opportunities for students to contribute to their class, school, and community 30

31. Effects of SEL Participation on Teachers: Self-reported Survey Responses

32. Principals’ Responses
The training I received from CASEL has taught me to recognize the relationship between my feelings and my job performance as a school leader.
I am definitely more in touch with my values as an educator as a result of working with SEL at my school. I realize that it is not just about academics; rather we are responsible for nurturing the entire child and SEL assists us in doing that.

33. Effectiveness of SEL Worldwide
Failure or refusal to adopt and appropriately support the implementation of SEL/SFL programmes is equal to depriving children and youngsters of crucial and scientifically substantiated opportunities for their personal, social and academic development.
This would be a flagrant violation of the United Nations Convention of Children’s Rights.
—Diekstra, p. 261 (2008)

34. Implications for Practice & Policy
SEL works
Multiple positive outcomes including academic achievement
Across grade levels and contexts
SEL is doable
Good results from programs run by existing school staff
SEL needs support
Implementation matters
Supported by federal and state policies, leadership, and professional development

35. CASEL’s National Initiative for Social and Emotional Learning

36. The National Initiative for Social and Emotional Learning
Support systemic SEL in collaborating districts.
Conduct research on district-wide SEL and develop tools to accelerate high-quality implementation nationwide.
3. Partner with SEL program providers, colleges of education, and professional organizations to scale SEL.
Promote state standards, guidelines, and policies .
Promote federal policies that encourage SEL.
6. Strategically communicate to foster widespread demand for SEL as an essential part of education.

37. Safe and Sound: An Educator’s Guide to Evidence-based SEL Programs37

38. © CASEL 2008 38 38

39. What Does Schoolwide SEL Look Like?
Parent/teacher conferences
Playground
Hallways
Front Office
Teacher’s Lounge
Bus
SEL School
Lunchroom
Student Support
Classrooms
Afterschool/
Extracurriculars
Bathrooms

40. Sustainable Schoolwide SEL: Implementation Guide and Toolkit
Social and Emotional
Learning (SEL)
Collaborative for Academic,
Social, and Emotional Learning
Elizabeth Devaney
Mary Utne O’Brien
Hank Resnik
Susan Keister
Roger P. Weissberg
Readiness phase
Planning phase
Implementation phase
Sustainability factors
IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE AND TOOLKIT

41. Strategies for District-wide SEL
Assess SEL-related needs and resources
Develop SEL vision and long-term plans
Communicate with stakeholders
Align budgets and staffing
Implement professional development
Develop SEL learning standards and assessments
Adopt evidence-based programs
Integrate SEL with family and community initiatives
Monitor process and outcomes
Participate in learning community with other districts

42. A Coordinated District-wide Model for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning
Systematic classroom-based SEL instruction and a supportive school climate
Coordinated mental health and health services
School-family-community partnerships
After-school and community activities

43. Collaborating Districts Initiative
Anchorage, Alaska
Austin, Texas
Cleveland, Ohio
Chicago, Illinois
4 additional top-200 size districts

44. Conduct District-wide SEL Evaluation with the American Institutes for Research
SEL implementation process
Coordinated school-wide and classroom practices
School climate
SEL competencies
Student behaviors
Academic performance

45. Preschool Standards for Social and Emotional Learning

46. Pennsylvania Preschool Standards for Social and Emotional Learning
Social and Emotional Development:
Learning About Myself and Others
Self-concept (Identity)
Self-regulation
Pro-social relationships with adults
Pro-social relationships with peers

47. Illinois K-12 Social and Emotional Learning Goals
Self
Other
Decision-making
Develop self-awareness and self-management skills to achieve school and life success.
Use social-awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive relationships.
Demonstrate decision-making skills and responsible behaviors in personal, school, and community contexts.

48. Federal Policy HR 2437 - Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning Act
Reauthorize ESEA (No Child Left Behind) to incorporate SEL as part of teacher and administrator education
Work with federal agencies (e.g., the US Department of Education) on ways to incorporate evidence-based SEL in their initiatives 48

49. Why Implement SEL in Schools?
Relationships provide a foundation for learning
Emotions affect how and what we learn
Relevant skills can be taught
Positive effects on academic performance, health, relationships, and citizenship
Demanded by employers
Essential for lifelong success
A coordinating framework for prevention and youth-development programs

50. A Systematic Approach to
Develop and Assess SEL
Standards: Clear statements about what students should know and be able to do
Curriculum and instruction: Evidence-based classroom and school-wide programs and practices
Professional development: For district and school administrators, teachers, and support staff
Assessments: Including an indicator system to link SEL standards to outcomes

51. Future Priorities to Improve the SEL of Millions of School Children
Collaboration with 8 large districts and other socio-demographically diverse districts
Evaluating the CDI and creating tools for scaling up with districts and schools across the US
Advancing state and federal policies
Communications to create a new vision of education that works for 21st century children 51

52. Take-Home Messages
We can not always build the future for our youth, but we can build the youth for our future.
—Franklin D. Roosevelt
Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.
—Nelson Mandela 52

53. A Vision for Education in Massachusetts, the United States, and the World
Educators, students, families, community members, and researchers work together to support the healthy development of all students.
All students are engaged learners who are self- aware, self-disciplined, caring, respectful, connected to others, responsible decision makers, and academic achievers.
Students are contributing in positive ways to their school, family, and community. 53