1. SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING: From State and District Perspectives
Ask all to raise their right arm in the air, Explain this is the signal to regroup.
Presenter: Linda Dusenbury, Ph.D.
CASEL Consulting Senior Scientist

2. Purpose
Examine the broader context for district and state efforts to advance SEL, and
Share CASEL tools and resources to support implementation of SEL.

3. Who is CASEL?
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning was founded in 1994 to help make social and emotional learning (SEL) an essential part of every young person’s education by:
Advancing the science of SEL
Improving state and federal policies
Expanding effective SEL practice
CASEL’s origins – evidence –meta-analysisMany of you are familiar with CASEL, but I’ll take a moment to share some key information about the organization. CASEL is the acronym for the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, a non-profit organization located in Chicago, IL. CASEL was founded in 1994 by Daniel Goleman, author of the international bestsellers, Emotional Intelligence and Social Intelligence, and Eileen Rockefeller Growald, venture philanthropist.
How many of you have read books or articles by Daniel Goleman? [Acknowledge show of hands.]
Goleman, Growold, and other leaders in the field of SEL from prominent universities throughout the U.S. founded CASEL to:
[click] Advance the science of SEL, making available to the public the largest compendium of high quality research and evaluation on SEL.
[click] Expand evidence-based, integrated SEL practice as an essential part of education from preschool through high school. To date, CASEL has trained more than 4000 educators from 25 states and five countries on how to effectively implement sustainable schoolwide SEL. The organization has influenced the creation of SEL learning standards in Illinois and is working with several key states to affect similar legislation to bring SEL into mainstream education. It has also brought national attention to the best evidence-based SEL programs through the first-ever review of available SEL programs.
[click] Improve state and federal policies. By integrating theory and practice, CASEL seeks to advance research, school practice, and public policy to bring SEL into mainstream education for all children. 3
SCUSD Nuss Keister Final Stakeholders Presentation 3 hours April

4. Levels of schoolwide SEL
FAMILY & COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
HOMES & COMMUNITIES
SEL CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION
SCHOOLS
CLASSROOM
SELF-AWARENESS
SELF-MANAGEMENT
Social and
Emotional
Learning
(SEL)
SOCIAL AWARENESS
RESPONSIBLE DECISION-MAKING
SEL CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION
CASEL’s origins in evidence..2 meta-analyses of field to explore and help define SEL and evidence-based practice.
RELATIONSHIP SKILLS
SCHOOLWIDE PRACTICES & POLICIES

5. You may also be familiar with the CASEL program review which are consumer’s guides to evidence-based SEL programs – SEL programs that have been shown to be effective.

6. DISTRICT IMPLEMENTATION
But my purpose is to tell you about CASEL’s experience and what we’ve learned working with districts and states across the country. I’ll start with districts…

7. What is the Collaborating Districts Initiative?
A national collaboration launched in 2011 between CASEL, AIR, and 8 large urban districts aimed at supporting school districts’ capacities to systemically promote social and emotional learning (SEL) for all students.
Research questions:
What does systemic SEL mean and how is it achieved?
Is systemic SEL feasible in large urban districts?
What are the outcomes for students?

8. District Partnerships
2011
Anchorage, AK
Austin, TX
Cleveland, OH
2012
Chicago, IL
Nashville, TN
Oakland, CA
Sacramento City, CA
Washoe County, NV
Dupage Co. IL
Warren City, OH
Youngstown, OH
2015
Atlanta, GA
2016
El Paso, TX
District Partnerships
2017
Boston, MA
Dallas, TX
Denver, CO
Palm Beach, FL
Tacoma, WA
Tulsa, OK

9. CASEL’s District Theory Of Action
A comprehensive and tested framework for implementing systemic social and emotional learning at the district level.
Centered around 10 key activities that fall into 4 categories.
SCUSD Nuss Keister Final Stakeholders Presentation 3 hours April

10. CASEL’s District Theory of Action
Communication of SEL as a Priority to Stakeholders
Development of a Vision & Long-term Plan
Align Financial and Human Resources
Build Central Office Expertise and Capacity
Assess SEL Resources and Needs
Offer Comprehensive SEL Professional Learning for all Staff
Align and Integrate SEL with all other District Initiatives
Develop and Implement K-12 SEL Standards & Assessments
Select and Implement Evidence-based Programs for all students in all grades in all schools
Establish Systems for Continuous Improvement Focused on Using SEL Data to Inform Practice and Policies
Cultivate Commitment and Organizational
Support for SEL
Assess SEL Resources and Needs
Support Classroom, Schoolwide, and Community
SEL Programming
Quick
Establish Systems for Continuous Improvement
SCUSD Nuss Keister Final Stakeholders Presentation 3 hours April

11. Framework for district and school systemic SEL
Short-Term Outcomes
Self- Efficacy
Connectedness
Sense of Purpose
Prosocial Behavior
Reduced Conduct Problems, Risky Behaviors, and Emotional Distress
Improved Academic Performance
This is the framework, then, that has emerged from CASEL’s district work.
Long-Term Outcomes
College Readiness
Career Readiness
Healthy Adult Relationships
Positive Mental Health

12. Positive results Where consistent, year to year data is available,
CDI districts have experienced positive growth in both district and school SEL implementation (8 out of 8 districts)
Students reported improvements in climate across a variety of domains (in 3 of 3 districts)
Quick review
Improvements in Social and Emotional competence, most notably in elementary school (in 4 of 6 districts)

13. Improved academics, attendance, suspensions:
Where consistent, year to year data is available, districts are reporting improvements in
Academic outcomes as compared to the years prior to the CDI
5-10 percentile point increase in Reading & Math test scores (in 3 of 3 districts)
Significant and positive gains in GPA (in 3 of 4 districts)
Quick review
Attendance in one or more levels (Elementary, Middle, High) (in 4 of 5 districts)
Reductions in suspensions at elementary, middle and high school level (in 6 of 6 districts)

14. SEL DISTRICT RESOURCE CENTER https://drc.casel.org

15. DISTRICT RESOURCE CENTER
launched May 2017
Synthesis of learnings, artifacts from the CDI organized by CASEL
Theory of Action
Address the “how-to” of implementation
Support districts nationwide with systemic SEL implementation by providing 500+ resources and guidance
Highlight the work in the CDI

16. DISTRICT RESOURCE CENTER
launched May 2017
DISTRICT FRAMEWORK

17. STATE IMPLEMENTATION
I want to shift now to tell you about what CASEL has learned in our work with states…CASEL began with IL in 2004, and continued with our state scan which launched in 2010, and allows us to know and share about high quality policies and guidance in SEL, in states across the country. And then in 2016 the CASEL CSI launched…

18. What is the Collaborating States Initiative?
A national community of practice designed to help SEAs create statewide conditions that encourage educators to become intentional about promoting SEL.
State teams develop customized plans for policies, guidance, and professional development.
Research questions:
What does systemic SEL mean and how is it achieved at the state level?
How can states effectively create conditions that will support systemic implementation of SEL in districts?
What ultimately will be the outcomes for students?

19. all 50 states have articulated comprehensive, free-standing competencies for SEL (with developmental benchmarks) at the pre-school level.
Which states have articulated what students should know and be able to do with regard to SEL?
at least 7 states have comprehensive, free-standing competencies for SEL with developmental benchmarks, pre-school through early elementary:
Connecticut (Kindergarten through grade 3)
Idaho (birth to grade 3)
Massachusetts (Preschool through Kindergarten)
Ohio (Kindergarten through grade 3)
Pennsylvania (Preschool through grade 2)
Vermont (Preschool through grade 2)
Washington (birth to grade 3)
6 states have articulated comprehensive, free-standing competencies for SEL, K-12:
Illinois
Kansas
Maine
New Jersey
Rhode Island
West Virginia
This summary provides a snapshot of what we know from CASEL’s state scan and more recently from the CSI…
10 additional states working on competencies for SEL, as part of the CSI

20. examples of states that have provided guidance for SEL…
California
Massachusetts
New Jersey
New York
Rhode Island
Washington; Professional Development Module
Wisconsin

21. QUESTIONS?

22. Consulting Senior Scientist
Thank you!
Linda Dusenbury, Ph.D.
Consulting Senior Scientist