Out-of-school time: "A supervised program that young people regularly attend when school is not in session. This can include before- and after- school programs on a school campus or facilities such as academic programs (e.g., reading or math focused programs), specialty programs (e.g., sports teams, STEM, arts enrichment), and multipurpose programs that provide an array of activities (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)." https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/ost.htm
Build on Strengths and Experience
Schools, like the greater society, are becoming increasingly more diverse in culture, ethnicity, race, language, values, and beliefs. This diversity has countless positive benefits, but it can also present challenges.
Once you have an SEL team in place and you have developed your understanding of what schoolwide SEL looks like in practice, it is time to expand the conversation to the rest of the school community, including staff, students, parents and caregivers, and key community partners. Together you’ll develop a shared vision of where you […]
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This process helps schools create an environment that supports students in developing the academic, social, and emotional competencies that they need to navigate the world.
Support staff in cultivating personal social and emotional competencies and fostering the competencies of peers and students.
Align schoolwide systems, policies, programs, and practices to promote SEL for students.
Belonging and Emotional Safety
When teachers build the structures that support belonging and emotional safety, they lay the groundwork for students to focus on learning (Sergiovanni, 1994 in Darling-Hammond et al., 2017).
Aligning SEL and Academic Objectives
As your SEL team works with teachers to align SEL and academic objectives, it’s also important to consider how the content is delivered so that it supports the practice of social and emotional competencies.
Develop a coordinated approach for supporting students’ social and emotional learning across the school, classrooms, homes, and communities.
Focus Area 2: Continuous Improvement Connections
A safe and supportive school climate is an important factor for improving academic, behavioral, and mental health outcomes for students (Thapa, 2013).