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).
Reflect on Personal Social and Emotional Skills
Carol Dweck is a psychologist who researches achievement and success. Her major finding is that those who have a “growth mindset”—those who believe that their abilities are developed through dedication and hard work, not innate talent—are more likely to be resilient when things get tough and persevere to achieve goals (Dweck, 2006).
Before launching an SEL action plan, it’s important to take stock of what is going on across your school and previous SEL-related efforts. Build on your strengths and learn from members of your school community who have seen many initiatives come and go by honoring and reflecting on the work that has come before.
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 […]
Make a plan to evaluate progress
With clear goals in place, determine what data you’ll need to collect throughout the year to measure progress and continuously improve your implementation plan. Consider these questions when planning how to evaluate your SEL efforts: What type of data will help us understand if we are making progress toward our goals? Who will be in […]
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Collaboratively develop a shared vision for schoolwide SEL that is communicated to the entire school community, informs planning and implementation, and is revisited regularly.
Establish Discipline Policies that Promote SEL
When discipline policies and practices are supportive, developmentally-appropriate, and equitable, they reinforce SEL and support stronger relationships, student engagement, and equitable outcomes.
Students have a unique perspective on how high-level decisions impact the day-to-day life of the school, and their voices are critical to quality schoolwide SEL implementation. By listening to students, schools can make informed decisions about the changes that will best support all learners.