Leading with SEL Advocacy Tools

This site provides resources for SEL advocates, including toolkits for parents and school board members. There is guidance for conversations, communications, engaging media outlets, and reaching out to policymakers.

TAGS parenting family partnerships reading lists - parents parent leadership building buy-in for SEL family and community engagement

District SEL Message Map

This example comes from a school division in southeastern Virginia. It provides 3 memorable key messages, succinct supporting details, and statistics to use as talking points or in written communication about SEL.

TAGS media relations communications building buy-in for SEL

SEL Skills Continuum, Adult and PreK-12

This example from a school division in southeastern Virginia includes "I can" statements to describe skills within each of the 5 SEL competency areas. Separate lists for adults, PreK, K-1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-10, and 11-12 show how social and emotional skills are developmental and are expressed differently over time.

TAGS SEL standards

SEL Mindfulness Coach Job Description

Job description for Austin's mindfulness coach

TAGS job descriptions hiring practices implementation support mindfulness SEL coaching for staff human and financial resource alignment SEL leadership

Teacher Interview: How Do SEL Skills Come Into Play for You as an Adult? (video)

Interview with a teacher in Anchorage reflecting on her own social and emotional development and how she models for her students.

TAGS Adult SEL videos teacher tool self awareness model SEL schools elementary school grades classroom level

Adult SEL Posters

Minneapolis Public Schools developed a set of posters describing how adults exercise social and emotional skills in 5 core areas.

TAGS Adult SEL SEL competence teacher training

Families as Partners Manual

Families as Partners (FAP) is an Austin ISD initiative funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation with the goal of creating sustainable and effective school-family partnerships for academic success. The initiative is grounded in the principle that authentic engagement flourishes when families and faculty build trusting relationships and see each other as equal partners.

TAGS family partnerships parent leadership

Austin’s MAPS Course for Freshmen (video)

MAPS (Methods for Academic and Personal Success) is a credit-bearing course for freshmen at Austin High School and other district high schools to support the transition into high school by teaching students how to organize for success, manage their emotions, resolve conflicts, build and maintain positive relationships, and other critical social and emotional learning and student success skills.

TAGS advisory/homeroom high school grades college and career readiness

A Case for School Connectedness

Short article from Educational Leadership describing the impact of strong school connectedness on academic achievement, behavior, absenteeism, and school completion, as well as and practices that enhance it.

TAGS bullying prevention mental health journal article relationship skills research brief advisory/homeroom middle school grades high school grades culture and climate building community integrate with district priorities

SEL Inventory – Elementary Interview

This interview protocol was used by evaluators at elementary school sites in Sacramento City to gather baseline data on the implementation of SEL programs and practices. Includes handouts that were provided to interviewees.