SEL Toolkit for School Boards

A quick guide for school board members to help ground SEL conversations in the best interests of students and families, including tools to dispel misinformation with facts and data, then take action to support the social, emotional, and academic learning of every child.

TAGS school board board policies community relations

What Is SEL? A Two-Page Summary

This example from a school division in southeastern Virginia provides a quick and accessible look at the 5 SEL competencies, benefits of SEL, and ways school staff support SEL.

TAGS communications community relations building buy-in for SEL

SEL Communications Toolkit for School and District Leaders

Extensive focus groups and surveys have shown that the more people know about SEL, the more supportive they become. This toolkit shares five clear actions for a proactive communications strategy for SEL, including examples of effective messages, cautions, and guidance for developing your own materials.

TAGS communications community relations

El Paso Strategic Plan

The El Paso Independent School District strategic plan highlights SEL within its strategic priorities ad learning goals, and as a key initiative within the umbrella of providing engaging and challenging learning.

TAGS communications community relations college and career readiness data dashboards

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

The In-School and Afterschool Social Emotional Learning Connection: A Planning Tool

Tool for afterschool and in-school staff first to reflect independently on their goals for SEL and think about what is being done in each setting to support SEL, then to discuss how to work collaboratively toward a common goal.

TAGS community partnerships SEL partnerships building community MTSS out of school planning building buy-in for SEL SEL leadership

In Oakland, Reinventing School Policing

Article and video about Oakland schools' partnership with police and special SEL training for school-based officers.

TAGS community partnerships alternatives to suspension anti-bias SEL partnerships relationship skills restorative practices building community student discipline

SEL Partnership between Denver Public Schools and the Denver After-school Alliance

2 page flyer summarizing the plan for infusing evidence-based SEL throughout all grade levels in schools, afterschool, and in summer programs throughout Denver.

TAGS community partnerships SEL partnerships SEL overview out of school family and community engagement

Cleveland Classroom Meetings resource page

Classroom Meetings in Cleveland are used daily for community building and classroom level problem-solving and decision-making. This resource page has activities, best practices, handouts, samples that show integration with academic content, and other tools to help plan a larger scale rollout of class meetings.

TAGS teacher tool toolkit advisory/homeroom middle school grades high school grades instructional practices classroom level culture and climate building community youth voice

Teaching Restorative Practices with Classroom Circles

San Francisco's guide focused on the use of Circles as a proactive measure to build trust and community in a classroom. Includes sample activities and lesson plans for introducing students to restorative practices.

TAGS teacher tool toolkit reading lists - staff culturally responsive teacher training restorative practices advisory/homeroom instructional practices classroom level culture and climate building community professional learning youth voice