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

What is Social and Emotional Learning? (video)

From CASEL and school district leadership, this video conceptualizes social and emotional learning and describes what it looks, feels and sounds like in educational spaces.

TAGS videos SEL overview building buy-in for SEL SEL leadership

Team Retreats: Centering SEL as You Plan, Facilitate, and Debrief

Use this tool as you plan a half-day to multi-day retreat for your team, to integrate SEL into the way you design the agenda, share opportunities for leadership among team members, facilitate activities, and set up discussions for the team to make meaning of what they have learned and accomplished.

TAGS professional learning district SEL expertise SEL leadership

Chicago School Climate Standards and Self-Assessment

The Chicago Public Schools' School Climate Standards includes 17 key indicators organized into four domains: School-wide Environment and Leadership, Physical and Emotional Safety, Relational Trust, and Teaching and Learning. This document also includes a self-assessment to support school-level continuous improvement and resources to include student voice assessing school climate.

TAGS define SEL metrics implementation monitoring culture and climate youth voice

Making SEL Assessment Work: Ten Practitioner Beliefs

The National Practitioner Advisory Group, convened by CASEL and AIR as part of the work of the Assessment Work Group, share a statement of 10 beliefs about assessing SEL, actions to achieve each belief, and reflection questions for leadership teams.

TAGS student assessment define SEL metrics assessment

Assistant Superintendent of SEL Job Description

Job description for Assistant Superintendent of SEL and Wellness, which also oversees a range of student support services including health and counseling.

TAGS job descriptions hiring practices implementation support human and financial resource alignment SEL leadership

CASEL Program Guide: Effective Social and Emotional Learning Programs

To support educators in selecting a high-quality SEL program, our Program Guide serves as a Consumer report-style product that showcases well-designed, evidence-based SEL programs (pre-kindergarten through high school) and the impact they have on student and/or teacher outcomes.

TAGS evidence-based programs elementary school grades classroom level SEL leadership

Selecting an Evidence-Based Program

This tool offers guiding questions and a rating table template to determine whether an evidence-based program answers the needs of your students, families, teachers, school, and district.

TAGS culturally responsive implementation plan evidence-based programs planning SEL leadership

Partnering with Community Organizations to Support SEL

This tool from CASEL's Guide to Schoolwide SEL describes 3 main ways schools can partner with community organizations: by bringing partners into the school, linking families with their resources, and organizing community-based experiences for students.

TAGS community partnerships SEL partnerships toolkit MTSS SEL leadership

Partners in Education: A Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships

A framework for creating the right conditions for engagement and designing scaffolded family engagement initiatives that build capacity for both educators and families to partner to support students. Includes 3 school and district case studies.

TAGS family partnerships community partnerships parent leadership research brief culturally responsive community relations family and community engagement