Measuring SEC: How to select a tool for assessing student social and emotional competencies

Use this tool to determine if a social and emotional competency assessment will meet your data needs (as opposed to a mental health screener), and prepare a list of questions to ask when choosing a high-quality assessment for your district.

School-Family Partnership Strategies to Enhance Children’s Social, Emotional, and Academic Growth

This brief provides educators with strategies and examples to build and nurture successful school-family partnerships and create an engaging and supportive climate for learning in school and at home.

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

Social-Emotional Competence: An Essential Factor for Promoting Positive Adjustment and Reducing Risk in School Children

Medium length scientific journal article (Domitrovich, Staley, Durlak, and Weissberg, 2017) reviews research behind SEL and what is known about effective intervention approaches, and proposes an intervention model to promote resilience.

TAGS journal article reading lists - staff SEL competence evidence-based programs district SEL expertise building buy-in for SEL

Washoe County’s 17 Item Student Social and Emotional Competency Self Report

Summary of the process of developing a 17 item student self-assessment of SEL used in Washoe, including the use of student focus groups, with results and connection to achievement and behavior outcomes. Item text is included.

TAGS student assessment define SEL metrics assessment data dashboards conducting local SEL research continuous improvement implementation evaluation youth voice

Social and Emotional Skills for Life and Career: Policy Levers that Focus on the Whole Child

This Policy Snapshot identifies 4 main categories of state and district policy considerations for integrating SEL and preparing teachers and administrators to focus on the whole child.

TAGS school board SEL standards board policies research brief integrate with district priorities SEL leadership

Metro Nashville Public Schools: Integrating Social, Emotional, and Academic Development (video)

Part of Edutopia's larger feature on Nashville, this video provides an overview of the district's approach to supporting all schools to integrate SEL into school culture and instruction.

TAGS SEL and Academic Integration videos model SEL schools building buy-in for SEL

Fostering Mental Health and Wellness with Universal Social-Emotional and Behavioral Supports

A concise document describing how SEL supports mental health and academic performance, featuring the work of CASEL partner the School District of Palm Beach county to develop a Tier 1 approach to SEL to support the mental health of all students and staff. Includes links to the resources and tools the district provided to all schools.

TAGS mental health MTSS

Social, Emotional, and Academic Development (SEAD) Assessments: A Framework for State and District Leaders

From EdTrust, this guide offers essential questions to consider when considering how a SEAD assessment fits your local context and purpose, and applies these questions to 11 commonly used  assessments (most of which are open-access).

TAGS assessment continuous improvement

Edutopia’s How Learning Happens Video Series

Videos that combine the science of brain development and real examples of practices explicitly designed to integrate social & emotional skills in classrooms and schoolwide settings, including trauma-informed practices, co-developed class norms, Socratic circles, makerspaces, student-led conferences and more.

TAGS PLC videos SEL competence student leadership research brief culturally responsive teacher training model SEL schools PK-12 instructional practices classroom level culture and climate building community professional learning building buy-in for SEL youth voice

American Institutes for Research Conditions for Learning Survey

Contact information to use this no-cost survey, appropriate for grades 2-12. It gathers students' views on climate, support, challenge and expectations, and social and emotional skills.

TAGS student assessment define SEL metrics assessment continuous improvement implementation evaluation culture and climate