When leveraged for educational equity and excellence, districtwide SEL implementation has the potential to help foster inclusive learning environments and address longstanding disparities in student opportunities and outcomes.
When SEL implementation is centered around equity and excellence, it can be a key strategy for promoting understanding, examining biases, reflecting on and address the impact of racism, building cross-cultural relationships, and cultivating adult and student practices that close opportunity gaps and create more inclusive school communities. This requires districts to pay close attention to the roles of race, oppression, and privilege, and situate SEL within larger community and historical contexts. With this lens, SEL can be used to intentionally drive systemic change, uplift marginalized voices, and promote belonging and equity.
Below are considerations for approaching the implementation of each focus area in the CASEL District Framework with equity at the core of your work: