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Resources
Below, you’ll find resources to help strengthen central office expertise.
See how districts have strategized and planned to strengthen central office expertise
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SEL Action Guide – District Professional Learning Offerings This example from a school division in southeastern Virginia shows how they planned and provided professional learning for all district staff to strengthen understanding and investment, and later build skills, collaborate, and apply SEL in their context. The original version of this document included links for their staff to sign up for in-person learning or experience an online module. |
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Fellowship Spotlight – Collaborating on a Vision SEL Fellow and district SEL leader in New York David Blahowicz describes building a team of SEL champions of teachers and leaders through foundational learning activities and community building. Visit https://casel.org/series/sel-fellows-briefs/ for more briefs from SEL Fellows. SOURCE: CASEL |
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Playbook to Leverage the Power of Communities of Practice Developed with state policy teams, this resource is designed to support anyone who is working to build a community of practice across multiple schools or districts. Describes 6 steps for building a high quality CoP with tools and examples for each step. SOURCE: CASEL |
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Practices of Promise: Creating a Caring Culture Through SEL in Atlanta Public Schools How can districts weave social and emotional learning throughout their work to foster a systemwide culture of connection and trust? Atlanta Public Schools saw SEL as a key strategy for rebuilding culture and redefining how to pursue desired outcomes. Learn more about their journey and how SEL is a focus in their offices of safety and security and human resources. SOURCE: CASEL |
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2011 to 2021: 10 Years of SEL in U.S. School Districts Ten years ago, CASEL began collaborating with school district SEL leaders to explore the question - Is it possible to implement SEL systemically to positively impact students across a large urban school district? Not only did districts demonstrate that it was possible, but every district has deepened and expanded SEL implementation since joining the collaborative. This anniversary report details 6 key insights from these districts about how they were able to sustain SEL over the long term, even as the people and contexts within the district changed. SOURCE: CASEL |
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SEL Expertise Development Year 1 Plan Austin created 3 professional development outlines for leaders needing different levels of learning about SEL, includes links to videos and presentations and discussion questions for each leader audience. SOURCE: Austin Independent School District |
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Find ready-to-use tools for districts
Find ready-to-use tools
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An Introduction to SEL online course CASEL's free, one-hour, virtual learning experience includes reflection prompts, videos, and application activities to introduce SEL to staff members, caregivers, community partners, or anyone interested in SEL. SOURCE: CASEL |
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Plan SEL Foundational Learning for your School District This tool can help SEL leaders prepare a broad plan to provide learning experiences for all stakeholders in the school district community, and access resources to support foundational learning about SEL. SOURCE: CASEL |
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Playbook to Leverage the Power of Communities of Practice Developed with state policy teams, this resource is designed to support anyone who is working to build a community of practice across multiple schools or districts. Describes 6 steps for building a high quality CoP with tools and examples for each step. SOURCE: CASEL |
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Guiding Questions for Educators: Promoting Equity Using SEL in your School When social and emotional learning (SEL) is implemented with a culturally responsive lens, educators can use SEL to cultivate equitable learning opportunities, responsive relationships, and inclusive practices. This resources features reflection questions for school-level educators to explore the CASEL core competencies through an equity lens. See also: Guiding Questions for Educators: Promote Equity Using SEL in your District SOURCE: CASEL |
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SEL 101: What are the core competencies and key settings? (video) How can you bring social and emotional learning to your community? CASEL's framework for social and emotional learning (SEL) takes a systemic approach, identifying five core competence areas and four key settings. SOURCE: CASEL |
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Group Reflection Protocol for SEL: Discussing the Core Competencies and Where They Are Promoted This reflection protocol can help you facilitate a discussion on the updated SEL framework in small or large groups. The prompts allow you to think about what CASEL’s updated SEL framework means for implementation efforts in your school, district, or other setting. SOURCE: CASEL |
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This list contains links to videos that can be used to introduce SEL, strengthen commitment, and discuss key topics with stakeholder groups. Videos are arranged by category and length. SOURCE: CASEL |
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A presentation template, companion guide, mini-modules, summary, and reference list for use in PLCs, staff meetings, professional learning, or individual reflection. Contains suggested activities and practices to support educators in their well-being, emotional state, and stress while supporting students. SOURCE: Transforming Education |
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Michigan’s Free Online SEL Training The Michigan Department of Education in partnership with Michigan Virtual offers 5 self-paced courses (available to all but credit awarded only to MDE certificate holders) including an introduction to SEL, culturally responsive classrooms, embedding SEL schoolwide, creating professional culture based on SEL, and trauma-informed support. SOURCE: Michigan DOE |
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The Impact of Social and Emotional Learning (video) The research is clear: SEL is essential for academic and life success. In this video, district and CASEL leadership highlight data that demonstrates improvements in attendance, drop out rates, suspensions, expulsions, and academic growth. SOURCE: CASEL |
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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. SOURCE: CASEL |
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Strategies and Resources to Support Central Office Expertise There are a range of approaches you may choose to take when designing professional learning to meet the needs of the various groups you identified as stakeholders. In this document you'll find a few approaches and resources. SOURCE: CASEL |
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SEL: Creating Safe & Supportive Learning Environments (video) Creating a safe, supportive environment for social and emotional learning (SEL) has been, and remains, a high priority for CASEL. It is inherent in our focus on integrating SEL into all aspects of school and district practice through a systemic approach. SOURCE: CASEL |
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Cross-District Visit Observation Tool (Sacramento) This observation tool was used at CASEL's 2019 Cross District Learning Event in Sacramento. It highlights the intersections of SEL and equity goals in Sacramento City Unified School District. SOURCE: Sacramento City Unified School District |
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Cross-District Visit Observation Tool (Chicago) This observation tool was used at CASEL's 2018 Cross District Learning Event in Chicago. It highlights the 4 domains of Chicago's School Climate Standards. SOURCE: Chicago Public Schools |
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Guiding Questions for Educators: Promote Equity Using SEL in your District When social and emotional learning (SEL) is implemented with a culturally responsive lens, educators can use SEL to cultivate equitable learning opportunities, responsive relationships, and inclusive practices. This resources features reflection questions for district-level educators to explore the CASEL core competencies through an equity lens. See also: Guiding Questions for Educators: Promote Equity Using SEL in your School SOURCE: CASEL |
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Recommended Readings for Staff Recommended Readings for staff development. Topics include Introducing the Importance of SEL, SEL and Equity, SEL and Academic Integration, Restorative Practices, Adult SEL, and Partnering with Families for SEL. |
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Central Office Expertise Development Plan You can use or adapt this template as a starting point for planning how to develop central office expertise by audience. SOURCE: CASEL |
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What does SEL look like in elementary, middle, and high school? This curated list of articles and videos illustrate what SEL looks like in elementary, middle, and high school settings. Explore these links to deepen your knowledge and find grade-differentiated resources for professional learning and planning. SOURCE: CASEL |
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SEL 3 Signature Practices introductory video – Adult SEL Video describing the SEL 3 signature practices (welcoming inclusion activity, engaging practices, and optimistic closure) and how to use them in settings with adults, such as a meeting or professional learning. SOURCE: CASEL |
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SEL Learning Walk Protocol – Anchorage Anchorage's protocol for preparing and facilitating learning walks, well suited for districts that are organizing cross-campus visits to exemplary classrooms. SOURCE: Anchorage Public Schools |
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Principals, administrators, SEL team members, staff members, and other adults can use this tool to assess personal strengths, think about how to model those strengths when interacting with others, and plan strategies to promote growth across areas of social competence. SOURCE: CASEL |
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Find presentation templates that you can adapt and use
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A presentation template, companion guide, mini-modules, summary, and reference list for use in PLCs, staff meetings, professional learning, or individual reflection. Contains suggested activities and practices to support educators in their well-being, emotional state, and stress while supporting students. SOURCE: Transforming Education |
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Presentation to the Austin ISD Board CASEL and district SEL leaders co-led this three hour experiential session with the Board to strengthen and formalize support for SEL. Facilitator notes include a link to presentation slides. SOURCE: CASEL |
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Presentation for district and school administrators to connect SEL standards with Common Core and workforce skills and how to implement/monitor district-wide SEL. Includes activities that model SEL and a full presenter script. SOURCE: CASEL |
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Social and Emotional Learning in the Daily Life of Classrooms Facilitator guide and materials for a 6 hour session aimed at state and district leaders, outlining ways to integrate an SEL emphasis into policy and planning, draw connections between SEL and instructional priorities, and support school leaders to guide teachers to reflect on their own teaching practices and SEL competencies. SOURCE: AIR |
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The Case for SEL sample presentation CASEL's presentation introducing SEL and its evidence base can be adapted for a range of audiences, including district leaders and potential community partners or funders. SOURCE: CASEL |
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Sample Schoolwide SEL 101 Presentation This presentation can be adapted and used to introduce SEL to staff, families, and community partners. It gives an overview of what is SEL, why it’s important, and the process for schoolwide SEL. Talking points and activity instructions are provided in the notes section. Also available in Spanish. SOURCE: CASEL |
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See artifacts shared by districts and schools
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SEL Action Guide – District Professional Learning Offerings This example from a school division in southeastern Virginia shows how they planned and provided professional learning for all district staff to strengthen understanding and investment, and later build skills, collaborate, and apply SEL in their context. The original version of this document included links for their staff to sign up for in-person learning or experience an online module. |
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This example comes from a school division in southeastern Virginia. These key messages and supporting points can be used by classroom teachers to describe how and why they integrate SEL into their classroom, or can be shared as a summary with classroom teachers as the basis for staff discussion. |
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Fellowship Spotlight – Collaborating on a Vision SEL Fellow and district SEL leader in New York David Blahowicz describes building a team of SEL champions of teachers and leaders through foundational learning activities and community building. Visit https://casel.org/series/sel-fellows-briefs/ for more briefs from SEL Fellows. SOURCE: CASEL |
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Sacramento's presentation to the Board, sharing evidence of effectiveness of SEL implementation at pilot sites. SOURCE: Sacramento City Unified School District |
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SEL Central Office Professional Learning Community Description Sacramento's overview and invitation to other central office departments to participate in a district-level SEL professional learning community. SOURCE: Sacramento City Unified School District |
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Campus Visits and Learning Walk Protocols (Austin) Guidelines for SEL coaches when they conduct supportive visits and a protocol for Learning Walks, shared with visitors and campuses so they know what to expect and what support is available to them. SOURCE: Austin Independent School District |
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Demonstration Sites Walkthrough Tool (Sacramento) Tool used to make notes about SEL integration into the schoolwide environment, classroom environment, and instruction. SOURCE: Sacramento City Unified School District |
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Find resources to help you learn more on this topic
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The Neuroscience of SEL (Video) 20 minute lecture by Richard Davidson on the neuroscience of emotions and emotional response, and how SEL trains and changes the brain. Best for educating SEL leaders or building buy in with audiences looking for a scientific basis for SEL. SOURCE: Edutopia |
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Integrating Social-Emotional Learning into State and District Policies Powerpoint and webinar covering how districts have incorporated SEL through curriculum and standards. SOURCE: AIR |
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How to Create a Professional Learning Community Edutopia article on developing strong PLCs, includes quick tips on teaching participants how to collaborate, creating an atmosphere of trust, carving out enough time for meaningful work, and more. SOURCE: Edutopia |
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Findings in this summary of 3 large-scale research reviews of K-8 SEL programs show that SEL is among the most impactful youth development support for school-age youth, and it can be incoprorated into routine educational practice. SOURCE: CASEL |
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Book Chapter: Social Emotional Learning: Past, Present and Future Chapter by Weissberg, Durlak, Domitrovich, and Gullotta that provides a framework and evidence base for SEL and also important factors for quality implementation. SOURCE: CASEL |
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Students with Strong Social Skills in Kindergarten More Likely To Thrive As Adults Short article describing a 20 year study connecting students' social skills in kindergarten to their well-being as adults. SOURCE: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation |
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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. SOURCE: Research Journal |
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