promoting social and emotional learning€¦ · gene r. carter, executive director michelle terry,...

Guidelines for Educators

MAURICE J. ELIAS

JOSEPH E. ZINS

ROGER P. WEISSBERG

KARIN S. FREY

MARK T. GREENBERG

NORRIS M. HAYNES

RACHAEL KESSLER

MARY E. SCHWAB-STONE

TIMOTHY P. SHRIVER

p r o m o t i n g

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ASSOCIATION FOR SUPERVISION AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA USA

Education$22.95

Fostering knowledgeable, respon-sible, and caring students is oneof the most urgent challenges fac-ing schools, families, and commu-nities as we enter the 21st century.Promoting Social and EmotionalLearning provides sound princi-ples for meeting this challenge.

Students today face unparal-leled demands. In addition toachieving academically, theymust learn to work cooperatively,make responsible decisions aboutsocial and health practices, resistnegative peer and media influ-ences, contribute constructively to their family and community,

function in an increasingly diverse society, and acquire the skills,attitudes, and values necessary to become productive workers and citizens. A comprehensive, integrated program of social andemotional education can help students meet these many demands.

The authors draw upon the most recent scientific studies, thebest theories, site visits carried out around the country, and theirown extensive experiences to describe approaches to social andemotional learning for all levels. Framing the discussion are 39 concise guidelines, as well as many field-inspired examples for classrooms, schools, and districts. Chapters address how to develop, implement, and evaluate effective strategies.

Educators who have programs in place will find ways tostrengthen them. Those seeking further direction will find anabundance of approaches and ideas. Appendixes include a cur-riculum scope for preschool through grade 12 and an extensivelist of contacts that readers may follow up for firsthand knowl-edge about effective social and emotional learning programs.

The authors of Promoting Social and Emotional Learning are members of the Research and Guidelines Work Group of theCollaborative for the Advancement of Social and EmotionalLearning (CASEL).

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ISBN 0-87120-288-3

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ISBN 0-87120-288-3

Social & Emotional 2/16/05 10:17 AM


MAURICE J. ELIAS

JOSEPH E. ZINS

ROGER P. WEISSBERG

KARIN S. FREY

MARK T. GREENBERG

NORRIS M. HAYNES

RACHAEL KESSLER

MARY E. SCHWAB-STONE

TIMOTHY P. SHRIVER

p r o m o t i n g

s o c i a l

a n d

e m o t i o n a l

l e a r n i n g

ASSOCIATION FOR SUPERVISION AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA USA

Social & Emotional TP 2/16/05 10:19 AM Page 1

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development1250 N. Pitt Street • Alexandria, Virginia 22314-1453 USATelephone: 1-800-933-2723 or 703-549-9110 • Fax: 703-299-8631Web site: http://www.ascd.org. • E-mail: [email protected]

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataPromoting social and emotional learning : guidelines for educators / Maurice J. Elias ... [et al.]. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-87120-288-3 (pbk.) 1. Affective education—United States. 2. Social skills—Study and teaching—United States. 3. Emotions—Study and teaching— United States. I. Elias, Maurice J. LB1072.P76 1997 370.15’3—dc21 97-21198 CIP

01 00 99 98 97 5 4 3 2 1

™

Promoting Social and Emotional Learning:Guidelines for Educators

Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

1. The Need for Social and Emotional Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

2. Reflecting on Your Current Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

3. How Does Social and Emotional Education Fit in Schools? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

4. Developing Social and Emotional Skills in Classrooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

5. Creating the Context for Social and Emotional Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

6. Introducing and Sustaining Social and Emotional Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

7. Evaluating the Success of Social and Emotional Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

8. Moving Forward: Assessing Strengths, Priorities, and Next Steps . . . . . . . . . . 117

Epilogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Appendix A: Curriculum Scope for Different Age Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Appendix B: Guidelines for Social and Emotional Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Appendix C: Program Descriptions, Contacts, and Site Visit Information . . . . . . 143

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

About the Authors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Acknowledgments

A BOOK THAT HAS NUMEROUS AUTHORS, INCORPO-

rates on-site visits around the United States, and isbased on action research carried out, collectively,over several decades at dozens of sites and involv-ing hundreds of thousands of students and thou-sands of educators easily could have anacknowledgments section reminiscent of the cred-its for a Cecil B. DeMille movie. Indeed, each of theauthors of this book has mentors, assistants, andcollaborators.

What we will do is thank those individualswhose efforts literally made this book possible.Foremost among these are the Founders and Lead-ership Team of the Collaborative for the Advance-ment of Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL):Maurice Elias, Eileen Rockefeller Growald, DanielGoleman, Tom Gullotta, David Sluyter, Linda Lan-tieri, Mary Schwab-Stone, and Tim Shriver. Thecore support staff members of CASEL’s central of-fice, originally based at Yale (Peggy Nygren, Char-lene Voyce) and now housed at the University ofIllinois at Chicago (Sharmistha Bose, Bella Giller,Carol Bartels Kuster, May Stern) have provided pa-tient, diligent, and skilled logistical and conceptualassistance.

We thank all those who consented to be part ofour on-site visits and who provided informationabout their programs prior to our deadlines. Con-tact information for these programs is provided inAppendix C. Most probably, our on-site visit team

now has more details about more social and emo-tional learning programs than anyone else. LindaBruene-Butler and Lisa Blum conducted most ofthe visits, and did so expertly. They also did an out-standing job organizing the many tapes and writ-ten materials they obtained. Zephryn Conte alsoconducted two on-site visits, and an ace team ofRutgers undergraduates helped with the tran-scripts: Debi Ribatsky, Allison Larger, JoanneMucerino, and Laura Green. Tom Schuyler, a re-tired school principal with more than two decadesof experience working with SEL programs, pro-vided a generous dose of wisdom. Thanks also toBob Hanson of National Professional Resources,who donated copies of videos that depicted pro-grams we were unable to visit.

Financial support for CASEL from the FetzerInstitute, the Surdna Foundation, and the Univer-sity of Illinois at Chicago, among others, facilitatedour conference calls and meetings. Fetzer also pro-vided the funding for the on-site visits. The FetzerInstitute also hosted the conference at which mem-bers of CASEL met with Ron Brandt of ASCD andJohn Conyers, Betty Davis, and Harriet Arnold,long-time ASCD leaders who served as a kind of fo-cus group discussing this book. Their valuable sug-gestions helped to shape and ground our thinking.

ASCD has been a true partner in this project.In addition to the individuals listed above, MikkiTerry, Agnes Crawford, and Sally Chapman pro-

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vided valuable support as they thought about thebook’s follow-up with professional developmentinstitutes and curricular and video projects. NancyModrak, John O’Neil, and Julie Houtz have beenthe shepherds of the manuscript, giving gentle andhelpful guidance. The person who has been mostdirectly involved is Jo Ann Irick Jones, and we can-not say enough about her tireless work, her tremen-dous grasp of the basic concept of the manuscript,and her creative ideas about how to convey thoseideas clearly, both in words and in layout. We alsosalute the many others who provided editorial andproduction wizardry at ASCD. (What a bookcover!) We look forward to a long ASCD-CASELcollaboration in the interests of children and thebetterment of schools.

We also want to thank the children, parents,and educators with whom we have worked, andwho taught us a great deal. We consider ourselvesprivileged to be working in the schools, to be able

to watch and learn and contribute to this most criti-cal aspect of children’s upbringing. The belief thatSEL is the missing piece in children’s academic andinterpersonal success and sound health has fueledour continuing efforts. We are honored to bringthis work to a vast education audience through theauspices of ASCD.

Finally, we wish to thank our families. Theyhave supported our action research, our writing,our meetings, and all of the work related to bring-ing this book to its completion. Three families—those of Maurice Elias, Joe Zins, and RogerWeissberg—bore particular burdens during Decem-ber 1996 and January 1997, as the struggle to makethe publication deadline and pull together vastamounts of materials in a coherent manner grewmore intense, and time grew short. Their patienceand support show their great reservoirs of socialand emotional skills, for which we are grateful.

PROMOTING SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING: GUIDELINES FOR EDUCATORS

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Preface

DURING THE PAST FEW DECADES, SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN

inundated with well-intentioned positive youth de-velopment efforts to promote students’ compe-tence and to prevent social and health problems.Relevant topics have included initiatives in the fol-lowing areas:

• AIDS education • law-related education• career education • moral education• character education • multicultural

education• civic education • nutrition education• delinquency prevention • physical injury

prevention• dropout prevention • positive peer bonding• drug education • sex education• family-life education • truancy prevention• health education • violence prevention

It’s enough to make an educator’s (not to men-tion a student’s) head spin!

Fostering knowledgeable, responsible, and car-ing students is an important priority for our na-tion’s schools, families, and communities. Yettoday’s children face unparalleled demands intheir everyday lives. They must learn to achieveacademically, work cooperatively, make responsi-ble decisions about social and health practices, re-sist negative peer and media influences, contributeconstructively to their family and community, inter-act effectively in an increasingly diverse society,

and acquire the skills, attitudes, and values neces-sary to become productive workers and citizens.

Although most people agree that it is impor-tant for schools to provide education that producesknowledgeable, responsible, and caring students,there is disagreement about how these outcomescan be best achieved. Unfortunately, in their effortsto respond to the needs of students, many schoolshave adopted information-oriented, single-issueprograms that lack research evidence to supporttheir effectiveness. In this book, we draw upon re-cent scientific studies, the best theories, and thesuccessful efforts of educators across the nation toprovide guidelines to help school administrators,teachers, and pupil-services personnel design, im-plement, and evaluate comprehensive, coordinatedprogramming to enhance the social and emotionaldevelopment of children from preschool throughhigh school. A growing body of evidence indicatesthat systematic, ongoing education to enhance thesocial and emotional skills of children provides afirm foundation for their successful cognitive andbehavioral development.

This book was coauthored by members of theResearch and Guidelines Committee of the Col-laborative for the Advancement of Social and Emo-tional Learning (CASEL). As such, it trulyrepresents our collaborative efforts and demon-strates how such a joint approach can greatly en-hance what any one of us could have

vii

accomplished alone. The coauthors include re-searchers, practitioners, and trainers, and the finalproduct represents these different perspectives.

CASEL was founded in 1994 to supportschools and families in their efforts to educateknowledgeable, responsible, and caring young peo-ple who will become productive workers and con-tributing citizens in the 21st century. As we arepainfully aware, rates of drug use, violence and de-linquency, damaging health practices, and poorschool performance are unacceptably high amongyouth in spite of several decades of heightenedpublic awareness about these issues. CASEL’s pur-pose is to provide a forum for the exchange of vi-sion, expertise, and ideas regarding effectivesolutions to promote positive social, emotional,and behavioral development.

CASEL is composed of an international net-work of educators, scientists, and concerned citi-zens. Its purpose is to encourage and support thecreation of safe, caring learning environments thatbuild social, cognitive, and emotional skills. Wehave the following primary goals:

1. To increase the awareness of educators, train-ers of school-based professionals, the scientificcommunity, policymakers, and the public aboutthe need for, and the effects of, systematic efforts topromote the social and emotional learning (SEL) ofchildren and adolescents.

2. To facilitate the implementation, ongoingevaluation, and refinement of comprehensive so-cial and emotional education programs, beginningin preschool and continuing through high school.

Through research, scholarship, networking,and sharing current information we seek to fosterthe effective implementation of theoretically basedand scientifically sound social and emotional edu-cation programs and strategies. Founded in the be-lief that a collaborative model benefiting from thecollective wisdom, experience, and contributionsof scientists and educators is the most effective andpromising path to developing beneficial programs,

CASEL helps to identify and coordinate the bestschool, family, and community practices across di-verse prevention, health-promotion, and positiveyouth development efforts.

CASEL strives to foster the development ofstandards for SEL to assure that well-designed pro-grams are effectively and ethically implemented bycompetent educators who are well selected andwell trained. It seeks to increase opportunities foreducators in all phases of their careers to learnabout programs and receive training in scientifi-cally tested practices that promote social and emo-tional development. It educates publicpolicymakers and government administratorsabout approaches that advance SEL. CASEL be-lieves that the most beneficial SEL efforts are estab-lished through school-family partnerships whereteachers and parents participate actively in pro-gram selection, design, implementation, evalu-ation, and improvement.

The purpose of this book is to address the cru-cial need among educators for a straightforwardand practical guide to establish quality social andemotional education programming. These guide-lines highlight implementation practices that effec-tively promote SEL among children. As one follow-up to this book, CASEL is systematically and com-prehensively conducting an empirical review toevaluate the quality of SEL programs according tocriteria that will help educators and parents makeinformed choices about high-quality curriculums.Results from this review will be available in 1998.

CASEL currently has four active working com-mittees: Research and Guidelines, Education andTraining, Communication, and Networking. Theyare working to create a library and resource centeron social and emotional education, to develop tech-nologies that will increase educator access to infor-mation about social and emotional education, toconduct diverse research projects to understandand improve processes through which the best SELpractices are implemented and institutionalized,and to forge collaborative relationships with or-


viii

ganizations and policymakers committed to en-couraging families, schools, and communities thatfoster knowledgeable, responsible, and caring stu-dents. These projects illustrate our mission to pro-mote the exchange of ideas and resources aboutSEL and to provide educators, parents, practitio-ners, and researchers with the best of availablepractices and information.

In keeping with our belief in the importance ofcollaboration, CASEL invites you, the reader, toshare information about your own program efforts,and to request information about current develop-ments and effective practices around the world.CASEL’s Central Office can be reached at:

CASELDepartment of Psychology (M/C 285)The University of Illinois at Chicago

1007 W. Harrison St.Chicago, IL 60607-7137

We also invite you to visit CASEL’s web pageto learn what’s new at CASEL. The web site con-tains general information about CASEL projectsand events, and information about state-of-the-artsocial and emotional educational practices. Weregularly update our web site, so we recommendthat you contact it monthly for current informa-tion. Our address is:

http://www.cfapress.org/casel/casel.html

A Study Guide for this book is available onASCD’s Web at

http://www.ascd.org/StudyGuide/

or by calling ASCD’s 24-hour Fax-on-Demand serv-ice (from your fax or phone) at 800-405-0342 or 703-299-8232.

Finally, we have organized a listserv for indi-viduals interested in the social and emotional de-velopment of young people. Members will be ableto communicate about important issues in socialand emotional education, post questions, and dis-cuss their own work in this area. We believe the list-serv will be a useful tool for sharing ideas andinformation and for generating enthusiasm forhigh-quality social and emotional learning. Youmay subscribe for free to this listserv using the fol-lowing steps:

1. Send an e-mail message to: [email protected]

2. In the subject area, type: list3. In the message area, type: subscribe mcasel4. Send the message!

We look forward to collaborating with you. Weare eager to learn from you and to support yourefforts.

Roger P. WeissbergCASEL, Executive Director

Chicago, Illinois

Timothy P. ShriverCASEL Leadership Team, Chair

Washington, D.C.

Eileen R. GrowaldCASEL Founder & Leadership Team, Vice-Chair

San Francisco, California

Preface

ix

The Need for Social and EmotionalLearning1

IT SOMETIMES SEEMS THAT EVERYONE WANTS TO

improve schooling in America, but each in a differ-ent way. Some want to strengthen basic skills; oth-ers, critical thinking. Some want to promotecitizenship or character; others want to warnagainst the dangers of drugs and violence. Somedemand more from parents; others accent the roleof community. Some emphasize core values; oth-ers, the need to respect diversity. All, however, rec-ognize that schools play an essential role inpreparing our children to become knowledgeable,responsible, caring adults.

Knowledgeable. Responsible. Caring. Behindeach word lies an educational challenge. For chil-dren to become knowledgeable, they must be readyand motivated to learn, and capable of integratingnew information into their lives. For children to be-come responsible, they must be able to understandrisks and opportunities, and be motivated tochoose actions and behaviors that serve not onlytheir own interests but those of others. For childrento become caring, they must be able to see beyondthemselves and appreciate the concerns of others;they must believe that to care is to be part of a com-munity that is welcoming, nurturing, and con-cerned about them.

The challenge of raising knowledgeable, re-sponsible, and caring children is recognized bynearly everyone. Few realize, however, that each ele-ment of this challenge can be enhanced by thoughtful,

sustained, and systematic attention to children’s socialand emotional learning (SEL). Indeed, experienceand research show that promoting social and emo-tional development in children is “the missingpiece” in efforts to reach the array of goals associ-ated with improving schooling in the UnitedStates. There is a rising tide of understandingamong educators that children’s SEL can andshould be promoted in schools (Langdon 1996). Al-though school personnel see the importance of pro-grams to enhance students’ social, emotional, andphysical well-being, they also regard preventioncampaigns with skepticism and frustration, be-cause most have been introduced as disjointedfads, or a series of “wars” against one problem oranother. Although well intentioned, these effortshave achieved limited success due to a lack of coor-dinated strategy (Shriver and Weissberg 1996).

Based on patterns of child development andon prevention research, a new generation of socialand emotional development programs is beingused in thousands of schools. Today’s educatorshave a renewed perspective on what commonsense always suggested: when schools attend sys-tematically to students’ social and emotional skills,the academic achievement of children increases,the incidence of problem behaviors decreases, andthe quality of the relationships surrounding eachchild improves. And, students become the produc-tive, responsible, contributing members of society

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that we all want. Perhaps the most important redis-covery is that working in classrooms and schoolswhere social and emotional skills are actively pro-moted is fun and rewarding. As we allow the hu-manity, decency, and childishness of students (andourselves, to some degree) to find a legitimateplace in the learning environment, we rediscoverour reasons for becoming educators.

Thus, social and emotional education is some-times called the missing piece, that part of the mis-sion of the school that, while always close to thethoughts of many teachers, somehow eluded them.Now, the elusive has become the center, and the op-portunities to reshape schooling are upon us.

What Is Social and EmotionalEducation—And Why Is ItImportant?

Social and emotional competence is the ability tounderstand, manage, and express the social andemotional aspects of one’s life in ways that enablethe successful management of life tasks such aslearning, forming relationships, solving everydayproblems, and adapting to the complex demandsof growth and development. It includes self-aware-ness, control of impulsivity, working cooperatively,and caring about oneself and others. Social andemotional learning is the process through whichchildren and adults develop the skills, attitudes,and values necessary to acquire social and emo-tional competence. In Emotional Intelligence, DanielGoleman (1995) provides much evidence for socialand emotional intelligence as the complex and mul-tifaceted ability to be effective in all the critical do-mains of life, including school. But Goleman alsodoes us the favor of stating the key point simply:“It’s a different way of being smart.”

In recent years, character education has re-ceived a great deal of attention, including mentionin President Clinton’s 1997 State of the Union ad-dress. You might wonder about its relationship to

social and emotional education. Without going intoa lengthy discussion of character education (seeLickona 1991, 1993a), it is apparent that the bestcharacter education and social and emotional edu-cation programs share many overlapping goals.The Character Education Partnership in Alexan-dria, Virginia, defines character education as “thelong-term process of helping young people de-velop good character, i.e., knowing, caring about,and acting upon core ethical values such as fair-ness, honesty, compassion, responsibility, and re-spect for self and others.” Whereas many charactereducation programs promote a set of values and di-rective approaches that presumably lead to respon-sible behavior (Brick and Roffman 1993, Lickona1993b, Lockwood 1993), social and emotional edu-cation efforts typically have a broader focus. Theyplace more emphasis on active learning tech-niques, the generalization of skills across settings,and the development of social decision-makingand problem-solving skills that can be applied inmany situations. Moreover, social and emotionaleducation is targeted to help students develop theattitudes, behaviors, and cognitions to become“healthy and competent” overall—socially, emo-tionally, academically, and physically—because ofthe close relationship among these domains. And,as you will see, social and emotional education hasclear outcome criteria, with specific indicators ofimpact identified. In sum, both character educationand social and emotional education aspire to teachour students to be good citizens with positive val-ues and to interact effectively and behave construc-tively. The challenge for educators and scientists isto clarify the set of educational methods that mostsuccessfully contribute to those outcomes.

The social and emotional education of childrenmay be provided through a variety of diverse ef-forts such as classroom instruction, extracurricularactivities, a supportive school climate, and involve-ment in community service. Many schools have en-tire curriculums devoted to SEL. In classroom-based programs, educators enhance students’ so-


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cial and emotional competence through instructionand structured learning experiences throughoutthe day. For example, the New Haven, Connecti-cut, public schools have outlined the scope of theirK–12 Social Development Project, identifying an ar-ray of interrelated skills, attitudes, values, and do-mains of information that lay a foundation forconstructive development and behavior (seeFigure 1.1).

The goals of New Haven’s Social DevelopmentProject are to educate students so that they

• Acquire a knowledge base plus a set of basicskills, work habits, and values for a lifetime ofmeaningful work.

• Feel motivated to contribute responsibly andethically to their peer group, family, school, andcommunity.

• Develop a sense of self-worth and feel effec-tive as they deal with daily responsibilities andchallenges.

• Are socially skilled and have positive rela-tionships with peers and adults.

• Engage in positive, safe, health-protective be-havior practices.

To achieve these outcomes, school personnelcollaborate with parents and community membersto provide educational opportunities that (a) en-hance children’s self-management, problem-solv-ing, decision-making, and communication skills;(b) inculcate prosocial values and attitudes aboutself, others, and work; and (c) inform studentsabout health, relationships, and school and commu-nity responsibilities. Social development activitiespromote communication, participation in coopera-tive groups, emotional self-control and appropriateexpression, and thoughtful and nonviolent prob-lem resolution. More broadly, these skills, atti-tudes, and values encourage a reflective, ready-to-learn approach to all areas of life. In short, theypromote knowledge, responsibility, and caring.

Can People Succeed WithoutSocial and Emotional Skills?

Is it possible to attain true academic and personalsuccess without addressing SEL skills? The accu-mulating evidence suggests the answer is no. Stud-ies of effective middle schools have shown that thecommon denominator among different types ofschools reporting academic success is that theyhave a systematic process for promoting children’sSEL. There are schoolwide mentoring programs,group guidance and advisory periods, creativemodifications of traditional discipline procedures,and structured classroom time devoted to socialand emotional skill building, group problem solv-ing, and team building (Carnegie Council on Ado-lescent Development 1989). Of course, they havesound academic programs and competent teachersand administrators, but other schools have thosefeatures as well. It is the SEL component that distin-guishes the effective schools.

The importance of SEL for successful academiclearning is further strengthened by new insightsfrom the field of neuropsychology. Many elementsof learning are relational (or, based on relation-ships), and social and emotional skills are essentialfor the successful development of thinking andlearning activities that are traditionally consideredcognitive (Brendtro, Brokenleg, and Van Bockern1990; Perry 1996). Processes we had consideredpure “thinking” are now seen as phenomena inwhich the cognitive and emotional aspects worksynergistically. Brain studies show, for example,that memory is coded to specific events and linkedto social and emotional situations, and that the lat-ter are integral parts of larger units of memory thatmake up what we learn and retain, including whattakes place in the classroom. Under conditions ofreal or imagined threat or high anxiety, there is aloss of focus on the learning process and a reduc-tion in task focus and flexible problem solving. It isas if the thinking brain is taken over (or “hijacked,”as Goleman says) by the older limbic brain. Other

The Need for Social and Emotional Learning

3

FIGURE 1.1NEW HAVEN SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CURRICULUM SCOPE

Life Skills Curriculum ScopePreschool through 12th grade

Skills

Self-ManagementSelf-monitoringSelf-controlStress managementPersistenceEmotion-focused copingSelf-reward

Problem Solving and Decision MakingProblem recognitionFeelings awarenessPerspective takingRealistic and adaptive goal settingAwareness of adaptive response strategiesAlternative solution thinkingConsequential thinkingDecision makingPlanningBehavioral enactment

CommunicationUnderstanding nonverbal communicationSending messagesReceiving messagesMatching communication to the situation

Attitudes and Values

About SelfSelf-respectFeeling capableHonestySense of responsibilityWillingness to growSelf-acceptance

About OthersAwareness of social norms and values—peer,

family, community, and societyAccepting individual differencesRespecting human dignityHaving concern or compassion for othersValuing cooperation with othersMotivation to solve interpersonal problemsMotivation to contribute

About TasksWillingness to work hardMotivation to solve practical problemsMotivation to solve academic problemsRecognition of the importance of educationRespect for property

ContentSelf/Health

Alcohol and other drug useEducation and prevention of AIDS

and STDsGrowth and development and

teen pregnancy preventionNutritionExercisePersonal hygienePersonal safety and first aidUnderstanding personal lossUse of leisure timeSpiritual awareness

RelationshipsUnderstanding relationshipsMulticultural awarenessMaking friendsDeveloping positive relationships

with peers of different gendersraces and ethnic groups

Bonding to prosocial peersUnderstanding family lifeRelating to siblingsRelating to parentsCoping with lossPreparation for marriage and

parenting in later lifeConflict education and violence

preventionFinding a mentor

School/CommunityAttendance education and truancy

and dropout preventionAccepting and managing

responsibilityAdaptive group participationRealistic academic goal settingDeveloping effective work habitsMaking transitionsEnvironmental responsibilityCommunity involvementCareer planning

Source: Weissberg, R.P., A.S. Jackson, and T.P. Shriver. (1993). “Promoting Positive Social Development and Health Practices in Young Ur-ban Adolescents.” In Social Decision Making and Life Skills Development: Guidelines for Middle School Educators, edited by M.J. Elias,pp. 45–77. Gaithersburg, Md.: Aspen Publications.Copyright © 1991 by Alice Stroop Jackson and Roger P. Weissberg


4

emotion-related factors can be similarly distracting(Nummela and Rosengren 1986, Perry 1996, Syl-wester 1995).

Sylwester (1995) highlights ways in which SEL fosters improved performance in schools (seeFigure 1.2). He points out that

we know emotion is very important to theeducative process because it drives atten-tion, which drives learning and memory.We’ve never really understood emotion,however, and so don’t know how to regulateit in school—beyond defining too much ortoo little of it as misbehavior and relegatingmost of it to the arts, PE, recess, and the ex-tracurricular program. . . . By separatingemotion from logic and reason in the class-room, we’ve simplified school managementand evaluation, but we’ve also then sepa-rated two sides of one coin—and lost some-thing important in the process. It’simpossible to separate emotion from theother important activities of life. Don’t try(pp. 72, 75).

The basic skills of SEL are necessary for stu-dents to be able to take full advantage of their bio-logical equipment and social legacy and heritage.As schools provide the conditions that allow eventhe students most at risk of failure to become en-gaged in the learning process, new possibilitiesopen up and new life trajectories become availableto students. We know from resilience research thateven in the worst conditions, such as decaying in-ner cities, we still find some children emerging inpositive ways. Wherever one looks at children whohave remained in school, one will find that SELwas provided to these children by at least one ortwo caring people, often in the schools.

Social and emotional issues are also at theheart of the problem behaviors that plague manyschools, communities, and families, sapping learn-ing time, educators’ energy, and children’s hopeand opportunities. Effectively promoting socialand emotional competence is the key to helpingyoung people become more resistant to the lure ofdrugs, teen pregnancy, violent gangs, truancy, and

dropping out of school. Consider, for example, thecurrent interest in the character education move-ment, which follows years of attention to the vio-lence prevention movement, the values educationmovement, the citizenship education movement,and the drug abuse education movement. All ofthese movements have common objectives: to helpchildren acquire the skills, attitudes, values, and ex-periences that will motivate them to resist destruc-tive behaviors, make responsible and thoughtfuldecisions, and seek out positive opportunities forgrowth and learning.

Can any of these movements succeed withoutteaching social and emotional skills? Clearly not.In fact, the programs that lack such instruction arenotoriously ineffective. Among the least successful

FIGURE 1.2BRAIN RESEARCH AND SOCIAL ANDEMOTIONAL LEARNING

Robert Sylwester outlines six areas in whichemotional and social learning must come to-gether for the benefit of children and schools:

• Accepting and controlling our emotions• Using metacognitive activities• Using activities that promote social interaction• Using activities that provide an emotionalcontext• Avoiding intense emotional stress in school• Recognizing the relationship between emo-tions and health

He also points out that the multiple intelli-gences are socially based and interrelated: “It’sdifficult to think of linguistic, musical, and inter-personal intelligence out of the context of so-cial and cooperative activity, and the other fourforms of intelligence are likewise principally so-cial in normal practice.”.

Source: Sylwester 1995, pp. 75–77, 117


5

substance abuse prevention programs are thosethat provide students information about the dan-gers of illicit drug use without helping them under-stand the social and emotional dimensions of peerpressure, stress, coping, honesty, and consequentialthinking (Dusenbury and Falco 1997). Indeed, suchinformation-oriented prevention programs havesometimes been blamed for increases in substanceabuse rates! The truth is, such programs have notbeen found effective. But this unfortunate outcomecannot be any more surprising than, say, the poorperformance of a car with a one-gallon gas tank.Without adequate fuel, neither will get very far. Wecannot educate children about the reality of drugswithout preparing them for the social and emo-tional struggles they will confront when exposedto media images about drug use and to opportuni-ties to use drugs.

Some existing prevention efforts do incorpo-rate skills for refusing drugs and other entice-ments, skills for resisting peer pressure, ways tofocus on one’s goals, techniques for time manage-ment, and steps for making thoughtful, calm deci-sions—all of which are important skills thatprevent problem behaviors. But typically these pre-vention efforts fail to address the missing piece:feelings that confuse children so that they cannotand do not learn effectively. Children’s emotionsmust be recognized and their importance for learn-ing accepted. By meeting the challenges implicit inaccomplishing this goal, we can clear the pathwaysto competence.

The Significance of Caring

Can children become caring members of a schoolcommunity without attention to the social andemotional dimensions of their lives? Again, the an-swer seems obvious. Caring is central to the shap-ing of relationships that are meaningful,supportive, rewarding, and productive. Caringhappens when children sense that the adults in

their lives think they are important and when theyunderstand that they will be accepted and re-spected, regardless of any particular talents theyhave. Caring is a product of a community thatdeems all of its members to be important, believeseveryone has something to contribute, and ac-knowledges that everyone counts.

We work better when we care and when weare cared about, and so do students. Caring is aspoken or an unspoken part of every interactionthat takes place in classrooms, lunchrooms, hall-ways, and playgrounds. Children are emotionallyattuned to be on the lookout for caring, or a lackthereof, and they seek out and thrive in placeswhere it is present. The more emotionally troubledthe student, the more attuned he or she is to caringin the school environment.

At-risk kids are most vulnerable for growingup without caring. It is caring that plays a criticalrole in overcoming the narrowness, selfishness,and mean-spiritedness that too many of our chil-dren cannot avoid being exposed to, and that re-places these attitudes with a culture of welcome.Caring, the value that most Americans seem toagree is most necessary in adult life, is rooted in the social and emotional development of childhood.

Social and Emotional Skills MatterBeyond the Classroom

If the goal of helping children become knowledge-able, responsible, and caring is a central element ofsocial and emotional development and schooling,then institutions other than schools should be inter-ested in fostering these qualities as well. Ironically,social and emotional skills, attitudes, and valueshave been embraced most enthusiastically in theboardrooms of corporate America. Moreover, busi-nesses of all sizes have come to realize that produc-tivity depends on a work force that is socially andemotionally competent. Workers who are capable of


6

managing their social and emotional interactionswith colleagues and customers, as well as theirown emotional health, are more effective at im-proving the bottom line and at making workplacesmore efficient. In light of new knowledge about so-cial and emotional development, captains of indus-try and the moms and pops of neighborhoodbusinesses are rushing to update their techniquesfor selecting and training workers, organizing thework environment, and developing managers andleaders. They understand that social and emotionalcompetence may be more important than all of theinstitutions attended, degrees earned, test scoresobtained, and even technical knowledge gained.More focus is being placed on problem solving, re-flection, perceptive thinking, self-direction, andmotivation for lifelong learning—characteristicsthat are useful no matter what the job (Adams andHamm 1994). To illustrate this point, Figure 1.3 de-scribes the skills that employers believe teenagersshould have.

Goleman (1995) provides insights into thisshift of priorities. In contrast to other skills, em-ployers believe their workers show the greatestshortage in the social and emotional areas, andthey recognize that businesses are ill-equipped totrain employees in these areas. Thus, young peoplemust be prepared for the new workplace withmore than the technical and content-specific skillsof traditional schooling. Business has made it clearthat new qualities are being sought in employees.The accent is on being a flexible thinker, a quickproblem solver, and a team player capable of help-ing the organization adjust to ever-changing mar-kets. Employees are expected to have the basicknowledge necessary to manage the task at hand,but they are also expected to be able to learnquickly and regularly on the job, adapt to new de-mands and environments, collaborate with others,motivate colleagues, and get along with a varietyof people in different situations. In other words,working smarter is now the complement to work-ing harder.

Increasingly, competence in recognizing andmanaging emotions and social relationships is seenas a key ability for success in the workplace and foreffective leadership. Moreover, both health profes-sionals and workplace managers acknowledge thatthe social and emotional status of an individualmay be a substantial factor in determining the per-son’s capacity to resist disease and even to recoverfrom illness (and we suspect school nurses wouldheartily agree). As educators increasingly recog-nize the critical role that social and emotional skillsplay in fostering productive, healthy workers, statedepartments of education have established corecurriculum content standards emphasizing theirdevelopment (see Figure 1.4).

FIGURE 1.3WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT FOR TEENS: 1980S U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR,EMPLOYMENT, AND TRAININGADMINISTRATION RESEARCH PROJECT

1. Learning-to-learn skills2. Listening and oral communication3. Adaptability: creative thinking and problemsolving, especially in response to barriers/obstacles4. Personal management: self-esteem, goal-setting/self-motivation, personal career develop-ment/goals—pride in work accomplished5. Group effectiveness: interpersonal skills, ne-gotiation, teamwork6. Organizational effectiveness and leadership:making a contribution7. Competence in reading, writing, and compu-tation

The report notes that the seventh skill, while es-sential, is no longer sufficient for workplacecompetence.


7

Issues of SEL have also influenced politicalwriters on democracy and citizenship (Boyer 1990,Parker 1996). Responsible members of a democ-racy are constantly challenged by changes in tech-nology, communication, and culturaldemographics and must filter and integrate largeamounts of information from increasingly sophisti-cated political operatives, electorate pulse-takers,and opinion shapers. Parker asserts that civil com-petencies cannot fully develop with family influ-ence only, and he calls for civic education inschools and other settings where children learn

and grow. The skills of reflective problem solvingand decision making, managing one’s emotions,taking a variety of perspectives, and sustaining en-ergy and attention toward focused goals areamong many that are called upon at every level,from pulling the lever in the voting booth to enact-ing laws in state legislatures, making judicial deci-sions, and issuing directives from the Oval Office.And, it takes a similar array of skills to successfullyrun a classroom, school, or school district.

How Have Educators Responded toCalls for SEL?

For educators in U.S. schools, the response to therenewed awareness about the importance of socialand emotional development has been mixed. Insome circles, this task is still seen as solely the re-sponsibility of families. The reasoning sounds tra-ditional: the family should be the place where thechild learns to understand, control, and workthrough emotions; social and emotional issues areessentially private concerns that should be left atthe door when a child enters a school to go aboutthe business of acquiring academic knowledge.This thinking has an appealing nostalgia: theschool, like the workplace, was always an environ-ment where the agenda was not supposed to be in-terpersonal relationships, but the task at hand.There is learning to be done—what does this haveto do with “feelings”?

On the other hand, educators have always un-derstood on a general level the implications of so-cial and emotional issues for children’s learningand development. The best teachers have alwaysbeen adept at helping children develop sociallyand emotionally, and many teachers are naturallygifted at promoting the skills, attitudes, and valuesof competent social and emotional development. Itis easy for most people to recall a teacher whomade students feel capable of managing the chal-lenges of learning, or who ran the classroom so

FIGURE 1.4EXCERPTS FROM CORE CURRICULUMCONTENT STANDARDS FOR NEW JERSEY(MAY 1996)

Cross-Content Workplace ReadinessStandards• All students will use critical-thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.• All students will demonstrate self-manage-ment skills.• All students will develop career planning andworkplace readiness skills.

Health and Physical Education Standards• All students will learn health-promotion anddisease-prevention concepts and health-enhanc-ing behaviors.• All students will learn health-enhancing, per-sonal, interpersonal, and life skills.• All students will learn the physical, mental,emotional, and social effects of the use andabuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

These standards show the central place of so-cial and emotional skills in the context of work-place skills that go across all areas of traditionalacademic content, and as the centerpiece ofcomprehensive health education. This is a pre-cursor of future nationwide educational trends.


8

that everyone understood the importance of re-specting one another and resolving problems coop-eratively. We would venture to say that the vastmajority of readers share with the authors the expe-rience of having such a teacher or being in such aschool, and that these experiences—and the feel-ings associated with them—are part of why we arededicated to children and to schooling.

Given the growing lack of civility and the re-lated problems educators see around them, it is notsurprising that they increasingly acknowledge theimportance of addressing social and emotional is-sues in school. At the same time, some educatorsbelieve they are “doing that already.” Perhaps thisis true. But just as we know instinctively that itmakes sense to identify the most effective practicesto teach a subject such as mathematics, take thosepractices and structure them into a sequenced cur-riculum, and implement that curriculum withtrained professionals during dedicated classroomtime, we must recognize now that the same effortmust be mustered if we are to succeed in the socialand emotional domains. It simply makes sense thatif we are to expect children to be knowledgeable,responsible, and caring—and to be so despite sig-nificant obstacles—we must teach social and emo-tional skills, attitudes, and values with the samestructure and attention that we devote to tradi-tional subjects. And we must do so in a coordi-nated, integrated manner.

Parallel arguments in academic areas abound.For example, all would agree that quantitativeskills, like skills for SEL, develop naturally. But fewwould argue that just because quantitative reason-ing skills develop without formal instruction, thereconsequently is no need to offer systematic instruc-tion in mathematics. Nonetheless, that is preciselythe refrain heard frequently about social and emo-tional competence: it should be handled intuitively,it should be gleaned from other subjects, it shouldemerge on its own.

In today’s world, and in what we can foreseeas we enter the 21st century, nothing could be fur-

ther from the truth. Reflect for a moment on howthe world has changed in just the past five dec-ades. Today, most children grow up in urban andsuburban settings in a high-tech, multimediaworld that provides constant stimulation, andsends largely unregulated messages about materialgoods and experiences that few youngsters experi-ence directly or within their families. Many share aclassroom with students of diverse cultures andperspectives and various abilities and disabilities.

In this world, millions of good and decent chil-dren find that school is but one institution amongmany influences in their lives. It competes withpeer groups, social service institutions, the media,the culture of competition, the pressure to con-form, the need to be different, the tug of religiousties, the lure of risk, the fear of loneliness, and thecomplexities of family relationships in an age onthe move. Youth who grow up in this world are allof our children. They come from every ethnic, eco-nomic, social, and geographic corner. Their teach-ers are accustomed to watching them struggle withthe pressures and challenges of growing up. Learn-ing at school is but a fragment of these challenges.For this learning to take place effectively, so thatclassroom lessons become life lessons, studentsneed significant adults and peers in their lives towork with them as part of a community of learn-ers. Only in such supportive contexts can they be-gin to piece together answers to the sometimesoverwhelming social and emotional dilemmas theyface.

In a time when our youth need more supportthan ever to master the tasks of development, wesee ironically that the economic and social changesof the last 40 years of the 20th century have re-duced those supports (Postman 1996). Many fami-lies can make ends meet only when both parentswork outside the home—and sometimes at morethan one job. Extended families, which once pro-vided a child-care safety net, have all but disap-peared. And close-knit communities, once sourcesof caring adults who guided children and served


9

as role models, are today neighborhoods ofstrangers.

Schools have become the one best place wherethe concept of surrounding children with meaning-ful adults and clear behavioral standards can movefrom faint hope to a distinct possibility—and per-haps even a necessity.

In our hearts, we know that the outcomes fortoo many children are negative. Those who dropout, those who go to out-of-district placements,those who get through school thanks to waivers orreduced standards, those who are in alternativeschools—all these students are not quite fully vis-ible to us. We often do not know what becomes ofthose who leave our particular class or school orcommunity. But others know. In every ethnicgroup, in every geographic region, in every eco-nomic bracket, children are letting us know thatthe vise grip of growing up in a world that dimin-ishes the importance of their social and emotionallives is just too tight.

We will not repeat here the litany of statisticsof social breakdown in the lives of children. Readyour newspapers and magazines. Look at thestream of books and articles put out by child advo-cacy agencies. We should no longer need numbersto make us bemoan current conditions. (For statis-tics about changes in families and communities,see Weissberg and Greenberg 1997, U.S. Depart-ment of Health and Human Services 1996.)

The facts spell out a serious message: Weshould do more to prepare youngsters for the challengesof life in our complex and fast-paced world. In particu-lar, these facts must be a wake-up call for educa-tors in every classroom, at every grade level, andin every school district in the United States: Theseare our children, and we must teach them in ways thatwill give them a realistic chance of successfully manag-ing the challenges of learning, growing, and developing.

How Does This Book Contribute toEfforts to Help Children Learn andGrow?

This book suggests a practical, well-developed, de-fensible strategy to help educators answer thewake-up call. The strategy is to create programs forcomprehensive and coordinated social and emo-tional learning from preschool through grade 12.Such efforts will be benchmarked by at least threemain goals:

1. The presence of effective, developmentallyappropriate, formal and informal instruction in so-cial and emotional skills at every level of school-ing, provided by well-trained teachers and otherpupil-services personnel.

2. The presence of a supportive and safe schoolclimate that nurtures the social and emotional de-velopment of children while including all the keyadults who have a stake in the development ofeach child.

3. The presence of actively engaged educators,parents, and community leaders who create activi-ties and opportunities before, during, and after theregular school day that teach and reinforce the atti-tudes, values, and behaviors of positive family andschool life and, ultimately, of responsible, produc-tive citizenship.

These three benchmarks should be assessedalong with outcomes in other domains to ensurethat schools are playing their part in giving youngpeople the best possible chance to become knowl-edgeable, responsible, and caring adults. Specificguidelines for reaching these goals and monitoringthese benchmarks are identified in the subsequentchapters of this book. They describe social andemotional education efforts that are integrated,comprehensive, and coordinated—qualities lack-ing in many of today’s programs (see Figure 1.5).They lead to students who are ready and moti-vated to learn, increased academic performance, ac-tive learning in the classroom and on the


10

SUICIDEPREVENTION

SUICIDEPREVENTION

FUTUREPREVENTIONPROGRAMS

FUTUREPREVENTIONPROGRAMS

AIDSEDUCATION

AIDSEDUCATION

SCHOOL-BASEDDELINQUENCY AND

STRESS PREVENTION

SCHOOL-BASEDDELINQUENCY AND

STRESS PREVENTION

TEENPREGNANCY

PREVENTION

TEENPREGNANCYPREVENTION

CHEMICALDEPENDENCYPREVENTION

CHEMICALDEPENDENCYPREVENTION

PREVENTION PROGRAMS WITHOUTA COMMON FRAMEWORK

A COMMON FRAMEWORKPROVIDES SYNERGY

SEL

FIGURE 1.5AN INTEGRATED AND COORDINATED FRAMEWORK PROVIDES SYNERGY

Source: Maurice J. Elias


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playground, greater respect for diversity, betterpreparation for today’s society, and more effectiveteachers and administrators.

Why are guidelines needed? Why, in thecrowded schedule of our school day, must we at-tend systematically to this task as well? We cannotafford to make social and emotional education afad; the work of Howard Gardner (1983), DanielGoleman (1995), James Comer (Comer, Haynes,Joyner, and Ben-Avie 1996), and Carol Gilligan(1987), among others, tells us why. The skills areasthese writers have identified are the fundamentalsof human learning, work, creativity, and accom-plishment. Social and emotional development andthe recognition of the relational nature of learningand change constitute an essential missing piece inour educational system. Until it is given its properplace, we cannot expect to see progress in combat-ing violence, substance abuse, disaffection, intoler-ance, or the high dropout rate.

This book is rooted in the idea that academicand social success are not limited to those of goodfortune or privileged upbringing; we can create theconditions for achievement for all children. Successdoes not occur only through large programs; thenecessary conditions are created in families, in indi-vidual classrooms, and through relationships withspecial people in our lives. Here, we provide guide-lines to foster these conditions in schools, program-matically and systematically, so that their existencefor all children is left less to chance than is now thecase.

This, then, is a book about how to promote so-cial and emotional learning in schools—how topromote knowledgeable, responsible, and caringchildren and adults. In our day, the real challengeof educating is no longer whether or not to attend tothe social and emotional life of the learner. The realchallenge is how to attend to social and emotionalissues in education. This book suggests a course ofaction for the “how” questions. It is a clarion call, ashofar blast, a wail from a minaret, a church bellringing. We ask educators to rethink the ways in

which schools have addressed or failed to addressthe development of the whole child, and to do sowith an eye toward models that have demon-strated success. We ask readers to examine whatgoes on in their classrooms, schools, and districts,to determine how they can respond best to the op-portunities described in this book.

More than anything, this is a book about com-mon sense in education, or perhaps the uncommonsense needed to recognize the missing piece inschooling: enhancing the social and emotional lifeof each student is part of the educational responsi-bility of adults. We must remember that

the democratic way of life engages the crea-tive process of seeking ways to extend andexpand the values of democracy. This proc-ess, however, is not simply an anticipatoryconversation about just anything. Rather, itis directed toward intelligent and reflectiveconsideration of problems, events, and is-sues that arise in the course of our collectivelives (Beane and Apple 1995, p. 16).

An Overview of What Follows

This book reviews the essential elements underly-ing the effective development, implementation,and evaluation of SEL programs in a straightfor-ward, practical, and systematic manner. In the nextchapter we ask you to begin thinking about the so-cial and emotional education efforts already underway in your classroom, school, or district. Doing sowill help to make the remaining content more ap-plicable and meaningful for your specific setting.

The following three chapters present funda-mental information for social and emotional educa-tion. Chapter 3 provides a more in-depthexamination of what social and emotional educa-tion is, as well as a discussion of its place in ourschools. This chapter provides the background in-formation needed for Chapter 4, which explainshow teachers can help students develop social andemotional skills in their individual classrooms. In


12

Chapter 5, important contextual issues related tocreating an organizational climate supportive ofsocial and emotional educational programs areexamined.

Chapter 6 gets down to practical issues in-volved in starting and continuing a program. Chap-ter 7 outlines ways in which social and emotionaleducation efforts can be evaluated to determinewhether they are achieving their goals and to pro-vide guidance regarding changes that may be nec-essary to make them more effective.

Most of the material in Chapters 3 through 7 ispresented in a series of concise guidelines that de-scribe the development, implementation, andevaluation of social and emotional education pro-grams. The guidelines have a strong scientific basisand are based on many research investigations andrelevant theory. They represent the combined ex-pertise of program developers, researchers, train-ers, and practitioners in this field.

In Chapter 8, the self-reflection process is revis-ited to provide a starting point for you to get yoursocial and emotional education program underway.

This book also includes three appendixes. Thefirst has a social and emotional education curricu-lum scope, and the second a list of the guidelinespresented throughout the book. These are followedby Appendix C, which is a list of programs that em-phasize comprehensive approaches to social andemotional education. Under the leadership ofMaurice Elias, CASEL conducted on-site visits toschools that have implemented each of the pro-grams included at the beginning of Appendix C. In-cidentally, we have included examples throughoutthe book to give you snapshots of what occurs inSEL programs. Most of the examples were pro-vided in response to questions posed by the sitevisitors or were developed through observation.Staff at the other programs listed in Appendix C,which were not visited, have indicated to CASELthat they include a strong emphasis on social andemotional education strategies. You can gain addi-tional firsthand knowledge about social and emo-tional education efforts by contacting or visitingthe programs listed.


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Reflecting on Your Current Practices2

TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF IMPROVING THE OPPOR-

tunities for social and emotional learning that youalready provide, we invite you to begin thinkingabout your classroom, school, or district. We chal-lenge you to think about what you are doing to pro-mote SEL and what you could be doing. Thisprocess will help you begin to think about SEL is-sues, which will make the rest of the book morerelevant to your particular setting. Further,whether you are a novice or an experienced handat providing SEL instruction, it is important toregularly reflect on your professional actions andto develop a thorough understanding of why youhave chosen them.

No matter what your professional position, beit teacher, principal, or superintendent, we believeyou will find that you and your school or districtare already doing a lot—probably more than yourealize once you begin listing everything. Onceyou are finished with this chapter, you will prob-ably be thinking about how you might improvewhat you are doing and what more could be done.At some point, you may want to engage in this self-reflection process with a team of colleagues repre-senting different positions and perspectives. Thiscollaborative exploration will likely spark informa-tive discussions and debates about what activitiesconstitute social and emotional education as wellas creative brainstorming about how to integrate

and coordinate classroom, school, and communityefforts to enhance students’ social and emotionalskills.

To get you started, here are some general ques-tions to address. You don’t have to answer all ofthem now. Some may be more relevant to you thanothers, depending on your role in the school or dis-trict. The questions are structured around the 39guidelines presented in Chapters 3 through 7 (Ap-pendix B lists all the guidelines). We encourageyou to initiate this self-reflection process by think-ing about and discussing some of the issues raisedin this chapter. Doing so will foster a more focusedand critical approach to reading the next five chap-ters. As you go through this process, we think youwill find it helpful to put your reflections and ideasin writing so you can refer to them later.

After you and your colleagues review the firstseven chapters, we urge you to reconvene and en-gage in the more thorough self-assessment offeredin Chapter 8. That chapter’s exercise will help youidentify strengths in current program efforts, iden-tify priorities for new initiatives and directions,and develop a plan for your next steps. The noteswe are urging you to keep will stimulate yourthinking about specific steps to take and encourageyou to think about all the practical aspects of begin-ning your renewed SEL programming efforts.

15

What Is My School Doing to FosterSocial and Emotional Learning?

I. Identifying Your SEL Goals and Activities

See Chapter 3 and Appendix A for more informa-tion about this area.

1. What are the SEL goals for your classroom,school, or district that will help students be-come knowledgeable, responsible, and caring?

2. Develop a written list of activities going on inyour classroom, school, or district that supportSEL. Think broadly when considering what toinclude on the list. For example, include the fol-lowing: programs to enhance life skills, prob-lem solving and decision making, positiveyouth development, self-esteem, respect for di-versity, and health; efforts to prevent problemssuch as substance abuse, AIDS, pregnancy, andviolence; conflict resolution and discipline ap-proaches; support services to help studentscope with school transitions, family disrup-tion, or death; and positive contributory serv-ice, peer leadership and mediation,volunteerism, mentoring, character education,civics and citizenship, or career education.

• What approaches are you taking to en-hance the SEL of students in the classroom(e.g., specific curriculums, variety of fo-cused activities)?

• On what theory are you basing these activi-ties? In other words, why are you engag-ing in them?

• What activities outside the classroom, butwithin the school context, support SEL(e.g., extracurricular activities, clubs, play-ground games)?

• What community activities support theschool’s SEL efforts?

• What home activities are taking place thatcomplement the school’s SEL program?

3. Are these SEL efforts planned, ongoing, sys-tematic, and developmentally based?

4. Are efforts to prevent problems and promotepositive cognitions, emotions, and behaviorscoordinated with one another, or are they con-ducted in a piecemeal fashion?

5. To what extent and in what ways do school-level efforts to enhance students’ social andemotional skills reinforce classroom-based SELinstruction and programming?

II. Developing Social and Emotional SkillsThrough Classroom Instruction

See Chapter 4 for more information on this area.

1. What approaches do you use to build a safeand caring classroom community?

2. Are your SEL training approaches grounded ina comprehensive, theory-based frameworkthat is developmentally appropriate?

3. What instructional methods (e.g., modeling,role playing, didactic instruction) are used topromote SEL?

4. What classroom lessons and follow-up rein-forcements do you use throughout the day toimprove children’s capacities to express emo-tions appropriately, make responsible deci-sions, solve problems effectively, and behaveadaptively?

5. In what ways do you integrate SEL with tradi-tional academics to enhance learning in bothareas?

6. What specific SEL programming is providedfor children with special needs? Is there coordi-nation between classroom-based SEL program-ming and other student support services toachieve an integrated system of special serv-ices delivery?

7. How well are staff prepared and supported forbuilding students’ social and emotional devel-


16

opment? Are training opportunities availablethat provide teachers with theoretical knowl-edge, modeling, practice, on-site coaching, andfollow-up support for providing SEL instruc-tion? How do administrators (or teachers) andcolleagues collaborate with you to supportyour SEL efforts and develop long-range SELplans?

III. Creating the Context for SEL Programs

See Chapter 5 for a discussion of this area.

1. How are students and teachers involved in de-signing, planning, and implementing SEL pro-gramming? Describe the process used to selectspecific SEL activities.

2. In what ways are your SEL efforts coordinatedwithin the curriculum, across grades, andthroughout schools?

3. Are your school’s SEL programming effortsaligned with district-level goals and supportedby the administration? How do your schooland district policies support and encourageSEL efforts?

4. In what way are parents and community mem-bers involved in SEL in your classroom, school,or district? How do they support social andemotional education?

IV. Introducing and Sustaining Social andEmotional Education

See Chapter 6 for more information on this topic.

1. What is your school’s planning process for se-lecting SEL programs and activities?

2. What mechanisms and resources exist fortraining and supervising staff who implementSEL programs? Is there a coordinator or plan-ning committee to ensure that the social andemotional education efforts are effectivelyconducted?

3. How are new SEL initiatives coordinated withrelated programs and services that are cur-rently under way?

4. How are staff, parents, the central office, and the community informed of new SELinitiatives?

5. To what extent are resources provided to con-duct SEL activities?

6. What specific actions are you, your school, oryour district taking to foster the long-term suc-cess and positive impact of SEL programs?

V. Evaluating SEL Program Efforts

See Chapter 7 for a discussion of this topic.

1. In what ways are you evaluating SEL efforts toensure that you are on the right track?

2. How do you evaluate the program’s effects onchildren, staff, parents, and the community?

3. What evidence do you have that you are mak-ing progress toward reaching your SEL objec-tives and that the program is succeeding?

4. What uses are made of information about theextent to which SEL activities are achievingtheir goals? In what ways is the information ap-plied to improve future practice?

There are no preconceived right or wrong an-swers to these questions. Rather, our intent is to en-courage you to think about what you are doingwith respect to SEL, and to help you see how broadthe scope of these activities is.

What Comes Next?

Now that you have begun to think about what youare doing, we bet that you are surprised at howmany relevant efforts are taking place in your class-room, school, or district. Even though some educa-tors may not be aware of all the ways in which

Reflecting on Your Current Practices

17

they are promoting social and emotional develop-ment, we think that teachers must provide at leastsome instruction in this area in order to be effective.

At the same time, you are probably also awareof various efforts you could be making to foster so-cial and emotional competence that you are not

pursuing right now. As you proceed through thebook, we will introduce many ideas to help youthink in SEL terms and to understand how toweave these new ideas effectively into what youare already doing.


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How Does Social and Emotional EducationFit in Schools?3

IT IS THE SECOND WEEK OF THE SEMESTER. TWENTY-two high school juniors sit in a circle on the floor oftheir classroom, desks and chairs pushed to thesides of the room. They just completed a “DayStarter” activity in which each student chose apiece of colored paper and was asked to use it toexpress one of the emotions he or she felt cominginto class today. Some students were content to ex-press their feelings only through their choice of aparticular color or the way they folded or drewupon the paper. Others verbally shared the mean-ing of what they did.

Now the teacher puts in the center of the rooma variety of objects brought in by students that rep-resent something very important in their lives. Oneat a time, students choose an item that intriguesthem—a ring, a cupcake, a small box, a stone, a setof keys, a locket, a picture. They speak brieflyabout what attracted them to the object, and thenask for the story behind it. The student whobrought the item then explains its meaning.

This storytelling creates an interconnected nar-rative of what youngsters care about in their livestoday. Many stories are about the preciousness ofrelationships—with family, with friends, with abrother, or with a father recently lost to death. Someare about the passion to create through art, dance,or theater. Some are about the joy of being part of ateam, or being alone with nature, or the frustra-tions and dangers of living in their communities.

When it is time for this activity to end, theteacher asks the students to say a word or phrasethat captures what they are feeling as they prepareto leave for their next class. Words like “happy,”“excited,” “peaceful,” “calm,” and “pensive” fillthe air. The teacher thanks the class and, if all stu-dents didn’t have time to share, says that whenthey meet again, the rest of the students will havetheir stories heard. Together, the students then re-store the desks to their original positions.

Creating the Personal-AcademicConnection

To anyone who has been around adolescents, it isclear that they are generally more focused on them-selves, their peers, and their outside lives than theyare on the school curriculum. Their strong feelingscompete with the teacher for their attention and,more often than not, the feelings win. But whenteachers allow those feelings to take a constructiveplace in the classroom and then use the concerns ofthe students as a bridge to academic assignments,they are providing the “missing piece” to students’learning. They are integrating social and emotionalneeds with academics. This process allows stu-dents to personalize and internalize their learningin ways that high school teachers are most accus-tomed to seeing from students taking electives,

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from “gifted and talented” students, or from thosewho are in an academic or vocational track towhich they feel genuine commitment.

Activities like the sharing session describedearlier create new opportunities for teaching andlearning. Depending on the class—English, litera-ture, history, civics, art, music, family life, biology,earth science—the teacher who has used such anactivity can link an assignment to the sharing thestudents have done or to the words they have usedto describe their feelings. One assignment might in-volve writing a story, play, video script, ordocudrama about their concerns. Another might in-volve finding a work of literature that has similarthemes and comparing and contrasting life and fic-tion. Relationships might be explored, such asthose with peers and parents. Or students mightenjoy looking at the way in which climate and to-pography influence how people come together andlive, thereby helping adolescents choose where tospend their college or early adult years. An increas-ing number of articles in the popular media helpmake the biology of everyday life—influencingemotions, learning, sports performance, andschooling—interesting and relevant to teenagers.

What Do We Want Our Students to Achieve?

Most people would agree that social and academicsuccess and a sense of personal well-being and effi-cacy that enable students to participate in school,home, family, workplace, and community life withskill, thoughtfulness, and integrity are high on thelist of what we want students to achieve. In otherwords, we want them to be knowledgeable, respon-sible, and caring.1 How can we increase the odds of

this happening? There are certain tasks that stu-dents need to master along the way, certain compe-tencies needed to accomplish those tasks, andcertain values and attitudes they need to develop.Knowledge, skills, values, or attitudes by them-selves are insufficient; they must all work together,be nurtured and encouraged, and occur within asupportive climate.

In the example above, the teacher is creating areceptive climate for learning that reflects the de-velopmental stages of the high school students.Such a climate is urgently needed in the schools.Media influences, a powerful consumer culture,and household pressures compete with our hopethat family life will inculcate in children a love oflearning and respect for academic routines, tradi-tions, and requirements. The teacher in our exam-ple was tired of swimming upstream, of fightingthe forces of development within the students. Bygoing with the flow of social and emotional devel-opment, educators have found that academic aswell as interpersonal success is enhanced. SEL isindeed the “missing piece” in schooling today, andwe have learned a great deal about it in recentyears.

Applications of Social andEmotional Skills to Diverse Areasof Development

“Who ya gonna hang out with on the school yard?”“C’mon, let’s spray paint the school.”“I can’t believe you’re worried about school

work. Forget it, and forget class. Come with us.”“You gotta smoke—everyone else does.”“Are you gonna listen to what they tell you

about health in those stupid assemblies?”“How can you listen to that teacher? I’m get-

tin’ myself thrown out, and if you do too, we canhang out in the office. Here’s what we gotta do . . .”

“I’m gonna punch him out!”These situations—familiar to anyone who has been

1Primary source material for this chapter and the developmental scopeand sequence in Appendix A are Asher and Coie (1990); Bartz (1991);Berk (1989); Brooks (1981); Copple, Sigel, and Saunders (1979); Damonand Hart (1988); Dorman and Lipsitz (1984); Eisenberg and Mussen(1989); Elias (1993); Erikson (1954); Nummela and Rosengren (1986);Sylwester (1995); and Wood (1994).


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in a school—place children at personal and inter-personal crossroads. Are they aware of their con-flicting feelings as these situations unfold? Arethey able to manage their emotions, whether theyfeel threat, anger, temptation, joy, or relief? Canthey understand the perspectives of the others in-volved? Can they tell which of their peers are theirgenuine friends? Do they have an ethical or spiri-tual framework to guide their decision making? Dothey have the interpersonal skills needed to handlethe situation as they would most like to? Can theyrefuse appropriately and assertively? Can theystall others while they think things through morecarefully? If they try something once, can they stopif they realize they are uncomfortable or that theconsequences are worse than they expected?

If students are to gather accurate informationfrom themselves and their environments, make de-cisions, and follow through with competent action,then they must possess social and emotional strate-gies and skills. These “life skills” guide children asthey face situations like those presented above.Such skills are even more critical as we look aheadto the time when children become adolescents andthen move on to take adult roles as citizens in a de-mocracy, with all of the many opportunities and re-sponsibilities that follow. They will be called uponoften to work in groups and in partnership withclassmates and adults. They inevitably will face allmanner of academic, workplace, and interpersonalchallenges. Their success in navigating the currentsof daily life—both in and out of school—will re-quire a capacity to think clearly and make deci-sions under emotionally arousing circumstances.

As children mature, they must learn to assumegreater responsibility for their behavior as adult su-pervision becomes less direct and intensive. Theircapacity for sound social and emotional judgmentand appropriate personal decision making trulybecomes as important as their basic academic abili-ties. Kolbe (1985) points out that one’s “inde-pendent” health decisions are connected to one’ssocial relationships and therefore can in no real

sense be viewed as “autonomous.” If a teenagersmokes, her act affects others. If a middle schoolstudent goes off by himself and drinks beer in thepark, or does so with a few friends, there are clearramifications for parent-child and other family rela-tionships. Children’s sleep habits may lead to dis-tractible or lethargic, inattentive behaviors thatmay affect peer and teacher relationships in school.Violence and prejudice in a classroom or school actas poisons, tainting academic learning, coloringpersonal goals, and creating a climate in whichschooling becomes highly difficult to carry out ef-fectively. The entire atmosphere becomes un-healthy, leaving no one untouched. Goleman (1995)echoes others when he says that success in theadult world depends on both academic ability andinterpersonal, intrapersonal, or practical intelli-gence—that is, social and emotional skills (Blytheand Gardner 1990, Sternberg and Wagner 1986).

For these reasons, it is important to outlineclearly the social and emotional education that chil-dren need to acquire in the course of their schoolyears—skills and capacities that schools must im-part in partnership with parents and the surround-ing community. Starting now, and continuingthrough the next five chapters, we will present keyguidelines for social and emotional education (seeAppendix B for a list of the guidelines). Each guide-line is followed by a brief rationale as well as dis-cussion of its implications and applications foreducational practice. You will find examplesthroughout the book of various SEL applications;the examples are numbered to correspond with theappropriate guideline (e.g., Example 1A is an exam-ple of Guideline 1; Example 2A is an example ofGuideline 2).

G U I D E L I N E 1 ▼

Educators at all levels need explicit plans to helpstudents become knowledgeable, responsible, andcaring. Efforts are needed to build and reinforceskills in four major domains of SEL:

1. Life skills and social competencies

How Does Social and Emotional Education Fit in Schools?

21

2. Health-promotion and problem-preventionskills

3. Coping skills and social support for transi-tions and crises

4. Positive, contributory service

Rationale

Learning skills requires ongoing exposure andpractice. Social and emotional skills are similar toother academic skills in that the initial buildingblocks are elaborated upon over time and can becombined to address increasingly complex situ-ations that children face. New skills, such as cop-ing with the greater independence of high schooland learning workplace skills, are built on earlierfoundations. Hence, it is necessary to address theseskills at each key grade level and for each domain(Weissberg and Greenberg 1997).

1. Life skills and social competencies. Theseinclude generic life, health, citizenship, and work-place skills. Examples include self-control, stressmanagement, decision making, problem solving,conflict resolution, appropriate assertiveness, so-cial skills, listening, self-expression and other com-munication skills, and skills related to identity andspiritual development. This last competency in-cludes such things as knowing how to access one’screativity; how to set academic, career, and relation-ship goals; and how to discover constructive per-sonal meaning and purpose. These skills are thefoundation of successful social interaction in allcontexts, and shortcomings in these areas diminishpotential accomplishments in academic and otherareas (Elias et al. 1994, Gardner 1993, Goleman1995).

2. Health-promotion and problem-preventionskills. These are strategies and behaviors to reducethe likelihood of experiencing specific problemssuch as drug use (including alcohol and tobacco),violence, AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, pre-mature sexual activity, delinquency, and suicide at-

tempts. These skills complement the life skillsabove, but with the addition of context-specific in-formation related to a particular problem or riskarea (see Figure 1.1 on p. 4 for the New Haven So-cial Development Curriculum Scope, which offersan example of a program that combines life skillsand competencies with problem prevention andrisk reduction across several social and health ar-eas). The National Commission on the Role of theSchool and the Community in Improving Adoles-cent Health2 (1990, p. 36) describes a “new kind ofhealth education” that highlights the importanceof social and emotional skills in efforts to promotehealth and prevent problems. This sophisticated,multifaceted program goes light years beyond pre-sent lectures about “personal hygiene” or the foodpyramid:

• It provides honest, relevant informationabout disease and injury prevention, family lifeand sex education, drug and alcohol abuse, vio-lence, mental health, and nutrition.

• It teaches students the skills and strategiesneeded to make wise decisions, develop positivevalues, generate alternatives, deal with group pres-sure, work cooperatively, and avoid fights—skillsthat are better learned through role playing andother small-group participatory activities thanthrough lectures.

• It includes participation in physical activityprograms that foster lifelong exercise habits.

• It begins before students are pressured to ex-periment with risky behaviors and continuesthroughout adolescence. It should begin in kinder-garten and continue in a planned, sequential man-ner through grade 12.

3. Coping skills and social support for transi-tions and crises. These skills involve children’s ca-pacity to deal with stressful life events. Thecreation of support systems of caring adults andpeers to help students handle challenging situ-

2A collaborative effort between the National Association of State Boardsof Education and the American Medical Association.


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EXAMPLE 1AHELPING CHILDREN COPE WITH DIVORCE

Joanne Pedro-Carroll oversees the implementation of the Children of Divorce Project, which operates out ofthe Primary Mental Health Project in Rochester, New York, in numerous schools. She points out that while ad-ministrators are sometimes hesitant to delve into this personal area, parents typically are avid supporters ofthis well-researched and acclaimed program. They appreciate the option of having a short-term skill-building andpeer support group for their children. There are structured curriculums for older and younger groups of elemen-tary-aged students. The structure of this program can be extended to a range of other event-triggered problems.

We work with the feelings of the children: fear that parents will stop loving them, sadness,misconceptions about why parents divorce, and so on. For younger children, “Tenderheart” is adoll who takes on the characteristics of a child whose parents are divorced. The children in thegroup talk to Tenderheart about their feelings and the difference between problems that are solv-able and unsolvable by children. For K–3, we aim at correcting misconceptions. We have a boardgame that has emotion cards and divorce situations, for example, “Do you think that you can getyour parents together?” The group talks about how to solve the problem.

For grades 4 to 6 we emphasize feelings. We use creative writing. We also help students tolearn problem-solving skills by role playing and considering the consequences of their solutions. Agroup of 10-year-olds who felt very isolated started a newsletter. Amanda, who was put in the mid-dle of a vicious custody battle, wrote a poem for the newsletter and “accidentally” left it on hermother’s desk. The poem read, “Anger, fear, and worry sometimes turn to fury. And when this hap-pens, parents must try not to turn to dust with anger, fear, and worry.” The group was very inter-ested in her feelings. The mom wrote back, and this opened up lines of communication throughleaving notes for each other. The newsletter is used to express feelings of members of the group. Itis also used for thinking through ways to deal with day-to-day problems. The group helped Adamrole play possible ways to discuss with his mom changes in the visitation schedule and what her re-sponse might be. Eventually he got up the encourage to confront her and it worked out well. Theweekend after it happened he told the group. They were so proud of him that they cheered andgave him high fives. That day, Adam’s shoulders were back, not sunken, and his head was held highinstead of [his face] being covered by his hair.

Overall goals are the same for each grade: Reduce stress and anxiety, let students know theyhave support, develop skills to cope. The kids choose names for their groups. Two are “KICS= KidsIncorporated in Caring and Sharing” and “The Cosby Group” because they long for a family likethat.


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ations and circumstances is an important elementof any SEL program. So-called “event-triggeredservices”—that is, those initiated upon the occur-rence of critical life events—need to be available.These services are designed to prevent childrenfrom experiencing severe behavioral or learningdisruptions as a result of events such as parentalseparation and divorce or making the transition tomiddle school (see the end of Appendix A [p. 133]for additional examples).

In this domain, students need specialized skillsto help them address the personal and interper-sonal turmoil and conflict that accompany signifi-cant life change and loss. Students need to knowhow to cope, how to reduce tension, and where tolook for support. This information is best conveyedthrough structured programs of conflict resolution,support groups, and so on, as illustrated in Exam-ples 1A, 1B and 1C (Johnson and Johnson 1989/1990; Johnson, Johnson, Dudley, and Burnett 1992;Pedro-Carroll, Alpert-Gillis, and Cowen 1992; Wol-chik et al. in press; Zins and Elias 1993). Whilethese interventions may be coordinated with class-room-based programming, they are often deliv-ered individually or in small groups by variousother school personnel.

4. Positive, contributory service. In this do-main, we recognize that our society is becomingmore complex, interdependent, and diverse. Thedemands of citizenship are growing. Our commu-nities need dedicated leaders and volunteers. Fromwhere will they come? How will they be prepared?A critical part of the answer includes such school-based activities as in-class and cross-age tutoringand mentoring; classroom, school, or communityservice; and serving as peer mediators and orien-ters for new students, “buddies” for studying, andassistants for students with special needs. Example1D speaks to the benefits of service for students ofdifferent ages.

We live in a time of changing social institu-tions, and the schools have a critical role to play inpreserving children’s sense of belonging and pur-

pose. Students are seeking to feel a sense of posi-tive relatedness and community, whether as acomplement or an alternative to having strongreligious or family guidance. A key to attaining thisoutcome is positive, contributory service (Brandt1991, González 1991, Lewis 1991).

EXAMPLE 1BCOPING EFFECTIVELY WITH AN ILL TEACHER ANDHER SUBSTITUTE

SEL provides students with both individual skillsand skills for solving problems as a group. Wewere having a big problem with a class of stu-dents who were upset about having substituteteachers while their teacher, who they hadlearned to care for and trust, was absent for an ex-tended period of time because she was receivingchemotherapy. I was able to go into the class andwork with the children, using the skills we hadlearned in “Second Step” [Authors’ note: Seealso p. 28 for more on Second Step], to helpthem share their feelings and then move intoproblem solving what THEY could do to make thesituation better. With the help of Jackie (SEL pro-gram coordinator), the students were able tomake themselves and the new visiting teacherfeel comfortable in the classroom.

The students role-played to see what it felt like tobe the new person in the classroom. The stu-dents then made sure they welcomed theteacher and gave small tokens of their apprecia-tion, thanking the substitute for coming into theirclassroom and helping them. They also decided toreinstitute something they had done with theirteacher: making every Wednesday a time to givewritten friendship-grams letters to their teacheron their class computer.

—Jacqualine Brown,Seattle Public Schools, Committee for Children,

describing the Second Step program


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Implications and Applications

Success in each of the four domains involvesthe coordination of skills in emotion, thinking, andbehavior. Many of these skills are basic to humanfunctioning, so they begin to appear in rudimen-tary form in infancy. As children get older, they ap-ply these skills to increasingly complex situationsand learn to differentiate, label, and integratethem. Even in adolescence, skill development con-tinues, primarily through the feedback, reflection,learning, and growth that result from new experi-ences.

Helping students develop and coordinateskills in emotion, cognition, and behavior is a nec-essary activity at the classroom, school, and, ide-ally, district levels (Shriver and Weissberg 1996,Weissberg and Greenberg 1997). In the rest of thischapter, we highlight the main areas of skill devel-opment that research so far has identified as impor-tant and worth addressing in the schools, bothformally and informally. For the sake of clarity, wenext present some starting points for your consid-eration.3

EXAMPLE 1CRESOLVING CONFLICT AND CREATING PEACEABLE RELATIONSHIPS

The Resolving Conflict Creatively Program (RCCP) teaches students (and teachers, administrators, and parents)a process that enables them to find creative solutions to conflicts. This is done by teaching de-escalation and ne-gotiation skills, but also by structured lessons to increase appreciation of their own and other cultures and waysto live in a school as a peaceful learning community. In a typical model, older students in a school are the media-tors for younger ones. Here is a story about the program in action.

With tears streaming down her face, 7-year-old Veronica picks herself up from the asphalt of theplayground and charges toward her friend, Jasmine. “Why’d you trip me?” she screams. “I didn’ttrip you.” “Yes you did, and I’m gonna trip you right back on your face!”

Suddenly, two 5th graders wearing bright blue T-shirts appear. Across the front and back of theirshirts, the word mediator is emblazoned. “Excuse me!” says one. “My name is Jessica.” “And I’mAngel,” says the other. “We’re mediators. Would you like us to help solve this problem?” “I guessso,” the younger girls say grudgingly. Jessica and Angel first obtain the disputants’ agreement tosome ground rules (including no name-calling and no interrupting), and then the mediators suggestthat they all move to a quieter area of the playground to talk things out.

“You’ll speak first, Veronica,” says Jessica. “But don’t worry Jasmine, you’ll get your chance.OK, Veronica, tell us what happened.”

Within two minutes, the girls have solved their problem. Jasmine acknowledges that shetripped Veronica by accident as she was trying to tag her. She says she is sorry. Veronica agrees toaccept the apology and to be Jasmine’s friend again. After being congratulated by Angel and Jessicafor solving their problem, the girls resume their game.

—Lantieri and Patti (1996), RCCP, New York City

3See also both the later section on Development in this chapter (pp. 37–41) and Appendix A, both of which present more detailed,though not comprehensive, scope and sequence outlines.


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EXAMPLE 1DPOSITIVE CONTRIBUTORY SERVICE FOR DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS

Positive, contributory service provides benefits at all age levels. Here are some examples:

La Salle Academy’s Big Brothers/Big Sisters ProgramPrincipal Ray Pasi: On the first day of classes, freshmen are paired up with seniors. The seniors are asked to be-come a role model and assist the freshmen in making the transition to La Salle. The parents love it because ithelps them to have people take an interest in their children, to help them adjust and give them encouragement.The seniors feel needed in the school; 210 out of 300 seniors participated in the program.

Student: The program is great because it gives the freshmen somebody to listen to and give them guidance. Ihave to go see my little brother soon because he’s having a little trouble with English, and I’m pretty good at itand I am going to help him with it.

Student: My little sister was having trouble with someone who wanted to beat her up. She wanted me to beatthe person up.

Bob Lisi, Freshman Transition Coordinator: We got both parties together because I knew about it and did a littleconflict resolution.

Student: Freshmen know where to find the seniors, and the seniors know where to find the freshmen so theycan visit before homeroom. It feels good to make a difference to somebody.

Student: Some of the kids who couldn’t be bothered or only did it for their resumes now are doing it becausethey see its importance.

La Salle’s Senior Service ProgramStudent: I went to the day care and worked with 4- and 5-year-olds who didn’t really get a lot of attention athome. They were neglected. I walked into the classroom, and this little girl grabbed me by the knee and said,“Do you want to be my brother?” And it was a really great feeling. The last class the teacher let me conduct awhole lesson, and the kids really looked up to me and it felt good. Then, as I was leaving, the kids gave me abook that each of the kids had drawn a page for. I’m going to visit them on my next half day because I missthem.

Fourth grade students from Hazelwood School in Lexington, Kentucky, had these comments about theirBuddy Program:“I like the buddy program with the 1st grade because I get to read to them. I like to do things for them.”

“I like to stop fights when they start by helping them talk it out.”

“We feel happy because we get to teach them stuff that we know how to do.”

“They help you learn, too. For example, I got to read an ”Arthur" book. My buddy reads to me, and I feel proudthat my buddy can read."


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Emotion. The skills related to becoming emo-tionally competent begin in infancy. At their sim-plest, the skills involve recognizing cues from thefaces, postures, and vocal tones of others, followedby labeling and verbalizing emotions. Gradually,children expand their vocabulary for feelings andtheir ability to link feelings appropriately to an in-creasing range of situations. It takes only a mo-ment’s reflection, however, to recognize thatchildren come to school with a range of emotionalskills and a range of consistency in the use of theseskills. Much of what educators observe about chil-dren’s emotional awareness and regulation de-pends also on the skills of memory and language,and how emotion, events, and their labels becomeintegrated, coordinated, and recalled. The ability ofchildren to learn, access, and apply their learning isinterwoven with their emotional skills.

Cognition. To live and learn in a social world,we need to be able to listen accurately, pay atten-tion, remember what we hear and learn, and guideourselves in thoughtful decision making and prob-lem solving when facing choices or problematicsituations. More specifically, we need a social deci-sion-making and problem-solving strategy that in-cludes the following skills:

• Understanding signs of one’s own and oth-ers’ feelings.

• Accurately labeling and expressing feelings.• Identifying one’s goals.• Thinking of alternative ways to solve a prob-

lem, especially when planning a solution and mak-ing a final check for possible obstacles.

• Thinking about long- and short-term conse-quences for oneself and others.

• Reflecting on what happens when carryingout one’s strategies, and learning for the future.

These cognitive skills foster integration and areinterdependent with skills in the emotional and be-havioral areas; consequently, they are subject toany limitations in those areas. We see the effects of

not accomplishing this task in the classroom whenchildren with great intellectual problem-solvingabilities are not socially successful because of diffi-culties in dealing with feelings or in carrying outdesired behaviors. Further, carrying out thoughtfuldecision making and problem solving under stressrequires an even higher level of ability in these ar-eas. Example 1E shows problem-solving strategiesfrom several different programs.

Behavior. Self-control skills are necessary to ac-curately process the information contained in so-cial encounters, to engage in thoughtful socialdecision making, and to be able to approach othersin difficult situations without provoking anger orannoyance. These skills include the ability followdirections, calm oneself down when under stress,manage anger effectively, and communicate clearlyin a respectful and civil manner.

Group participation skills underlie the exercise ofsocial responsibility, constructive task-oriented con-tributions in groups, and the building of meaning-ful communities. They include the following:

• Recognizing and eliciting trust, help, andpraise from others.

• Recognizing others’ perspectives.• Choosing friends wisely.• Sharing, waiting, and participating in groups

(including cooperative learning groups).• Giving and receiving help and criticism.• Resisting pressure from peers and the

media to engage in antisocial, illegal, or dangerousbehaviors.

• Exercising leadership, accepting diversity,and demonstrating desirable attributes such ashonesty, responsibility, compassion, and caring.

Integration. Although the three skills areas arepresented separately here, they are of course inte-grated in actuality. Emotional intelligence serves asthe integrative concept, in that competence in so-cial and emotional functioning is a product of an in-terrelationship of skills in the emotional, cognitive,


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EXAMPLE 1EPROBLEM-SOLVING STEPS USED BY DIFFERENT PROGRAMS

Social Decision-Making Skills: A Guide for the Elementary GradesWhen children and adults are using their social problem-solving skills, they emphasize eight skill areas:

1. Noticing signs of feelings.2. Identifying issues or problems.3. Determining and selecting goals.4. Generating alternative solutions.5. Envisioning possible consequences.6. Selecting their best solution.7. Planning and making a final check for obstacles.8. Noticing what happened, and using the information for future decision making and problem solving.

An instructional and easily prompted version of the social decision-making and problem-solving skills, given theacronym “FIG TESPN”:

1. Feelings cue me to problem solve.2. I have a problem.3. Goals give me a guide.4. Think of many possible things to do.5. Envision end results (outcomes) for each option.6. Select my best solution.7. Plan the procedure and anticipate pitfalls (roadblocks), practice, and pursue.8. Notice what happened, and now what?

—Elias and Tobias (1996)

The Second Step Violence Prevention ProgramThe Second Step Program for 4th and 5th graders offers a five-step process:

1. What is the problem?2. What are some solutions?3. For each solution, ask:

• Is it safe? • How might people feel? • Is it fair? • Will it work?

4. Chose a solution and use it.5. Is it working? If not, what can I do now?

—Committee for Children (1992)


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and behavioral areas (Goleman 1995, Mayer andSalovey 1995). Example 1F shows the key skillsthat make up emotional intelligence and cut acrossdifferent domains of human functioning. Althoughthere is value in presenting the skill areas sepa-rately, particularly as part of the learning process,we actually apply these skills simultaneously. Forexample, when students have just been handed asurprise quiz, knowing how they feel, managingthese feelings effectively, focusing on the task athand, and communicating appropriately afterwardto friends all are part of effective problem solving.

Acquiring an integrated set of skills such asthese often occurs best in an experiential context,where the skills are learned through practice androle modeling. These considerations are reflectedin the guidelines that follow.


Successful efforts to build social and emotionalskills are linked to developmental milestones aswell as the need to help students cope with ongo-ing life events and local circumstances.

Rationale

Students who are at risk for problems such asviolence, school failure, and substance abuse typi-cally lack the skills to meet normative developmen-tal challenges or the special challenges posed byhighly stressful life events. In some cases, the stu-dents are skilled, but their values or expectationsconflict with those of the school. Although blind

EXAMPLE 1E—continuedPROBLEM-SOLVING STEPS USED BY DIFFERENT PROGRAMS

The Social Competence Promotion Program for Young AdolescentsThe Social Competence Promotion Program for Young Adolescents presents the following six-step social-information processing framework for solving a wide range of real-life problems. A traffic light poster is used todisplay the following sequential, six-step process:

1. Stop, calm down, and think before you act.2. Say the problem and how you feel.3. Set a positive goal.4. Think of lots of solutions.5. Think ahead to the consequences.6. Go ahead and try the best plan.

The traffic light links a familiar image to three central, sequential phases of problem solving. The red light—or “stop” phase—symbolizes stopping to calm down in preparation for problem-solving thinking and action(step 1); the yellow light—or “thinking” phase—offers a process for identifying problems and evaluating op-tions for implementation (steps 2 to 5); and the green light—or “go” phase—represents taking action to re-solve the problem (step 6). Through explicit instruction in the six steps, teachers and students learn a commonlanguage and framework for communicating about problems. Furthermore, the traffic-light poster may be usedas a visual reminder to prompt students to apply problem solving throughout the school (e.g., in the cafeteria,on the playground) and at home.

—Weissberg, Caplan, Bennetto, and Jackson (1990)


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conformity to all rules is clearly not an intendedoutcome of education, thoughtful reflection aboutrules and the interests of oneself and others is de-sirable. Specifically, social and emotional skills arenecessary to reduce the incidence of what Goleman

(1995) calls “emotional hijacking,” which takesplace when one’s feelings overwhelm the balanceof behavioral and cognitive checks and balancesthat are a necessary part of everyday living.

EXAMPLE 1FEMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: KEY SKILLS IN SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING

Self-Awareness• Recognizing and naming one’s emotions.• Understanding of the reasons and circumstances for feeling as one does.

Self-Regulation of Emotion• Verbalizing and coping with anxiety, anger, and depression.• Controlling impulses, aggression, and self-destructive, antisocial behavior.• Recognizing strengths in and mobilizing positive feelings about self, school, family, and support networks.

Self-Monitoring and Performance• Focusing on tasks at hand.• Setting short- and long-term goals.• Modifying performance in light of feedback.• Mobilizing positive motivation.• Activating hope and optimism.• Working toward optimal performance states, flow, manage inverted U relationship between anxiety and

performance.

Empathy and Perspective Taking• Learning how to increase these, and develop feedback mechanisms to use in everyday life.• Becoming a good listener.• Increasing empathy and sensitivity to others’ feelings.• Understanding others’ perspectives, points of view, feelings.

Social Skills in Handling Relationships

• Managing emotions in relationships, harmonizing diverse feelings, viewpoints.• Expressing emotions effectively.• Exercising assertiveness, leadership, persuasion.• Working as part of a team/cooperative learning groups.• Showing sensitivity to social cues.• Exercising social decision-making and problem-solving skills.• Responding constructively and in a problem-solving manner to interpersonal obstacles.


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Guideline 2 has a number of practical implica-tions. First, learning that is developmentally appro-priate, as well as brain-friendly and appealing todiverse learners, uses skill-based, experiential ap-proaches. These approaches greatly increase stu-dents’ use of social and emotional skills outside theclassroom. Unfortunately, in many instances, par-ticularly in high school, fact-oriented and lecture-based approaches predominate. When students arein emotionally charged and high-pressure situ-ations, however, they have trouble accessing infor-mation and skills learned from such approaches.We see evidence of this in evaluations of informa-tion-oriented health education programs (Weiss-berg and Elias 1993, Weissberg and Greenberg1997). Guideline 2 suggests that we carefully notewhat constitutes sound educational procedure inthis area.

Second, this guideline acknowledges that stateand federal guidelines and mandates for alcohol,tobacco, steroid, and other drug abuse, AIDS,health education, violence prevention, and so on,must be met. However, it also challenges us to ex-amine their focus on persuading children to avoidrisky behaviors that may lead to dangerous out-comes. Problem prevention alone is not sufficientto provide the “missing piece” children need intheir lives. Building the social and emotional skillsrequired for all endeavors and relationships intheir lives—including the discipline and motiva-tion to successfully navigate what are literallynearly two decades of academic hurdles—must beemphasized.

To be able to teach students, educators mustclearly understand when students will be called onto use social and emotional skills. Here is a rangeof examples:

• When waiting in a long line, waiting to geton a computer, or waiting to use a paint set.

• When being pressured to smoke, to vandal-ize property, or to speak in a disrespectful way tostudents who are members of minority groups.

• When dealing with the anxiety of taking amajor test like the SAT, preparing to speak in frontof an assembly, playing competitive sports, orparticipating in a musical, artistic, or dramaticperformance.

Indeed, it is real-life events that are the bestpractice field for learning to use skills that arecalled upon under stressful, difficult, rare, and un-predictable conditions, as Example 2A illustrates.

The Importance of Character,Values, and Self-Esteem


SEL programs emphasize the promotion of proso-cial attitudes and values about self, others, andwork.

Rationale, Implications, and Applications

The Four C’s. Healthy self-esteem developswhen children are given the four C’s: Confidence,Competencies, Chances, and Caring. Throughouttheir school careers, our children need the adultsaround them to inspire them with confidence thatthey can learn, accomplish, and interact success-fully in a range of situations. They need adultsaround them to design experiences that will impartthe competencies needed for academic and socialsuccesses, to back up their confidence. They needadults around them to create chances to use theirskills, to learn in the protected and supervisedarena of the school so that they will be less at riskin the relatively unsupervised and unscriptedworld in which they interact.

Would we send students in front of an assem-bly to do a skit without giving them a sense of con-fidence, the skills they need, and lots of rehearsal?No way. How is it, then, that we seem content todo less to prepare students for the major chal-


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lenges they face all the time on the stage of life?This is where the fourth C, caring, becomes so im-portant. Each student needs to feel valued as ameaningful member of the class and school. Whatis particularly important is how we show caring tostudents so that they are more likely to respondwith caring toward themselves and others.

Character. Thomas Lickona (1991) is one of theleaders in the character education field. His viewof character, values, and self-esteem shows the in-herent linkage of these areas. Character is definedas values in action; values refer to “knowing thegood.” Clearly, in different families, communities,and cultural groups, there may be varying defini-tions of what is “good.” Self-esteem is a feeling orattitude that accompanies believing that one is fol-

lowing the “good” in a given community or val-ued group. This is why, as Lickona notes, people of“good character” can be quite different from oneanother.

These differences also explain why disaffectedyouth seek out peers and other groups that willvalidate their actions and serve as a source of self-esteem. Gangs take on this role for many studentswho do not or cannot derive esteem from school orfamily. Bullard (1992) notes that schools may en-courage an allegiance to gangs if they have a nar-rowly academic or culturally bound definition of“the good,” particularly when families are not serv-ing as alternative sources of positive support.

Religious schools have definitions of “thegood” linked to worship and observances that maynot be interchangeable across denominations. Nev-

EXAMPLE 2ADRAWING ON COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE SUPPORT WHEN SCHOOL TRAGEDY STRIKES

“Over the Christmas vacation, one of our students, a young man named Frank, was killed as a result of injuriesfrom a car accident. And I thought Social Problem Solving (SPS) was a lifeline for me and also for the students.It gave us all something to fall back on to face a very difficult situation.

“For me, as the teacher, I was very glad that I had done the background work of establishing group unity andtrust in our sharing circles. We had an opportunity to do that before anything so serious and difficult happened.When we came back to school, I remember the first morning that we entered the building. It was a Thursday.And immediately the students and I entered the room and put the chairs in a circle. No one said anything aboutit. So, we had a chance to share our feelings, and at that point weren’t processing anything. We were just feel-ing. We used the circle to work that out.

“I was really surprised those first few days of dealing with Frank’s death that the students relied so much onhaving that sharing circle and wanted to share. And these are students that came to us with minimal self-awareness skills and minimal self-control skills. And actually, as I tried to get the routine back to normal, theystopped me at one point and said, ‘Wait, Miss Krah. Can we take a vote and see if everybody wants to have asharing circle?’ And they did. It seemed like a really good forum for them to deal with what we had to deal with.“As time has gone on, we’ve had some ideas come up from students about alcohol-related car accidents andwhat kind of decisions people could or couldn’t make. We used the process a little more to think that through.”

—Marge Krah, Middle School Special Education TeacherCape May, New Jersey, Special Services School District


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ertheless, Lickona (1991) and others point out thatthere are common denominators amidst these dif-ferences, and these are proper topics of concern forthe public schools (Ryan 1995). Lickona cites re-spect and responsibility as two of the most consen-sual and important, and caring clearly could beincluded, too. From the perspective of SEL, it is vir-tually impossible to imagine a classroom, school,community, family, or workplace that can functionin the absence of respect, responsibility, and caring(among other attributes). Thus, ensuring that chil-dren have the skills to convey respect and responsi-bility—and make no mistake about it, there aremany skills involved, it is not simply an “attitude”or “orientation”—is a valid and necessary part ofbasic education (Wynne and Walberg 1986). Fami-lies may have their own ways of wanting childrento show respect, responsibility, and caring, andtheir teaching of these behaviors is essential. How-ever, schools, workplaces, community organiza-tions, and social groups also have their owndefinitions, and children must be prepared forthese as well. Example 3A outlines one method ofteaching about values and character.

Self-esteem. It should be clear that self-esteemis generated when students perform valued behav-iors and are recognized for doing so. For this tohappen, students’ emotional intelligence must beput to work so that they can accurately perceivevalues around them and act in ways that are consis-tent with those values. Naturally, decisions mustbe made locally about what aspects of characterand values will be emphasized, and how. Somemaintain that desirable values are best learned inthe crucible of interaction with positive adults andpeers (Taffel 1996). However, Lickona (1991) andothers believe that it is in students’ interest forschools to address core values (such as honesty,fairness, and responsibility) that are likely to be en-dorsed, and thus encouraged, by most settings.

Providing DevelopmentallyAppropriate Social and EmotionalEducation

It follows from what has been presented thus farthat social and emotional skills cannot be reservedfor periodic instruction; nor can they be expectedto develop in the absence of continuous practiceand opportunities for feedback and improvement.Therefore, it is necessary that developmentally ap-propriate instruction be provided in a plannedway throughout children’s time in school.


It is most beneficial to provide a developmentallyappropriate combination of formal, curriculum-based instruction with ongoing, informal, andinfused opportunities to develop social and emo-tional skills from preschool through high school.

Rationale

The interpersonal situations students face inschool require that they make constant choicesabout how to behave. Being in a school communityexposes kids to many influences on their choices,and life events occur that do not follow any pre-scribed curriculum guides. Social and emotional in-struction, therefore, must be anchored by beingsystematic and curriculum-based at each level ofschooling. Such learning provides a forum for skillbuilding to help address ongoing, developmentallyexpected issues. But there is also a need for flexibil-ity to help address unexpected life events in waysthat are minimally disruptive of academic progressand that sustain healthy, positive relationshipswith others. This process occurs through encourag-ing the informal use of skills and by infusing skillbuilding into academic activities (Elias and Clabby1992; Hawkins, Catalano, et al. 1992; Weissbergand Greenberg 1997).


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EXAMPLE 3AHOW TO ADDRESS VALUES, VIRTUE, AND CHARACTER USING AN SEL FRAMEWORK

1. Select a focal value (character aspect, etc.).

2. Define it via group discussion and by looking at the dictionary definition, especially the derivation of the word.

3. Provide an age-appropriate literature example that explores, addresses, and involves that value. Integratethis material with your current reading program and areas of emphasis, making relevant assignments. Includeaspects of the value in class and small-group discussions.

4. Help students identify life examples of the value. Several useful approaches include an individual or classchart in which examples of the value “in action” can be recorded for a given week (or other period of time) orhaving a circle or sharing time in which students identify and share times when their behavior involved thatvalue, might have involved that value, or when they saw that value enacted by others. Interesting discussionswill take place, for example, as to whether “caring” was appropriate or perhaps overdone or not genuine, orwhether “assertiveness” turned into aggressiveness, or whether what seems to be a behavior seen as aggres-sive in minority students or girls is seen as assertive in majority students or boys.

5. Assign academic projects related to that value that fit with broader learning goals.

Personal: Individual students can set personal goals around the expression of a particular value with their class-mates, toward other teachers, and so on.

Paired, small-group, class, or schoolwide projects can be assigned, related to a particular reading or series ofreadings; can be integrated with a civics unit; or can be applied to life on the playground, on the school bus, inthe lunchroom, the hallways, the classroom, the surrounding school environment, or the community. Paired stu-dents can be empowered to hand out “Gotcha!” stickers to people seen enacting a focal value in the class-room or in other areas of the school. Other books can be assigned, and small groups can report on how thevalue was expressed differently by different characters. Associated art and music projects can be carried out.Adolescents often find it quite informative, engaging, and thought-provoking to look for the varied expressionsof values in song lyrics and teen magazines.

Some of the values that schools from varied socioeconomic, geographic, and cultural backgrounds appear toemphasize include:

caring honor respect confidence justice responsibility courtesy kindness reverence creativity love self-discipline enthusiasm loyalty service excellence peacefulness thankfulness friendliness purposefulness tolerance helpfulness reflectiveness trustworthiness honesty reliability truthfulness


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EXAMPLE 4ALA SALLE ACADEMY’S SUCCESS FOR LIFE PROGRAM: EMBODYING THE PRINCIPLES OF SEL

La Salle Academy, in Providence, Rhode Island, incorporates all four social and emotional learning domains in adevelopmentally sensitive manner. The school also includes milestone and event-triggered and crisis programs,and a combination of curricular and informal, infused opportunities for SEL skill development and recognition.

“Success for Life,” a schoolwide, curriculum-based program, assists students with issues connected to socialand emotional intelligence. Not an “extra,” it is incorporated into classes and activities and linked with La Salle’s existing goals. These include the nurturing of all aspects of the child: spiritual, intellectual, social, andemotional. Administrators, teachers, and coaches explicitly incorporate a decision-making approach in their deal-ings with students.

Underscoring all our educational endeavors, we try to challenge students to consider what choices confrontthem, to remember to think before responding, and to choose the best alternative. Given the developmentallevels and needs of adolescence, every attempt is made to infuse the program with the variety and engage-ment that typify successful secondary school educational strategies. Given the constraints of time and curricu-lum in the classroom component, only a limited number of “target” lessons may be included during a particular semester. A decision-making or problem-solving structure, however, can often be used as an instruc-tional strategy.

Success for Life seeks to strengthen adolescents’ awareness of themselves, their relationships, and situationsin which they make important decisions in their lives. An ultimate goal is to help strengthen self-esteem andself-respect, as well as attitudes of caring and responsibility toward others. The program includes an interactionof cognitive, affective, and behavioral components:

• A classroom program, providing instruction across disciplines on issues of social competence and the in-telligent management of one’s emotions.

• A schoolwide program, starting with a daily morning reflection (by students or staff), designed to rein-force classroom efforts that promote healthy development.

• An Adult Contact Program for sophomores; a Freshman Transition Program (and Coordinator); a BigBrother/Big Sister Service Program for freshmen (and for the upperclass students working the program).

• Small-group meetings for students with more serious or chronic behavior problems to help build self-con-trol and social awareness skills.

• A computer-based education program for specific types of disciplinary problems (a decision-making model).• Career Awareness and Wellness programs that span four years, while concentrating on the decision-

making, problem-solving focus of the junior year.• Theme-based assemblies for each year, geared to particular competencies and the developmental level

of each group.• A Senior Service program, in part to foster post-high school transition.• Inclusion of the part-time coaching staff in the orientation session on the school’s mission, the Success

for Life program, and their practical implications for dealing with student athletes (including the Student AthleteContract).

• Ongoing parent communication to keep parents informed of our specific efforts and various schoolwideactivities (designed with the help of the parent organization) to enhance parents’ knowledge of program normsand values.

—Raymond Pasi, Principal, La Salle Academy


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EXAMPLE 4A—continuedLA SALLE ACADEMY’S SUCCESS FOR LIFE PROGRAM: EMBODYING THE PRINCIPLES OF SEL

Three Examples of SEL in Action at La Salle1. Celebrations of Success/Reinforcing School Climate. Students are issued wallet cards containing the LaSalle Seal and the mission statement and goals:

Goals of Community BehaviorLa Salle Academy

Mission:To create a learning community which fosters acceptance, generosity, and mutual respect

OUR COMMON GOALS:Our interest in the growth of each person urges us toward

Respect for SelfA high regard for the worth of each person

Respect for OthersAn interest and concern for one another

Respect for PropertyA vested interest in and respect for the property of

La Salle Academy

Art adorns the school entrance. Everyone created a separate panel depicting something that was importantand involved principles he or she had been learning. One was a picture of Respect for the Environment. An-other was a picture of the school and a picture of the world. All dealt with the main theme of respect. A bannerembodying all three areas of respect hangs in our entrance.

2. Assemblies Linked to SEL Themes by Grade Level. Excerpt from Memo to all faculty from Leo Butlerabout the Sophomore Assembly:

As part of our Success for Life program in social and emotional education, the first of two as-semblies for sophomores will be held . . .

Mr. Jim Hopkins will address students on the topic of interpersonal understanding and conflictresolution. He will share with us his experience over the years with peer mediation at JohnstonHigh School. He will stress the importance of students’ using peer mediation when a dispute oc-curs, as well as the importance of their eventually becoming involved as peer counselors.

Mr. Hopkins will also speak about appreciating the individuality of each person, by looking forand respecting the special talents unique to each person.


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It is common to see discussions of “ages andstages” of development in children; it is less com-mon to see such a discussion focused on the detailsof what we know about social and emotional skillsdevelopment (Consortium on the School-BasedPromotion of Social Competence 1991; Elias et al.1994; Hawkins, Catalano, et al. 1992). An over-view of each of the major developmental periodsfollows.

Pre-school and early elementary grades (pre-K to grade 2, ages 3–7). Erikson’s stages of trust andautonomy cover the years from birth to the age of 2 (approximately—the sequence is more reliablethan the specific age boundaries). A successful out-come of these stages is linked to children receiving

physical and emotional security (Carnegie TaskForce on Meeting the Needs of Young People1994). Even infants begin to make “if I do this, thenthat happens” connections as they learn what theymust do to have their needs met. They learn howto get people to hold them, feed them, and changetheir diapers long before they can ask for suchthings directly. From these early experiences, chil-dren begin to develop a nonverbal sense of how toget their needs met. They also develop a sense ofhow likely they are to be successful in getting whatthey want. Later, a sense of self-efficacy emergesfrom this early, generalized sense of trust. Theirearly verbal behavior also is part of their currentand future ability to make positive connections toothers and get their needs met as they begin to rec-ognize their capacity to explore and interact withtheir environments.

EXAMPLE 4A—continuedLA SALLE ACADEMY’S SUCCESS FOR LIFE PROGRAM: EMBODYING THE PRINCIPLES OF SEL

3. SEL must be taught formally, as well as infused, and linked to all aspects of education; for this to hap-pen effectively requires ongoing staff development and curricular leadership.

Letter from Principal Ray Pasi to staff, October 31, 1996

When teaching students some aspect of social and emotional intelligence—whether it’s empa-thy, some aspect of self-awareness, the importance of delaying gratification, etc.—it is essentialthat we are explicit about what we are doing. If we are not, students tend to think we are simplytaking a break from the math or science or foreign language lesson. We should specifically tellthem something to the effect that we are now covering something very important, and explainwhat social and emotional skill is being presented. When an assignment or lesson is given withthis focus in mind, tell the students specifically what you want them looking for and considering, inrelation to their own lives. If this is not done directly and explicitly, students will not appreciate thefact that they are deliberately getting something “extra” as part of a lesson or assignment. Theyshould leave your class, at the end of the year, appreciating that you dealt on occasion with certainsocial and emotional skills that you consider quite important—as well as the academic content ofthe course.

Again, it is this combination of explicit instruction across the disciplines, plus our schoolwideprograms, that combine to make our educational program in this area different from others.


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Preschoolers tend to become less and less im-pulsive and more likely to follow directions andrules even when no adult is present—but the rangeof variability is huge. Their use of language for self-regulation is helpful here. Getting along with peersis fostered by social approach skills, perspectivetaking, and empathy. Fears characteristic of the pre-vious period should diminish; however, it is hardfor young children to hold onto two strong emo-tions at the same time. As a result, moods can shiftquickly.

Next, the stage of initiative brings new require-ments for social interaction as children encounterday care, preschool, and school environments.Children must improve their motor and verbalcontrol and begin to respond to social rules (in ad-dition to parental rules). In early childhood, grow-ing language and cognitive abilities fuel advancesin social decision making and problem solving.Children can be expected to identify basic feelings,pick up on a central theme in social situations, bemore aware of how to communicate successfullywith others, consider alternative ways to reach agoal, and recognize alternative consequences totheir actions.

Language and conceptual skills, needed formature social decision making, evolve at this time.Children acquire terms to help them with key cog-nitive concepts: is/is not, and/or, same/different,all/some. These words are all about similarities anddifferences. Other and else reflect divergent produc-tion. If/then and why/because promote causal infer-ences. Where, with whom, when, now/later, andbefore/after are critical for social understanding andfor specifying events. Preschoolers also get betterat understanding patterns of related occurrences,and they begin to develop an early sense of whatRotter (1982) calls an “expectancy” for the useful-ness of being a good problem solver—somethingadults should actively encourage.

Elementary and intermediate grades (grades3–5; ages 8–10). Elementary school brings increases

in understanding others’ emotional reactions, read-ing social cues, and understanding others’ verbaland nonverbal communications. Children are bet-ter able to help others, share, and feel empathy;there are more attempts to seek harmony with oth-ers, such as parents and peers, when there are ten-sions. Impulsivity declines and angry outburstsand aggressive behaviors decrease. Sustained, fo-cused attention and effort emerge along with thepride at accomplishing goals. Assertiveness can re-place aggressiveness, with verbal forms occurringfar more often than the physical. Fearfulness de-creases. Unhappiness, however, can be more sus-tained and can become more of a source ofconcern. Shyness is not typical, and cooperationwith peers should be encouraged.

Cooperation, sustained attention, and harmo-nizing skills are essential because children enterthe stage of industry during what is usually calledmiddle childhood. School and extracurricular ac-tivities require children to display more focus andpersistence than in prior stages. The skill of keep-ing track of their goals and how they are progress-ing toward them is important if students are to beable to carry out projects and participate in teamsand performances. The attributes of persistenceand sustained attention also are behind their pen-chant for collecting things and reading book seriesduring the latter part of this age period.

Key social and emotional abilities include abroadening vocabulary to label a range of feelingsin self and others, an improved understanding ofhow events relate to one another over time, and amore accurate sense of perspective. Further, an ex-panded ability to consider alternative solutionsand consequences, increased planning to achievegoals, and the beginning of an ability to anticipateobstacles to one’s plans contribute to interpersonaland school success.

Middle/junior high school (grades 6–9; ages11–14). Early adolescence—the middle-schoolyears—is most obviously a time of intense physical


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changes. Perhaps most significant are the varyingrates at which these changes occur, both for a givenchild and across children. This variation meansthat the middle-school child can look like an ele-mentary-school child or as old as an adult. As chil-dren see their schoolmates reach various mile-stones at different times, they inevitably makecomparisons, and all too often see themselves asdeficient.

Nevertheless, it is a myth that adolescencemust be defined as a period of stress, turmoil, andrebellion. The developmental tasks that early ado-lescents must work through on their path towardadulthood can be sources of both exhilaration andconsternation (Carnegie Council on Adolescent De-velopment 1989, Dorman and Lipsitz 1984).

Adolescents are making a transition from thestage of industry to the stage of identity. They awakento the world of possibility and potential, and theybecome more adept at abstract thinking and goingfrom the specific to the general. They retain a cer-tain egocentrism, which leads them to believe theyare unique, special, and even invulnerable to harm(this mind-set, naturally, increases risk-taking be-havior). At the same time, these youngsters care agreat deal about what the anonymous “they” think.

To help deal with the vast cognitive awakeningthey are experiencing, early adolescents often seethings in black and white, good versus bad terms,leading to the possibilities of exaggeration, denial,and overgeneralization. At the same time, middle-school students can be wonderfully idealistic,thoughtful, and incredibly immature and silly—allin the space of a typical school morning! Some oftheir idealism comes out as increased social con-cern, fueled by outrage with what is “wrong” inthe world and their emerging realization that whatthey do in the present will affect what they do inthe future.

Erikson (1954) noted that a sense of “industri-ousness” characteristic of early adolescence can beseen both in a strong orientation to certain tasksand in a faddish commitment to certain things for

relatively short periods of time. Thus, middle-school-aged children can become avid collectors orfocus intensely on a particular game or hobby.These kinds of activities prepare them for the stageof identity, which extends from preadolescenceinto the teen years. Students build on prior experi-ences to attempt to answer the questions “Who amI?” and “What can I become?”—questions that takeon an emotional charge and a sense of reality aschildren move into formal operational cognitive ca-pacities. Spiritual development also stirs, as chil-dren begin to glimpse the possibility of largerpurpose and greater meaning to life. Many relig-ions contain rituals in early adolescence that guidestudents in exploring these questions and mark therite of passage into greater responsibility.

Unfortunately, the tendency toward industri-ousness does not necessarily translate into motiva-tion related to school achievement. Having the bestbaseball card or audiotape collections may be morethan sufficient for some children. Therefore, it isbeneficial to bring students’ own industriousnessinto the school and connect it with some area ofacademics. By linking school with students’ own ef-forts to construct an identity, we can guard againstdisaffection, underachievement, failure, and drop-ping out.

Even though peer relationships are increas-ingly influential during the early adolescent years,adults must not be lulled into thinking that their in-fluence as adult role models and guides is in anyway diminished. What is most likely to occur isthat children are more reluctant to admit or ac-knowledge this influence during the middle-schoolyears than they might have just a few years earlier.Accordingly, providing support will often be quitethankless, and at times frustrating. Nonetheless, itcan be a lifeline for youth who otherwise would de-rive most of their views from their peers. Whatadults can do to stimulate these children’s socialand emotional skills is to create environmentswhere peers can relate to one another in positive,reflective, constructive ways, addressing important


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topics and questions about life in the community,social issues, the environment, rights and justice,or diversity.

Indeed, one of the markers of the transition toadolescence is a growing capacity for reflective-ness. This capacity includes increased awareness ofsexuality and the ability to articulate “who am I?”in terms of strengths and weaknesses or prefer-ences. It also can be seen in a heightened aware-ness of one’s own and others’ thoughts andfeelings. (It is not unexpected to encounter somefears about the future, especially about success injobs, and parents’ health and well-being.) There isan interest in learning about one’s own patterns ofhandling impulses, stress, difficulties, and so on.Awareness of these patterns can be taught, andgoal-setting strategies to improve behaviors can becarried out, though more for short-term than long-term benefits.

Having arenas where there is a sense of mas-tery and control is important. Art, hobbies, sports,games, phone calls, collecting, magazines, music,clubs, cliques, groups, diaries—all are part of beingunique and special and having something that is“theirs.” Often the value of these is enhancedwhen they are shared with peers. Yet for the stu-dent lacking social and emotional skills, success inany of these arenas—and sharing them withpeers—is quite difficult.

High school (grades 10–12; ages 15–17). Ado-lescents are involved in an ongoing process of con-solidating and articulating who they are, wherethey are going, and what they intend to do. Key ar-eas for emotional functioning are listening and un-derstanding; self-expression; honesty; facingdifficulties; trust; being more future-oriented thanpast-oriented; compromise; and expressions of lov-ing, caring, and support.

For many, adolescence is a time of awakeningto the energies, wonderings, and questions that ac-company spiritual development. Some adolescentshave an intense experience of their “inner life” andfeel that school is irrelevant to their concerns.

Some students have a religious or cultural frame-work in which to express and explore their broadquestions about life and themselves. Many stu-dents who lack spiritual guidance may engage inmisguided attempts to seek experiences of “deepermeaning” and “transcendence of the ordinary.”

Sometimes this search results in what wemight call experimentation—with drugs, cults,gangs, sexual behavior, leaving school, or livingelsewhere. Adolescents benefit from outlets that al-low their questions to be heard and answered inrelatively safe ways. SEL programs at the highschool level can meet some of these needs throughopportunities for reflecting on and discussing stu-dents’ questions and goals, through communityservice, and through activities that challenge stu-dents to discover their courage and stamina andfoster a sense of connection to other individualsand groups.

Against this backdrop, it is clear that adoles-cence requires a coordinated set of expectationsabout oneself and others and well-integrated socialand emotional skills for handling complex life situ-ations, especially when under emotional pressure.What are healthy perspectives for adolescents tomaintain?

• An appropriate internal locus of control.• A realistic sense of which situations will have

positive outcomes.• A general tendency to consider multiple alter-

natives, consequences, and plans before acting.With regard to skills, the following are charac-

teristics of SEL that are desirable for both collegeand workplace success:

• The ability to take the perspective of othersand oneself into account at the same time andweigh each.

• The ability to identify a broad range of emo-tions in oneself and others.

• The ability to think about different reasonsfor why interpersonal events happen.

• The ability to consider multiple alternatives,consequences, and plans.


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• The ability to form contingency plans.• The ability to develop flexible responses to

obstacles.• The ability to exhibit a range of self-control

and social awareness and group participation skills.

There must be no mistaking the strong link be-tween poor self-monitoring and the inability todeal constructively with tension and crises.

Summary

In general, the psychosocial stages are the en-gines of development, fueled by the emergence ofnew emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and integra-tive capabilities at each level. However, a strongrole is played by the living environment of thechild; by the joint effects of families, school and ex-tracurricular programs, community and religious-related activities; and by the opportunities,challenges, and resources that support students’mastery of the developmental pathways just out-lined. Successful efforts to promote social and emo-

tional learning are characterized by coordinated ef-forts to build students’ skills and to create soundclassroom, school, and district programs that en-courage students to develop these skills and rein-force them.

Appendix A includes concrete examples of thedevelopmental guidance that can be provided forthe key life tasks children need to accomplish at dif-ferent developmental stages. It focuses on experi-ences that integrate the various SEL componentsthat are important for students to achieve, and thatwill help build their understanding and commit-ment to values. It is divided into Personal, Peer,Family, School-Related, and Community domainsto reflect the influence of socialization on socialand emotional skills development. The chart in-cludes examples of experiences, opportunities, keyconcepts, values, attitudes, and skills drawn from awide range of groups that have worked on theseissues. The topics are organized according to taskareas but overall should be seen as integrated and complementary rather than as separate andunrelated.


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Developing Social and Emotional Skills inClassrooms4

STUDENTS OF THE 1990S DIFFER FROM WHAT MOST

veteran teachers have experienced in thepast. For example, a 3rd grade class can havereaders that are reading from the K to 6thgrade level. Kids are all over—there is not astight of a bell curve as there once was. Wehave to teach the kids who are in the class-room, not the kids we want to be there.Their background should not be judged, butto realize you have to teach all the kids theskills they need to be successful in the class-room—teach the kids where they are. Manyeducators today are mourning the loss of stu-dents they used to have, or would like tohave.

—Kevin Haggerty, Social Development Research Group

Fostering SEL to enhance knowledge, responsi-bility, and caring is both a challenging and a highlyrewarding aspect of teaching. Despite the fact thatmany preservice teacher education programs payscant attention to the importance of social and emo-tional influences on all learning in the classroom,increasing numbers of educators have come to rec-ognize it as a keystone to effective education. A co-ordinated approach in which teachers receivenecessary training, support, and recognition isamong the essential aspects of a successful educa-tion program. In this chapter, specific factors thatinfluence how thoroughly teachers are able to pro-mote SEL in the classroom are discussed, including

classroom practices that foster SEL, adaptations fordifferent populations, and conditions that prepareand sustain a teacher who provides SEL instruction.

How Do Teachers Foster Social and Emotional Skills, HealthyAttitudes, and CompetentBehavior?

Although our focus is on SEL, it is increasinglyclear that teaching practices that promote SEL areintrinsic to good teaching practices in general. Wecan see this in the observations of a 4th gradeteacher who took great pains in the first week ofclass to help her students become comfortable withone another and work on common elements of theclassroom routine. She started by exploring thestandards for classroom behavior (e.g., “With yourpartner, make a list of things we can do in our class-room that show respect for others, respect for our-selves, or respect for our environment.”). Theteacher then pointed out that these standards arethe basis for all class routines; even simple thingslike lining up and listening to others speak can bedone in ways that show respect. The entire classwas asked to suggest ways to accomplish differentroutines, starting with, “How do you want me tocall for your attention?” As students discussed dif-ferent methods, they addressed which ones re-

43

spected people’s feelings, which were fair, andwhich enabled everyone to get their work done.Once students decided on a method, volunteersdemonstrated and the class provided feedback. Fi-nally, the whole class practiced the routine until itwent smoothly.

During this activity, students got to know oneanother better, practiced communication skills, anddeveloped a sense of responsibility for their behav-ior. In particular, they became aware of differentperspectives in the classroom.

In the short run, this teacher’s efforts left lesstime for academic pursuits than those of another4th grade teacher who introduced class routineswith brief admonitions or “reminders” of appropri-ate behavior. One month later, however, theteacher who had expended time the first week onthese elements spent very little time attending tobasic management issues. Routine events occurredsmoothly with little obvious input from theteacher. In contrast, the other teacher was stillsearching for an efficient mode of operation. Thisdifference continued through the last observationsin winter. Others have found that over the courseof the school year, teachers who spend valuableclass time on these so-called “nonacademic” pur-suits end up with considerably more time for teach-ing academic subjects.

Why is the first teacher’s approach so muchmore powerful than simple reminders of class pro-tocol? None of these class routines is new to 4thgrade students. Both teachers communicated theexpected behavior. But the first teacher introducedthe concept of showing respect. By showing con-cern for students’ feelings, encouraging a groupspirit, having students play an active role in deter-mining the protocol, and communicating impor-tant reasons for having efficient and respectfulroutines, this teacher stimulated a sense of belong-ing and the motivation to cooperate. In the nextsection, we explore how teachers at all grade levelscreate a sense of respect, caring, and belonging byattending to students’ social and emotional needs.

Building a Responsive and Empowering ClassroomAtmosphere


SEL programs engage students as active partnersin creating a classroom atmosphere where caring,responsibility, trust, and commitment to learningcan thrive.

Rationale

Adler (1930) proposed that a sense of belong-ing motivates children to develop their skills andcontribute to the welfare of all. Much of the founda-tion of SEL is the conscious effort of school person-nel to increase a sense of belonging or attachmentwith the school (e.g., Charney 1992; Lewis, Schaps,and Watson 1996). Research indicates that educa-tors who establish firm boundaries, foster warmpersonal relationships in the classroom, and enablestudents to have an impact on their environmentstrengthen students’ attachment to school, their in-terest in learning, their ability to refrain from self-destructive behaviors, and their positive behaviors(Hawkins, Catalano, et al. 1992; Solomon, Watson,Battistich, Schaps, and Delucchi 1992).


Students’ participation in classroom decisionsand responsibilities provides an excellent opportu-nity for them to experience the satisfaction and re-sponsibility of influencing their classroomenvironment (Glasser 1969). An added benefit isthat students—like educators—are most likely toact in accordance with group decisions or rules ifthey have had some part in forming them (Lewin,Lippitt, and White 1939).

Some teachers make an explicit link to the U.S.system of government by creating a “Class Consti-tution” or “Bill of Rights and Responsibilities”


44

(e.g., Elias and Tobias 1996). In one such session,the teacher starts out by having students discussthe classroom goals, teacher and student duties,and possible problems. He asks students to brain-storm possible “laws” or guidelines. The studentsquickly suggest prohibitions for various problembehaviors (e.g., “no put-downs,” “no talking be-hind someone’s back,” “no laughing when some-body is talking”). The teacher helps studentsrestate their ideas in general, positive terms, suchas, “Listen respectfully until it is your turn tospeak.”

As the activity continues, students are in-volved and paying attention until one studentmakes a rambling, confused suggestion. Ignoringthe student’s grammatical errors, the teacher clari-fies the speaker’s intent with a brief paraphrase.The student looks pleased to have made a contribu-tion, and the attention of the class returns now thatthe suggestion is understood. Students who havebeen holding back in order to see how the teacherresponds to student suggestions and gaffes start tocontribute. When a lull occurs, the teacher waits,giving students time to think. More thoughtful andcreative responses seem to follow.

The teacher makes a concerted effort to avoidhaving the brainstorming session become a mind-less parroting of “the rules.” This class has yet tosuggest any inappropriate rules, so the teachersays, “How about this: students can leave the class-room whenever they like”? Students laugh andyell, “Yeah!” The teacher adds, in a matter of factway, his suggestion to the list of ideas. In this way,he models the nonjudgmental approach necessaryfor brainstorming, takes the steam out of silly re-sponses, and enables students to practice evaluat-ing and correcting poor ideas.

When the class starts to discuss the importanceof the various suggestions, we see the teacher elicita lot of reasoning about the effects of our behavioron other people’s feelings, well-being, and abilityto learn. He uses a rich vocabulary related to emo-tions, fairness, and shared goals. He emphasizes

the long-term consequences of various actions, andasks students to consider how their parents feelabout various behaviors. Eventually, the class ar-rives at a set of classroom rules or agreements.Often, the exercise concludes with everyone sign-ing the list of rules.

Developing a Safe and CaringClassroom Community

In a safe and caring community of learners, stu-dents feel they can freely express themselves andrisk making mistakes because they know they willbe accepted no matter what. Teachers create such alearning community by providing safe, firmboundaries and modeling respectful, supportive in-teractions with others. They insist that their stu-dents also be respectful and supportive of others,and they provide specific learning experiences thatnurture and serve the community. An emotional at-tachment to teachers, peers, and school is a vitallink to academic success (Hawkins, Catalano, et al.1992; Solomon et al. 1992). Educators accomplishthis goal by communicating caring in their teach-ing and inspiring students to identify with themand feel hopeful about their ability to learn.Equally important is fostering students’ abilities toform and maintain mutually supportive relation-ships, which serves as a buffer against developingsocial, emotional, physical, and academic problems(Parker and Asher 1993, Rutter 1990). In this way,the classroom becomes a microcosm of the largercommunity, giving students an opportunity to tryout and develop the social skills that elicit caringand support.

The personal bonds between teachers and stu-dents influence much of the learning in schools.When teachers share parts of their personal lives toillustrate elements of an SEL curriculum, they nour-ish those bonds and excite student interest in thelesson. Elementary students in particular love hear-ing about the teacher’s own childhood experi-ences. By talking about and demonstrating healthy

Developing Social and Emotional Skills in Classrooms

45

relationships with friends and family, a teacher inKent, Washington, communicated a lot about theability of those bonds to weather adversity. Shealso made her students feel as though they weresomehow part of a healthy family.

Class Meetings, Sharing Circles, Councils.Many teachers use class meetings or sharing circlesas tools for building a sense of community (e.g.,Elias and Tobias 1996, Lewis et al. 1996). These ac-tivities offer a structured opportunity for each stu-dent to speak without interruption. Students maybe asked to “check in” by describing how theirweek has been, what they think about topics beingexplored in lessons, or how they are feeling abouta class, school, or civic event. Often they are askedto share something about themselves to help other

students get to know them better. Those who donot wish to respond are “passed” and may contrib-ute later. Such an activity offers a welcome bufferat the beginning of the day to help students getready to learn, and has been used in both generaland special education settings to start off everymorning and afternoon.

Some teachers pass “talking sticks,” tossKoosh™ balls, or have another “Speaker Power”object to designate the speaker and remind stu-dents to speak in turn. Turn taking provides a built-in delay that discourages impulsive responses toprovocative statements. Students are thus morelikely to relate their contribution to the theme ofthe meeting rather than build reactively on the pre-vious comment. More reserved students may be-come more vocal in this situation because they do

EXAMPLE 5AGOOD MORNING IN THE RESPONSIVE CLASSROOM

The children drift into school in the morning and make their way into the classroom. The teacher stands by theentrance and welcomes them.

“Good morning, Leah . . . Hi, Andy . . . Morning, William. Morning, Renee. I like your new scarf.”At morning meeting time, she informs the group, gathered in a wide circle, that she looks forward to see-

ing them and she likes to show this with a “Good Morning.” What is she to think, she asks in a somewhat jok-ing way, when she says hello and someone says back, “Mmmf,” or “Grrr,” or pulls back—she imitates a turtlereceding into a shell. Giggles. The children enjoy the pantomime. How nice it feels, she tells them in a more se-rious vein, to hear a hearty round of “Hello” or “Good Morning!” or “Nice Day.” Perhaps we just need somewarm-ups, she suggests?

“Good morning, Eddie.” Eddie smiles and looks around. “What might Eddie say now?” the teacher asks.“Good morning, Ms. Charney?”“Yes. I’d like that. Eddie?”“Good morning,” Eddie manages in a quiet voice.“Good morning, Justin.”Justin replies with spirit, “Good morning, Mrs. C.”“I like that nice strong voice, Justin. I also like hearing my name.”Then, Justin is asked to greet someone else in the circle, until there is a full round of “Good Mornings”

and every single person in the class has been named. Every student has been greeted, and has named andgreeted another. In this “game,” each child is spoken to, named in a friendly manner, and is responsible for con-tinuing that manner. The mood of the circle is now awake. “Yes, we are glad to be here. Yes, we are glad to seeeach other.” The “Good Morning Game” initiates each morning meeting until there is a spontaneous flow.

—Charney (1992), pp. 3–4


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not have to fight for a turn. The safety and opportu-nity for expression provided by this format contrib-utes to the growth of respect, empathy, andrecognition of shared experience, thereby strength-ening the sense of community in the classroom.

Using a ComprehensiveFramework for All Content Areas


Academic and SEL goals are unified by a compre-hensive, theory-based framework that is develop-mentally appropriate.

Rationale

Having a consistently used framework is a keycomponent of effective instruction in any domain,but in the case of SEL, it is especially important. Asthe number of written curriculums, workbooks,videos, and other materials in the area of SEL mul-tiplies, teachers, principals, and curriculum coordi-nators are inundated with diverse approaches andmethods. Often, curriculums cover only specificproblems or issues (e.g., bullying, substance abuse,sexually transmitted diseases). As a result, teachersin a single year may work from various curricu-lums, perhaps picking bits and pieces from each inan effort to reduce the time commitment. Thissmorgasbord approach can lead to confusion forstudents and teachers because of the differing ori-entations of each curriculum. In contrast, the mosteffective SEL instruction has a conceptual threadwoven through all topics and classrooms.

There are a variety of frameworks on which tobase SEL teaching. While sharing many features,models use different unifying themes and strate-gies such as problem solving, classroom commu-nity building, social bonding, or emotionalintelligence. Essential to being a reflective educator

is adopting a consistent framework to foster the de-velopment of social and emotional skills, ratherthan a fragmented focus on isolated issues. Effec-tive SEL teachers provide students with generictools (as identified in Chapter 3) that can helpthem maintain healthy relationships and makewise choices. Using consistent language and strate-gies, the framework is then applied to the specificdevelopmental issues of concern in a particularclassroom, school, or community.


A veteran 6th grade teacher reported the fol-lowing observations after two years of using thePATHS curriculum (see Appendix C) in his school:

In 6th grade we’re under a lot of pressure tostress basic academic subjects, and yet at thesame time we’re being held responsible tocover new curriculums in family life andsexuality, and drug, alcohol, and violenceprevention. In the past there was no integra-tion, and the students weren’t well preparedto handle these topics.

Since our school adopted a consistent prob-lem-solving model, we have posters of themodel in the classroom and around theschool environment. The teachers at differ-ent grade levels are teaching these skills, andwe now have a common language to talkabout them. It doesn’t matter if we’re talkingabout health, smoking, or sexuality, we andthe kids share a problem-solving approachto talking about these issues and dilemmas.

Instructional Methods That EnhanceSocial and Emotional Learning


SEL instruction uses a variety of teaching methodsto actively promote multiple domains of intelli-gence.


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EXAMPLE 5BWALLS SPEAK VOLUMES ABOUT SEL

It is difficult to imagine an effective SEL classroom that does not display on its walls the steps, rules, values,and principles by which it operates. The best are generated by the children. Typically, one finds procedures andproblem-solving steps used by specific programs; here are some “created” wall vignettes:

Respect Rights Responsibility

yourself to be respected to be kind

parents to be safe to be careful

teachers to learn to do my best

friends to hear and be heard to listen quietly and wait my turn

“No Violence”by Emily, Grade 2

May 1996, Washington

There should not be any Violence at this school. Not even at any other school. We need to Stop, Choose, and Move on. We need to persevere and not fight. We have to respect otherpeople’s boundaries. No Violence! Persevere! Be kind to others! Take care of yourself! Keeppersevering!

—From Lynnwood Intermediate School,Edmonds School District, Lynnwood, Washington:

“Life Skills: Learners Under Construction for a Better Tomorrow”

—a sign posted by Brenda Stingley, Teacher

Pledge to MyselfThis day has been given to me fresh and clearI can either use it or throw it awayI promise myself I shall use this day to its fullestRealizing it can never come back againI realize this is my life to use or throw awayI make myself what I am.

Pledge to the UniverseI pledge allegiance to the worldTo cherish every living thingTo care for Earth, Sea, and AirWith Peace and Freedom everywhere!

—Steve VandeGrind, Teacher


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Rationale

Research makes it clear that various domainsof intelligence are interrelated (Gardner 1983, Syl-wester 1995). An athlete’s thoughts and feelingswhile competing will dramatically affect the levelof physical achievement, a child’s ability to learnacademic material is profoundly affected by emo-tional state, and social problem solving is a prod-uct of the integration of emotional intelligence andanalytical cognitive processes (Damasio 1994). Nev-ertheless, any SEL activity will emphasize some ofthese domains over others. Within Gardner’s multi-ple intelligences framework, for example, SEL ismost closely linked to the intrapersonal and inter-personal intelligences. SEL can also enrich—and beenriched—by the other intelligences: verbal, artis-tic, musical, logical/mathematical, spatial, andbodily/kinesthetic. By using activities that call on a

variety of intelligences, teachers allow for thestrengths and weaknesses of a broad range ofchildren.


Varying the methods for introducing SEL les-sons can be important to engaging the students. A3rd grade teacher in Tyrone, Pennsylvania, re-ported that “the class begins to zone out if I alwaysintroduce a lesson on feelings by starting with astory.” On the other hand, children often look for

EXAMPLE 6AFRAMEWORKS MATTER

The most potent variable is being clear what thevision is and what we are going to accomplish,and having very clear models of change. Just aspublic health researchers have identified smok-ing and a diet high in fat as risk factors for heartdisease, we have identified a set of risk factorsfor adolescent health and behavior problems. Inthe Social Development Model, we focus on pro-tective factors to reduce the risk: It’s giving op-portunities for kids to be involved in prosocialroles, teaching them the skills they need to besuccessful, and providing consistent systems ofrecognition and reinforcement for prosocial in-volvement. This is the foundation of where westart.

—David Hawkins and Richard CatalanoSocial Development Research Group/

Raising Healthy ChildrenUniversity of Washington, Seattle, Washington

EXAMPLE 6BCONSISTENCY MATTERS

Alfie Kohn (1996) provides an example of whathappens when there is incongruity between anSEL approach and an example of how an ap-proach was applied during the formal lesson butnot to nonlesson interaction:

In a 3rd grade classroom in New Jer-sey, I once watched a teacher whoseapproach to academic instructioncould be described as a model of stu-dent-centered discovery and con-structivist learning. . . . Then theclass meeting began. “Where doyou sit?” she asked the boy—andthen cut him off as he started to an-swer, chasing him back to his as-signed seat. The meeting’s purposewas to discuss a scheduled field trip,but it consisted mostly of telling stu-dents what she thought they neededto know. . . . Students offered sev-eral suggestions, which werebrushed aside until she got the an-swer she wanted. . . . At no pointduring the meeting had studentsbeen asked to make a decision orthink through an issue or even ad-dress each other (pp. 91–92).


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and seek regularity. A 3rd grade teacher in Nash-ville reported, “The children always want to endeach lesson by making a compliment list; if I forgetthey always remind me. It gives a sense of closureto the topic and ends things on a positive note.”These two examples indicate that sensitivity to theinterests and needs of one’s class as well as flexibil-ity of methods are hallmarks of effective SEL in-struction. By recognizing that the needs of the classare constantly shifting, teachers are able to fully re-spond to the teachable moment.

Which instructional techniques a particularteacher will use to introduce or explore a particularconcept on a given day will depend on a variety offactors, including the developmental level of theclassroom, the teaching style and strengths of theinstructor, the needs and interests of the students,and the goals of the lessons. Different methodscommonly used in SEL instruction include:

• Storytelling and biography• Group discussion• Rehearsal and practice (role play)• Self-awareness and self-regulation• Self-reflection and goal setting• Artistic expression• Play• Cooperative and small-group learning

Storytelling and biography. Teachers often usestorytelling or biography to introduce topics to aclass. This indirect approach can be especially effec-tive when introducing feelings, dilemmas, or situ-ations that may be sensitive or difficult forstudents. For younger students, teachers might be-gin by reading a children’s book that raises thetopic. If truthful speech is an issue, for example, ateacher may use a story, myth, or fable about otherchildren (e.g., “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”) or astory about his or her own childhood to provide in-sight and material to which students can react. Forolder students, teachers may refer to an aspect of astory, historical context or figure, or current event.If the class is struggling with issues regarding eth-

nic or racial conflict, teachers may use literatureand videotaped accounts of movements for equal-ity and human rights as a way to begin discussionsof issues that are now affecting students. These sto-ries or videos can be dovetailed with reading, lan-guage arts, or social studies goals for improvedcurriculum integration.

In one elementary classroom, the teacher wasconcerned and frustrated with the arguments,pushing, and shoving that occurred when the classlined up after recess. She brought in an article fromthe newspaper about the tragic death of soccer fansat a match in which there was a rush to the exitand people were trampled. She had the childrendiscuss the feelings of the different people in-volved and then examined how their own problemof lining up involved similar issues. Given thewide availability of high-quality videos on manysocial and interpersonal issues, teachers havemany opportunities to enliven lessons and provideexamples of real issues that students are facing(Elias and Tobias 1996).

Group discussion. Group discussions are a pri-mary instructional method for SEL programs.There are a variety of types of discussion that havedifferent goals and functions. A didactic whole-class or small-group activity with the teacher im-parting new information may be followed bydiscussion. These are likely to be curriculum-driven and follow a developmental sequence oftopics. At other times, real social situations willstimulate group discussions (e.g., a new student ar-riving, problems with tattling, having wrongedsomeone, discrimination). Some discussions, fo-cused on solving a problem, will be structured sothat students (1) adopt the perspectives of all par-ticipants in the problem, (2) generate solutions,(3) discuss possible consequences and obstacles,and (4) perform role plays of viable solutions (seeChapter 3 for examples of problem-solving mod-els). Other discussions may focus more on the feel-ings generated than on solving the problem—forexample, understanding the perspectives of partici-


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EXAMPLE 7AA CURRICULUM-BASED SEL LESSON

What does a curriculum-based lesson on SEL look like? A single lesson is like looking at a frame from a movie.Further, there are many versions, tailored to a program’s age level and theoretical framework. However, someexamples from the PATHS program provide an indication of the most common structure, which involves integra-tion of emotion, cognition, and behavior:

One lesson that was really successful was Lesson 31. This is about a boy who separates him-self from his parent at the mall. We discussed how the boy was feeling and how his parents felt.We made a long list of consequences that the boy could experience as a result of leaving his par-ent’s side and what steps the parent would have to take to find his or her son. Many children feltthe need to share stories of becoming separated from their parents and the feelings they felt. I en-joyed the many children’s comments concerning the fear that the parents might feel and expressedthe danger of being alone in our world today (e.g., being kidnapped and possibly never seeing theirparents or friends again).

* * *

The lessons on Best Friends were really interest grabbers for my students. We had been talk-ing about play writing, and several children were writing plays in small groups. These lessonsbrought it all home for them. They quickly caught on to the potential conflicts in the beginning ofthe lessons with two friends auditioning for the same part, and their predictions were confirmed asthe lessons went on. They put themselves in the place of the characters. The situations portrayed inthe curriculum are generic enough that the children don’t view the lessons as addressing specificpersonal issues that would make them uncomfortable, yet allow for discussion.

* * *

I read “What Do You Say, Dear?” as an introduction to the manners lessons. The children en-joyed the book a lot, and it helped to focus them on the common polite phrases which were thesubject of the lessons. Many of my students were quick to strike out or call names when theythought they had been deliberately insulted or bumped, pushed, kicked, or in some cases eventouched or stared at. Many times these actions were unintentional, but the “offending” studentdidn’t bother to say “Excuse me” or “I’m sorry.” I found that I was able to get a good idea of whoknew these manners words and who didn’t, so I was better able to plan the succeeding lessons.The truth, I found, was that most of my students did not know a lot of the appropriate manners re-sponses when we began, but as we continued with the manners lessons, I began hearing themstart to use these phrases proudly (and with an eye toward me for acknowledgment). Mannersoften avert conflicts. Just saying “Excuse me” or ”I’m sorry” can stop a fight from starting.

—Teachers of the PATHS program in Washington


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pants, providing students with opportunities toshare their emotional reactions, and developingempathy for the different feelings and perspectivesof the participants.

Rehearsal and practice (role play). A man inNew York City is walking around with a musicalinstrument. He approaches a stranger and asks,“Excuse me, can you tell me the best way to get toCarnegie Hall?” “Certainly. Practice, practice, prac-tice.” Humor teaches many lessons. Here, it re-minds us that when we want children to learnsomething and be able to use it, especially in astressful situation, we need to provide many re-hearsal and practice opportunities. In almost everyschool, who gets the most practice? Those perform-ing with the band or chorus, on sports teams, or onthe stage. They come into school early, stay late,and work on their own on weekends. Why? Be-cause this is how skills are learned. When studentsdo not have extensive opportunities to rehearseand practice valued skills—such as those involvedin being civil to one another, or helping, caring,and working well in academic groups—we shouldnot be surprised to see that their behavior does notmeet our expectations.

Rehearsal and practice foster assertiveness, em-pathy, and socially responsible behavior throughthe development of three skills:

• The ability to understand what another per-son is likely to be thinking and feeling.

• Knowledge of what to say or do.• The ability to use the appropriate voice tone,

gestures, and expressions that promote construc-tive communications.

Youngsters unwilling to attempt a new socialbehavior are often uncertain of their ability to suc-cessfully navigate the situation, such as initiating aconversation, handling conflict with a peer, or de-scribing their qualifications for a potential job. Re-hearsal develops both knowledge and confidencethat encourages children to put their skills to realuse. A nonthreatening way to begin is to have stu-

dents practice reading aloud and acting out dia-logue from assigned books, or to practice tellingjokes, like the Carnegie Hall story or knock-knockjokes. Only after working for a while with hypo-thetical situations can most students shift to re-hearsal and practice with actual situations they arefacing (Elias and Clabby 1992).

Self-awareness and self-regulation. Develop-ing awareness of one’s own feelings and behavioris a critical step in development (Greenberg andSnell 1997). Many SEL programs provide conceptslike “Feelings Fingerprints” and tools like the “An-ger Thermometer” to assist in the self-monitoringof feelings (see Example 7B). The next step, ofcourse, is to balance awareness, expression, and in-hibition—the domain of self-regulation. Manythings that go on in the classroom influence chil-dren’s ability in this vital area.

The complexity and sophistication of thesetasks naturally varies with age and experience, and so do the methods of instruction that supportthem. Teachers of primary-grade children encour-age students to pause and consider how they arefeeling. When getting students seated on the floor,the teacher asks, “Are you comfortable? See if youhave enough room around you.” “Ask yourself ifyou are ready to pay careful attention to the personwho is speaking. Is everyone ready?” A 4th gradeteacher cues self-monitoring and suggests how stu-dents can regulate their behavior: “Ask yourself ifthere is any part you do not understand. If so, youmight need to ask for more information.” A 7thgrade teacher also encourages students to applaudtheir successes: “How many people felt they reallyused their time wisely? If you didn’t, think aboutwhat you could do to improve next time. If youdid, tell yourself you did a good job.” A highschool football coach instructs players to monitortheir emotional states: “If you are thinking aboutpunching that guy who has been giving you arough time, you are not thinking about the gameand you are not playing your best. You need to rec-ognize that and get yourself back on track.”


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Teachers may also demonstrate self-monitor-ing by thinking aloud: “I am feeling frustrated be-cause we have lots to get to and we are runningout of time. I need to calm down and think. I willtake a deep breath. Now what? I can list on theboard everything we need to do and then decidewhich ones are really important to do today. Thatsounds like a good idea. Where is my marker?” Byverbalizing what otherwise is only an internal dia-logue, and linking it with the steps of problem solv-ing, this teacher allows “hidden” cognitiveelements of the problem-solving process to becomevisible and understandable to students.

Finally, teachers may give students opportuni-ties to practice self-regulation by reducing overt su-pervision of the class for short periods. The teachermay become involved in a conversation or step out-side the classroom very briefly, gradually increas-

ing the length of time he or she is out of sight. A5th/6th grade teacher in Kirkland, Washington,taught her class to start their work without her. Sheworked in her adjoining office for several minutesafter the bell rang. Students were usually workingquietly when she came in. This was simply part ofthe routine.

Self-reflection and goal setting. A crucial di-mension of developing decision-making and prob-lem-solving skills is the ability to set goals that aremeaningful and appropriate to the individual stu-dent. Small day-to-day decisions, as well as largerones involving career and family, require the abil-ity to set both short- and long-term goals. With in-creasing cognitive and social development,identifying personal goals becomes more impor-tant and assists students in planning and settingpriorities that lead to personal success and to satis-fying lives.

Quiet periods for self-reflection are importantto this process. By providing freedom from outsidestimulation or pressure, teachers enable studentsto access their own values, priorities, and sense ofpurpose. High school students in particular mayfind quiet, reflective periods to be sources of re-freshment and focused attention. Others, especiallyyounger students, may become fidgety and dis-tracted during quiet times. Relaxation exercisesand art materials can help these students focustheir attention, and enable them to gradually ex-tend their periods of concentration.

The types of goals chosen by students willvary widely depending on the grade and develop-mental level of the classroom as well as the imme-diate context. In high school, some goals reflectstudent efforts to find a sense of purpose in life.Others simply reflect the desire to raise one’s gradein biology class. Using Personal Problem Solvingworksheets and Student Conflict Manager soft-ware (Elias and Tobias 1996), and by rehearsingand practicing plans, students learn to thinkthrough all aspects of their goals. They considerthe role of other people—parents, teachers, clergy,

EXAMPLE 7BYOUR ANGER THERMOMETER

Red Hot:(Livid)

Directions: List your body's cues, sensations, oractions that let you know you are angry.

Sweaty:(Angry)

Warm:(Beginningto getangry)

Copyright © 1995 Committee for Children

Cool:(Notangry)


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peers, and popular culture—in shaping their per-sonal goals, and they learn to identify the steps nec-essary to achieve their goals. Some programsclearly define a timetable for those steps in “con-tracts” between teachers and students. This ap-proach enables students to evaluate progress,know when additional effort or adjustment ofgoals is necessary, and celebrate when goals areattained.

Artistic expression. Because art often has emo-tional content, it can enhance student under-standing of emotions and how to express them insafe and appropriate ways. Artistic activities areoften an excellent “starter” to gain children’s en-gagement in a new topic. Elementary students maywork with a palette of colors to symbolize variousemotions. As a transition between analytical andself-expressive activities, a high school teacher inBoulder, Colorado, asks students to sculpt clay intoa symbol of how they are feeling. The students de-cide whether to display their sculpture to class-mates and describe the feelings that stimulated thesculpture, or to pass. According to this teacher,“The freedom to choose one’s level of participationconveys respect for the students’ right to controltheir inner world and provides a sense of securitythat fosters self-expression. Particularly for adoles-cents, this indirect communication of their emo-tions provides the freedom to explore and expressfeelings which they may find uncomfortable todiscuss.”

The dramatic arts form a natural link betweenliterature, writing, and social and emotional skills.Working with other students to produce skits,plays, and musicals fosters expressive communica-tion skills. At Assumption School in Seattle, thedrama teacher worked closely with classroomteachers to incorporate rehearsal and SEL-programpractice vignettes into his class. “Since the lessonsfocus on accurate communication of emotionalstates through voice tone, facial expression, ges-ture, and posture, it is a great way to develop act-ing skills and support our school’s social goals at

the same time.” A class at Decatur Elementary inWashington wrote and staged a “peace opera” us-ing principles they had learned in their SEL pro-gram. The teacher assigned students withproblem-solving difficulties the role of characterswho displayed expertise in that area. As rehearsalsprogressed, she noticed a particular improvementin students whose parts required repeated rehears-al of problem-solving strategies. Rehearsals alsoprovided a natural, real-world context in which towork on skills development with students.

Play. Play also has a role in SEL programs, par-ticularly in secondary school classrooms, wherethere is a tendency to view social behavior as a se-ries of problems or conflicts. Observations of exem-plary teachers suggest that using play provides astrong readiness to learn. A high school teacher inSanta Monica, California, uses games as warm-upactivities. Group juggling requires that each stu-dent receive a ball from one specific person andtoss it to another specific person. As the game pro-gresses, more balls are added. Concentration in-creases and laughter erupts frequently. Whendiscussing the game afterward, students mentionthat having a group goal led to a sense of responsi-bility to group members—everyone had to be fully alert to achieve the group goal. The laughterfurther added to the sense of closeness amongstudents.

Cooperative and small-group learning. Theability to cooperate with others is an importantskill that is likely to become increasingly crucial forfuture success. Having students work in well-structured cooperative learning formats helps de-velop SEL skills that are particularly important intoday’s team-oriented work environment. How-ever, the use of cooperative learning methods inany subject area requires that some componentSEL skills be in place, such as basic self-control,role taking, and communication skills. Althoughmany teachers report that using cooperative learn-ing in SEL lessons is exciting and effective, this is


54

true only when the children are well prepared anddevelopmentally ready for such lessons.

When teachers prepare students to workthrough the disagreements that naturally occur inteam situations, cooperative learning promotessharing of ideas and resources, creativity, and asense of shared purpose (Johnson and Johnson1994). Cooperative learning enables students topractice listening to others, taking others’ points ofview, being sensitive to the needs and concerns ofgroup members, negotiating and persuading, andusing the generic steps of problem solving.

The instructional approaches presented maybe applied to a wide variety of contexts. Stories,discussion, and role playing, for example, can beshared by the entire class. Alternatively, the teachermay ask students to work in pairs or small groupsfor particular activities. The use of paired or small-group exercises is often useful for building self-con-fidence and trust. Within large groups, thesesmall-group configurations give more students anopportunity to be heard and to actively engage inconversation and problem solving.


Repetition and practice are vital to the integrationof cognition, emotion, and behavior.

Rationale

Whether applied to recognition, scientific nota-tion, irregular verb conjugation, or SEL, repeatedrehearsal using many different instructional mo-dalities provides benefits (Ladd and Mize 1983,Mize and Ladd 1990). There is one main differencebetween SEL and many academic subjects, how-ever. While SEL entails the learning of many newskills, it may also require the unlearning of habit-ual patterns of thought and behavior. For instance,students rarely come to class having repeatedlypracticed an incorrect version of the multiplicationtable, but they may have become well schooled in

not waiting their turn or not listening carefully toothers.


Research on neurological development pro-vides some insight into the challenges of changingproblem behaviors and their cognitive, emotional,and interpersonal components. Throughout child-hood and adolescence, maturation and experiencelead to both the strengthening of some neural con-nections and the “pruning” of others. Connectionsthat are unused are lost, while those that are stimu-lated by frequent behaviors or thought patterns be-come dominant pathways for nerve impulses(Edelman 1987). Well-entrenched behavior patternsare likely to have a rich network of neural connec-tions throughout the brain. Alternatives to thosepatterns will not be able to “compete” on either be-havioral or physiological levels unless they havebeen practiced repeatedly, thereby strengtheningthe neural pathways that are necessary for integrat-ing emotion, cognition, and action.

Promoting the Use of Social andEmotional Intelligence Throughoutthe Day


Educators can enhance the transfer of SEL fromlesson-based or other formal instruction to every-day life by using prompting and cuing techniquesthroughout all aspects of school life.

Rationale

Young people face many situations that are ex-tremely challenging emotionally. How manyadults could comfortably deal with having peerscruelly tease them about their appearance, physicaltalents, or mental competence? When individuals


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feel anxious, angry, or sad, their ability to solveproblems or concentrate on learning diminishes(Forgas 1994). Students who have shown improve-ments in their behavior may revert to earlier, moredominant habits when emotions are strong. Whenthis happens, it is as if the “thinking brain” in thefrontal cortex is overrun by the more automatic re-sponses of the subcortical limbic system (Damasio1994, Goleman 1995, Sylwester 1995). To avert thisoccurrence, social and emotional skills must bestrengthened through practice in a wide range ofcontexts. Direct facilitation of classroom instructionmay be provided by teachers, school counselors,psychologists, social workers, or paraprofessionalstrained in SEL. In schools using the family groupmodel, each adult in the school—including admin-istrators and staff—works with a small group ofstudents to provide SEL. But whether or not eachadult has responsibility for a group, all personnelplay an important role in actively encouraging andreinforcing the use of skills and attitudes they seedisplayed. Throughout the day—on the play-ground, in the halls, in the lunchroom, on fieldtrips, on the bus, in aftercare programs—everyadult has the opportunity to help students in real-life situations use what they have learned in theclassroom. Typically, this practice is aided by re-minders, usually in the form of tangible prompts.


Real-life situations during the school day pro-vide many opportunities to exhibit self-control, ex-press feelings, or engage in problem solving. Byexploiting teachable moments, teachers providesupport when it is actually needed, enabling stu-dents to make considered choices about their be-havior and making it less likely they will beoverrun by strong feelings (Greenberg and Snell1997). In high school, for example, educators maytarget sports programs for teaching social and emo-tional skills. These are ideal real-life laboratories,because athletic competition engenders many

emotional highs and lows. The ability to regulatethose emotions is often credited as providing the“winning edge” (Iso-Ahola and Hatfield 1986), asignificant incentive for students and coaches. Edu-cators appreciate that the prestige and respect ac-corded to athletes by their peers often make themrole models for other students. By focusing effortson this highly visible group, educators hope to fos-ter socially responsible behavior for students toemulate. For example, a program run by the foot-ball coach and team doctor at Franklin High in Se-attle makes use of the teachable moments inherentin sports competition to advance SEL and aca-demic achievement. In New Brunswick, New Jer-sey, teaching “Keep Calm” is part of everyafter-school and midnight basketball program. SELprompting techniques such as modeling, cueing,coaching, and scaffolding dialogue can be used byall school personnel (see Example 9A).

Modeling. Teaching by example, or modeling,is the most powerful technique that educators em-ploy, intentionally or otherwise. All aspects ofteacher behavior reflect their social and emotionalrelationships, making a powerful statement of val-ues and expectations. Not surprisingly, studentswho observe discrepancies between what is “prac-ticed” and what is “preached” are most likely toimitate what they see modeled (Mize and Ladd1990). Thus, students are unlikely to respond toothers empathically or use problem-solving stepsto resolve conflicts until they see teachers also em-ploying those skills.

One aspect of modeling that can affect stu-dents’ willingness to try new skills is the teacher’suse of humor. “I like to be goofy and remind stu-dents that it is OK, even fun, to make mistakes orlook a little foolish sometimes,” reports a teacherin Tacoma, Washington. Seeing a teacher enjoyinghimself and at ease when he makes mistakes rein-forces the idea that mistakes are an essential partof the learning process and reduces student con-cerns about looking foolish themselves.


56

EXAMPLE 9ASEL AND SPORTS: PERFECT TOGETHER

Michael J. Murphy, Athletic Director at La Salle (H.S.) Academy in Providence, Rhode Island, has fully integratedSEL into all aspects of the athletic program:

Each student athlete receives a booklet that includes Player Guidelines, the Player’s Contract,and Player’s Goals. The Contract affirms that students will abide by the Guidelines.

The following excerpt is from the introductory letter to the contract, from Michael Murphy:

Every individual in this athletic program must become unified. We must function together,“One Common Goal.” No contribution is too small; all contributions to these teams are significant.Everyone is vital to the success of this program.

He introduces the idea of off-season personal and team goals:

The goals are done in a confidential manner. Only the athlete and the Athletic Director everview these goals.... During the course of the season, many juniors and seniors are called in to dis-cuss their goals. The reason we focus on them is due to the proximity in their lives to the changefrom high school to college or the workforce. This allows them to see the importance of goal set-ting in all aspects of life.

We hope, through this program, to teach our students how to prioritize events or circum-stances in their lives. We aspire to also teach them the value of goal setting and hard work.

Michael notes, “There has been a surprisingly positive amount of support by the student body, and espe-cially the seniors, about suspensions of athletes who did not follow the guidelines. We are trying to teach morethan just athletics. They are not going to leave this school as a senior and get a job playing volleyball. They aregoing to go out in society and function. It’s telling kids that nobody is more important than anyone else no mat-ter how good an athlete you are. Each athlete is a representative of the school and the community.

“There was an incident during a half-day of school during a walkathon. The kids were allowed to show upout of dress code, and they walk and get people to sponsor them. Two athletes went out and had a ”powerbreakfast" and came back intoxicated. They underwent the (discipline) process and were suspended fromschool and athletics. They violated not only school codes but the athletic guidelines as well. This shows that therules are enforced no matter who the party is. If you disobey, there are consequences to the actions. It’s notenough just to sign the contract."


57

EXAMPLE 9A—continuedSEL AND SPORTS: PERFECT TOGETHER

La Salle Academy Athletics

PLAYER’S GOALS

I, am signing this GOAL SHEET to sig-nify that I have and will continue to make a committed effort toward reaching “ONE COMMON GOAL” for LaSalle Academy Athletics. I further agree to fulfill my obligation to the team and its members by achieving thegoals listed below.

Signature: Date:

Sport:

OFF-SEASON GOALS:1.

2.

3.

PERSONAL GOALS:1.

2.

3.

TEAM GOALS:1.

2.

3.


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Cueing and coaching. It is a common error insocial and emotional instruction to assume that, be-cause the subject matter—everyday actions andfeelings—is so “obvious,” children learn the skillsonce they are presented. This misconception is akey reason why we see less carryover from class-room to schoolyard, bus, and home life than wewould like. When some of us provide training toteachers, we offer them a money-back guarantee—if they ever see children spontaneously carryingout something from a program after its first presen-tation in a class or group, they will get their moneyback. Teachers ask if we have it backwards—andwe say, “No.” It is the fundamental responsibilityof adults to prompt and cue and coach students touse the skills to which they have been introduced.This is the third “C”—Chances—of the four “C’s”concerning self-esteem presented in Chapter 3.

Teachers and playground supervisors mayhave to coach students to think of other perspec-tives, construct positive solutions to problems,make a request in an engaging voice tone, or keepcalm when upset. Teachers in Highland Park, NewJersey, use the prompt, “Listening Position” (facethe speaker, keep your rear end in the seat, and putyour feet on the floor) to help their elementaryschool students focus on the teacher, a classmate,or an assembly speaker. A Florence, South Caro-lina, principal has her waiting room supplied withnotepads, pencils, and an anger managementposter. The school secretary instructs students toanswer questions on the poster (e.g., Why was I an-gry? What did I do? What would I do differently?).According to the principal, students have calmeddown and have often written a constructive solu-tion to the problem by the time she sees them(Guzzo 1995). Tangible reminders in the forms ofposters, signs, and bulletin boards are a hallmarkof classrooms where social and emotional skills arean essential part of the culture.

Scaffolding dialogue. In rushed or chaotic mo-ments (e.g., dismissal, on the playground) remind-ers often need to be brief. In more controlled

situations, teachers are sometimes able to engagein a more prolonged dialogue. In a scaffolding dia-logue, teachers and administrators rely on ques-tions that serve as a catalyst for creative thinkingand new insight on the part of the child. The goalis to enhance the child’s ability to think inde-pendently and share ideas and feelings with oth-ers. Here is an example of how one teacher workedwith an 8-year-old girl. The student was in a pee-vish mood all morning. During an art lesson, sheencountered yet another frustration:

Student: [Whining, near tears] Look! It’s allmessy! [Showing paper to her teacher.]

Teacher: [Neutral tone] Oh. How do you feelabout that?

Student: Frustrated!

Teacher: You feel frustrated. What can you doabout it?

Student: [The student uses a gesture indicat-ing “calm down.”]

Teacher: That’s one thing you can do. Maybethere’s something else you could do too.

Student: I don’t like black.

Teacher: You don’t like black. OK, what couldyou do about that?

Student: I don’t know.

Teacher: Hmm, let’s see. You have a problemand you feel frustrated because you don’tlike black, but you don’t know what to doabout it.

Student: I want blue.

Teacher: OK, what could you do if you wantblue?

Student: Ask for the blue pen.

Teacher: That’s a good idea. You could askPurcell for the blue pen.

Student: [To Purcell] May I borrow the bluepen? [Purcell hands the pen to Samantha.]Thank you. [Student begins to draw again.]

Teacher: What a very good idea. You askedPurcell for the pen, and you also thanked


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him! How do you feel now?

Student: I feel happy. [She resumes drawing.]

Even without hearing this child’s emotional in-tonation, it is likely that this exchange required realpatience from the teacher. It might have beentempting for the teacher to tell the child her draw-ing was all right or to sit down and draw anotherone. Neither alternative would have improved thechild’s mood or demonstrated to the child that shecould create solutions for herself. Instead, theteacher provided a supportive scaffold for thechild’s newly acquired problem-solving skills, andthe child succeeded in reaching an original resolu-tion that was internally satisfying. Research indi-cates that this style of questioning is also importantfor developing literacy skills (Heath 1982).

Scaffolding dialogues can be conducted withthe whole class, and can benefit from making useof relevant SEL lessons. They not only provide anexcellent opportunity for transfer of learning, butalso save the teacher extra time and effort in deal-ing with difficult situations individually. Childrencan accept responsibility for solving problems andagree to abide by solutions they create for them-selves. Extended samples of dialogues are part ofthe Interpersonal Cognitive Problem-Solving, So-cial Competence Promotion Program for YoungAdolescents, Social Decision Making and ProblemSolving, Second Step, and PATHS program materi-als (see Appendix C).

EXAMPLE 9BPROMPTING SELF-REGULATION, SELF-CONTROL, AND SKILL TRANSFER

A 6th grade boy with a lot of behavior and emotional problems stemming from the 3rd grade (and probably ear-lier) had spent a lot of time coming to the SPS [Social Problem Solving] Lab once a week. We found that his big-gest problems happened when he seemed to be in a free atmosphere (e.g., physical education). After speakingto the phys. ed. teacher I found out that she would, at key times, tell him, “This is the time to use ’Keep Calm.’”The best was when he was able to catch himself before he’d lose his cool. He’d step into the hallway and useKeep Calm in order to be able to think about what he really wanted and things he could actually control and doto reach his goal. He would then come back to the gym and continue playing. Self monitoring . . . AAAHHH—an educator’s dream!!

Another 6th grader was having a problem with her teacher. She was referred to our Social Problem SolvingLab to work on solving problems in a better way than verbally lashing out at the teacher and just not trying inclass. After about four months of attending SPS Lab once a week, this girl was not only doing better in classbut also was now actually coaching her friends when they were having problems among one another. In otherwords, if her friends started verbally attacking other girls, she would ask them what the real problem was, howthey were feeling about the problem, and what they’d like to see happen. She would then begin to pump themfor solutions, making them think through what would happen with each solution they would give her. She prob-ably single-handedly kept about five different situations from escalating into something much worse. This girlalso received the health award for trying out the many skills learned in health in different situations, not just inthe health room for a grade.

—Vicki PoedubickyHealth Teacher, Grades 3-6,

Bartle School, Highland Park, New Jersey


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G U I D E L I N E 1 0 ▼

The integration of SEL with traditional academicsgreatly enhances learning in both areas.

Rationale

Research on brain function shows that learningtakes place in an emotional and behavioral context(Nummela and Rosengren 1986). To the extent thatstudents attach academic skills to feelings and ac-tions that are part of their everyday world, they aremore likely to use those skills in real life. In thisway, the skills and process of SEL enrich the teach-ing of academic subjects and infuse the curriculumwith interest and challenge. Further, because SELprograms teach a range of thinking skills, they areeasily connected to other curriculums that promoteskills such as analytical thinking, prediction, syn-thesis, analogy, and metaphor.


Language, literature, and writing. The world’sgreat literature deals with themes that are univer-sal, such as friendship, courage, duty, jealousy,grief, and loss. And the not-as-great literature stu-dents also read is similarly imbued with issues ofloyalty; freedom; growing up and growing older;relating to strangers, family, friends, bosses, andteachers; and even just plain having fun and foster-ing imagination and creativity. By asking studentsto relate these themes to their own lives, teachersvividly create a new context of meaning for whatotherwise are likely to be perceived as irrelevant or“dead” works. Students’ understanding of charac-ter is also enhanced when they are asked to iden-tify with the viewpoints of each actor.

EXAMPLE 9CSEL ON THE OP-ED PAGE

One of my 6th grade students defended socialproblem solving in a letter to the editor. A parenthad written a letter to the editor expressingmany misconceptions about our schoolwide con-cept. This student explained not only the benefitsto himself (he happened to be quite small in sizeand would use the many skills when dealing withbullies or on safety patrol) but to his peers. Need-less to say, when an educator sees his or her stu-dents applying skills appropriately to situations orthey are able to see the value on an adult level,you just want to cheer! YESSSS!!!



EXAMPLE 10ASEL AND ACADEMICS

A lot of things that kids used to come to schoolknowing, the kids today don’t know anymore, sowe have to integrate them into the curriculumevery day. Unless the kids know how to expresstheir feelings and talk about their problems, theymight not be able to increase their readingscores, for example. First they are overwhelmedwith emotion, and then they won’t pick up onwhat you are teaching. The teachers have to takeas many opportunities as they can to combinethe SEL lessons with reading lessons or othersubjects throughout the day and throughout theschool. If you are with children who don’t havesocial and emotional skills, it becomes a disrup-tive situation. It’s as if we have this huge piece offurniture in the middle of the room, and we keepbumping into it. We need to find a way and timeto say, “How can we rearrange the room?”That’s what SEL programs do.

—Vivian McCloud, PrincipalSchool #29, Rochester, New York

Primary Mental Health Project


61

At the elementary level, teachers can choosebooks for paired reading, silent reading, or read-alouds that contain SEL content and the appropri-ate developmental reading criteria. Teachers askquestions for discussion or writing assignmentsthat encourage empathic identification or use of aproblem-solving strategy (e.g., How would youfeel if this happened to you? What is the little boy’sproblem? How do the other characters feel? Whatdo you think he will do? What do you think willhappen if he does that? What would you do in thissituation?)

Older students may create plays or videotapeddramatizations of the book’s events. Another moreadvanced skill is to analyze the author’s intentionsin the book: Why was it written? What theme(s)did the author want to communicate? Thus, teach-ers at all levels can meet the goals of language arts,literature, and SEL learning simultaneously.

History, social studies, and current events.Emotional identification and the analytic reasoningof problem solving can similarly be used with his-tory lessons, social studies, and current events,which can help make the facts more relevant forstudents. Almost any historical or current eventcan be approached effectively with a problem-solving model (see the sample worksheet inExample 19A). In almost all these situations,

difficult decisions had to be made, and there wereoften competing needs, attitudes, and values ondifferent sides of the issue. For example, “Why didthe colonists throw the English tea into BostonHarbor? What were their goals? Why did theythink that England’s rulers were acting unfairly?How do you think the colonists felt when they haddumped the tea? How do you think England’s rul-ers felt? Do you think the colonists knew whatwould happen as a result? Do you think theypicked a good solution?” When these questioningframeworks follow the same pattern as dialoguearound social and emotional issues, great synergyis possible.

Using SEL in an integrated curriculum. In asimilar manner, the general problem-solvingmodel can be used to create an integrated series oflessons that link many subjects together. For exam-ple, teachers have created integrated units on ecol-ogy, using reading, writing, mathematics, biology,and social studies. The students use problem-solving models to explore the interrelations amongplants, animals, and water supply in a particularecology (e.g., the rain forest), discuss the compet-

EXAMPLE 10B READING, WRITING, AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Kids want to open up and discuss books that weare reading, and they follow through in their writ-ing. The children are anxious to help get the char-acter out of conflict. Their writings are differentnow than before when they were asked how acharacter would get out of conflict.

—Elementary School Teacher, RCCPSouth Orange-Maplewood, New Jersey

EXAMPLE 10CSEL AND LITERATURE

The essence of SEL is in the substance of litera-ture. In “Encounter”, a Native American boyspeaks of how he lost his land, his customs, hisdreams. Having kids write a passage about howthey would have felt if they were him—integrat-ing SEL with academics—the social web!!—alsofits in with U.S. history.

—Lorna DunsonGrade 4 teacher, Cedar Way Elementary School

Mountlake Terrace, Washington School Development Research Group


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EXAMPLE 10DBOOK TALKS

Decision-making and problem-solving steps or strategies used in interpersonal situations are fully applicable tothe analysis of all kinds of stories. Here is a format used in Language Arts as part of the Social Decision Makingand Problem Solving Program (Elias and Tobias 1996).

Questions Assigned to Students in Problem Solving Applied to Literature Analysis/Book Talks1. Think of an event in the section of the book assigned. When and where did it happen? Put the event intoworks as a problem.2. Who were the people involved in the problem? What were their different feelings and points of view aboutthe problem? Why did they feel as they did? Try to put their goals into words.3. For each person or group of people, what are some different decisions or solutions to the problem that he,she, or they thought of that might help in reaching their goals?4. For each of these ideas or options, what are all of the things that might happen next? Envision and writedown short- and long-term consequences.5. What were the final decisions? How were they made? By whom? Why? Do you agree or disagree? Why?6. How was the solution carried out? What was the plan? What obstacles were met? How well was the prob-lem solved? What did you read that supports your point of view?7. Notice what happened and rethink it. What would you have chosen to do? Why?8. What questions do you have, based on what you read? What questions would you like to be able to ask oneor more of the characters? The author? Why are these questions important to you?

Simplified Book Talk Format for Young Readers

I will write about this character:

My character’s problem is

How did your character get into this problem?

How does the character feel?

What does the character want to happen?

Which questions would you like to ask the character you picked, one of the other characters, or the author?


63

ing demands that come from human populationsliving in or near these ecologies, explore students’hopes or fears about the environment, and con-sider how to plan ahead to maintain delicate eco-nomic and ecological balances (e.g., Johnsen andBruene-Butler 1993). This can be done in formatsthat naturally use students’ multiple intelligences.By integrating SEL concepts and skills with aca-demic subjects, teachers enrich the learning of ba-sic skills by placing them in the vivid context ofsocial relationships and creative activities. Thatcontext provides memory “prompts” that help stu-dents use the information at a later time (Sylwester1995).

Teachers report that the longer they teach so-cial and emotional skills, the more likely it is forSEL to be a seamless part of the school day. As oneteacher in Shoreline, Washington, reported,

At first, Second Step seemed like just an-other add-on, and that’s how I taught it thefirst year. I had the usual trouble findingtime to do everything. Now it’s just a basicpart of my school day. The problem-solvingstrategies are so applicable to what we thinkof as our academic program. They enableme to do a lot more interesting things and re-ally challenge the kids’ thinking.

How Is SEL Adapted for DifferentPopulations?

The skills, attitudes, and opportunities that werepresented in Chapter 3 are needed by everyone inour society (see Guidelines 1, 2, and 3). These so-cial and emotional strategies are critical life skillsthat promote effective decision making in every-day interpersonal challenges as well as in aca-demic performance. At each grade level childrenface new developmental challenges that can bemastered by learning life skills, finding new waysto manage risk situations, using peer and adultsupport for coping, and becoming involved as apositive contributor to others. This section ad-

dresses issues that may arise when an SEL pro-gram is implemented in an inclusive classroom.

G U I D E L I N E 1 1 ▼

The SEL curriculum may have to be adapted forchildren with special needs.

Rationale

All classrooms contain learners of widely dif-ferent levels of accomplishment and need. Giventhe movement toward inclusion, the averageteacher faces increasing variability in students’ abil-ity to control their own behavior and to interactand communicate with others. Many teachers findthey are highly stressed by the inclusion of chil-dren who have problems with attention, aggres-sion, and learning in general. In the inclusiveclassroom, the use of SEL programs can be criticalto supporting the development of all children(Elias and Tobias 1996). Teachers find that buildinga cohesive classroom community, focusing on thedevelopment of all students’ social competence,and providing opportunities for using these skillsin mixed-ability groups can greatly improve the in-clusive experience (Gager, Kress, and Elias 1996).Ultimately, it requires less disruption of the aca-demic program than isolating the misbehaving, im-pulsive, or immature student (Johnson andJohnson 1994).


A 3rd grade teacher at Hazel Valley Elemen-tary in Washington State remarked:

One concern we had this year in our classwas a child who was far behind academi-cally and not working very hard. At firstother students were angry and showed littlecompassion; they were basically resentfuland mean to this child. I did a lot of work onthe “Golden Rule” lesson and tried to focusthe children on how to keep thinking about


64

the other guy and how you would feel if thiswas you. I began to pair her up with botholder and younger students, and as they be-gan to have more one-to-one interactionwith her, they showed more compassion andinterest. By focusing on friendship, coopera-tion, and caring for others, everyone ap-peared to benefit.

In classrooms composed of children with alarge range of abilities, it may be more challengingto conduct whole-class SEL lessons. Teachers oftenreport success in using small-group activities thatgive students greater responsibilities, providefewer distractions, and allow teachers to connectwith students’ prior knowledge and personal expe-riences. Work is presented using multisensory in-

structional techniques and includes substantial op-portunities for practice and repetition. The small-group strategy works well when it is coupled withregular sessions that include the whole group (e.g.,putting on plays, reading stories, holding groupproblem-solving meetings).

Even special pull-out groups may include amix of abilities. Some programs for children whoare rejected by peers allow other class members tobe guests on a rotating basis. This approach pro-vides skilled role models and also helps raise thesocial status of children who are rejected (Bierman,Greenberg, and the Conduct Problems PreventionResearch Group 1996). Also, youngsters who aredisruptive may have a lot to offer to their more re-strained peers.

It is well documented that children with learn-ing disabilities (Kavale and Forness 1996), lan-guage disorders (Craig 1993), mild mental delays(Bramlett, Smith, and Edmonds 1994), neurologicaldisorders (Moffitt 1993), and hearing loss (Green-berg and Kusche 1993) often have related difficul-ties in the areas of social and communicativecompetence. They are more likely to show difficul-ties in effectively reading social cues from othersand managing frustration and other high-intensityemotions. They are also more likely to be rejectedby peers. For these reasons social and emotional de-velopment is often specifically outlined as an objec-tive in their Individualized Educational Plans(IEPs). Self-contained settings focus on building forsuccess in the mainstream as well as specializedsettings. SEL programs meet these needs and areoften quite successful in specialized classroom set-tings (Amish, Gesten, Smith, Clark, et al. 1988,Greenberg, Kusche, Cook, and Quamma 1995). At-risk learners, however, require support as theymove between the self-contained classroom andthe mainstreamed classroom, lunchroom, and play-ground. Consistent use of SEL procedures acrossthese environments is extremely beneficial.

Children in self-contained classrooms for se-vere learning and behavior disorders generally pre-

EXAMPLE 11ASEL AND INCLUSION

A psychologist in Seattle was planning an SELgroup to focus on the special social needs ofyoungsters with cerebral palsy. Other staff mem-bers were enthusiastic, but cautioned against in-cluding one youngster with a reputation fordisruption. The psychologist did include this child,and noticed that some of the more compliantyoungsters looked dismayed to see him in thegroup. Feelings of the other children began tochange, however, when it was apparent that theboy had lots of ideas that were valued by theleader. His enthusiasm and skill with role playingmade the sessions fun, and encouraged themore inhibited children to join in. The new re-spect this boy received from the other childrenbolstered his self-confidence and made himeager to try new social and emotional skills. Withso much attention for his constructive contribu-tions, disruptive outbursts disappeared. In retro-spect, the psychologist attributed much of thegroup’s success to inclusion of this initially impul-sive youngster.


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sent significant challenges. Poor impulse controland the inability to appropriately regulate emo-tions contribute to out-of-control, aggressive behav-ior and poor attention and performance.Standardized behavior management programsoften are used in such classrooms. What is also nec-essary are strategies to help children develop theinner competencies to manage themselves and han-dle the stresses of a normal classroom environ-ment. SEL adds skill building in needed cognitiveand emotional competencies. Thus, it is importantto develop a plan that integrates behavioral man-agement with SEL (Elias and Tobias 1996, Kuscheand Greenberg 1994).

G U I D E L I N E 1 2 ▼

Coordination between the SEL curriculum andother services creates an effective and integratedsystem of service delivery.

Rationale

For many children with severe behavior disor-ders, either individual or some type of family ther-apy or counseling is advisable. SEL programs arevaluable adjuncts to such treatment. When counsel-ors or therapists are familiar with the skills andconcepts being learned in class, they are able todraw on those skills during the treatment process.In those cases where school-based psychologists orcounselors are regularly involved with particularchildren, there are advantages to their involvementin SEL lessons. SEL programs can play a criticalrole in the success of full-inclusion programs, evenfor students who are severely troubled (Epsteinand Elias 1996).


A program by the Conduct Problems Preven-tion Research Group (1992) illustrates this guide-line quite well. They have created a series of

services for children and families at different levelsof need and concern. All children in the school re-ceive SEL programming throughout the elemen-tary years. Then, children identified as at risk forbehavioral and academic difficulties receive small-group social skills training, while their parents par-

EXAMPLE 11BADAPTING SEL FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS

The Children’s Institute—a private special educa-tion school for children with severe emotional,conduct, and learning difficulties in Livingston,New Jersey—has been a flagship of the SocialDecision Making and Problem Solving Programfor nearly a decade. Staff members there havebecome expert at creating adaptations of les-sons to their populations. Among their innova-tions are (1) combinations of classroom-basedlessons with academic infusion and special skill-building groups; (2) activities that use the com-puter; (3) uplinks to public school districts forcollaboration in science; and (4) activities that pro-mote self-reflection and self-regulation throughself-monitoring sheets, sharing circle questionsthat ask about their preferences and experi-ences, and activities like, “Who are you?” asways to promote self-understanding as a precur-sor to building friendship skills. Foremost, how-ever, is an extensive focus on feelings, buildingfeelings vocabularies, reading social cues inothers accurately, and self-control skills to avert“emotional hijacking.”

We have got to give these kids skillsfor living, and we can’t wait for par-ents or anyone else to do it. The nextstop for many of these kids is resi-dential treatment or prison.

—Dr. Bruce Ettinger, DirectorThe Children’s Institute


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EXAMPLE 11CHOW STUDENTS AT A RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL VIEW SEL

Among the students at North Country School, a residential school in Lake Placid, New York, are some who haveexperienced significant losses and other difficulties in their lives. At one of their weekly Town Meetings, stu-dents commented on what it is about the school that helps them:

I think it is really a great learning experience because it’s not a normal school. We get to get intouch with nature. We go out and hike on the weekends; we learn how to build fires even whenthe wood is wet. On the farm, you get to be with new people because you change chores everyweek.

* * *

We get a lot closer to each other. You know if something is wrong with someone else if they’requiet and they’re normally not.

* * *

This school isn’t only about just taking out your books and pencils; when I was in public school,I didn’t do anything on my days off except watch TV and go to movies. We never knew what to dowith ourselves. If some grown-up had said, “Do you want to climb a 4,000-foot mountain?” I would have said, “You’ve got to be kidding!” But now, it’s different.

* * *

I like that you learn about a lot of different cultures and there’s no real problems racially.

* * *

I keep all of the pictures I draw here.

A teacher summed it up well: “There is a real search for positively identifying the child and what he or she isgood at. We really try to find success for the kids. There is so much communication among the staff about thekids’ individual needs.”


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ticipate in parent education and support groups.The concepts established in the SEL program forthe entire school are transferred and reinforced inboth the child and parent programs. Thus, com-mon principles and language are used across thedifferent levels of service.

What Prepares and Sustains a Teacher in Effective SELInstruction?

G U I D E L I N E 1 3 ▼

Staff development opportunities provide teacherswith theoretical knowledge essential to teachingsocial and emotional skills.

Rationale

Taking on an SEL program can seem dauntingat first. With the possible exception of special edu-cation, teacher training programs often provide in-adequate training in understanding motivation,emotions, and social competence. At first, someteachers are concerned that by taking on a socialand emotional curriculum, they are being asked totake on the role of a school counselor or psycholo-gist. It is important to clarify that while classroomSEL programs can complement specialists’ effortsto help certain high-risk students, the focus of theclassroom teacher is, in fact, education and healthydevelopment. The goal of a classroom program isto help develop personal qualities essential to well-being and success in school, on the job, and withinfamilies and communities.


In the early stages of SEL program implementa-tion, teachers are given opportunities to learnabout the full scope of the program and the devel-opmental sequence of instruction from grade to

grade. Such familiarity enables teachers to see thelinks between simple self-monitoring, for example,and mature self-regulation. They are then betterable to set goals and design lessons appropriate tothe developmental qualities of their particular agegroup (see Chapter 3). As teachers are able to inte-grate the overall principles, scope, and sequence ofthe program, they can bring more of their owncreativity and spontaneity to this work.

Group facilitation skills likewise are not al-ways emphasized in preservice education. As a re-sult, many teachers don’t appreciate the usefulnessof training in the process of group development—

EXAMPLE 12ADEFUSING PROBLEM BEHAVIORS

Two boys were on their way to the office all up-set. They were going to report each other to theprincipal. I asked each of them what their prob-lem was. Apparently, one boy made fun of theother by saying he was annoying. The (annoying)boy’s feelings became hurt because he thoughtthey were friends. I asked each of them whatthey wanted, and they both said to remainfriends. They each came up with ways to remainfriends, one of which was to tell each otherwhen they would get on each other’s nerves. Wenever did make it to the office that day. What isso very rewarding here is not just that theyparted as friends but that a process/frameworkwas reinforced by our common language. Also, if this concept were to follow them, they wouldno longer need adults to “coach” them as I did.They would be able to deal with this situationthemselves.




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the stages through which most groups pass as theygrow and reach completion. Teachers learn to helpthe class move from strangers who test one an-other and maintain maximum distance, to a cohe-sive group of individuals who find emotionalsupport and empowerment in their connection. Al-though some groups may reach stages that involvetrust and self-disclosure, others may not progressbeyond becoming respectful acquaintances. Teach-ers learn to adapt their lesson plans and pace les-sons appropriately for their groups.

Another example is that training in group dy-namics emphasizes the importance of closure atthe end of the term. This process assists students insaying goodbye to their classmates and providesstudents with skills that are applicable to manysituations that involve the ending of relationships.Teachers who are aware of, and responsive to, thechanging classroom relationships are able to pro-vide the most effective and positive learning expe-riences for their students.

G U I D E L I N E 1 4 ▼

Staff development provides modeling and practicein experiential learning.

Rationale

Effective staff development provides educatorswith opportunities to explore and experience theirown social and emotional skills, so they become in-creasingly effective models for their students. Inteaching students to understand and effectivelymanage and negotiate the challenges and opportu-nities of feelings and social relations, teachers usenot only technique and theory but also ways of re-lating with students. Coaching and inservice exer-cises have supported teachers in creating a positiveview of discipline as an act of protection and guid-ance. Teachers develop skills and attitudes thathelp them give students clear feedback about whatis and is not safe and appropriate behavior in dif-

ferent situations. By setting firm boundaries, teach-ers help students create a classroom increasinglyfree of disrespect; as described earlier, clear rulesand standards are used to promote responsibilityin each student. Such a structure promotes ahealthy bonding between student and adult thatmotivates young people to learn from their teacher.


Those designing training programs in SEL willfind it useful to draw upon the following elementsof caring, openness, and responsiveness:

Caring. Earlier chapters described how caringis a key part of constructing the relationships thatmake learning possible (Noddings 1992). Teachersdemonstrate caring—the respect for and apprecia-tion of the essential worth of each student—in twofundamental ways: empathizing with the feelingsand dilemmas of students and protecting studentsby providing clear boundaries.

Caring from teachers includes listening for andvalidating the value and wisdom of what each stu-

EXAMPLE 14AHASSLE LOGS FOR TEACHERS

You know a concept like social problem solvingworks when even other teachers use the skills tohelp solve their own personal/professional prob-lems. One of our teacher associates was havinga professional disagreement with a colleague.Imagine my reaction when the teacher associateasked me for a hassle log to fill out and give tothe teacher. I have filled out my share of hasslelogs and have given them to various people. Themotto that hangs in my room is: “Hassle Logs . . .They’re not just for kids!”




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dent is offering instead of listening for only the“right answer.” With this atmosphere of accep-tance, the SEL classroom is an ideal setting forteachers (and students) to discover the value ofmistakes and apparent detours to the learningprocess. When the goal is understanding ratherthan critical judgment, teachers model an accep-tance of a range of feelings and ideas, and studentsrespond with greater sharing.

Firm guidance is the other side of caring in-cluded in teacher preparation for SEL. Because ofthe interactive style of teaching in SEL lessons, stu-dents have more opportunities to be disruptivethan in a strictly didactic classroom. And becausethe goal is to encourage open expression and inde-pendent thinking, SEL teachers may be particularlychallenged to find a style of providing limits andstructure that prevents chaos without suppressingany student’s expression (Elias and Tobias 1996).

Openness. Because much of the inspirationand reinforcement for social and emotional skillscomes through the modeling of the teacher, staffdevelopment opportunities should help teachersbecome more open with their students in waysthat feel appropriate for the particular teacher. Likethe teacher earlier in this chapter whose studentsloved to hear the ongoing “learning stories” thatemerged from challenges and fiascos with her ownchildren, many teachers discover a new freedom insharing their personal stories and wisdom with stu-dents. Students delight and learn from the storiesteachers share about their own reactions as chil-dren or teenagers to the dilemmas students are dis-cussing now. SEL training provides guidelines forappropriate self-disclosure, and ongoing collabora-tion between colleagues allows teachers to checkout a particular story when they are in doubt aboutits value for their students. Through the experi-ences of teaching an SEL curriculum, educators re-port that they become more comfortable with theirown interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence;they learn how to express their feelings and whento contain them.

Teachers demonstrate their openness not onlythrough what they say but also through how theylisten to their students. Refining their ability to in-terpret body language and hear the feelings be-tween and beneath the words, teachers becomeincreasingly skilled at understanding the wholechild. With experience, teachers find they can listenwith increasing compassion to their students,knowing that they may bring up feelings that areinitially uncomfortable for themselves and theirstudents as well. A teacher’s openness can contrib-ute to a climate of tolerance in which studentsmore easily learn to distinguish feelings from be-havior. When negative feelings can be acknow-ledged in this climate, students more easily learnto manage them so that they do not lead to destruc-tive behavior.

At times, students bring up issues and feelingsthat are difficult for both students and teachers tomanage. Those may require individualized sup-port beyond what classroom teachers can be ex-pected to provide. Staff development can provideteachers with guidelines and mechanisms for coor-dinating with other teachers and pupil-servicesstaff to help their students find the right place andtime to get the professional help they need.

Responsiveness. Another skill teachers de-velop through training and increased experience inteaching SEL is being aware of and responsive tothe needs of students at a given moment. Teachersoften adapt or deviate from a lesson plan for a mo-ment to effectively meet the needs of the class.Staff development experiences can offer teacherssupport in gaining skills that allow them to fully re-spond to the “teachable moment”: being respon-sive to the changing needs of the group and itsindividuals, becoming increasingly comfortablesharing and learning from one’s own mistakes,and being flexible enough to shift gears.

Teachers report that as they grow more experi-enced in working with curriculum materials andthemes, as well as this responsive style of teaching,they are rewarded by an expanded repertoire, crea-


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tivity, and imagination, which allow them to inventnew approaches in the moment.

The spirit of spontaneity, flexibility, and respon-siveness is strengthened by learning experiencesthat enable teachers to express their own humor,playfulness, and creativity. Just like classroom stu-dents, teachers learn best when they feel comfort-able, are most creative when they are playing, andare most engaged when “serious” learning is punc-tuated with laughter. A successful staff develop-ment program gives teachers a range of SELexperiences. This outcome is more than can be ac-complished in a single session or even a series ofsessions. Ongoing support and coaching provideopportunities for teachers to gain experience, re-flect on their teaching practice, and feel a sense ofrenewal.

G U I D E L I N E 1 5 ▼

Staff development activities are visibly and regu-larly supported by feedback from colleagues, ad-ministrators, and others.

Rationale

Because teachers are often exploring new terri-tory when they embark on teaching SEL, most findit essential to have ongoing support. A supportiveenvironment is one in which the following are true:

• Administrators empower teachers by encour-aging them to have an active voice in decisionsthat affect them.

• Administrators model and encourage clearcommunication and a constructive strategy for re-solving conflicts among the staff.

• Administrators foster a sense of shared pur-pose and enjoyment among the staff.

• Administrators provide active support forteachers who want to try new approaches.


Some administrations have actively promotedopportunities for teachers to observe other teach-ers and to co-teach new programs with teachers,psychologists, or the principal. Ongoing facultymeetings that foster collaboration among col-leagues reinforce and refine the capacities and

EXAMPLE 15AONGOING COMMITMENT AND EXPERT SUPPORTPRODUCE GENUINE CHANGES IN PRACTICE

The first year there was a 10-day conference, andDevelopmental Studies Center (DSC, the pro-gram center in California) staff gave training tothe core group. They came to the school for oneweek four times the first year. We communi-cated on the phone all of the time. The followingsummer there was a five-day conference to helpthe core group train others. The second year theDSC staff visited again four times for one-weekperiods. The following summer there was an-other five-day conference. The people are alwayshelpful and are always available.

The staff development uses frequent meet-ings to try to reflect the way the project operatesin the classroom. The teachers use partner chats,talk about goals and strategies, and learn aboutone another. The teams of primary and secon-dary teachers share planning time while the kidsgo to different specials during the same timeslot. This is done because it is too hard to getpeople together outside of school hours.

Originally, we didn’t count on it to change usas people. We interact differently now with ourown children at home. We have developed asense of awareness. We reevaluate why thingsdo and don’t work. It has developed me [be-come] a much more reflective person.

—Sheila KoshewaChild Development Project

Lexington, Kentucky


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knowledge gained by teachers in introductorytraining. Such meetings can include group supervi-sion from mentor teachers, administrators, or so-cial services personnel who can help teachersidentify red flags that require further specializedsupport or referral, or SEL consultants who pro-vide ongoing curriculum development and trou-bleshooting for the faculty. Teachers are alsosupported by one-to-one coaching from mentorteachers or supervisors, and from having the op-portunity to visit SEL lessons in other classrooms(see related discussion in Chapter 7).

Teachers value help they get from other teach-ers more than any other source. Peer coaching ismost successful when teachers have a frameworkto use during the coaching process (Nelson, Lott,and Glenn 1993) or when working in a group (Eliasand Tobias 1996, Summers 1996). Ongoing collabo-ration and staff development ensures that teachershave support at their school and that they knowthe limits of what they can and cannot provide fortheir students’ social and emotional needs, asnoted in Guidelines 12 and 13. In the safe setting ofthe SEL classroom, students may reveal emotionaldisturbances or traumatic experiences that need tobe addressed outside the classroom. Teachers usu-ally welcome guidance in identifying these situ-ations, finding ways to protect students in class,and obtaining the necessary services for studentswho are troubled. Administrative leaders can cre-ate opportunities for teachers to get to know andtrust support personnel. This effort will help teach-ers to make the most effective use of the psycholo-gists, social workers, or deans in their school.Schools should also have a clear system for dealingwith disclosure of abuse or neglect so that class-room teachers alone do not carry the burden.

G U I D E L I N E 1 6 ▼

SEL programs are most effective when teachers andadministrators adopt a long-range perspective.

Rationale

Ongoing teacher support is one aspect of thelong-range perspective needed for effective SELprograms. For teachers and students alike, the ef-fects of SEL appear to get stronger the longer a pro-gram is implemented at a particular setting(Slavin, Madden, Dolan, Wasik, Ross, Smith, andDiana 1995). Teacher commitment to a new pro-gram develops during implementation as teachersstart to see practical benefits. Furthermore, teacherpresentation of a program tends to be relatively su-perficial until the second or third year, when teach-ers really make a program their own (Hord,Rutherford, Huling-Austin, and Hall 1987). Teach-ers of many SEL programs, for example, com-monly report that they do not spontaneously usethe techniques with their students, their own fami-lies, and colleagues until the second year of theprogram.


Changes in student behavior seem to follow asimilar progression. An elementary principal com-mented about the changes she observed: “By theend of the first year, I was hearing a new vocabu-lary. After two years, both teachers and studentswere using the problem-solving strategies moreconsistently.” She continued to see improvements,stating that “the longer students worked with thestrategies and the more they saw their teachers usethem, the more students were able to problem-solve in ’hot’ situations.”

Like any basic skill, social and emotional skillsdevelop gradually throughout childhood andadulthood. And because emotional patterns arerelatively slow to shift, teachers benefit from gen-tleness and respect when encouraged to developthese new social and emotional skills. Having real-istic expectations about timing can buffer discour-agement in the early phases of implementation.When teachers feel supported in taking this long-range view of developing skills and perspectives


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that go beyond their original training, they oftendiscover that teaching SEL allows them to experi-ence ease and effectiveness in fostering the qualityof relationships that allow learning to flourish evenmore in the classroom.

Students’ benefits are accompanied by teach-ers’ benefits. Teachers report that problem-solvingstrategies help them deal more effectively withstresses in both their personal and professionallives (Caplan, Weissberg, and Shriver 1990). Ateacher in Shoreline, Washington, told interviewersthat explicitly teaching social and emotional skillsmade it much easier to deal with late afternoons. “I used to dread all the little conflicts that pop upwhen everyone is tired and needs to rush to thebus. I sometimes avoided the problems, or quicklyimposed my own solution on them. Neither ap-proach worked very well. Now that I’ve beenteaching Second Step, it takes much less time andis less stressful.”

Teachers also report that their growth as car-ing, open, and responsive teachers spills over intotheir relationships with colleagues, families, andfriends. They discover more enjoyment, a greatersense of effectiveness and reciprocity in their rela-tionships, and more satisfaction with themselves.Ultimately, these intrinsic benefits will sustainteachers.

Summary

Many teachers already use important elements ofSEL. What is less common is a comprehensiveframework that provides coherence and consis-tency to specific objectives and instructional meth-ods. Effective teaching requires consideration ofhow the class structure, teaching methods, andclass climate will affect both academic and socialand emotional development. Having a specific SELprogram brings unity to these aspects of school life

and frees educators to focus their creative energieson special projects and adaptations that enrich anyprogram.

Despite the importance of SEL for all aspects ofstudent functioning, teacher educators and admin-istrators have been slow to provide teachers withtraining, support, and recognition in this area.Adopting a new program inevitably requires theuse of some unfamiliar teaching methods; thus,teaching SEL can be challenging for several rea-sons. First, educators who wish to create a caringlearning community must “walk the talk” in a waythat may require them to change their way of relat-ing to others and structuring the classroom. Sec-ond, the empowering nature of SEL may initiallyencourage students’ attempts at disruption, as the“rules of the classroom” undergo change. Third,potential growth in students’ SEL skills and teach-ers’ efforts is impeded to the extent that grade-level, school, and district colleagues are not joinedin a common effort. Meeting these challenges re-quires an ongoing commitment from teachers andadministrators, and this is often provided throughnetworking opportunities (see the list of programsin Appendix C).

Fortunately, the motivation to make this com-mitment is strengthened by the intrinsic benefits ofproviding SEL instruction. Educators discover pro-fessional and personal satisfactions as both learn-ing and social relationships are enhanced in theclassroom. Teachers often find that the theoreticalframework and methods of SEL are intellectuallystimulating for themselves as well as students. Per-haps most important, teachers derive satisfactionfrom addressing the skills that educators believeare most essential for the citizens of tomorrow. Asjust noted, though, teachers are best able to persistin their commitment when their personal effortsare embedded within those of their school and asupportive community.


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Creating the Context for Social andEmotional Learning5

EVERY YOUNG PERSON HAS A DEEP NEED TObelong. Children with the greatest unmetneeds for relationships are often those mostalienated from adults and peers. Schools andyouth work programs must make a plannedand concerted effort to nourish inviting rela-tionships in a culture of belonging.

—Brendtro, Brokenleg, and Van Bockern 1990, p. 69

Social and emotional learning is best taughtand learned in school and classroom environmentsin which young people are respected and valued,and in which they experience a sense of personalfulfillment and responsibility. Schools and class-rooms in which adults are nurturing, supportive,and caring furnish the best contextual opportuni-ties for SEL programs to be introduced, sustained,and effectively provided. It is also true that an ap-proach to SEL that connects with other aspects ofstudents’ learning and development within andoutside the school setting is likely to be the mostsustainable and effective (Dryfoos 1994).

In this chapter, we discuss six major contextualfactors related to the effective planning, implemen-tation, and coordination of SEL programs. They in-clude the classroom and school climate, studentparticipation and empowerment, program coordi-nation and integration, school district support,home and school collaboration, and community in-volvement and support.

The Importance of Creating aSupportive Classroom and SchoolClimate

G U I D E L I N E 1 7 ▼

A caring, supportive, and challenging classroomand school climate is most conducive to effectiveSEL teaching and learning.

Rationale

How students experience and perceive theirschool and classroom climate has been shown to besignificantly related to their psychosocial and aca-demic development, and to their school adjust-ment and performance outcomes (Garmezy 1989,Haynes et al. 1996). A context that is caring, suppor-tive, and challenging also leads to better SELoutcomes.


The staff of a middle school in a major north-eastern city reviewed school climate data from asurvey of students and staff. Most students re-ported feeling a lack of respect and trust betweenthemselves and their teachers. The teachers weresurprised, as they had reported a high level ofstudent-teacher respect and trust. Focus groups

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involving mixed groups of students and teacherswere organized, and discussions revealed that stu-dents expected direct and palpable demonstrationsof respect and trust (e.g., students expected teach-ers to greet them more in the hallways and class-rooms, and to be more willing to listen to theirconcerns and more accepting of their ideas andpoints of view).

Subsequently, a “respect and trust” campaignwas developed. It involved posting notices aroundthe school that identified the school as a placewhere teachers and students respect and trust oneanother, and where active expressions such asdaily greetings, attentive listening, and respondingto one another’s concerns are the norm. Whenschool climate surveys were re-administered oneyear later, the results showed significant increasesin student, staff, and parent assessments of the lev-els of respect and trust. There were also many

more palpable demonstrations of the change in theattitudes and behaviors among and between stu-dents, staff, and parents.

Numerous examples and consistent researchsuggest that in supportive organizational environ-ments, school staff and classroom teachers help tocreate a climate that reflects the following:

• Free and open interaction and dialogue amongand between staff and students. Students are able toexpress their ideas and feelings in an atmospherethat is nonjudgmental and respectful of theirindividuality.

• High standards of behavior and achievement, in-cluding the ability to think critically and make informedjudgments about behavior and related consequences.Students are challenged to be the best they can be.Staff create opportunities for students to be crea-tive and innovative, and to engage in active learn-

EXAMPLE 17ASTUDENT, PARENT, AND STAFF VIEWS OF POSITIVE SCHOOL CLIMATE

At a New Haven school, a major focus was on improving school and classroom climate and supporting SEL ac-tivities. After introduction of the program, many students, staff, and parents made positive comments aboutthe climate of the school (Haynes and Perkins 1996). The following are examples:

Student: You can’t feel safe around any school this year because this world is not a very good place to livein because a lot of things happen, but I feel safe at this school. Like when we talk to our teach-ers, and when I play with my friends, and they stay with me, and like we never get hurt or noth-ing, and if we get hurt, my friends and I help each other.

Parent: I feel that the school’s climate is wonderful; it’s a nice secure place for children here. You feelcomfortable coming to the school. You feel that the school is not a separate place anymorewhere it’s them and us. Now we are we.

Staff: When the parents enter the building, they know that we’re always thinking of the welfare of theyoungsters as well as our own. It is important that we have rules and guidelines. The childrenhave a good sense of how things work. We try to communicate love to them. We don’t stand offfrom the children; we try to move to their eye level. We try to talk in a manner in which they canrespond back to us, in a quiet way as opposed to intimidating children to respond back to yourquestions.


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ing experiences that allow them to realize theirfullest potential for success as students and asindividuals.

• Collaboration, cooperation, and constructivegroup problem-solving activities. Students gain signifi-cant social skills and develop positive attitudes ofaltruism, kindness, and respect for others whengiven structured opportunities to participate asmembers of organized problem-solving teams.Teachers and staff create opportunities for studentsto become engaged in meaningful, creative, andstimulating activities that enhance their social inter-active skills and reinforce prosocial values.

• Equity, fairness, and respect for diversity of race,culture, ethnicity, social class, religion, gender, ability,and other factors. Students come from diverse back-grounds and expect to be treated fairly and equita-bly. They expect their teachers, other staff, andpeers to be sensitive to their individuality and tounderstand and respect them. Teachers and staffencourage and support cross-cultural sharing andcompetence, and create environments that pro-mote mutual respect and understanding amongand between adults and students.

• Supportive, positive learning experiences. Thereis a strong relationship between self-esteem, self-efficacy, and students’ general behavior and aca-demic performance in school. Teachers and staffshould provide opportunities for students to expe-rience success, positive reinforcement, and valida-tion of their worth as individuals in a challengingand nurturing environment.

• Strong connections between adults and students,and commitment to the mission and goals of the school.Students adjust and learn best in school and class-room environments in which they intellectuallyand emotionally identify with the adults and theprogram. Teachers and staff are cognizant of andresponsive to the special and diverse needs thatstudents have and are available to listen, advise,counsel, and provide guidance to them when nec-essary. There are routines and structures that sendstudents a clear message: “Welcome. You areimportant.”

Information obtained through interviews andfocus groups with students and staff demonstratethe importance of these dimensions of school andclassroom climate in preparing students and ena-bling them to confidently and successfully face themany academic and social challenges in and out-side of school.

Is Empowering Students the Latest Bandwagon, or Is It ReallyImportant?

G U I D E L I N E 1 8 ▼

Students derive more benefit from SEL programsthat they help to design, plan, and implement.

Rationale

Especially as students enter high school, pro-grams in which they have meaningful influenceshow higher levels of student participation anddeeper commitment. When their suggestions aresought before a program is fully developed, stu-dents can often identify barriers that may impedethe program, giving teachers and others a chanceto remove those obstacles. Naturally, one must rec-ognize that the appropriate degree of involvementdepends on the nature of the endeavor. For exam-ple, students may have more input and direct in-volvement in activities designed to improve thesocial climate of the school than in matters affect-ing the design of the academic curriculum. Never-theless, as described in Chapter 3 and in the quotethat begins this chapter, involvement is a part of be-ing valued, and children in today’s society need re-affirmation and a sense of belonging and mastery.


To encourage students’ interest and to givethem a sense of shared ownership of the curricu-

Creating the Context for Social and Emotional Learning

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lum, a Bronx, New York, school uses the “Myster-ies Questions” to engage students in refining thecurriculum for their particular needs and interests(Kessler et al. 1990). Briefly, four or five weeks intothe semester—once the teacher and class have cre-ated an environment of caring and respectful listen-ing in which honest self-expression is possible—the teacher asks students to write about threetopics: mysteries about myself, mysteries aboutothers, and mysteries about life or the universe.Mysteries are explained as our worries, wonder-ings, fears, curiosity, confusions, or excitement.

After a period of quiet reflection to clear theirminds, the students are invited to write their ques-tions anonymously. The next week the teacherreads aloud to the students with a tone of respectand honors their “class mysteries.” After the stu-dents have heard the questions, they’re given acopy of the collection, some quiet time to look itover, and encouragement to notice commonthemes that particularly interest them. Studentsusually comment that they feel much closer to andsafer with this group now that they know what’son their classmates’ minds. In discussions, stu-

EXAMPLE 17B MORNING REFLECTIONS

At La Salle (H.S.) Academy, each day begins with a Morning Reflection that can come from students or anystaff. The main selection criterion is that the statement reflect the mission of the school. Here is an example:

Ed Sirois, Faculty Member, October 1996

Good Morning, Everyone — Me-You-Us.

Me: Self-respect, self-confidence, self-worth, self-esteem. I have inalienable value, dignity, andworth simply because I am a human being. Inalienable dignity—no one gives it to me, and noone can take it away—it just is. And because I value and respect myself, I take my own needsseriously. Not necessarily my wants and whims, but my needs—physical needs (food, shelter,clothing, clean air and water, medical services), social and emotional needs (self-control, friend-ship, acceptance, love), intellectual and spiritual needs (learning, beauty, art, music, character,prayer, God).

You: You’re just the same as me. You have the same inalienable dignity and value and worth. BecauseI truly respect myself, I respect you. It’s not “hate yourself and love your neighbor”—it’s “loveothers as you love yourself."

Us: All the you’s and all the I’s together, we form an “us,” a community of individuals, each with dig-nity and value and worth.

Together, we, us: A community that has needs and rights that deserve to be acknowledged and protected. Ourbuilding, our grounds, our furniture, our library books, our lockers, our computers—they belong to us.Me—Respect for Self; You—Respect for others; Us—Respect for the Community and its property.


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dents often comment that they are surprised theyare not alone with their concerns. Sometimes theteacher invites them to identify one questionthey’re really committed to having discussed inclass.

Through this process, students experience thepower of expressing what’s most pressing in theirlives and also the ability to influence the curricu-lum. They also discover a wealth of wisdom anddepth in their peers that they didn’t anticipate.And, the teacher discovers a way to learn moreabout the students, to adapt the sequence of topicsto respond to the group’s priorities, and to developa new lesson plan when students bring up an im-portant issue that has been left out. Teachers andstaff can engage students in the design and plan-ning of SEL programs in a number of ways:

1. Use focus group discussions to identify stu-dent issues and concerns and to get reactions tospecific proposed activities, and then incorporatestudents’ input in the design of the program (e.g.,time and place for SEL activities, format forpresentations).

2. Conduct surveys to identify students’ per-ceptions of issues, their needs, and their likely re-sponses to program activities.

3. Obtain students’ input to help guide thedesign, development, and implementation of theprogram.

4. Talk individually to students about their in-terests, challenges, and desires, and use that infor-mation to help select SEL activities.

5. Involve students on SEL planning teamswith staff, parents, and community members.

In schools with site-based decision making, in-volving students on teams can turn adversarial re-lationships into collaborations. By making roomfor student ideas and thoughts—not student con-trol—in SEL planning and implementation, teach-ers and staff provide a sense of empowerment tostudents and increase the probability of the pro-gram’s success.

Why All This Talk AboutCoordinating and Integrating SELActivities?

G U I D E L I N E 1 9 ▼

SEL programs and activities that are coordinatedwith and integrated into the regular curriculumand life of the classroom and school are mostlikely to have the desired effect on students, andare also most likely to endure.

Rationale

A major obstacle to SEL program success oc-curs when the skills taught are not part of the regu-lar curriculum, but instead are add-ons. In suchcases, SEL activities are perceived as less importantthan other content areas, and consequently are notgiven as much emphasis. In addition, programskills, attitudes, and beliefs are not reinforcedthroughout the curriculum or throughout the en-tire educational program, including during after-school or extracurricular activities. As a result,there may be far less generalization and mainte-nance of these skills than is possible with a well-coordinated, integrated program in which SEL ison par with academic subjects such as math, Eng-lish, and reading.

During the planning stages of any SEL pro-gram, it is important for goals to be clearly definedand operationalized. These goals can include waysin which the classroom and school building, as so-cial units, will be tangibly affected by the program.In Piscataway, New Jersey, one such goal was ameasurable increase in the ethnic diversity of stu-dent-selected work groups as a result of a socialproblem-solving program. Including goals that callfor the results of an intervention to affect class-rooms or schools compels the program to includeelements that will create such outcomes (see Chap-ters 6 and 7).


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Once SEL goals are specified, relevant activi-ties are selected that can be implemented reason-ably well in the contexts for which they areplanned. For example, a peer counseling programdesigned to enhance students’ ability to makehealthy decisions and to resist negative peer pres-sure may be more appropriate for and work betterat the middle and high school levels than in an ele-mentary school. On the other hand, to accomplishthe same goals at the elementary level, classroom-based video presentations with discussions maywork best. Also relevant to examine is the individ-ual school context. The community in which the

school is located (e.g., To what extent does it valueeducation? Are various educational options avail-able?); the resources available (e.g., funding); thecultural and demographic composition of the stu-dent population (e.g., Is there little or much diver-sity?); and the short- and long-term goals of theschool and the district influence the choice of SELprograms.

There are two basic ways in which SEL pro-grams are introduced to schools. They may be inte-grated throughout the curriculum, or they may bepresented as specific program activities. In eithercase, effective SEL programs are not introduced asadd-on activities but become integrated compo-

EXAMPLE 18ASETTING UP A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL CHILDREN

The Child Development Project operates on a schoolwide basis in the elementary grades. It cannot be imple-mented without strong staff consensus because SEL works more effectively when the entire climate that chil-dren are exposed to reflects the program’s philosophy and methods. In the words of teachers:

The program builds a sense of community in the classroom so that all the kids fit in and feel apart of the community. They band together as a class so that you don’t have these children anymore who don’t feel like they belong. Those are usually the kids who don’t make it.

The principles support the way we all want children to learn about living in this world. You’renot the only person in the world. What you do affects other people. We talk about that a lot enthere are rough spots—how do they feel about those things and what can be done about them?

A child was so withdrawn that he would not speak to anyone. He would not go to therestroom because he would not raise his hand. He did not want to play with anyone or go to cen-ters. By the end of the year he had playmates. He would go to centers and initiate play with oth-ers. He would come and tell me things. I would give him directions, and he would say, “I don’t likethat. How about I do this now and that later instead.” This year he comes by and says, “Hello.” Hespeaks to other people. It is amazing to watch him grow from an isolated person to one who con-tributes daily. The whole class supported the fact that we were going to get everyone involved anddo this together.

—Focus group of teachers from Hazelwood and Auburndale (Kentucky) Elementary Schools


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EXAMPLE 19AREINFORCING SOCIAL PROBLEM-SOLVING STEPS THROUGH ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION AND REAL-LIFE APPLICATION

The steps used in the Social Decision Making and Problem Solving Program’s formal SEL lessons [outlined inExample 1E] may be reinforced in many ways. On the following pages, a similar structure is used in academiccoursework [here, historical/current events] and in monitoring personal situations [here, the Personal Problem-Solving Record, which also has a computerized version].

—Elias and Tobias (1996)

History/Current Events Outline and Personal Problem-Solving Record

Worksheet 5-2. Creating a Newspaper Article

Directions: Imagine that you are a reporter for The New York Times. You have been asked to write an article onthe social studies topic you have just finished studying in class.

Think about some part of the topic as an event or problem. Then, use the problem-solving outline to help writeyour article. Be sure your article starts with a headline and then answers the following questions:

1. What is the problem you are thinking about?2. What people or groups of people are involved?3. What feelings and goals does each person or group have?4. What are some possible solutions to achieve each goal?5. What are some of the consequences, both long- and short-term, for each possible solution?6. What solution was chosen? Do you think a different choice should have been made? If so, why?7. What could have been done to improve the chosen plan?8. Summarize the information on the article and draw some conclusions.

HEADLINE: ________________________________________________________________________________________

Current Events

1. What event are you thinking about? When and where is it happening? Put the event into words as a problem.2. What people or groups are involved in the problem? What are their different feelings and points of viewabout the problem? Try to put their goals into words.3. For each group, name some different solutions to the problem that the members think might help themreach their goals.4. For each solution, think of all the things that might happen next. Think about short- and long-term conse-quences.5. What do you think the final decision should be? How should it be made? By whom? Why?6. Think of a plan to help you carry out your solution. What could you do to make your solution work?7. Make a final check. What might happen that could keep your solution from working? Who might disagreewith you? Why? What else could you do?


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EXAMPLE 19A—continuedREINFORCING SOCIAL PROBLEM-SOLVING STEPS THROUGH ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION AND REAL-LIFE APPLICATION

Worksheet 10-6

Personal Problem-Solving Record

Name: _________________________________ Date: ________________________________________

Class: _________________________________ Page No.: _____________________________________

1. I was feeling:

2. My problem was:

3. My goal was:

4. I tried to stop and think of as many solutions as I could, and I thought about their consequences.

Solutions that I thought I might try: If I tried it, these things might happen next:

5. My plan for solving my problem was that I would:

6. After I tried it and rechecked it, I found that it worked: a. very well b. OK c. not so well d. terribly

7. The next time something like this happens, I might:

Source: Elias, M.J., and S.E. Tobias. (1996). Social Problem-Solving: Interventions in the Schools. New York: Guilford.


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nents of the school improvement plan. All stages inthe process of program adoption—including identi-fication, review, planning, goal setting, orientation,implementation, and evaluation—should be con-ducted collaboratively and should involve staff,students, and parents as well as community repre-sentatives. This process is best accomplished if arepresentative committee or subcommittee of theschool planning and management team (school im-provement team) representing all four constituentgroups—staff, students, parents, and community—is formed and assigned the responsibility of coordi-

nating and shepherding the stages in the adoptionprocess. It would appear that a combination ofboth approaches works best, as one reinforces theother.

The following example demonstrates howschools that use programs with a problem-solvingand decision-making orientation have successfullycoordinated and integrated their SEL programsinto the general learning goals of the school:

In elementary, middle, and high schools,higher-order thinking and problem-solvingskills are interwoven throughout the curricu-

EXAMPLE 19BGROUP MEETINGS AND ACTIVITIES TO REINFORCE SEL INSTRUCTION

In Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, Social Decision Making Clubs are used to build upon and extend classroom-based SEL instruction. Teachers refer students to the “Club” who need extra practice in developing their inter-personal and problem-solving skills. At the middle school level, a resource room teacher runs the group as aclass period during the school day, while on the elementary level, teachers are paid to run before- or after-school Clubs. Teachers make Clubs fun by having kids bring their problems to the Club and creating a real groupeffort to come up with solutions. Then, the kids check back with one another to see how their solutions are go-ing. In one of many success stories, a mildly autistic boy attended the Club as part of a social problem solving-based school-home program to keep him from being placed out of district. He is now counted as one of thedistrict’s college graduates.

In another example, children who have trouble making friends meet once weekly for six to eight timeswith Guidance Counselor Marge Delaney in a North Brunswick, New Jersey, elementary school for a“Lunchtime Group.” At the group, students watch episodes from the acclaimed “Talking with TJ” video seriesand carry out the program activities to build their teamwork and conflict resolution skills (cf. Elias and Tobias1996). The groups are not at all stigmatizing. They are fun, and the students prefer them to the torture of sittingthrough lunch and recess without the skills to interact effectively.

Finally, an interview with a student at North Country School, Lake Placid, New York, highlights how groupdecision making is applied to a charitable cause:

We save money from Wednesday lunches by just having soup, and we donate it to peoplewith real problems. The people who decide where it goes are a representative from each houseand each level. They discuss who to give the money to that year. Last year we gave it to an AIDS re-search foundation and to “The Hunger.”1

1The kids’ name for a group that distributes food to those in need.


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EXAMPLE 19CINNOVATIVE STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES THAT REINFORCE SEL

After a while, principals recognize that some students need an additional service beyond what formal class-room SEL lessons provide, one that is flexible enough to deal with real-life issues as they happen. Using a vari-ety of programs, they have created variations on a problem-solving room (e.g., a crisis room) as preventive orremedial parts of school discipline systems. Here are some examples:

The Solution Room: “A safety net for kids is being able to go there when they are in trouble to work out theirproblems. Kids even come to the room on their own—they are taking responsibility and want to fix up whatthey have done wrong.”

The Reading Room: “The Reading Room is run by the principal every day as part of her commitment to devel-oping relationships with students who have problems regulating their behavior. Because students often cometo the room upset, children read first to distract them, calm themselves down, and get them ready to problemsolve. They are required to stay in the room for three recess periods, so that they will feel the weight of theproblem. The time also allows the principal to develop a rapport with the students who need her help themost.”

The Thinking Corner: “Books on social skills are available for students to read and reflect on. A 3rd grade boyabout to fight goes into the Thinking Room and reads the book, I’m Always in Trouble (developed by the RaisingHealthy Children program). He tells Carol (a staff member visiting the room) that the book says how to “usemy words and not my fists.” Next he takes Carol though the book to show the points that he thought were im-portant. Then he returns to his group—he was able to manage his mood!”

Social Problem-Solving (SPS) Computer Lab: “Kids go to the SPS Lab when they are referred by a teacheror counselor or if they want a place to work out trouble they have gotten into or to think about a problem or de-cision in their life. Using the Student Conflict Manager/Personal Problem-Solving Guide computer program,they go through the same SPS steps as they are learning in class. They make an action plan, and we do somerole playing. For tougher problems or more resistant kids, we spend time first on feelings, using drawing mate-rials as well as the computer.”

Other variations include the “Problem-Solving Lunch” and the Problem-Solving Room at the Children’s Institute(where out-of-control children with severe social and emotional problems can go to use the social problem-solv-ing method to understand what happened to them, manage their strong feelings, solve whatever problemshave been created, and plan to keep out of similar trouble in the future). At the Primary Mental Health Project,Child Associates who usually see children as part of the program also take on kids in crisis, to give them some-one to talk to who is not involved. Some Associates go to classrooms first thing in the morning after kids havebeen disruptive the prior day, to check in and help them get off to a good start. Common features include hav-ing students stay for more than one visit and having adults other than teachers (such as college students,aides, trained volunteers) work with the students (except those with pre-existing SEL deficits).

—Based on interviews with those implementing the Social Development Program/Raising Healthy Children inWashington, the Social Decision Making and Problem Solving Program in New Jersey, and the Primary Mental

Health Project in New York.


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lum. Students are taught how to monitortheir thinking, and how they make choicesin solving academic problems in various sub-ject areas such as math, science, and lan-guage arts. Students are then taught totransfer the skills they learn and employthem in solving academic problems and solv-ing social problems. This transfer of learningis supplemented and reinforced through spe-cially designed social problem-solvinggroup activities, including different types ofcooperative learning. Teachers also receivetraining in teaching higher-order and criticalthinking skills and in helping students trans-fer these skills to social situations.

Students are given assignments to use theircritical-thinking and problem-solving skillsin social situations within and outside of theschool setting. They record notes about thesituations in which they problem solve, andare asked to describe the critical thinkingand problem-solving skills they use to solvethe social dilemmas they face. They reportback to class on their experiences and re-ceive feedback from their teachers and peers.

The link between academic learning and SEL isone of the more important aspects of coordinatingand integrating SEL into the life of the school. Pro-grams should be selected that can be implementedin ways that enhance students’ overall perform-ance in school, including their academic achieve-ment. Time devoted to SEL programs may in factreinforce and enhance academic learning, andtherefore should not be perceived as detractingfrom academic attention and focus. The reverse isalso true. Academic focus is not perceived as un-dermining or negating the importance of SEL, butas embracing, reinforcing, and validating it. The ex-tent to which this reciprocity and synergy isachieved has much to do with how well SEL pro-grams are conceptualized, coordinated, and inte-grated with academic activities.

SEL activities and information that are fully in-tegrated into regular classroom activities aretaught primarily during the regular school day.Other SEL activities that are very much a part ofthe school improvement plan, although not taught

as part of regular classroom lessons, add importantlearning experiences. These instructions are pre-sented at special periods during the school day, orbefore or after school hours. After-school programsor class field trips offer opportunities to both intro-duce and reinforce SEL skills and to experimentwith methods (such as adventure-based learningexercises) not suited to the classroom or schoolyard. In these settings, students may also have theopportunity to practice SEL skills with a differentgroup of peers or with mixed ages that broadentheir experience and confidence in SEL applica-tions. Evening programs that bring together par-ents and students are also effective ways toreinforce SEL instruction. The goals and objectivesof these after-school activities should be clearly ar-ticulated and in agreement with the goals of theschool improvement plan. As much as possible, themost effective after-school SEL activities are linkedto in-school activities so that students are able toconnect them with the important learning that oc-curs during regular school hours.

Aligning with District Goals

G U I D E L I N E 2 0 ▼

SEL programs that are most clearly aligned withdistrict goals and that have the support of the dis-trict administration are most likely to succeed.

Rationale

Although it is desirable for schools to havesome autonomy in identifying and developing SELprograms, it is also important for the programsthey select to be consistent with district goals, poli-cies, and overall school improvement strategies. In-creasingly, state core curriculum standards alsomust be consulted (see Figure 1.4 in Chapter 1).Such alignments reduce the probability of political,legal, and ethical conflicts, while increasing theprobability of central office support.


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When planning to introduce an SEL programto a school, it is a good idea for the staff to checkwith the central office to see what, if any, SEL initia-tives are planned for the district or exist in otherschools in the district. Likewise, staff should inves-tigate any new state or federal initiatives (e.g., Safeand Drug Free Schools). Local policy guidelinesrelevant to SEL programs also need to be exam-ined. This information guides decisions aboutwhich programs to select or modify and how best to prepare and engage students, parents, andthe community in planning and introducing aprogram.

Not surprisingly, the more aligned an SEL pro-gram is with district goals, the more likely the pro-

gram is to receive needed resources. For example,many districts support nonviolent conflict resolu-tion programs but may not identify nonviolent con-flict resolution among its priorities for a given year.There may be no funding available for specialspeakers, staff development, and materials to sup-port a conflict resolution program, especially onethat is integrated with classroom procedures. Onthe other hand, a “tele-mentoring” program mayfit better with a district’s goals, and though it mayrequire installation of more computers, purchase ofexpensive software, special training, and allocationof additional computer time beyond the regularschool day, the central office may be more suppor-tive of this program. Of course, costly programsthat require significant expenditures, though inline with the district’s goals, may not be supported

EXAMPLE 20ADISTRICTWIDE SUPPORT STRENGTHENS SEL PROGRAMS

In the School Development Program, participating schools learn a process for school management and reform,but the specific actions and steps are left to the school teams to define. Each of the schools must develop aplan, and the process of developing this plan helps the staff realize their school’s critical needs. We structureour training and meetings so that each site can learn about other schools’ programs and activities. Doing so en-courages freedom and flexibility among participants to make decisions based on what is best for a particularschool. We want them to have the kinds of experiences that will enable them to get started once we give themthe tools.

—Lystra Richardson, School Development Program

Each school must send representatives to a workshop. The first week is a “101" training experience explainingwhat the program is and how to try things out at home. Usually schools send the principal. In February, the”102" training occurs. That is when we talk about the process—how did it work and how did it feel? The schoolswill send other people, like school psychologists, parents, community members, board members, or mentalhealth professionals, depending on their needs. The school teams are from 10 to 15 different areas. The teams,representing a diversity of experience, are put into adult learning teams. We use the week to share ideas, solveproblems together, and experience consensus, collaboration, and enthusiasm. Participants concentrate onteaching the community, students, parents, and school staff when they get back home. We do a lot of follow-up: post-training discussions, retreats, site visits to other districts, and special kick-off events. We also have aWeb page and a video series and send out a newsletter three to four times a year to share the schools’ stories.

—Valerie MaholmesSchool Development Program


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due to limited funds.The alignment of an SEL program with the

school district’s policies, goals, and priorities is im-portant also from the perspective of longevity andsurvival. The more aligned the SEL program iswith the district’s priorities, the more likely it is tobe sustained during times of budget and programcuts, and during staff reassignments and turnover.

How is SEL alignment achieved? First, reviewdistrict goals in the areas of student academic andpsychosocial development, and select programsthat at least do not contradict or conflict with thosegoals. Second, develop program goals that matchor complement district goals. Third, in implement-ing SEL programs, draw upon training resourcesprovided by the central office, including staff devel-opment and student development opportunities.

The Role of Home and SchoolCollaboration

G U I D E L I N E 2 1 ▼

When home and school collaborate closely toimplement SEL programs, students gain more andthe SEL program’s effects are most enduring andpervasive.

Rationale

The most important part of a young person’scommunity is the family. There is strong evidenceto suggest that when home and school collaborate,programs tend to have many more positive out-comes that last for longer periods of time (Haynesand Comer 1996, Walberg 1984). Students are morelikely to adopt positive standards if the standardsof school, home, and community are clear and con-sistent (Gottfredson, Gottfredson, and Hybl 1993;Hawkins, Catalano, et al. 1992). Therefore, manyeducators have discovered the benefits of bringingfamily members into the process of social and emo-

tional skill building with family homework assign-ments, letters describing current topics, invitationsto observe class lessons, and actual instruction onhow parents can use the techniques with their chil-dren. The impact is even greater if the same frame-work is used by family members, daycareproviders, clergy, local police officers, and recrea-tional supervisors.


Parents and guardians are often eager andwilling to participate in efforts which they perceiveto be in their children’s best interests. In selecting,introducing, and implementing SEL programs, par-ents and guardians should be informed of programgoals and program components as well as howthese elements are to be implemented. There

EXAMPLE 21APARENTS’ NIGHT

In Kentucky, a visit to the Child Development Pro-ject (CDP) showed us how the project incorpo-rates parent involvement through workshops.Tickets are donated from a local show and givenaway to parents who attend. On Family ScienceNights interactive displays in every classroom,developed by the children, engage their parents’interest. Another example is Read Aloud Nights.A CDP book is chosen, and after it is read to thewhole group, there is a dialogue between thekids and parents in small groups. After one ofthese nights, a dad told his child’s 4th gradeteacher that he “had not been read to in 20years.” Mary Beth Lykins gives her kindergartenstudents a take-home activity: “Ask your parents,What is the story of how I got my name?” Shesends home a worksheet, and then each childpresents his or her story to the class. The classapplauds after each one.


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should also be clearly defined roles for parents. In-volving parents in supportive roles, as well as mak-ing them active participants in planning andimplementing some SEL activities, is often helpfulin bridging the gap that sometimes exists betweenthe expectations of home and the demands ofschool (Meadows 1993). Specifically, parents andguardians may

• Serve with staff and students as members ofplanning and management teams to help identify,select, and develop SEL programs.

• Actively participate in programs designed toencourage parents and students to work togetheron specific projects.

• Serve as instructors or co-instructors withteachers and other parents for specific SEL curricu-lar components and activities.

• Provide logistical and material support in theform of fund-raising efforts and other material con-tributions that make SEL activities possible.

• Mentor individual students or groups ofstudents.

• Act as SEL liaisons to community groups andagencies, representing the interests of the schooland students, and gaining community support forSEL activities through creating newsletters andsponsoring SEL-related events.

Second Step, a popular prevention program, in-cludes take-home videotapes about the curriculumthat can be circulated among families. They demon-strate the program elements their children arelearning at school and show how the principlescan be used by parents at home. Teachers havebeen enthusiastic about this method of communi-cating with families who may not typically attendcurriculum nights (Ramsey and Beland, 1996).

Evening programs that bring together studentsand parents are also effective methods for expand-ing and reinforcing SEL instruction. The middleschool at Crossroads School for the Arts and Sci-ences in Santa Monica, California, invites parentsfor a “Life Skills Evening” early in the semester.

Parents meet with their child’s teacher for some in-troductory remarks about the curriculum andmethodology, and are then given an opportunity toexperience some of the same SEL methods theirchildren participate in. The teacher takes themthrough a playful warm-up exercise designed tohelp them feel comfortable and attentive. Then,they sample an approach their children are experi-encing: a sharing circle. Parents are asked: “Whatdo you find challenging about raising an 8thgrader, and what do you find is working well foryou?” They are given the right to pass, just as theirchildren are in their classrooms. Parents appreciatebeing able to both speak about and listen to an-swers to such questions—and learn that the sameis true for their children in SEL activities.

An added benefit of parent outreach is that itreduces parental opposition that sometimes ariseswhen parents are not aware of the content of SELprograms. A program with devoutly religious par-ents and educators showed that some had negativereactions to specific lesson titles; their reservationsdisappeared when they read the entire lesson. Oneparent, for example, was concerned by a lesson ti-tled “Self-Talk.” The lesson instructs students togather their resources in challenging circumstancesby telling themselves, “Calm down. I can handlethis.” After reading the lesson, the parent com-mented that he actually agreed with everything inthe lesson. “As a religious person, I would take itone step further in our school, and suggest thatchildren think of relevant scripture for inspira-tion.” Many parents are gratified to learn that SELprograms encourage students to consider familyrules and expectations when evaluating possiblesolutions to a problem. The way SEL programs im-prove academic learning is also of interest to mostparents (see Guideline 10).

Overall, benefits accrue when parents let theirchildren know through words and actions thatthey support an SEL program. In addition, thehome and school connection is strengthenedthrough the careful planning of SEL activities that


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students can practice at home with siblings andparents. The Social Development Research Projectfosters this aspect by having a Home-School Coor-dinator in its Seattle sites, serving as a bridge be-tween parents and teachers and betweenclassroom SEL lessons and desired home follow-through.

The Value of Securing CommunityInvolvement and Support

G U I D E L I N E 2 2 ▼

Adequate community involvement in and supportfor SEL programs enhances their effects.

Rationale

The school is part of the community in whichit is located and should be connected to the rest ofthe community in meaningful and helpful ways. Itis widely acknowledged that community involve-ment in, and support for, SEL programs is essentialfor these programs to be maximally successful. Theactions of the school are enhanced when it engagesthe wider community in its work of educating anddeveloping the community’s children.


A fundamental premise of the School Develop-ment Program and the “Comer Process” is thatschools must have some organized link to the restof the community. Ideally, these links include a par-ent-teacher organization, a school improvementteam that includes representation from the widercommunity, a representative on the school board, amental health team to address both normative andevent-triggered social and emotional issues, andmembership on a communitywide steering com-mittee. These various linkages provide the synergynecessary to ensure that SEL programs reflect the

skills, attitudes, and values that are priorities in thecommunity. Other means to engage the commu-nity include school newsletters and newspapers,mailed notices, public service announcements inthe media, public testimonies at meetings and pub-lic hearings, and openness to visits from commu-nity members.

The community can be involved in supportingthe school’s SEL program in several ways:

• Community agencies, businesses, and organi-zations can provide opportunities for students toparticipate in community-based projects in whichstudents learn and develop civic responsibility andaltruistic attitudes in providing service to others.

• Organizations can make financial and othermaterial resources available in sponsorship or sup-port of SEL programs.

• Community organizations may provideguest presenters to give special talks and lectures,and have mentors work with students and staff onSEL projects.

• Individuals in the community may volunteertime to assist with or complement the implementa-tion of SEL activities.

The Peacebuilders Program, based in Tucson,Arizona, arranges with the local news station tohave a two- to three-minute spot each week to pub-licly congratulate the district’s “Peacebuilders ofthe Week.” Also, the local cable access station pub-lishes their names, and local papers regularly coverprogram activities. For decades, the Primary Men-tal Health Project has used volunteers from thecommunities in its hundreds of sites to serve as tu-tors and companions to young elementary-schoolstudents at risk for poor socialization and aca-demic skills. Efforts at whole-community involve-ment can be assisted by including adultstakeholders in training opportunities. Daycareproviders, volunteer coaches, recreation workers,police officers, and parents have been trained inthe same social problem-solving approach that isused in schools in Somerville, Summit, andBerkeley Heights, New Jersey.


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Summary

Schools are not mere buildings. They are contextsthat impart important socialization messages tochildren. If they are inviting, empowering, nurtur-ing, and competence-enhancing, then the studentsin them will see themselves as important and be-lieve that their future matters. But that isn’t suffi-cient. Students also need the social and emotionalskills to handle the challenges of learning and liv-ing in modern society. When SEL programs impartthose skills in a context that’s supportive, in which

SEL programs are well coordinated and integratedinto the academic and social life of the school, stu-dents understand that these skills matter and canhelp them in all facets of life. The approach to SELselection, planning, and implementation should beinformed by the awareness that student empower-ment, school district support, home and school col-laboration, and community support and involve-ment increase the durability, longevity, and prob-ability of success for school programs in generaland SEL programs in particular.

EXAMPLE 22A BUILDING OUR FUTURE TOGETHER: SENIOR CITIZENS FILL AN EMOTIONAL VOID

Dr. John Conyers, Superintendent of Community Consolidated School District #15, serving eight municipalitiesin Northwestern Cook County (Illinois), encourages a number of initiatives in his schools that build social andemotional learning. But perhaps the most special of these involves senior citizens.

Senior Exchange gives residents over age 55 an opportunity to help the schools while alsoearning money to pay the portion of their property tax that supports District 15. . . . They work incomputer labs, resource centers, lunchrooms, school offices, and classrooms. . . . More than oneparticipant has told us that the opportunity to contribute has “saved my life.”

The Generations Exchange program finds more informal ways to bring senior citizens into the schools.A “Foster Grandparents program,” says Conyers, links unrelated children and seniors in a simulated grandpar-ent-grandchild relationship.” The idea came up when, on a Grandparents’ Day, educators realized how fewgrandparents the students had contact with. “Over the years,” Conyers continues, “this program has proven tobe a wonderful experience of love, sharing, and compassion for both kids and seniors.”

Other programs, like Computer Friends, have direct academic benefits. During a computer project involv-ing a simulated trek on the Oregon Trail, students wondered why their senior volunteer was giving them somany detailed suggestions. “One boy turned to her and demanded, “How do you know so much?” “My great-grandmother was on the Oregon Trail. . . . I have her letters about experiences during the trip.” Later sheshared the letters with the students.

—cf. Conyers (1996)


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Introducing and Sustaining Social andEmotional Education6

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER IS THE PROBLEM, NOTpioneering it. The technology and skills forteaching SEL are there. It’s just a matter ofimplementing them.

—A. Dirk HightowerPrimary Mental Health Project

Rochester, New York

Starting a new program—whether it is a lan-guage program, science program, or SEL pro-gram—can be exciting, but it is also difficult. Thesame is true when we change some proceduresand approaches from those traditionally used inour classroom or school. We wonder, what exactlyis this “innovation” supposed to look like? Howwill the students react? How will I or the other peo-ple carrying it out feel about it? How will it fit withother things being done?

There are many ways to think about thesequestions. We have tried, throughout this book, togive real, tangible examples, based on recent feed-back and experiences, to help readers get a sense ofthe look and feel of social and emotional skill-building activities. And in Appendix C, we providecontact information about sites that readers cancall and visit if they want to talk with people whoare actively implementing high-quality SEL pro-grams or if they want to see them in action.1

In this chapter, we present the most importantconsiderations in carrying out SEL programs inthree stages: selecting and piloting a program, ex-panding the program, and creating conditions thatensure long-term success.2 Later we also describeroadblocks and obstacles at each of these stages,along with specific examples of how to overcomethem.

Selecting and Starting a PilotProgram

G U I D E L I N E 2 3 ▼

In selecting a specific SEL program, educatorsmust consider identified local needs, goals, inter-ests, and mandates; staff skills; preexisting efforts;the nature of instructional procedures; the qualityof materials; the developmental appropriateness ofthe program; and its respect for diversity.

1Through CASEL, resource materials and, where available, video re-sources may be obtained that provide examples of programs in action orof techniques being used.

2We have focused on information derived from programs that have dem-onstrated their effects through research, and especially those operatingfor at least several years outside of a demonstration project context. Forspecific, detailed elaboration on the ideas in this chapter, see Hubermanand Miles (1984); Lippit et al. (1985); Hord et al. (1987); Zins (1992); Eliasand Clabby (1992); Hawkins, Catalano, et al. (1993); Consortium on theSchool-Based Promotion of Social Competence (1994); McElhaney (1995);and Miller, Brodine, and Miller (1996).

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Rationale

You should feel comfortable asking certainquestions about SEL approaches, whether they areprocedures for use in individual classrooms suchas The Responsive Classroom, programs targetedfor specific grade levels such as PATHS, or school-wide models such as the Child Development Pro-ject. It will be increasingly necessary to ask thesequestions because we anticipate a growing numberof slickly packaged, well-marketed efforts at build-ing students’ “emotional intelligence.” Most ofthese will be untested and provide inadequateguidance for clear implementation. Such programsare unlikely to endure or to produce genuine andgeneralizable skills gains, especially for studentswho are disadvantaged and may have learningdifficulties.


With the considerations just noted in mind,here is a set of questions to help guide your pro-gram selection:

• What is out there, and how does it match upwith what you already do, needs you have identi-fied, your goals, and staff skills needed to carry itout? Any program carried out only during a desig-nated “program time” is unlikely to have long-last-ing or far-reaching effects.

• How does the program or approach assumechildren learn and change? A theoretical frame-work gives educators a way of addressing particu-lar situations and needs not explicitly addressedby the program materials.

• How well targeted is it to the appropriate de-velopmental period(s)? Although it may seem obvi-ous that SEL efforts are more likely to be successfulwhen characterized by instruction that is appropri-ate to students’ developmental levels, too manyprograms overlook this consideration.

• What is the quality of the materials? Themost effective materials are clear, up-to-date, en-gaging, user-friendly, fun, and adequate in supplyor accessibility.

• How does the program address diversity, in-cluding cultural and learning differences? Diver-sity requires explicit consideration because of theincreasing heterogeneity of today’s classrooms. Adiverse SEL program is one that is sensitive, rele-vant, appropriate, and responsive with regard notonly to cultural matters, but also the ethnicity, gen-der, physical challenges, and socioeconomics of stu-dents served, as well as of the faculty and staffcarrying out the program. Its procedures go be-yond awareness to include an embracing and ap-preciation of differences (Banks 1992; Gager, Kress,and Elias 1996).

A special word should be said about preexist-ing SEL efforts. The most potent are current class-room and school rules and discipline systems.Others include the health/family life educationcurriculum and any other SEL programs in place(or those recently tried and discarded). These areall powerful forms of SEL instruction. Their impli-cations for selecting new SEL programs and plan-ning their implementation must be given extensivethought. There is no evidence of an SEL programthat has endured where it has not “fit” within itsschool or district, even if piloted successfully on ashort-term, limited basis.

G U I D E L I N E 2 4 ▼

SEL activities and programs are best introduced aspilot programs.

Rationale

Getting started is exciting, but it is also hard,even when enthusiasm and inspiration are our al-lies. A pilot program allows a school to start small.Veteran principal Tom Schuyler of New Jersey saysit best: “If a pilot works out well, great! You nowcan continue into a larger program. If the pilotdoesn’t work, it doesn’t mean the entire SEL ideahas to be thrown out. After all, it is just a pilot.


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Who would expect a great success the first timeout? We can learn from a pilot, and then we can pi-lot again.” Tom also points out that a pilot allowsimplementers to place less pressure on themselves.They have some room for miscues, false starts, andfinding their style.


Piloting doesn’t mean just getting started. Plan-ning is essential, because the seeds of future SEL ef-forts are being sown by what one does in thepresent. Veterans of successful pilots recommendthe following:

• Be focused on the positives, on what you haveto gain from doing this activity and the benefitsthat your efforts can bring to the children you careabout so much.

• Be clear about what you want to do. Articu-late a set of goals that are specific, reasonable, andmeasurable, using indicators that make sense toyou and your colleagues.

• Be prepared. Don’t jump into this effort lightly.Make sure you have the needed resources (finan-cial and otherwise), that you have done your home-work in planning for this effort, and that everyonewho needs to be on board is, in fact, on board.Clearly, an increasing amount of preparation isneeded as one’s efforts involve a larger number ofclassrooms or schools.

• Be predictable. The importance of regularityand predictability for students cannot be overesti-mated. Students tend to feel most comfortablewhen there is a regularly scheduled and adhered-to time for SEL activities. During periods in whichno formal instruction is planned, students benefitfrom regular reviews of SEL principles so theyknow that SEL ideas and skills still apply and arerelevant to their behavior.

• Be integrative and link the SEL effort withother subject areas, including at least one basic aca-

demic subject. This effort will help ensure that SELis not perceived as an add-on.

• Be ready to reinforce. Plan ways for specific ac-tivities or lessons to get extended and reinforcedbeyond their specific presentation. To enhance gen-eralization, incorporate strategies to change the en-vironment in which children function so that theculture encourages and rewards the use of newskills and promotes their generalization; this out-come is much more likely to happen with effortsthat occur during all or much of the school year.

Beyond these guidelines, there is great consen-sus that it is advantageous to have access to tangi-ble examples of successful efforts at building SELskills. Throughout this book and in Appendix C,we have tried to provide as many of these as possi-ble. In this section, the applications are largelycross-references to earlier examples. While far fromexhaustive, they provide starting and comparisonpoints for examining the ever-increasing volume ofmaterials being produced in this area.

Expanding the Pilot Program

Once you have shepherded a pilot project throughits initial run-through, you may well want to re-peat what you have done, just to get a better senseof it, improve it further, or tailor it to some popula-tion that you feel could have learned more.

This stage is one that relatively few programsreach. There are many reasons for this reality, in-cluding changes in key personnel, shifts in districtgoals, and failures to keep programs responsive tochanging student, educator, and community needs.Time and again, program expansion has appearedeasier than it actually is. Difficulties at this stagemay sabotage a promising beginning. Therefore,the guidelines for this section are strong statementsdesigned to prevent truly promising efforts fromself-destructing.

Introducing and Sustaining Social and Emotional Education

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G U I D E L I N E 2 5 ▼

Professional development and supervision are im-portant at all levels.

Rationale

Preparation and ongoing support for carryingout the program are best provided by well-prepared instructors who receive high-qualitysupervision and engage in ongoing staff develop-ment (e.g., coaching, supervision, mentoring, col-laboration, planning). Of special importance isprofessional development in the area of providinga safe environment in which children can expresstheir feelings. Administrators must be prepared tounderstand the program at all levels: to providesupport, coaching, and supervision; to participatein planning; and to seek out appropriate outsideguidance for the program.

G U I D E L I N E 2 6 ▼

Be clear about your planning process and yourview of how programs expand successfully in yoursetting.

Rationale

Expanding the program is easier when it isguided by a clear approach to planning, implemen-tation, management, and evaluation based on anunderlying theory or model of change, and whenadequate and ongoing administrative support isavailable. Identifying expectations and responsibili-ties for everyone involved, from parents and teach-ers’ aides to the superintendent and otheradministrators to community members is impor-tant. The school board has a role as program sup-porter and, perhaps, funds provider; cultivating itssupport should be a proactive task. Calhoun (1993)provides an excellent overview of an action re-

search model that teachers, principals, or districtadministrators can use to plan, monitor, and con-tinuously improve SEL efforts (see also Elias andClabby 1992, Kelly 1987, Kusche and Greenberg1994).

G U I D E L I N E 2 7 ▼

An SEL program or approach that addresses awide range of life skills and problem prevention ar-eas tends to have the most impact.

Rationale

For a program to take hold beyond the pilotstage, it must be linked with an array of skills, con-cerns, and specific topics that educators believe stu-dents must master. An SEL approach that serves asan umbrella for related issues within a commonframework is most likely to be seen as useful andtherefore accepted more broadly. ComprehensiveSEL efforts

• Integrate and incorporate cognitive, affective,and behavioral skills.

• Reflect a coherent set of attitudes and valuesapplicable to a variety of situations.

• Address specific topics, such as alcohol, to-bacco, drugs, violence, and AIDS.

• Address generic topics, such as problemsolving, social skills, stress management, andcommunication skills.

G U I D E L I N E 2 8 ▼

Allow the necessary time and support for the pro-gram to strengthen and grow.

Rationale

People tend to rush into implementation or totry to share materials or in other ways cut corners


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EXAMPLE 25ATHE IMPORTANCE OF ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT: ADVICE FROM LEADERS OFSITE-VISITED PROGRAMS

The teachers are quick to say that the students’ problems are from the parents—but they really have to realizethat they make such a difference in just being a good teacher to these kids—it is almost like being a surrogateparent. We want to make sure the teachers are teaching in the very best ways with the very best skills in orderto effectively build that protective environment for kids. That protective environment can prevent those thingsleading to delinquency and drop out.

—Kevin HaggertySocial Development Research Group

An SEL program like PMHP [Primary Mental Health Program] is a constant growth cycle for everyone involved.You constantly have to nurture and validate. If you don’t do that, the effectiveness will slip away.

—William HaffeyMonroe County, New York,

Board of Cooperative ServicesPrimary Mental Health Program

The challenge of institutionalizing SEL programs in the schools is that there is the problem of adult learners,where it is difficult for them to immediately embrace the new teaching methods of SEL. The administration hasto motivate the whole staff over a long period of time. They have to talk with the teachers, [show] that it is a de-velopmental process to take some risks and let down some control in the classroom.

—Darlene DeMattia, PrincipalWatsessing School, Bloomfield, New Jersey,Social Decision Making and Problem Solving

An SEL program needs to grow with the changes of the society around it. It is good to provide ongoing educa-tion in order to promote constant development. It is not necessary to change the program, but the people in-volved in implementing the program need to adjust to new problems that develop. You have to keepprogressing.

—Karen Bachelder, Executive DirectorCommittee for Children

Seattle, Washington


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as a program expands. These actions are theequivalent of withholding water from a newly sod-ded lawn. For programs to take hold, a few condi-tions are essential:

• Sufficient time must be allocated to deliverthe program on a consistent and frequent basis andto coordinate efforts.

• Adequate materials must be available.• Organizational support must be provided.• The teaching of the program must cover all

or much of the school year.• Implementation must span multiple years

without gaps in instruction.

G U I D E L I N E 2 9 ▼

Systematically involving students who are receiv-ing special education helps build a cohesive pro-gram climate and increases generalization oflearned skills to situations students encounter indaily living.

EXAMPLE 25BHAVING REGARD FOR ONE’S PROFESSIONALINTEGRITY

On the wall in a staff lounge in a Jewish DaySchool where SEL is taught:

Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua taught: Thedignity of your student should be asprecious to you as your own. The dig-nity of your colleague should be asprecious to you as your reverence foryour teacher. The reverence for yourteacher should be as great as yourreverence for God.

—Pirke Avot, “Ethics of the Fathers,” Chapter 4, Verse 15

This wisdom dates back many centuries andshows that from a high regard for one’s own pro-fessional integrity, benefits flow to one’s col-leagues, mentors, and students—and to oneself.

EXAMPLE 26APRINCIPLES TO GUIDE SEL PROGRAMDEVELOPMENT

James Kelly’s (1987) social-ecological approachhas been used by many schools to implementprograms to improve students’ social and emo-tional well-being. Here are Kelly’s principles toguide program development:

1. People, settings, and events are resources forprogram development. 2. Resources must be identified and carefullyused. 3. Emphasize the activating qualities of people,settings, and events. 4. Coping and adaptation are the dominantmeans of growth and change. 5. Systemic events and processes must beunderstood. 6. Consider how people and settings are in dy-namic interaction. 7. Assess people, settings, and events over time. 8. Programs succeed as relationships areformed. 9. Attend to any side effects of establishing aprogram.10. Program development is a flexible, improvisa-tional process.


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Rationale

A classroom or a school is a community. Whenindividuals are excluded, intentionally or not, thecommunity is diminished. On the other hand,when ways can be found to involve all members of a community, everyone gains. In essence, thegroup’s “emotional quotient”—its EQ—risesdramatically.

Students who are disadvantaged are the leastwell equipped to navigate and somehow reconcileloopholes and gaps in the instruction they receive.Continuity is important. Therefore, SEL should beprovided consistently to students in special educa-tion, either in inclusive or self-contained class-rooms, as is most appropriate. Where needed,additional skill development opportunities can beprovided (see Guidelines 11 and 12).

Relevance for Long-TermImplementation

How long is “long-term implementation” of a par-ticular program? The answer is something lessthan a lifetime but greater than two or three years.It is well recognized that once an innovation is in-troduced, it typically requires 18 months to threeyears (depending on the innovation’s complexity)for all parties to understand, adapt, and own it(Hord, Rutherford, Huling-Austin, and Hall 1987).

The following guidelines apply in particular tocreating enduring efforts to promote SEL. Theybuild on successful attainment of the guidelinespresented up to this point. But the concept here isdynamic, rather than static. What a program is ac-complishing, what its goals are, and what exactlythe program needs to consist of are matters thatmerit frequent reconsideration, in what we call a spirit of continuous improvement. Sometimes thismeans that an innovation can no longer be modi-fied sufficiently to reach desired goals. In that case,another innovation may be needed.

G U I D E L I N E 3 0 ▼

To foster long-term commitment, it is helpful tohave a designated program coordinator, social de-velopment facilitator, or a social and emotional de-velopment committee. Committees typically areresponsible for seeing that the various activitiesneeded to effectively meet program goals are car-ried out. They monitor SEL-related efforts insideand outside the school.

G U I D E L I N E 3 1 ▼

Long-lasting SEL programs are highly visible andrecognized. These programs “act proud” and arenot “snuck in” or carried out on unofficially “bor-rowed” time. They do not act in opposition toschool or district goals, but rather are integral tothese goals.

G U I D E L I N E 3 2 ▼

Effective SEL approaches use portfolios, exhibi-tions, fairs, group presentations, and print andelectronic media both inside and outside of schoolto invite participation and encourage the involve-ment and commitment of the larger community. Byusing a variety of approaches, SEL programs ex-tend the reach of the program beyond formalschool and classroom settings, and reach out tobring others in.

G U I D E L I N E 3 3 ▼

The longer a program is in place, the more it willhave to be adapted to changing circumstances. Im-plementation must be monitored and the program’soutcomes evaluated regularly.


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Rationale, Implications, and Applicationsfor Guidelines 30–33

In the school, coordination requires that SEL ef-forts be linked explicitly to any school health/fam-ily life education program; to special services,whether for at-risk or classified youngsters; and toany relevant local, state, and federal policies (suchas Family Life Education, Safe and Drug FreeSchools and Communities, or Workplace Readi-ness legislation). An individual or group needs tohave clear responsibility and authority for ensur-

ing that this coordination takes place.Another responsibility includes any gradual

but systematic plans to expand SEL efforts and in-form others about them, an activity associated withprogram longevity. Typically, this endeavor first in-volves sharing and discussion within a grade level,then with adjacent grade levels, next with otherschools, and finally at the district level. At thesame time, parallel discussions are held with par-ents and the community to ensure that they under-stand the nature of the social and emotionallearning that is occurring. The key concept is that

EXAMPLE 30ATHE RESPONSIBILITIES OF A SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

At the Children’s Institute—a private school in Livingston, New Jersey, that specializes in working with studentswho are emotionally disturbed and display conduct disordered behavior—the role of Social Development Coor-dinator was created to bring together SEL efforts in the school. These included Social Decision Making andProblem Solving, Skillstreaming, a problem solving/crisis intervention room, infusion of social decision makinginto academics, and social skills groups run by the social work staff. The Coordinator provided this summary ofher role:

1. Organize and implement structural framework of the schoolwide program:• convene, organize Social Development • maintain chart of skills being worked on across

Committee classes• schedule and chair staff sharing meetings • maintain lesson binders• coordinate and share classroom schedules • encourage schoolwide use of posters with

terminology

2. Train new and current staff members:• orientation and follow-up • advanced SPS workshops and collaborations• learn from one another

3. Extend the program into the children’s homes:• parent workshops • learn-a-thon• information booklets • Children’s Institute Social Development newspapers• host a Social Development Day (staff, students)

4. Motivate staff:• minimize paperwork • implement program in existing curriculum areas• keep exciting materials available • get them involved


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of a gradual but systematic sharing of informationand opportunities to become involved in the effort.It includes providing tangible examples of SEL ac-tivities and applications for school personnel,school board members, parents, and other commu-nity members to see. Increasingly, print and elec-tronic newsletters and Web sites will contribute tothese efforts.

A retired school principal in New Jersey withnearly two decades of experience implementing so-

cial and emotional learning programs was initiallyresistant to any kind of program evaluation. Heeventually embraced it, stating that we have anethical responsibility to be clear about the indica-tors we believe will reflect the impact of programs,expected implementation actions, and boundaries,past which program tampering, bending, and ero-sion will undermine its integrity. He believes thatthese considerations are as vital for the individualclassroom teacher as they are for grade-level, build-

EXAMPLE 31AINSTITUTIONALIZING SEL PROGRAMS

Many programs focus exclusively on academic achievement. We attempt first to create a school climate thatpermits parents and staff to support the overall development of all children in a way that makes academicachievement and desirable social behavior at an acceptable level both possible and expected. We believe thatsuch an approach has a much greater potential for improving students’ chances of achieving school success, de-creasing their likelihood of being involved in problem behaviors, and increasing their chances for life success.

The School Development Program is not a “quick fix,” nor is it an “add on.” It is not just another new activ-ity to be carried out along with the other experiments and activities already under way in a school. It is a nine-element process model—three mechanisms, three operations, three guiding principles—that takes significanttime, commitment, and energy to implement. It is a different way of conceptualizing and working in schoolsand completely replaces traditional organization and management. All of the activities in a school are managedthrough the school development process. And most important, the SDP produces desirable outcomes only af-ter a cooperative and collaborative spirit exists throughout a school.

—James ComerSchool Development Program

New Haven, Connecticut

There is another issue—time. People want to see change within a two- to three-year period because that ishow long board members at the top hold their positions. Administrators should have a much longer perspec-tive. It might actually take seven to ten years to integrate programs.

—A. Dirk Hightower, DirectorPrimary Mental Health Project

You can have the best program in the world, but if teachers cannot teach it well, then what do you have? Thereis a need for constant revision, and the capacity as an organization to do so involves ongoing expense and com-mitment to better the program. You must support it, revise it, and pay attention to ongoing quality, to evaluateand change the program. People overestimate the simplicity of this.

—Karen Bachelder, Executive DirectorCommittee for Children

Seattle, Washington


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ing, or districtwide program implementation. (SeeChapter 7 for a full discussion of the importance ofevaluation.)

Anticipating and OvercomingObstacles and Roadblocks

That same New Jersey principal, like so many effec-tive administrators and teachers, spoke of the needto “always have your antennae out there, so youcan find out about the early signs of trouble. Youalso need people whom you can trust who will letyou know what is really going on.” To formalizethis concern, we introduce Guideline 34.

G U I D E L I N E 3 4 ▼

Persistence and commitment are essential to over-coming obstacles that may hinder start-up of theSEL program and snarl the implementation. Be-cause problem solving involves the modeling of theskills that educators are trying to teach students,the process of resolving issues contributes greatlyto the effectiveness of SEL efforts.

Rationale

There is no innovation without bumps in theroad. Likewise, there is no learning without a bit ofchallenge and struggle. All of the programs drawnupon in this book have been modified in the lightof experience. Programs are always adapted to fitlocal conditions—usually in response to a particu-lar problem or shortcoming.

Nevertheless, the process of encountering andhandling these difficulties can be daunting. Onemight be tempted to wonder if the cure is actuallyworse than the sickness. Keep in mind that youwill not be the first to travel this challenging road.To the extent possible, we provide here a bit of aroad map to help you see the twists and turns androadblocks likely to appear on your journey. For

this purpose, we draw upon a list of obstacles fromtwo recent surveys of practitioners of SEL pro-grams, both of which are available elsewhere formore in-depth study. The first (Elias 1993) includedteachers, administrators, school psychologists,guidance counselors, special educators, parent edu-cators, and mental health professionals with yearsof experience implementing SEL programs. Thesecond was the result of a series of ethnographicon-site visits of established SEL programs, carriedout by three on-site visitors and a support team atRutgers University from September to December1996 (Elias, Bruene-Butler, Blum, and Schuyler1997; Appendix C lists the programs visited).

Many concerns about carrying out SEL activi-ties were raised. Some questions were of a skepti-cal nature; others reflected hesitation about takingon this type of work. Some questions addressed nu-ances in instruction or program administration;others reflected the need to constantly refine andimprove procedures for reaching the students mostat-risk of failure. In all cases, the message wasclear: Once one is committed to the idea thatschools must provide, as part of their mission, theconditions that will promote knowledgeable, re-sponsible, and caring children—with the social andemotional intelligence needed to fill a variety ofcritical life roles—then addressing obstacles be-comes a question of not “if” but “how.”


The guidelines, of course, have been devel-oped to anticipate many obstacles. Anticipate, how-ever, does not mean, eliminate. In walking the pathto implementing long-term efforts for building stu-dents’ social and emotional skills, we will inevita-bly encounter rough weather, bumpy roads, andconfusing signs. The obstacles and roadblocks thatone is likely to encounter, however, have beenfairly well mapped and can be organized into sev-eral categories. Within each, we have grouped themain concerns that emerged in the two surveys.


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1. Those concerns most likely to arise, espe-cially in the beginning, and which most SEL pro-grams have dealt with effectively.

• “This is no different from character educa-tion. Why do we need this?”

• “Won’t this take time away from importantacademics?”

• “Schools shouldn’t be doing this.”• “We already have plenty of programs in self-

esteem, drug prevention, smoking prevention, andmore. We don’t need anything else.”

• “How does SEL fit in with block scheduling?”• “We need decent materials, and they are too

expensive; we will have to cut back or share.”• “I would rather not do this; this is what

school psychologists, counselors, or therapists do.”• “This will take time away from activities that

will boost test scores.”

The key to dealing with these obstacles is to ad-dress them openly but intelligently. These make upthe most basic set of concerns, and numerous teach-ers and administrators have worked past them.None is insurmountable. For example, SEL clearlycomplements academics; the thousands of educa-tors who implement SEL in the school are neithercrazed nor professionally suicidal. They work inpublic and private schools and are cognizant of theneed to have children develop their intellectualskills. Intelligent preparation means that those em-barking on SEL efforts need to have contact withthose who have been through the stormy weatherand survived. How did they do it? The closer theirsituation is to yours, the more comfortable you can feel with the solutions. But do not try to pilotwithout addressing these obstacles, or you invitesabotage.

2. The questions that seemed difficult or mostfeared at the beginning, but that rarely emerge inreality and, when they do, can be handled withminimal difficulty.

• “This is a way of inculcating the child withnew-age values.”

• “Teaching values belongs in the home.”• “We shouldn’t devote time to building self-

esteem.”• “This will compromise family privacy.”• “This cannot work because of increasing

numbers of students exhibiting aggression, unkind-ness, and other troublesome behavior patterns.”

• “Some kids just will not get it—then whatwill we do?”

• “There is a lack of parent follow-up at hometo support in-school learning, so it cannot work.”

• “What do I do when a student brings up sen-sitive personal or family material in a classroom orgroup discussion?”

Here, the words of Franklin Roosevelt andHarry Truman are useful: “We have nothing to fearbut fear itself” and “The buck stops here.” Fear ofthese obstacles has paralyzed many educators. SELmust work in the context of shared values and bevisibly focused on the goals of promoting chil-dren’s social and emotional skills, ensuring healthydevelopment, and preparing students for life asfamily and community members, active citizens,and productive members of workplaces—includ-ing the school. Educators must work toward thesegoals. There is room for dialogue about how to doso. Beginning a pilot program and making modifi-cations often provide a concrete, action-oriented fo-cus for such dialogues.

Here again, intelligent preparation will help.SEL loses ground whenever any poorly con-structed and inadequately implemented programwithout a theoretical and empirical base is carriedout and fails. The bandwagon for building emo-tional intelligence is still gathering momentum,and much of the force behind it is economic. TheSEL programs in this book hold family values andprivacy in a cherished position (but not an isolatedone); they are committed, in Robert Slavin’s terms,to find “success for all”; and they recognize that incertain circumstances SEL will need to be taught ef-fectively without active home collaboration. Sadly,for some students home collaboration is not even


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an option. When the subject is SEL, not reaching astudent means that the student is at high risk fordangerous interpersonal consequences. In a spiritof continuous improvement, there must be a com-mitment to using the problem-solving skills of SELto address these obstacles if and when they occur.Others have done so successfully. Sometimes dan-gerous curves are not so bad when one drivesslowly, uses caution, and chooses a safe and well-maintained vehicle.

3. Questions or comments that pose the great-est problems and require continuous commit-ment to overcome include the following:

• Unrealistic expectations—for the timeneeded for student skill development; for institu-tionalizing SEL; for the existence of a magic bulletor inoculationist approach; for the need to adapt toongoing change in students, staff, the community,and therefore in SEL efforts.

• Turnover in both teaching staff and admini-stration, and concerns about how to continue totrain everyone who needs to be trained, especiallyafter the initial kickoff.

• Fears that the program won’t continue whenexternal support is withdrawn or the politicalwinds change.

• The current mandated curriculum exceedsclassroom time.

• Problems with current staff developmentmodels, how to provide ongoing support to imple-menters, lack of educator training in areas of pre-vention and SEL.

• Rushing to judgment about a program, cut-ting corners, not documenting.

These complex issues are the lot of those com-mitted to building students’ social and emotionalskills. The best solution is to network with otherimplementers and mutually solve problems. Al-though these are not problems for which “set” solu-tions can be reached, they are not uncommon foranyone working with a comprehensive or schoolwideprogram. Once education becomes explicitly inter-

dependent across grade levels and buildings, obsta-cles become magnified, and good emotional regula-tion, self-calming, stress management, and creativeproblem-solving skills—the skills we want our chil-dren to develop—become essential. In many SELtraining programs, these issues would be treatedas part of “advanced” training. Indeed, they maylook a bit difficult. Once you have gotten farenough down the road to encounter them, you arelikely to have accumulated the savvy to navigatepast them.

Summary

As you embark on the implementation process, itis important to remember that you are not the firstclassroom, school, or district to make this journey.Learn from other implementation sites. Implemen-tation issues tend to be similar across different pro-grams, so there are a wide variety of sites toconsult. Appendix C contains a list of some that arewilling to be contacted. CASEL maintains a cumu-lative database of new programs and sites as wellas those that no longer function actively. Look for asite that is geographically close and that has goalsand implementation conditions similar to yourown.

During these difficult times, it may be helpfulto draw on the perspective of a school thatadopted the SEL-related school theme “To Be orNot To Be.” Staff and students emphasized havingthe courage to pursue cherished goals for oneselfand others and the competence to do so effectively.The school’s motto embodied this theme: “If I amnot for me, who will be? If I am for myself alone,what am I? And if not now, when?” This wisdomfrom the ancient sage, Hillel, and the idea of cour-age emphasized as a goal can help propel us pastbarriers large and small. We must have the courageand commitment to work continuously and act tomeet the developmental needs of all children.


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Evaluating the Success of Social andEmotional Learning7

WHETHER YOUR SEL PROGRAM INVOLVES ONE CLASS-

room or several schools, you must determine fromthe start how you will evaluate the program. Whenthe program is carefully planned, evaluation typi-cally isn’t a problem, but schools that are directedto set up programs on short notice may, in theirhaste to show they have a program, neglect to planfor evaluation. Nevertheless, the public will wantto know how the program is working. Public con-cern about accountability is growing; everyone rec-ognizes that resources are too limited to apply toprograms that do not produce good results. Youmust carefully specify the outcomes you want fromyour activities, and then examine the relationshipbetween the desired outcomes and those actuallyattained. By making needed adjustments along theway, you can be confident the program really iseffective.

Evaluation begins when a program is initiallybeing developed, with identification of goals andmethods for documenting program activities. Itcontinues as long as the program is in use. Each ofthe authors of this book has had the experience ofbeing asked to help evaluate an SEL program as itwas winding down because the school needed anevaluation report. This sort of evaluation rarely re-sults in learning how to maximize what a programcan do to benefit children (Linney and Wanders-man 1996). Rather, evaluation begins with a com-mitment to being reflective.

The Reflective Educator

More and more educators are embracing the ideaof the “reflective educator” (Brubacher, Case, andReagan 1994) or the “scientist practitioner” (Bar-low, Hayes, and Nelson 1984). Reflective educatorscarefully examine their own and others’ profes-sional practice, and engage in school-based actionresearch with fellow “researcher-teachers” (Cal-houn 1993, Johnson 1993). Essentially, what thismeans is that if we want to improve our profes-sional practices, we must think carefully aboutwhat is taking place in a given situation, correctlyidentify the options available through an analyticalprocess, and make conscious choices about how toact. “Reflective educators are constantly testing theassumptions and inferences they have made abouttheir work as teachers” (Brubacher et al. 1994, p.131). As educators, we are required to make numer-ous decisions every day about how to act. Ourskills in simultaneously reflecting, analyzing situ-ations, making judgments, and acting determinehow successfully we handle the challenges associ-ated with educating young people.

Many studies have found educators to be morereactive than reflective, however (Brubacher et al.1994). Our experience is that educators and schoolscaught up in a reactive cycle rarely escape andseem to always be playing what a New Jersey prin-cipal colorfully calls “catch-up,” “putting out

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fires,” and “being on roller skates trying to plug upleaks in the dike.” These are not the reasons whymost of us went into the education field. Reflectivepractice and a commitment to knowing genuinelyand continuously the effects of our actions canbreak the reactive cycle.

Most effective educators take pride in beingable to justify their decisions and actions in theclassroom—that is, providing solid and defensiblereasons for their course of action (Calhoun 1993,Hamm 1989). Such reasons are based on well-conceived frameworks (as discussed in Chapter 4),ideas from research, and the collective experienceof the teachers in that school or district. Indeed,evaluation data from a school’s SEL program canprovide focused direction about the next appropri-ate course of action. Efforts to improve SEL andother aspects of schooling will benefit from ouradopting reflective approaches to professionalpractice.

Creating a Culture That SupportsReflection and Inquiry

Chapter 5 emphasized the importance of schoolculture in promoting SEL. Similarly, this culturealso significantly influences the value placed on re-flection and inquiry (Zins, Travis, and Freppon1997). Schools that exemplify a culture of inquiryhave teachers, administrators, and others who col-laboratively seek to better understand and therebyimprove the educational experience (Brubacher etal. 1994, Johnson 1993). In such settings, ideas suchas SEL are emphasized, and the evaluation of pro-grams is considered important.

Administrative support is a key to estab-lishing such a culture. Words must be backed upby actions. Administrators must encourage teach-ers to trust, to be intellectually curious, to share, toraise questions, to be open to challenge, to providemutual support, and to express doubt—and theymust give teachers the time to do so, and ample

freedom to try new actions based on these efforts.Administrators should also model such behaviorsthemselves. Establishing and maintaining produc-tive working relationships is critical if educatorsare to examine current practices, modify them asnecessary, and discard less effective ones. Unfortu-nately, the organizational structure of most schoolstends to keep staff isolated from one another,which in turn limits their opportunities for mutualsupport, reflection, and collaboration.

There are a number of ways for schools to en-courage collegial support. Most involve changingschool culture and organizational structures so thatmore interactions occur within and across gradesand schools. Approaches that give teachers oppor-tunities to discuss, think about, and try new prac-tices allow them to enter new roles like peer coachor teacher researcher, or use new organizationalstructures like decision-making teams or site-basedmanagement (Lieberman 1995). For example, peersupport groups involve having a small number ofprofessionals with similar areas of interest meetregularly to learn from one another, solve prob-lems, and provide support for professional devel-opment activities. An atmosphere of trust andsupport is established so that members help oneanother with professional problems, learn newideas, and deal with stress, isolation, and burnout(Zins, Maher, Murphy, and Wess 1988). They like-wise promote a culture of inquiry and reflectivepractice. Consequently, these teachers “are neversatisfied that they have all the answers. By continu-ally seeking new information, participants con-stantly challenge their own practices andassumptions. In the process, new dilemmas surfaceand teachers initiate a new cycle of planning, act-ing, observing, and reflecting” (Ross, Bondy, andKyle 1993, p. 337).

A culture that supports reflection and inquirydoesn’t necessarily require new resources; it re-quires staff and administration to look at the cur-rent resources in a new light and redirect them tomeet new goals.


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First Steps

Where do we begin? It is this question that paralyzesmany educators and keeps them from taking thefirst step in deciding how to evaluate their SEL pro-grams. Educators are very familiar with estab-lishing immediate and long-term objectives foracademic programs and can use this knowledge tohelp them do the same for SEL programs, whichdo have specific long-term goals, such as the devel-opment of citizens who are productive, knowledge-able, responsible, caring, contributing, nonviolent,and healthy members of society. It is usually neces-sary, however, to focus on intermediate objectives,such as learning skills for social problem solving,conflict resolution, self-control, and respect for oth-ers, to document that an SEL program is on theright track. By so doing, we learn ways to modifythe procedures as the program continues, as eventhe best program will likely need some fine-tuningto meet the needs of the community.

G U I D E L I N E 3 5 ▼

SEL programs have clear implementation criteriaand are monitored to ensure that the programs arecarried out as planned.

Rationale

After an SEL program has been selected, thenext step is to monitor the implementation processto track how it is actually carried out: Is the SELprogram really being taught? By how many teach-ers? In how many schools? Are nonteaching staffusing SEL program strategies? All of us are famil-iar with well-designed programs that never beginor that, once started, look a lot different than every-one thought they would.

The next question is whether instruction is be-ing carried out in the manner planned. Too often,we have observed, people conclude that a programis not working, when in fact its shortcomings stem

from how the program is being presented by teach-ers and other staff. Too often, the effective instruc-tional methods described in Chapter 4 are omittedor deemphasized in the interests of time.

There are many legitimate reasons why teach-ers may make significant changes in program con-tent; however, when carefully planned activitiesare modified to such an extent that they no longerresemble the original program, the goals and objec-tives of the program should be reexamined to see ifthey are still relevant.


Instead of dropping programs when they donot meet expectations, it might be preferable to in-vestigate why. For instance, we may find that pro-gram activities are unclear, teachers are uncom-fortable with the teaching methods, insufficienttime has been allotted, or insufficient supervisionor coaching has been provided. The program itselfmay not be at fault.

When program implementation is separatedinto the following steps, it can be made quite man-ageable: (a) identify the core elements of the in-structional program and (b) develop a mechanismfor determining that they are being carried out cor-rectly. To illustrate, a specific lesson on using self-control as an alternative to aggression may consistof the following steps (McGinnis and Goldstein1984, p. 145):

1. Stop and count to 10.2. Think of how your body feels.3. Think about your choices: a. Walk away for now. b. Do a relaxation exercise. c. Write about how you feel. d. Talk to someone about it.4. Act out your best choice.

A teacher could easily check off these steps asthey are taught. As a result, we would have someevidence that these specific skills were covered. Ifone or more steps are skipped, we can determine

Evaluating the Success of Social and Emotional Learning

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whether additional needs like time, resources,training, or support teachers might help. A similarapproach can be used with other skills. Relatedly,notations can be made to indicate the extent towhich students appear to have learned the skills be-ing taught.

On a broader level, a questionnaire can be con-structed regarding the overall implementationprocess. For example, one form used as a vehiclefor reflecting on social problem-solving instructionfollows this outline (Elias and Tobias 1996):

• What reactions did students have to this ses-sion (for whom was it most/least effective)?

• What were the most effective or favorable as-pects of this session?

• What were the least effective or favorable as-pects of this session?

• Describe implementation issues that requiredyour attention.

• List the points that need to be followed up inthe next class meeting.

• What are some suggested changes in this les-son/activity for the future?

Such information is gathered after each activ-ity or instructional unit. Outcomes of programscan be assessed meaningfully once we know whatinstruction was provided, and its nuances.

G U I D E L I N E 3 6 ▼

Effective SEL programs are monitored and evalu-ated regularly using systematic procedures andmultiple indicators.

Rationale

Evaluation must be seen as an essential compo-nent of the program, not an add-on. It is most help-ful when it proceeds in a step-by-step manner.Therefore, after documenting that the planned SELactivities took place, the next step is to determinetheir effects or outcomes. Contrary to the fears of

some, the purpose here is not to assess an individ-ual teacher’s competence or personal performance.Rather, the intent is to answer questions about SELinstructional outcomes based on more than just in-tuition and anecdotal reports.


In conducting an evaluation of your SEL pro-gram, a number of questions can be raised (whichof course may vary depending on whether you area teacher, principal, or superintendent):

• What are the goals for SEL in my classroom,school, or district? Are they clearly specified?

• What evidence do we have that we are mak-ing progress toward reaching our SEL goals?

• In what way are parents involved in SEL inmy classroom, school, or district?

• Are lessons presented with enthusiasm andclarity?

• How does the teacher model the skills out-side the lesson?

More specifically, teachers may want to knowhow well individual students are mastering spe-cific knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Or they maywant to know whether students are applying whatthey learn in the classroom in other settings, suchas hallways, assemblies, and the playground.

For a principal, it may be important to knowwhat is being done outside the classroom to pro-mote SEL, such as in clubs, on the playground, andthrough sports. How well are staff prepared forbuilding students’ SEL? Is there adequate adminis-trative support for teachers? Superintendents mayask how SEL efforts are coordinated within the cur-riculum, across grades, and across schools, orabout the long-term effects of SEL activities. Theywill also want to examine school policies and statecurriculum standards to see how they are compat-ible with and supportive of the program. And theywill want to know if the SEL efforts are comprehen-sive, coordinated, and integrated (characteristics as-sociated with effectiveness, as noted in Chapters 3


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and 4). Each of these issues illustrates, from differ-ent perspectives, how to determine whether a pro-gram is working.

An example of a user-friendly approach thataddresses the issues raised above was developedby Linney and Wandersman (1991) in their Preven-tion Plus III model. Their manual describes the pro-

cedures to follow in a straightforward manner. Ex-ample 36A illustrates the four steps using a pro-gram directed toward the development of peer andsocial relationships. As you can see, the systematicprocess outlined helped ensure that important pro-gram components were examined.

EXAMPLE 36APREVENTION PLUS III MODEL

Step 1. Identify Goals and Desired Outcomes A. What are the primary goals of the program?

Example: Learning to choose friends, develop peer leadership skills, deal with conflict among friends, rec-ognize and accept alternatives to aggression and violence.

B. What groups were you trying to reach?Example: All students in middle/junior high school.

C. What outcomes were desired or what did you hope to accomplish?Example: Increased interpersonal interactions, greater confidence in one’s decision-making skills, moreprosocial caring behaviors, and less interpersonal conflict.

Step 2. Assess What Was Done During the ProgramA. What activities were planned?

Example: Role-playing exercises involving asking a friend to go to a football game.

B. When was the program actually implemented and who were the participants?Example: Taught during the group guidance period at the beginning of each day during the third and fourthweeks of the first quarter.

C. How did participants evaluate the activities?Example: Reported that the exercise was realistic and easy to follow.

D. What feedback can be used to improve the program for the future?Example: More time should be devoted to the activity so other situations can be discussed.

Step 3. Assess Immediate Effects of the ProgramDescribe what changes have occurred based on the desired outcomes, evidence that the outcome was accom-plished (using before and after scores), and amount of change.

Example: Students mastered the eight steps of the role-playing activity with an average of 95 percentaccuracy.

Step 4. Assess Ultimate Program Effects Describe whether the ultimate goals and outcomes have been attained.

Example: Student logs indicated that there was an increase since the second week of school until the pre-sent in the average number of student interactions outside the school from 1.3 to 1.8 per week.


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G U I D E L I N E 3 7 ▼

SEL programs have clear outcome criteria withspecific indicators of impact identified and out-come information gathered from multiple sources.

Rationale

Vague goals are nearly impossible to quantify(or to reach). When outcome criteria are specifiedclearly, however, it is usually easy to determinewhether they have been attained. Because a majorfocus of SEL is the application of skills in a varietyof settings, it is important to gather outcome datafrom different people and contexts.

Assessing the effects of SEL can be challenging,involving as they do unaccustomed outcomes suchas social problem solving, interpersonal interac-tions, and cooperation. Moreover, these skills areto be demonstrated in the real world in various set-tings. Changes in student behavior must be ob-served and factors affecting their learningexamined. Usually, observable results don’t appearfor quite some time, as research consistently indi-cates that, despite our impatience, it usually takestwo to three years for a curriculum innovation tobegin to be implemented in a reliably impactfulmanner (Hord et al. 1987).


As noted earlier, outcome evaluation begins byclarifying the goals of a program. What do wewant students to get from the SEL instruction? Themost effective programs specify cognitive, affec-tive, and behavioral skills, attitudes, and valuesthat they want students to attain. As you will recallfrom Chapter 3, essential components of a compre-hensive SEL program include an awareness of feel-ings (self-control, knowing the relationshipbetween feelings and reactions); decision making(problem awareness, planning, considering conse-quences); character (honesty, motivation, persist-ence); management of feelings (anger manage-

ment, self-calming); self-concept (feeling likable,self-confidence); communications (listening, follow-ing directions); group dynamics (peer resistance,leadership skills); and relationship skills (sensitiv-ity to others, caring). The ultimate success mightbe defined as helping students become productive,contributing, nonviolent, healthy citizens. They areinvolved community members, effective workers,responsible family members, and lifelong learnerswho exhibit intrapersonal intelligence, generosity,mastery, belonging, and independence.

You will also want to examine the school cli-mate (discussed in Chapter 5) to ensure that it is asafe and caring environment where children trusttheir peers and teachers. As these goals becomeclearly identified, specific, and measurable, theywill be more useful. A detailed listing of SEL Cur-riculum, Instructional, Implementation, and Evalu-ation Issues is shown in Example 37A.

Information about the program can be gath-ered from a number of relevant constituencies. Forexample, using the approach used to assess socialproblem solving, information about implementa-tion could be obtained by observers or implemen-ters (teachers). We have asked students for theiropinions about activities (e.g., whether they likedthem, what was best about them, what should bechanged, whether they use the skills learned in thelessons, etc.), and likewise have surveyed parentsfor their reactions to our programs. Such informa-tion about consumer satisfaction gathered frommultiple sources is important because research in-dicates that participants are less likely to use a pro-gram they do not like, regardless of its potentialeffectiveness (Reimers, Wacker, and Koeppl 1987).In addition, this information tells how skillslearned in the programs are applied in multiple set-tings with other people. This is often called the“spread of effects” or generalization—critical be-cause we cannot teach skills for every circumstancein which students might find themselves.

Effective methods of measuring SEL outcomescan be found in many different sources, includingAlessi (1988), Elias and Tobias (1996), Furlong and


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EXAMPLE 37AKEY STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING PROGRAMS

Curriculum and Instructional Issues• Theory-based: A clear theoretical framework guides program strategies and practices.

• Developmental: The SEL instructional methods and content provided are developmentally appropriate for theages and grades at which the program is delivered.

• Culturally appropriate: These programs foster appreciation of diversity and respect for the demands of grow-ing up in a pluralistic society. They are sensitive, relevant, and responsive with regard to the ethnic, gender, andsocioeconomic composition of students served as well as of faculty and staff delivering the instruction andservices.

• Comprehensive: The most beneficial programs integrate and incorporate cognitive, affective, and behavioralskills (e.g., problem-solving, stress-management, decision-making, and communication skills), and conveyprosocial attitudes and values applicable to a variety of specific topics such as alcohol, tobacco, drugs, AIDS,violence, nutrition, peer and family relationships, coping with transitions and crises, performance at school, andcommunity service. These programs address specific factors that place children at risk for developing maladap-tive behaviors and that serve to buffer them from negative influences; support children’s total development andempowerment; provide a balance between preventing children from risk factors that may lead to negativebehaviors, and giving them access to protective factors that enhance their ability to resist these negativeinfluences.

• Integrated: They are immersed and reinforced within the general curriculum, complementing other existingsubject areas, including some basic academic subjects as well as health or family-life education; in otherwords, SEL becomes an integral part of the school’s program and not an add on, and the programs are pro-vided over multiple years.

• Coordinated: These programs involve partnerships among students, parents, educators, and communitymembers; linkage to comprehensive school health program and special services; and connections with otherSEL programs within and outside the school. In addition, classroom instruction and activities are connected toother school-community SEL efforts as well as to local, state, and federal policies for drug, AIDS, and healtheducation.

• Active instructional techniques: Educators use skill-based, experiential, or cognitive approaches to engagelearners through methods such as modeling, role-playing, performance feedback, dialoguing, positive reinforce-ment, portfolios, expressive arts, play, community-building skills, exhibitions, projects, and individual goal set-ting (opportunities for practice). Application of skills in the real-world of the playground, lunchroom, andneighborhood are central. Peer leadership components are included, especially at the upper grades.

• Generalization: SEL strategies emphasize environmental change so that a culture is created that encouragesand rewards the use of new skills and promotes their generalization. Part of this effort involves evaluating thenature of norms for responding to misbehavior, victimization, and related violations of school rules, and the de-gree to which these are shared by school staff, parents, and students.

—Based primarily on Consortium on the School-Based Promotion of Social Competence (1994)


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EXAMPLE 37A—continuedKEY STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING PROGRAMS

• Supportive Climate: They create a climate where it is safe and possible for children to bond (feel trust, connec-tion, even affection) with their teachers and classmates and where their vulnerability is protected.

• Materials: The instructional and training aids are clear, up-to-date, engaging, user-friendly, and fun.

Implementation and Evaluation Issues• Program selection: Particular approaches to SEL and specific SEL programs are selected based on identifiedlocal needs, concerns, interests, skills, and preexisting efforts.

• Planning and management: Program efforts are guided by a clear planning, implementation, and manage-ment plan based on an underlying theory or model of change. Adequate and ongoing administrative support isavailable.

• Contexts: They involve key environments of children and occur within an organizational, community, and fam-ily culture that is supportive. They include after-school and extracurricular initiatives such as peer leadership andmediation that are coordinated with other instruction.

• Personnel roles: There are clear roles and explicit responsibilities for teachers, special services staff, parents,principals, superintendents, and even school board members.

• Preparation and ongoing support: Programming is provided by well-prepared instructors who receive high-quality supervision and engage in ongoing staff development (e.g., coaching, supervision, mentoring, collabora-tion, planning). This element emphasizes the development of knowledge to enable them to provide a safeenvironment in which children can express their feelings. In addition, it prepares administrators to understandthe program; provide support, coaching, and supervision; and participate in planning.

• Resources and time: Sufficient time is allocated to deliver the program on a consistent and frequent basisand to coordinate efforts. Adequate materials are available. Organizational support is provided. Programmingcovers all or much of the school year and occurs across multiple years (e.g., pre-K–12). A school-level programphase-in period usually takes three to five years for full implementation.

• Evaluation: These efforts are monitored and evaluated regularly using systematic procedures and multiplesources for ongoing program development, assurance of integrity, and identification of indicators of impact onspecific outcomes. They articulate clear implementation, process, and outcome criteria. Evaluation summariesgive examples of indicators of success and provide anecdotes of positive effects on students, school staff, par-ents, and the community.

• Dissemination: SEL efforts are shared and discussed within a grade level, with adjacent grade levels, withother schools, within the district, and with parents and the community to ensure that individuals within thesegroups understand what SEL is occurring and are encouraged to contribute to its success.


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Smith (1994), and the Skillstreaming series (Gold-stein, Sprafkin, Gershaw, and Klein 1980; McGinnisand Goldstein 1984). Measures also may be con-structed locally based on the specific needs of yoursetting (see Examples 37B and 37C). In deciding onmeasures and the evaluation process, do not over-look the potential contributions of your school psy-chologist, guidance counselor, social worker, nurse,and other noninstructional staff members. Somehave particular expertise in SEL and would wel-come the opportunity to contribute to SEL efforts.

G U I D E L I N E 3 8 ▼

To maximize the benefits of the evaluation process,SEL efforts are shared and discussed within a

grade level, with adjacent grade levels, with otherschools in the district, and with parents and thecommunity to ensure that members of these groupsunderstand and contribute to the social and emo-tional learning that is taking place.

Rationale

Everyone who participates directly or indi-rectly in the SEL program has a stake in learningabout the effectiveness of these efforts. Armed withsuch information, they are much more likely to con-tinue their support and involvement, and thereforeexpend the energy necessary to keep the programoperating.

EXAMPLE 37BA PRINCIPAL’S EVALUATION CRITERIA AND OBSERVATIONS

Many SEL programs are extensively evaluated, and many have formal and informal tools that can be widelyused. At the individual building level, principals like Darlene Mattia of Bloomfield (New Jersey) use a variety ofsalient indicators to monitor the impact of SEL programs like Social Decision Making and Problem Solving:

I’m not spending all my time dealing with uncomfortable situations, but instead spend moretime working on improving the school, improving communications with parents by explaining whatthe child is doing in SEL, and teaching them the program’s language. Detention used to contain 20kids before the program; now there are about 2. It used to take 15 to 20 minutes to calm everyonedown enough after lunch to start class. Now, any bickering stops once they walk in the door. MyPeer Peacemakers tell me there are fewer physical fights, not as many arguments, and the stu-dents are more calm.

I can see a difference in self-esteem. Children aren’t easily able to fall to peer pressure. Theyaren’t afraid to speak out. There is better behavior at home. Children understand the common lan-guage and the expectations [confirmed through objective testing in program concepts, content,and strategies]. The students use it every day in situations not just at school but on the playgroundand at home with siblings. They try to live up to it, and though they may not always do it, you cantell they are trying. They feel a sense of responsibility. They feel a sense of community and pride forthe school, the teachers, and the other students. They even use it to help out the teachers. Ateacher reported to me, “I was getting upset and one of the kids told ME to ’Keep Calm.’ It doescome back to you!”


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EXAMPLE 37CSTUDENT ANECDOTES ABOUT PROGRAM EFFECTS

Student anecdotes tell evaluators a great deal about children’s understanding of SEL programs and the use towhich they put their learning. Here are examples from site visits:

Primary Project has made me aware of a button that I have. When you press that button feel-ings are released. Others just leak out. Through Primary Project I have learned how to deal withthese feelings, and I know that when I am with my Primary Project teacher I can push that button.

* * *

I’ve wanted to get revenge on kids because they pick on me because I have ADHD. I would goto Primary Project and talk about things, and the next time that someone would pick on me I wouldtell someone instead of wanting to beat them up. I have so many friends now since I have been inPrimary Project.

—Elementary studentsPrimary Mental Health Project

Rochester, New York

I wish every grade had Morning Meetings (MM), but I also feel that if junior high doesn’t haveMM, that having MM over the years is really going to help me through the day. It teaches you howto act around people and how to meet new people. Once you have had MM for a few years, youdon’t need MM to guide you along. You can start a conversation with someone, start a game of tictac toe. MM’s are great, and I would love to have them in junior high, but I feel that I really don’tneed it because it’s just, like, shown me the way.

* * *

MM and group activities really help socially and to meet new people, but for me, it helped meto know people. There are some kids in my class who have just been there, sitting in a corner sincekindergarten, and all of a sudden, I’m working with them and solving a problem and it’s like,“Wow! I never knew you were nice.”

* * *

If something really good happens to you, it is a time to share. It is the one part of the day that Iknow I have attention. I might go home and try to talk to my dad, and I won’t have his full attention,but at MM, everyone is looking at me and everyone wants to hear, and the teachers make sure ofthat.

* * *


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Program evaluation information is best sharedacross a variety of implementers, so that appropri-ate links with other SEL programs in and outsidethe school are maintained. Evaluation results keepclassrooms connected to one another, to otherschool-community SEL efforts, and to local, state,and federal requirements. Consequently, SEL willbe seen more as an essential component of theoverall curriculum rather than as an add-on.

G U I D E L I N E 3 9 ▼

The results of SEL program evaluations are used torefine programs and make decisions about their fu-ture course.

Rationale

SEL program evaluation is not an end in itself.And, as we have stressed elsewhere in this book,

SEL programs are not static. Rather, they must con-tinually evolve in light of changing student popula-tions and effective instructional practices. Inaddition, they must change to meet new demands(Who would have guessed in the early 1980s thatAIDS or violence would become major concerns ofschools and communities in the 1990s?). The modelof the reflective, scientific practitioner suggests thatwe need to use evaluation data to refine programsand make decisions about their future.


Admittedly, evaluating your programs willtake considerable time, and there can be some anxi-ety associated with the process because of the un-certainty about the outcomes. As emphasizedearlier, however, evaluation is an essential compo-nent of all educational programs and of reflective,scientific practice. Evaluation shouldn’t simply tellyou a program is effective or ineffective; it shouldhelp you identify specific ways of improving what

EXAMPLE 37C—continuedSTUDENT ANECDOTES ABOUT PROGRAM EFFECTS

I think it helps everything. If you are socially happy, then everything is sort of happy for you. Ifyou don’t know anyone, it probably will affect your schoolwork and your family at home. But if youhave a good MM and you are happy and you get that good sharing attention, it really lifts your spir-its. You are nicer to everyone around you, you concentrate on your schoolwork, you are nicer toyour family. I think being happy helps everything.

—5th and 6th gradersResponsive Classroom

Washington, D.C.

My brother went into my locker, and I wanted to hit him because I was mad. I used KeepCalm, and I was OK.

—3rd graderSocial Decision Making and Problem Solving

Bloomfield, New Jersey


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you are doing. Are there aspects of the programthat should be maintained, modified, or elimi-nated? Without evaluative information, judgmentsabout program operation are subjective and possi-bly misinformed. When this happens, the resultsusually are harmful to children.

Another overlooked aspect of program evalu-ation is an analysis of cost-effectiveness and cost-benefits (Weissberg and Greenberg 1997). Not onlymight you want to consider examining the relativecosts of different programs to solve the same prob-lem (e.g., compare two social skills curriculums interms of personnel, time, material costs, and out-

comes), but perhaps more important, the alterna-tive of offering no program to address the issues(e.g., What is the cost to the school, as well as to so-ciety, of unwanted teen pregnancy?). The implica-tions of such information can be significant.

Summary

To evaluate or not to evaluate: that is often seen asthe question. But here, we have presented the casethat evaluating SEL activities is essential. We haveno choice. Information about program operation

EXAMPLE 38ATEACHERS REFLECT ON WHAT THEY HAVE DONE TO IMPROVE SEL ACTIVITIES

Teachers of the PATHS program in Washington monitor the impact of their lessons and share this with otherteachers, as well as share recommendations for changes they have made or will make:

The biographies were great. I turned the one on Harriet Tubman into an entire unit, which wasa valuable learning experience for all of us. As an extension to the lesson on Maya Lin and the Viet-nam Memorial, I read my class a picture book called Talking Walls, by Margy Burs Knight, which isabout famous walls around the world, such as the Vietnam Memorial, the Great Wall of China, andthe Western Wall in Jerusalem. We learned about these famous walls from around the world andthen created a wall in our own classrooms that was special to us.

Two activities I did to extend lessons were an I Feel Calm Book and a Friendship Mobile. Forthe book, students completed the sentence, “I feel calm when . . . ” and drew an illustration. TheFriendship Mobile showed a picture of the student with pictures of his or her friends at home, atschool, and in the community.

Now that I have taught the 3rd grade curriculum for one year, I am going to make somechanges in what lessons I teach where. First, I am going to teach lessons 40 on up more towardthe beginning of the school year because they deal with goal setting. I included a mini-lesson onTime Management with the lesson on turning in your homework. We talked about activities thattake away from their homework (i.e., baseball practice/games, parents’ activities). I did a little graphwith the hours listed between when they got out of school and when they went to bed. We esti-mated how long homework would take if they worked on it a little each night, and how many daysit would take to complete it. We also discussed using their time effectively during class time. Per-sonally, I loved the lesson on getting your homework turned in on time.


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from the perspective of the teacher, principal, ad-ministrator, parent, and program recipients mustbe gathered from the time of initial conceptualiza-tion. The results are used throughout the life of theprogram to monitor its delivery and its outcomes,and to determine whether it should be maintained,altered, or discontinued. In addition, school cli-

mate is critical in supporting SEL programs and es-tablishing a culture that values inquiry and reflec-tion, keystones to effective program operation andevaluation. With all of this knowledge in hand, weare best equipped to make student-centered andoutcome-oriented decisions about programs’ fu-ture directions.

EXAMPLE 39ABONDING TO SCHOOL HELPS PREVENT DRUG ABUSE IN HIGH-RISK STUDENTS

Many teachers feel that parents are the influence and do not realize the powerful and protective factor of theschool in the child’s life. Our evaluation showed these findings: Students who are the children of drug addictshad an equal amount of bonding to both the parents and school, but they looked forward to going to schoolmore than kids of drug-free parents and liked school more, but they didn’t do as well—they looked to school asan escape. That strong protective role of liking school later showed results in whether the kids would go on todrinking and smoking.

—Kevin HaggertySocial Development Research Group


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Moving Forward: Assessing Strengths,Priorities, and Next Steps8

AS YOU CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT YOUR OWN SEL

programming efforts, do not be surprised if a mix-ture of exhilaration and dread accompanies thestart of your work, whether you’re launching anew program or modifying current efforts. In ourexperience, once you are moving forward with ahigh-quality SEL program, the reaction of the chil-dren and your own enjoyment of the process willhelp keep you engaged in these activities. To getyou started, we have included the following:

• A structured series of questions linked to recom-mendations for practice. These questions will helpyou and your colleagues examine in depth yourcurrent efforts to provide high-quality social andemotional education for your students. By lookingat what you are already doing at the classroom,school, or district levels, you can identify areas ofstrength in your SEL efforts, as well as areas inneed of improvement. The next step involves care-ful planning, with the goal of setting priorities thatreflect and sustain your strengths and then gradu-ally add components that will make your SEL pro-gram more comprehensive.

• A list of school sites that are willing to be con-tacted or visited. By visiting these schools you cansee SEL programs in action and talk to those actu-ally involved in implementing them. This activityis perhaps your most important source of assis-tance in carrying out an effective self-assessment,since we all tend to work best with guidance from

colleagues. The experienced SEL practitioners atthese sites—some of which are in their second dec-ade of SEL work, while others are relative newcom-ers with only a couple of years’ experience—canprovide rationales, implications, and implementa-tion details useful beyond the specifics of their pro-grams. They can also share informative “warstories” about how, in the face of obstacles, theyhave persisted and adapted to establish meaning-ful social and emotional education for their stu-dents. Appendix C presents a list of these sites.Note, too, that many programs have video re-sources that supplement the written materials.

A Challenge to Examine andEnhance SEL Practices

Now that you have gone through the guidelinesfor social and emotional education, we encourageyou to revisit your own SEL efforts. First, you maywant to return to the series of self-reflection ques-tions raised in Chapter 2 and the responses youwrote. We hope that the information provided inChapters 3 through 7 has stimulated you to de-velop fresh insights as you think about your SELgoals; your SEL activities at the classroom, school,and district level; implementation considerations;or program evaluation needs. In this chapter webuild on the questions in Chapter 2, the 39 guide-

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lines, and recommendations for effective practiceoffered by other sources (e.g., Consortium on theSchool-Based Promotion of Social Competence1994, Westchester County Task Force on SocialCompetence Promotion Instruction 1990) to assistyou in moving forward with your own SEL efforts.

Read this chapter at a quiet time, with a note-book or computer to record your observations, anda soothing beverage to sip while you reflect. Youare about to look at an overview of the key ele-ments that should be considered in comprehensiveSEL program development, implementation, andevaluation—a comprehensiveness that is an aspira-tion, more than an observed or expected reality inany particular program. We caution you not to be-come overwhelmed by what has been described,but rather to dream about what could be, and tothen realistically plan what you can do in a spirit ofcontinuous improvement. Consider also how thisprocess can be used by an SEL planning and man-agement team or a grade-level meeting to lay thefoundation for successful SEL programming.

Key Considerations for Planning,Implementing, and Evaluating SELPrograms

Educators who are committed to implementinghigh-quality SEL programs examine critically theprograms they currently offer, build from theirstrengths, and weed out less effective aspects. Asyou will recall, in Chapter 2 we asked you to list allthe activities going on in your classroom, school, ordistrict that support SEL. Typically, we have foundthat schools implement a diverse array of discreteprograms focusing on drug education, violenceprevention, sex education, character education,health education, and so on. We propose that youbuild upon the strengths and efforts already inplace in a coordinated, integrated fashion thatmakes more instructionally efficient use of pre-cious school time, while eliminating less effective

activities that are not as likely to develop studentswho are knowledgeable, responsible, and caring.Often, what is needed is not more time or resources, buta refocusing of what we are doing already, and a realloca-tion of available resources.

Questions to Address inEstablishing High-Quality SELPrograms

As you may recall from Chapter 7, the Consortiumon the School-Based Promotion of Social Compe-tence (1994) outlined key elements of SEL pro-grams to aid both the planning and evaluation ofSEL programs. These elements are summarized inFigure 8.1 so you can easily refer to them whilereading this chapter.

Do not be dismayed if you perceive gaps be-tween your current efforts and the elements high-lighted in Figure 8.1 The list includes features ofprograms with long-term implementation histo-ries, resulting from a number of years of focused ef-fort, problem solving in the spirit of continuousimprovement, and good fortune!

Now, how do you take the concepts presentedand think through their implications? We havefound it most useful to proceed by asking our-selves a series of questions within a problem-solving framework. The questions in this sectionare for your use in revisiting your SEL effortsbased on the self-reflection you did in Chapter 2and while reading the remainder of the book.These questions are designed to stimulate and sup-port constructive, systematic planning. As you gothrough the questions, remember, this is not a finalexam! In fact, do not feel compelled to answer allof these questions at one time or even during oneyear. Our goal is to raise issues and concerns thatyou and your colleagues will want to revisit fromtime to time as you design, implement, evaluate,and institutionalize your SEL efforts.

By the way, we anticipate that most educators


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will feel that they have satisfactory answers tomany of these questions. That’s OK! In our collec-tive experience, efforts with which we once weresatisfied became open to questions as we learnedmore about SEL, saw more examples of the workin action, and looked more carefully to see howwell all students’ SEL needs were being met. In the spirit of continuous improvement, you arelikely to find, as we have, that even the best SELprograms, classrooms, and schools are not beyondexamination.

In reality, however, we often find that educa-tors don’t know the answers to these questions.

That is also OK, because educators are typicallygiven few tools to help them examine this criticalarea of social and emotional education with thecare that they examine a language or a science pro-gram. This book is designed to serve as a correctivemeasure. Indeed, readers may well find that theirself-reflection will lead to asking colleagues to re-flect and then share aloud what they are actuallydoing. Finally, you will note that some of our ques-tions could easily be placed under different head-ings or in a different sequence. Even though theproblem-solving steps are listed sequentially, theprocess is fluid rather than prescribed.

1. Describe your needs, goals, and currentpractices. The best place to start is to examine yourlocal needs, your SEL goals, and the efforts now be-ing made to develop students’ knowledge, respon-sibility, and caring. Here are some key questions tothink about:

• Goals. What are the goals of your social andemotional education programming efforts? Dothey emphasize the enhancement of students’knowledge, responsibility, and caring? What otherbehavioral outcomes do they address? Are theyclearly articulated, specific, and measurable?

• Organization. How is your program organ-ized? Does it provide sequenced, developmentallyappropriate instruction in skills, values, and infor-mation at each grade level?

• Instruction. How does SEL instruction actu-ally take place? Does it emphasize interrelated cog-nitive, affective, and behavioral skills as well asprosocial values and attitudes toward self, others,and tasks?

• Theory. Would you best describe your SEL ac-tivities as based on explicit theories of instructionand behavior change or more as a nonintegratedpotpourri of games and exercises?

• Clarity. Have you adopted and implementedprograms with clear goals and objectives? Are yourlesson plans or approaches sufficiently structuredand detailed?

• Transfer of skills. In what ways are students ex-

FIGURE 8.1KEY ELEMENTS OF SEL PROGRAMS

Curriculum and Instructional Issues• Built on clear theoretical framework• Culturally and developmentally appropriate• Uses a comprehensive approach with cogni-tive, affective, and behavioral dimensions• Integrated within general curriculum• Involves a coordinated partnership• Active instructional techniques used• Promotes generalization• Creates a supportive climate• Includes engaging instructional materials

Implementation and Evaluation Issues• Program selected based on needs• Guided by planning and management frame-work• Focuses on key environments• Clear roles for personnel• Adequate preparation and ongoing supportprovided• Sufficient resources and time allocated• Systematically monitored and evaluated• Disseminated to relevant constituents

Source: Consortium on the School-Based Promo-tion of Social Competence (1994)

Moving Forward: Assessing Strengths, Priorities, and Next Steps

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plicitly taught to apply acquired skills to real-lifesituations?

• Social and health component. Does your pro-gram include modules that present accurate andrelevant social and health information (e.g., to-bacco, AIDS) that build on core skills and valuesinstruction?

• Integrated curriculum. How are your SEL prac-tices integrated into other academic subjects andschool activities—especially those that focus onsocial development, health, and the disciplinesystem?

• Climate changes. How do you expect your SELefforts to affect the classroom and school climate?

• Parent education. Does your program have aparent-education component that supports thegoals and objectives of classroom instruction?

• Community involvement. How are variouscommunity groups, organizations, businesses, sen-ior citizens, and so on, involved with your effortsto promote students’ SEL?

• Sensitivity. Are your SEL program materialsattractive, up-to-date, and easy to use? Are yourprogram materials and content culturally sensitive?

• Enjoyment. Do students and teachers enjoyyour program and perceive it to be beneficial?

• State mandates. Does your SEL programmingmeet instructional mandates already establishedby the state?

2. What are your options? When assessing pro-grams to meet the needs and goals describedabove, examine them critically, measuring themagainst the characteristics in Figure 8.1. Here aresome important questions to consider:

• Preparation. What process was used to investi-gate possible programs and approaches to use inyour district? What implementers have been con-tacted regarding their experiences? What siteshave been visited?

• Knowledge. How recently have you obtainedreviews of the latest SEL initiatives from centralsources such as CASEL or ASCD?

• Expertise. Do you have established relation-

ships with program developers, distributors, exter-nal consultants, or master teachers with the capac-ity to provide excellent introductory training tolarge numbers of implementing teachers?

Figure 8.2 presents questions and issues consid-ered by the Westchester County Task Force on So-cial Competence Promotion Instruction (1990) inevaluating the quality of SEL programs.

3. Getting started. Now that you have donethe preliminary work and are ready to begin, it isessential to consider what specific practices will beimplemented, including current ones that will bemaintained, modified, and eliminated. Here aresome questions to consider:

• Interaction. Is your program structured to af-fect positively how implementing teachers andstaff communicate and interact throughout the daywith students? What opportunities do teachers cre-ate for students to practice newly acquired skillsand to reinforce them for effective skill application?

• Administrators. To what extent and in whatways do administrators show leadership, commit-ment, and involvement in fostering high-qualitySEL in your school? What recommendations couldyou offer them about how they could do evenmore to foster high-quality programming?

• Support staff. Are support staff (e.g., psycholo-gists, counselors, secretaries, lunchroom monitors)meaningfully involved in promoting or reinforcingskills and attitudes taught in classroom lessons?

• Preparation time. How much preparation timeis required for teachers to teach lessons effectively?Do they have ample time and support to do thebest possible job?

• Diversity. How do you effectively adapt yourSEL program lessons and activities to meet the edu-cational and social needs of students of diversefamily backgrounds and ability levels? If you haveadopted a nationally available program, how haveyou modified it to meet the needs of your schoolwith regard to socioeconomic levels, cultural diver-sity, and at-risk/special education students?


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EXAMPLE 8.2PROGRAM REVIEW WORKSHEET

Name of Program: Name of Reviewer:

Basic facts about the program:Grade levels for which the program was designed: _________________________________________________Year developed or revised: _______________________________________________________________________Cost of program materials per class: ______________________________________________________________Ordering address and telephone: _________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________Is training required before purchasing the program? ________________________________________________

What skills are taught or reinforced in the program?sensitivity to others awareness of self and othershow to self-monitor awareness of adaptive response strategies evaluation productive thinkingself-control stress managementself-reward consequential thinkingemotion-focused coping decision makingproblem awareness persistencefeelings awareness planningrealistic and adaptive goal setting other:

What attitudes or attributes are taught or reinforced in the program?accepting individual differences having motivation to contributebeing willing to work hard having values that are prosocial honesty feeling capable and positive toward selfwillingness to take care of oneself feeling likableworking cooperatively with others feeling respect for self and othersbeing motivated to solve problems having concern or compassion for othersbeing aware of values (circle) personal, family, community, societalother:


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EXAMPLE 8.2—continuedPROGRAM REVIEW WORKSHEET

What content is taught in the program?What are the unit titles? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

List topics covered in the following areas (see scope)Self Care: _____________________________________________________________________________________Peers: ________________________________________________________________________________________Family: _______________________________________________________________________________________School: _______________________________________________________________________________________Community: ___________________________________________________________________________________

What are the features of the program?Is the content accurate and up-to-date? ___________________________________________________________Is there a clear developmental sequence for each grade level?________________________________________Are the activities and materials developmentally appropriate for the given grade? _______________________How are the materials culturally sensitive? ________________________________________________________Is the material attractive and easy to understand?___________________________________________________

What instructional methods are used? (circle)audiotapes outside activities workbooksbrainstorming posters worksheetscommunity service rehearsal and practice other:cooperative learning role play direct instruction scripts guest speakers simulations modeling videotapes

How easy will the program be to implement?At the classroom level:

How long is each lesson? _______________________________________________________________________How many lessons per grade? ___________________________________________________________________Are all the materials provided? If not, what additional materials are needed? _____________________How much preparation time will be needed per lesson? _____________________________________________Will the program mesh with existing programming? ________________________________________________Are materials included to evaluate student performance? ____________________________________________What are the parent involvement activities? _______________________________________________________


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EXAMPLE 8.2—continuedPROGRAM REVIEW WORKSHEET

At the school level:

Who teaches the program to students?____________________________________________________________Are additional staff required to implement the program? ____________________________________________How much specialization training is needed? _______________________________________________________Can training be purchased? Cost: ___________________________________________________Will the program developers train school systems trainers? __________________________________________Cost: _________________________________________________________________________________________What type of follow-up support is needed? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Is evaluation or monitoring of teaching integrity part of the program?______________________________________________________________________________________________

How effective has the program proven to be?Has a study been conducted? ___________________________________________________________________What was the population for the study? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What was the impact on skills? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What was the impact on behavior? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Has the curriculum been used in more than one type of setting? _____________________________________Describe: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Overall rating of the program:Poor 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Outstanding

Analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the program:Strengths: Weaknesses:

Comments:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Source: Westchester County Task Force on Social Competence Promotion Instruction (1990)


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• Ongoing support. Do you provide on-sitecoaching and ongoing consultation and problem-solving support to implementing teachers andother staff, so that sound instruction is ensuredand programs may be adapted to meet school ordistrict needs?

• Long-term support. Is there a planning teamand administrative support at the school level and an organizational structure at the district levelto nurture long-term efforts to implement andinstitutionalize high-quality social and emotionaleducation?

4. Is it working? Once the program is in opera-tion, it is important to closely monitor what is oc-curring as well as to evaluate the attainment ofgoals. This should take place in ways that allowuseful information to be shared with those who arecarrying out the program and those who are re-sponsible for modifying the program to betterreach its goals for more and more students. Hereare some questions to consider:

• Student evaluations. Are those SEL programs,activities, and procedures brought into the schoolsupported by well-designed evaluations that havedocumented positive effects on students’ skills, atti-tudes, and behaviors?

• Systemwide process evaluations. What are theprocedures for monitoring how SEL efforts are be-ing carried out in classrooms, at specific grade lev-els, or across buildings and in the district as awhole?

• Systematic tracking. How do you keep track ofthe program’s effects on student behavior? Howsystematic are these procedures? How might theybe improved?

• Feedback. What assessments are in place tomeasure “consumer satisfaction” as reflected in thefeedback of staff, students, and parents involved inSEL activities? How are these efforts reflected inthe overall school climate?

• Usability. Is your program sufficiently inten-sive at each grade level to produce changes in atti-

tude and behavior, but flexible and adaptableenough so that it is feasible to implement?

• Cost. How expensive is the SEL program-ming to implement in the initial year and in sub-sequent years? Are there sufficient resources tocover this expense? How do the costs compare tothe benefits?

5. Letting others know about the program.The results of the evaluation should be communi-cated to relevant constituents first, and then it isbeneficial if they can be shared with other inter-ested parties. Here are some questions to consider:

• Parents and community. How are parents andcommunity members informed about the program?

• Evaluation results. Are evaluation resultsshared with the school board, teachers and staff,parents, the community?

• Visibility. Are program activities and prod-ucts visible enough so that parents and communitygroups can see what is happening in addition tolearning about the official evaluation results?

• Use of evaluations. What use is made of theevaluation information within individual class-rooms, the school, and the district?

Caution: Bumps Ahead!

The road to social and emotional learning is notlikely to be a smooth one. All the programs de-scribed in this book have been modified in thelight of experience, usually for the better. Again,we remind you to seek support from others whohave been through or are currently going throughthis process. Why do it on your own? Others havevaluable experiences that they can share so thatevery step does not have to be a trial-and-errorlearning experience—at the expense of childrenand staff. Because they have been there, they canprovide moral support and encouragement whenyou need it the most. Reach out to others; you’ll beglad you did.


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Epilogue

THROUGHOUT THIS BOOK, WE HAVE PRESENTED

numerous examples of social and emotional learn-ing in action, drawn from educators all over theUnited States. What you might not know is that wehad enough material from these individuals to fillseveral more books. Several sites that we could notinclude also have a great deal to contribute. Be in-spired by these individuals and their accomplish-ments, and have the courage to know that you canachieve similar goals! They, like you, care aboutchildren’s intellectual development. And they, likeyou, want children to emerge from school intoadulthood as knowledgeable, responsible, and car-ing members of society. Perhaps their pathwaystook them more systematically into the area of so-cial and emotional education than yours did up tonow. But the road is not closed to you; through thisbook, the ongoing work of CASEL, and the livingexamples in the program sites, advances in socialand emotional education can be widely shared andrealistically carried out. CASEL is committed to col-laborating with educators who want to explore:(a) what SEL practices are most educationally re-sponsible and scientifically respectable, (b) what ex-isting SEL curriculum and training materials areworth considering for adoption and implementa-tion, and (c) which schools are implementing high-quality programs that you might contact to learnmore about such models.

As we enter the 21st century, successful teach-

ers and schools must go beyond the basics to helptheir students become contributing, productive citi-zens. The metaphor of “emotional intelligence”should not be taken literally, but rather to denotethe reality that learning requires the engagement ofall aspects of what makes us human. Social andemotional education is not nonacademic; rather, itintegrates subject matter, cognition, emotion, andbehavior using active learning techniques in waysthat must become a standard part of schooling.This integration leads to learning that extends be-yond the classroom, that is internalized by stu-dents and becomes part of them, rather thansomething they take on simply to pass a test. SEL is the missing piece of our education system, asone can see by visiting sites where SEL is well implemented.

In Chapter 1, we noted that educators workingto prepare students for the challenges that awaitthem require a new vision of what it means to beeducated. Children need to grow into adults whoare smart in many ways: in short, they need to be-come knowledgeable, responsible, and caring. The U.S.Declaration of Independence, a model throughoutthe world for its statements about democracy, free-dom, and our common humanity, identifies threeinalienable human rights: life, liberty, and the pur-suit of happiness. To exercise these rights in a de-mocracy requires the knowledge to understandand find one’s role in the challenges and joys of

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life, the responsibility to safeguard and administerthe machinery of our liberty, and the caring—forothers and for oneself in relationship with others—that leads to lasting happiness.

Regardless of the specific words you might pre-fer, we hope you share our recognition that we can-not be satisfied to focus only on the transmissionof knowledge. Our educational system, with its

many resources and incredible and dedicated tal-ent, will make extraordinary strides as we recog-nize the social and emotional components that arethe keystones of learning. The words of the Decla-ration of Independence can then be a contractamong our schools, our families, and our commu-nities—a contract that guarantees the well-being ofall our children.


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132

Appen

dix

A: C

urr

iculu

m S

cope

for

Dif

fere

nt

Age

Gro

ups

Pres

choo

l/Ea

rlyEl

emen

tary

(K

–2) S

choo

lEl

emen

tary

/Int

erm

edia

teM

iddl

e S

choo

lH

igh

Sch

ool

Pers

onal

Em

otio

n•

Can

app

ropr

iate

ly e

xpre

ss a

ndm

anag

e fe

ar, h

elpl

essn

ess,

ange

r, af

fect

ion,

exc

item

ent,

enth

usia

sm, a

nd d

isap

poin

tmen

t•

Can

diff

eren

tiate

and

labe

lne

gativ

e an

d po

sitiv

e em

otio

nsin

sel

f and

oth

ers

• In

crea

sing

tole

ranc

e fo

rfru

stra

tion

• Ex

pres

sing

feel

ings

in p

ositi

vew

ays

• C

ontr

ollin

g ow

n an

ger

• La

belin

g ob

serv

ed e

mot

ions

• H

arm

oniz

ing

of o

ther

s’ fe

elin

gs

• Se

lf-aw

are

and

self-

criti

cal

• H

arm

oniz

ing

of o

wn

feel

ings

All

area

s sh

ould

be

appr

oach

edas

inte

grat

ive:

• Li

sten

ing

and

oral

com

mun

icat

ion

• C

ompe

tenc

e in

read

ing,

writ

ing,

and

com

puta

tion

• Le

arni

ng to

lear

n sk

ills

• Pe

rson

al m

anag

emen

t: se

lf-es

teem

, goa

l-set

ting/

self-

mot

ivat

ion

• Pe

rson

al a

nd m

oral

eval

uatio

ns o

f sel

f, ac

tions

,be

havi

ors

• B

egin

ning

to fo

cus

on th

efu

ture

• Ex

plor

ing

mea

ning

of o

ne’s

life,

life

in g

ener

al,

tran

scen

denc

e•

Taki

ng c

are

of s

elf,

reco

gniz

ing

cons

eque

nces

of r

isky

beha

vior

s (s

exua

l act

ivity

, dru

gus

e), p

rote

ctin

g se

lf fr

omne

gativ

e co

nseq

uenc

es•

Har

mon

izin

g of

ow

n an

dot

hers

’ fee

lings

• A

dapt

abili

ty: c

reat

ive

thin

king

and

prob

lem

sol

ving

, esp

ecia

llyin

resp

onse

to b

arrie

rs/o

bsta

cles

• Ea

rnin

g an

d bu

dget

ing

mon

ey•

Plan

ning

a c

aree

r and

prep

arin

g fo

r adu

lt ro

le•

Pers

onal

car

eer

deve

lopm

ent/g

oals

—pr

ide

inw

ork

acco

mpl

ishe

d

C

ogni

tion

• Be

ginn

ing

to ta

ke a

refle

ctiv

epe

rspe

ctiv

e—ro

le ta

king

—w

hat

is th

e ot

her s

eein

g? W

hat i

s th

eot

her f

eelin

g? W

hat i

s th

e ot

her

thin

king

? W

hat i

s th

e ot

her

inte

ndin

g? W

hat i

s th

e ot

her

like?

• G

ener

atin

g al

tern

ativ

epo

ssib

ilitie

s fo

r int

erpe

rson

alac

tions

• Em

phas

is o

n at

tent

ion-

sust

aini

ng s

kills

, rec

all a

ndlin

kage

of m

ater

ial,

verb

aliz

atio

nof

cop

ing

and

prob

lem

-sol

ving

stra

tegi

es u

sed

• Kn

owin

g ab

out h

ealth

y fo

ods

and

exer

cisi

ng•

Tim

es w

hen

coop

erat

ion,

plan

ning

are

see

n; a

t tim

es,

show

s kn

owle

dge

that

ther

e is

mor

e th

an o

ne w

ay to

sol

ve a

prob

lem

• Se

tting

goa

ls, a

ntic

ipat

ing

cons

eque

nces

, wor

king

toov

erco

me

obst

acle

s•

Focu

sing

on

stre

ngth

s of

sel

fan

d ot

hers

• A

bilit

y to

thin

k th

roug

hpr

oble

m s

ituat

ions

and

antic

ipat

e oc

curr

ence

s

• R

ecog

nizi

ng th

e im

port

ance

of

alco

hol a

nd o

ther

dru

g ab

use

and

prev

entio

n•

Esta

blis

hing

nor

ms

for h

ealth

• Se

tting

real

istic

sho

rt-te

rmgo

als

• Se

eing

bot

h si

des

of is

sues

,di

sput

es, a

rgum

ents

• C

ompa

ring

abili

ties

to o

ther

s,se

lf, o

r nor

mat

ive

stan

dard

s;ab

ilitie

s co

nsid

ered

in li

ght o

fot

hers

’ rea

ctio

ns•

Ack

now

ledg

ing

the

impo

rtan

ce o

f sel

f-sta

tem

ents

and

self-

rew

ards

Appendix A

133

Pres

choo

l/Ea

rlyEl

emen

tary

(K

–2) S

choo

lEl

emen

tary

/Int

erm

edia

teM

iddl

e S

choo

lH

igh

Sch

ool

B

ehav

ior

• Le

arni

ng s

elf-m

anag

emen

t(e

.g.,

whe

n w

aitin

g on

e’s

turn

;w

hen

ente

ring

and

leav

ing

clas

sroo

ms

at th

e st

art a

nd e

ndof

the

day

and

othe

r tra

nsiti

ontim

es; w

hen

wor

king

on

som

ethi

ng in

a g

roup

or a

lone

)•

Lear

ning

soc

ial n

orm

s ab

out

appe

aran

ce (e

.g.,

was

hing

face

or h

air,

brus

hing

teet

h)•

Reco

gniz

ing

dang

ers

to h

ealth

and

safe

ty (e

.g.,

cros

sing

str

eet,

elec

tric

al s

ocke

ts, p

ills

that

look

like

cand

y)•

Bein

g ph

ysic

ally

hea

lthy—

adeq

uate

nut

ritio

n; s

cree

ning

sto

iden

tify

visu

al, h

earin

g,la

ngua

ge p

robl

ems

• U

nder

stan

ding

saf

ety

issu

essu

ch a

s in

terv

iew

ing

peop

le a

tth

e do

or w

hen

hom

e al

one;

sayi

ng n

o to

str

ange

rs o

n th

eph

one

or in

per

son

• M

anag

ing

time

• Sh

owin

g re

spec

t for

oth

ers

• C

an a

sk fo

r, gi

ve, a

nd re

ceiv

ehe

lp•

Neg

otia

ting

disp

utes

,de

esca

latin

g co

nflic

ts•

Adm

ittin

g m

ista

kes,

apol

ogiz

ing

whe

n ap

prop

riate

• In

itiat

ing

own

activ

ities

• Em

ergi

ng le

ader

ship

ski

lls

In

tegr

atio

n•

Inte

grat

ing

feel

ing

and

thin

king

with

lang

uage

,re

plac

ing

or c

ompl

emen

ting

that

whi

ch c

an b

e ex

pres

sed

only

inac

tion,

imag

e, o

r affe

ctiv

ity•

Diff

eren

tiatin

g th

e em

otio

ns,

need

s, a

nd fe

elin

gs o

f diff

eren

tpe

ople

in d

iffer

ent c

onte

xts—

ifno

t spo

ntan

eous

ly, th

en in

resp

onse

to a

dult

prom

ptin

gan

d as

sist

ance

• Re

cogn

izin

g an

d re

sist

ing

inap

prop

riate

touc

hing

, sex

ual

beha

vior

s

• A

bilit

y to

cal

m s

elf d

own

whe

n up

set a

nd to

ver

baliz

ew

hat h

appe

ned

and

how

one

isfe

elin

g di

ffere

ntly

• En

cour

agin

g pe

rspe

ctiv

eta

king

and

em

path

icid

entif

icat

ion

with

oth

ers

• Le

arni

ng s

trat

egie

s fo

r cop

ing

with

, com

mun

icat

ing

abou

t, an

dm

anag

ing

stro

ng fe

elin

gs

• B

eing

aw

are

of s

exua

l fac

tors

,re

cogn

izin

g an

d ac

cept

ing

body

chan

ges,

reco

gniz

ing

and

resi

stin

g in

appr

opria

te s

exua

lbe

havi

ors

• D

evel

opin

g sk

ills

for a

naly

zing

stre

ssfu

l soc

ial s

ituat

ions

,id

entif

ying

feel

ings

, goa

ls,

carr

ying

out

requ

est a

nd re

fusa

lsk

ills

Ke

y co

ncep

tsho

nest

y, fa

irnes

s, tr

ust,

hope

,co

nfid

ence

, kee

ping

pro

mis

es,

empa

thy

initi

ativ

e, p

urpo

se, g

oals

, jus

tice,

fairn

ess,

frie

ndsh

ip, e

quity

,de

pend

abili

ty, p

ride,

cre

ativ

ity

dem

ocra

cy, p

ione

erin

g,im

port

ance

of t

he e

nviro

nmen

t(s

pace

ship

Ear

th, e

arth

as

habi

tat,

ecol

ogic

al e

nviro

nmen

t,gl

obal

inte

rdep

ende

nce,

ecos

yste

ms)

, per

fect

ion

and

impe

rfect

ion,

pre

judi

ce,

free

dom

, citi

zens

hip,

libe

rty,

hom

e, in

dust

rious

ness

,co

ntin

uity

, com

pete

nce

rela

tions

hips

, hea

lthy

rela

tions

hips

, fid

elity

, int

imac

y,lo

ve, r

espo

nsib

ility

,co

mm

itmen

t, re

spec

t, lo

ve a

ndlo

ss, c

arin

g, k

now

ledg

e, g

row

th,

hum

an c

omm

onal

ities

,w

ork/

wor

kpla

ce, e

mot

iona

lin

telli

genc

e, s

pirit

ualit

y, id

eas,

inve

ntio

ns, i

dent

ity, s

elf-

awar

enes

s


134

Pres

choo

l/Ea

rlyEl

emen

tary

(K

–2) S

choo

lEl

emen

tary

/Int

erm

edia

teM

iddl

e S

choo

lH

igh

Sch

ool

Peer

s/so

cial

• Be

ing

a m

embe

r of a

gro

up:

shar

ing,

list

enin

g, ta

king

turn

s,co

oper

atin

g, n

egot

iatin

gdi

sput

es, b

eing

con

side

rate

and

help

ful

• In

itiat

ing

inte

ract

ions

• C

an re

solv

e co

nflic

t with

out

fight

ing;

com

prom

isin

g•

Und

erst

ands

just

ifiab

le s

elf-

defe

nse

• Em

path

etic

tow

ard

peer

s:sh

owin

g em

otio

nal d

istr

ess

whe

n ot

hers

are

suf

ferin

g;de

velo

ping

a s

ense

of h

elpi

ngra

ther

than

hur

ting

orne

glec

ting;

resp

ectin

g ra

ther

than

bel

ittlin

g, a

nd s

uppo

rtin

gan

d pr

otec

ting

rath

er th

ando

min

atin

g ot

hers

; aw

aren

ess

of th

e th

ough

ts, f

eelin

gs, a

ndex

perie

nces

of o

ther

s(p

ersp

ectiv

e ta

king

)

• Li

sten

ing

care

fully

• C

ondu

ctin

g a

reci

proc

alco

nver

satio

n•

Usi

ng to

ne o

f voi

ce, e

yeco

ntac

t, po

stur

e, a

nd la

ngua

geap

prop

riate

to p

eers

(and

adu

lts)

• Sk

ills

for m

akin

g fr

iend

s,en

terin

g pe

er g

roup

s—ca

nju

dge

peer

s’ fe

elin

gs, t

houg

hts,

plan

s, a

ctio

ns•

Lear

ning

to in

clud

e an

dex

clud

e ot

hers

• Ex

pand

ing

peer

gro

ups

• Fr

iend

ship

s ba

sed

on m

utua

ltru

st a

nd a

ssis

tanc

e•

Show

s al

truis

tic b

ehav

ior

amon

g fr

iend

s•

Bec

omin

g as

sert

ive,

sel

f-ca

lmin

g, c

oope

rativ

e•

Lear

ning

to c

ope

with

pee

rpr

essu

re to

con

form

(e.g

., dr

ess)

• Le

arni

ng to

set

bou

ndar

ies,

tode

al w

ith s

ecre

ts•

Dea

ling

posi

tivel

y w

ithre

ject

ion

• C

hoos

ing

frie

nds

thou

ghtf

ully

but a

war

e of

gro

up n

orm

s,po

pula

r tre

nds

• D

evel

opin

g pe

er le

ader

ship

skill

s•

Dea

ling

with

con

flict

am

ong

frie

nds

• R

ecog

nizi

ng a

nd a

ccep

ting

alte

rnat

ives

to a

ggre

ssio

n an

dvi

olen

ce•

Bel

ongi

ng is

reco

gniz

ed a

sve

ry im

port

ant

• Ef

fect

ive

beha

vior

in p

eer

grou

ps•

Peer

lead

ersh

ip/re

spon

sibl

em

embe

rshi

p•

Usi

ng re

ques

t and

refu

sal s

kills

• In

itiat

ing

and

mai

ntai

ning

cros

s-ge

nder

frie

nds

and

rom

antic

rela

tions

hips

• U

nder

stan

ding

resp

onsi

ble

beha

vior

at s

ocia

l eve

nts

• D

ealin

g w

ith d

rinki

ng a

nddr

ivin

g

Appendix A

135

Pres

choo

l/Ea

rlyEl

emen

tary

(K

–2) S

choo

lEl

emen

tary

/Int

erm

edia

teM

iddl

e S

choo

lH

igh

Sch

ool

Fam

ily•

Bein

g a

fam

ily m

embe

r: be

ing

cons

ider

ate

and

help

ful,

expr

essi

ng c

arin

g, a

ndde

velo

ping

cap

acity

for i

ntim

acy

• M

akin

g co

ntrib

utio

ns a

tho

me—

chor

es, r

espo

nsib

ilitie

s•

Rela

ting

to s

iblin

gs—

shar

ing,

taki

ng tu

rns,

initi

atin

gin

tera

ctio

ns, n

egot

iatin

gdi

sput

es, h

elpi

ng, c

arin

g•

Inte

rnal

izin

g va

lues

mod

eled

infa

mily

• Se

lf-co

nfid

ent a

nd tr

ustin

g—w

hat t

hey

can

expe

ct fr

omad

ults

; bel

ieve

that

they

are

impo

rtan

t; th

at th

eir n

eeds

and

wis

hes

mat

ter;

that

they

can

succ

eed;

that

they

can

trus

tth

eir c

are

give

rs; t

hat a

dults

can

be h

elpf

ul•

Inte

llect

ually

inqu

isiti

ve—

like

to e

xplo

re th

eir h

ome

and

the

wor

ld a

roun

d th

em•

Hom

es (a

nd c

omm

uniti

es)

free

from

vio

lenc

e•

Hom

e lif

e in

clud

es c

onsi

sten

t,st

imul

atin

g co

ntac

t with

car

ing

adul

ts

• U

nder

stan

ding

diff

eren

t fam

ilyfo

rms

and

stru

ctur

es•

Coo

pera

ting

arou

nd h

ouse

hold

task

s•

Ack

now

ledg

ing

com

plim

ents

• Va

luin

g ow

n un

ique

ness

as

indi

vidu

al a

nd a

s fa

mily

cont

ribut

or•

Sust

aini

ng p

ositi

vein

tera

ctio

ns w

ith p

aren

ts a

ndot

her a

dult

rela

tives

, frie

nds

• Sh

owin

g af

fect

ion,

neg

ativ

efe

elin

gs a

ppro

pria

tely

• B

eing

clo

se, e

stab

lishi

ngin

timac

y an

d bo

unda

ries

• A

ccep

ting

failu

re/d

iffic

ulty

and

cont

inui

ng e

ffort

• R

ecog

nizi

ng c

onfli

ct b

etw

een

pare

nts’

and

pee

rs’ v

alue

s (e

.g.,

dres

s, im

port

ance

of

achi

evem

ent)

• Le

arni

ng a

bout

sta

ges

inad

ults

’ and

par

ents

’ liv

es•

Valu

ing

of ri

tual

s

• B

ecom

ing

inde

pend

ent

• Ta

lkin

g w

ith p

aren

ts a

bout

daily

act

iviti

es, l

earn

ing

self-

disc

losu

re s

kills

• Pr

epar

ing

for p

aren

ting,

fam

ilyre

spon

sibi

litie

s


136

Pres

choo

l/Ea

rlyEl

emen

tary

(K

–2) S

choo

lEl

emen

tary

/Int

erm

edia

teM

iddl

e S

choo

lH

igh

Sch

ool

Sch

ool-r

elat

ed

Reas

onab

leex

pect

atio

ns•

Payi

ng a

ttent

ion

to te

ache

rs•

Und

erst

andi

ng s

imila

ritie

s an

ddi

ffere

nces

(e.g

., sk

in c

olor

,ph

ysic

al d

isab

ilitie

s)•

Wor

king

to th

e be

st o

f one

’sab

ility

• U

sing

wor

ds e

ffect

ivel

y,es

peci

ally

for f

eelin

gs•

Coo

pera

ting

• Re

spon

ding

pos

itive

ly to

appr

oval

• Th

inki

ng o

ut lo

ud, a

skin

gqu

estio

ns•

Expr

essi

ng s

elf i

n ar

t, m

usic

gam

es, d

ram

atic

pla

y•

Like

s st

artin

g m

ore

than

finis

hing

• D

eriv

ing

secu

rity

in re

petit

ion,

rout

ines

• A

ble

to a

rtic

ulat

e lik

es a

nddi

slik

es, h

as c

lear

sen

se o

fst

reng

ths,

are

as o

f mas

tery

, can

artic

ulat

e th

ese,

and

has

oppo

rtuni

ties

to e

ngag

e in

thes

e•

Expl

orin

g th

e en

viro

nmen

t•

Self-

conf

iden

t and

trus

ting—

wha

t the

y ca

n ex

pect

from

adul

ts in

the

scho

ol; b

elie

ving

that

they

are

impo

rtan

t; th

atth

eir n

eeds

and

wis

hes

mat

ter;

that

they

can

suc

ceed

; tha

t the

yca

n tr

ust a

dults

in s

choo

l; th

atad

ults

in s

choo

l can

be

help

ful

• Se

tting

aca

dem

ic g

oals

,pl

anni

ng s

tudy

tim

e, c

ompl

etin

gas

sign

men

ts•

Lear

ning

to w

ork

on te

ams

• A

ccep

ting

sim

ilarit

ies

and

diffe

renc

es (e

.g.,

appe

aran

ce,

abili

ty le

vels

)•

Coo

pera

ting,

hel

ping

—es

peci

ally

you

nger

chi

ldre

n•

Bou

ncin

g ba

ck fr

om m

ista

kes

• A

ble

to w

ork

hard

on

proj

ects

• B

egin

ning

, car

ryin

g th

roug

hon

, and

com

plet

ing

task

s•

Goo

d pr

oble

m s

olvi

ng•

Forg

ivin

g af

ter a

nger

• G

ener

ally

trut

hful

• Sh

owin

g pr

ide

inac

com

plis

hmen

ts•

Can

cal

m d

own

afte

r bei

ngup

set,

losi

ng o

ne’s

tem

per,

orcr

ying

• A

ble

to fo

llow

dire

ctio

ns fo

rsc

hool

task

s, ro

utin

es•

Car

ryin

g ou

t com

mitm

ents

tocl

assm

ates

, tea

cher

s•

Show

ing

appr

opria

tehe

lpfu

lnes

s•

Know

ing

how

to a

sk fo

r hel

p•

Ref

usin

g ne

gativ

e pe

erpr

essu

re

• W

ill b

est a

ccep

t mod

ified

rule

s•

Enjo

ys n

ovel

ty o

ver r

epet

ition

• C

an le

arn

plan

ning

and

man

agem

ent s

kills

to c

ompl

ete

scho

ol re

quire

men

ts

• M

akin

g a

real

istic

aca

dem

icpl

an, r

ecog

nizi

ng p

erso

nal

stre

ngth

s, p

ersi

stin

g to

ach

ieve

goal

s in

spi

te o

f set

back

s•

Plan

ning

a c

aree

r/pos

t-hig

hsc

hool

pat

hway

s•

Gro

up e

ffect

iven

ess:

inte

rper

sona

l ski

lls, n

egot

iatio

n,te

amw

ork

• O

rgan

izat

iona

l effe

ctiv

enes

san

d le

ader

ship

—m

akin

g a

cont

ribut

ion

to c

lass

room

and

scho

ol

Appendix A

137

Pres

choo

l/Ea

rlyEl

emen

tary

(K

–2) S

choo

lEl

emen

tary

/Int

erm

edia

teM

iddl

e S

choo

lH

igh

Sch

ool

App

ropr

iate

Envi

ronm

ent

• C

lear

cla

ssro

om, s

choo

l rul

es•

Opp

ortu

nitie

s fo

r res

pons

ibili

tyin

the

clas

sroo

m•

Auth

ority

cle

ar, f

air,

dese

rvin

gof

resp

ect

• Fr

eque

nt te

ache

r red

irect

ion

• C

lass

room

s an

d sc

hool

-rela

ted

loca

tions

free

from

vio

lenc

e an

dth

reat

• Sc

hool

life

incl

udes

con

sist

ent,

stim

ulat

ing

cont

act w

ith c

arin

gad

ults

• O

ppor

tuni

ties

to c

omfo

rt p

eer

or c

lass

mat

e in

dis

tres

s, h

elp

new

per

sons

feel

acce

pted

/incl

uded

• B

eing

in g

roup

s, g

roup

activ

ities

• M

akin

g/us

ing

effe

ctiv

e gr

oup

rule

s•

Part

icip

atin

g in

sto

ry-b

ased

lear

ning

• O

ppor

tuni

ties

to n

egot

iate

• Ti

me

for l

augh

ter,

occa

sion

alsi

lline

ss

• M

inim

izin

g le

ctur

e-m

ode

ofin

stru

ctio

n•

Vary

ing

type

s of

stu

dent

prod

ucts

(dee

mph

asiz

e w

ritte

nre

port

s)•

Opp

ortu

nitie

s to

par

ticip

ate

inse

tting

pol

icy

• C

lear

exp

ecta

tions

abo

uttru

ancy

, sub

stan

ce u

se, v

iole

ntbe

havi

or•

Opp

ortu

nitie

s fo

r set

ting,

revi

ewin

g pe

rson

alno

rms/

stan

dard

s•

Gro

up/a

cade

mic

/ex

trac

urric

ular

mem

bers

hips

• G

uida

nce/

stru

ctur

es fo

r goa

lse

tting

, fut

ure

plan

ning

, pos

t-sc

hool

tran

sitio

n•

Opp

ortu

nitie

s fo

r par

ticip

atin

gin

sch

ool s

ervi

ce a

nd o

ther

nona

cade

mic

invo

lvem

ent

• B

eing

a ro

le m

odel

for y

oung

erst

uden

ts

Com

mun

ity

• C

urio

sity

abo

ut h

ow a

nd w

hyth

ings

hap

pen

• Re

cogn

izin

g a

plur

alis

ticso

ciet

y (e

.g.,

awar

e of

hol

iday

s,cu

stom

s, c

ultu

ral g

roup

s)•

Acc

eptin

g re

spon

sibi

lity

for

the

envi

ronm

ent

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138


Appendix B: Guidelines for Social andEmotional Education

Guideline 1. Educators at all levels need explicitplans to help students become knowledgeable, re-sponsible, and caring. Efforts are needed to buildand reinforce skills in four major domains of SEL:

1. Life skills and social competencies 2. Health-promotion and problem-preventionskills 3. Coping skills and social support for transi-tions and crises 4. Positive, contributory service

Guideline 2. Successful efforts to build social andemotional skills are linked to developmental mile-stones as well as the need to help students copewith ongoing life events and local circumstances.

Guideline 3. SEL programs emphasize the promo-tion of prosocial attitudes and values about self,others, and work.

Guideline 4. It is most beneficial to provide a de-velopmentally appropriate combination of formal,curriculum-based instruction with ongoing, infor-mal, and infused opportunities to develop socialand emotional skills from preschool through highschool.

Guideline 5. SEL programs engage students as ac-tive partners in creating a classroom atmospherewhere caring, responsibility, trust, and commit-ment to learning can thrive.

Guideline 6. Academic and SEL goals are unified

by a comprehensive, theory-based framework thatis developmentally appropriate.

Guideline 7. SEL instruction uses a variety ofteaching methods to actively promote multiple do-mains of intelligence.

Guideline 8. Repetition and practice are vital tothe integration of cognition, emotion, and behavior.

Guideline 9. Educators can enhance the transfer ofSEL from lesson-based or other formal instructionto everyday life by using prompting and cuingtechniques in all aspects of school life.

Guideline 10. The integration of SEL with tradi-tional academics greatly enhances learning in bothareas.

Guideline 11. The SEL curriculum may have to beadapted for children with special needs.Guideline 12. Coordination between the SEL cur-riculum and other services creates an effective andintegrated system of service delivery.

Guideline 13. Staff development opportunities pro-vide teachers with theoretical knowledge essentialto teaching social and emotional skills.

Guideline 14. Staff development provides model-ing and practice in experiential learning.

Guideline 15. Staff development activities are vis-ibly and regularly supported by feedback from col-leagues, administrators, and others.

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Guideline 16. SEL programs are most effectivewhen teachers and administrators adopt a long-range perspective.

Guideline 17. A caring, supportive, and challeng-ing classroom and school climate is most condu-cive to effective SEL teaching and learning.

Guideline 18. Students derive more benefit fromSEL programs that they help to design, plan, andimplement.

Guideline 19. SEL programs and activities that arecoordinated with and integrated into the regularcurriculum and life of the classroom and school aremost likely to have the desired effect on students,and are also most likely to endure.

Guideline 20. SEL programs that are most clearlyaligned with district goals and that have the sup-port of the district administration are most likely tosucceed.

Guideline 21. When home and school collaborateclosely to implement SEL programs, students gainmore and the SEL program’s effects are most en-during and pervasive.

Guideline 22. Adequate community involvementin and support for SEL programs enhances theireffects.

Guideline 23. In selecting a specific SEL program,educators must consider identified local needs,goals, interests, and mandates; staff skills; preexist-ing efforts; the nature of instructional procedures;the quality of materials; the developmental appro-priateness of the program; and its respect fordiversity.

Guideline 24. SEL activities and programs are bestintroduced as pilot programs.

Guideline 25. Professional development and su-pervision are important at all levels.

Guideline 26. Be clear about your planning proc-ess and your view of how programs expand suc-cessfully in your setting.

Guideline 27. An SEL program or approach thataddresses a wide range of life skills and problemprevention areas tends to have the most impact.

Guideline 28. Allow the necessary time and sup-port for the program to strengthen and grow.

Guideline 29. Systematically involving studentswho are receiving special education helps build acohesive program climate and increases generaliza-tion of learned skills to situations students encoun-ter in daily living.

Guideline 30. To foster long-term commitment, itis helpful to have a designated program coordina-tor, social development facilitator, or a social andemotional development committee. Committeestypically are responsible for seeing that the variousactivities needed to effectively meet program goalsare carried out. They monitor SEL-related effortsinside and outside the school.

Guideline 31. Long-lasting SEL programs arehighly visible and recognized. These programs“act proud” and are not “snuck in” or carried outon unofficially “borrowed” time. They do not actin opposition to school or district goals, but ratherare integral to these goals.

Guideline 32. Effective SEL approaches use portfo-lios, exhibitions, fairs, group presentations, andprint and electronic media both inside and outsideof school to invite participation and encourage theinvolvement and commitment of the larger com-munity. By using a variety of approaches, SEL pro-grams extend the reach of the program beyondformal school and classroom settings, and reachout to bring others in.

Guideline 33. The longer a program is in place, themore it will have to be adapted to changing circum-stances. Implementation must be monitored andthe program’s outcomes evaluated regularly.

Guideline 34. Persistence and commitment are es-sential to overcoming obstacles that may hinderstart-up of the SEL program and snarl the imple-mentation. Because problem solving involves the


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modeling of the skills that educators are trying toteach students, the process of resolving issues con-tributes greatly to the effectiveness of SEL efforts.

Guideline 35. SEL programs have clear implemen-tation criteria and are monitored to ensure that theprograms are carried out as planned.

Guideline 36. Effective SEL programs are moni-tored and evaluated regularly using systematic pro-cedures and multiple indicators.

Guideline 37. SEL programs have clear outcomecriteria with specific indicators of impact identifiedand outcome information gathered from multiplesources.

Guideline 38. To maximize the benefits of theevaluation process, SEL efforts are shared and dis-cussed within a grade level, with adjacent gradelevels, with other schools in the district, and withparents and the community to ensure that mem-bers of these groups understand and contribute tothe social and emotional learning that is takingplace.

Guideline 39. The results of SEL program evalu-ation efforts are used to refine programs and makedecisions about their future course.

Appendix B

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Appendix C: Program Descriptions, Contacts,and Site Visit Information

THERE IS NO BETTER WAY TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT

a social and emotional skills-building approach orprogram than by talking to those actually teachingthe program or by seeing it in action. CASEL hasidentified a number of groups who are working inthe area of social and emotional education, and itmaintains a clearinghouse, resource library, andWorld Wide Web site to provide information andnetworking for those interested in information, pro-gram materials, training, or consultation.

The following section presents a sampling ofprograms active at the time of this writing. Thesewere identified by CASEL and the PreventionClearinghouse of the National Mental Health Asso-ciation as having empirical support for their effec-tiveness, sites in varying locations, and awillingness to respond to contacts and host visitsfrom those wishing to see programs in action, ex-plore how they work, and learn how to get themstarted. In each case, there is a contact for more de-tailed information. Site visits were made by LindaBruene-Butler, Lisa Blum, and Zephryn Conte be-tween September and December 1996.

Programs That Participated in Site Visits

Child Development Project (CDP) Developmental Studies Center,2000 Embarcadero, Suite 305Oakland, CA 94606-5300.Contact persons: Eric Schaps, Marilyn Watson

Phone: (510) 533-0213, 800-666-7270Fax: (510) 464-3670

CDP works with elementary schools to helpthem become “caring communities of learners” orplaces where children care about learning and careabout one another. The program emphasizes the in-tegrated intellectual, ethical, and social develop-ment of children, recognizing that the three areasof development are interrelated and together affectchildren’s success in school. By deliberately incor-porating these domains of development into theprogram design, CDP aims to deepen children’scommitment to being kind, helpful, responsible,and respectful of others, as well as foster motiva-tion for learning and development of higher-ordercognitive skills. The program’s multifaceted ap-proach includes cooperative learning, a problem-solving approach to discipline and classroommanagement, classroom and schoolwide commu-nity building, and family involvement. The pro-gram is supported by staff development andextensive curricular and professional materialsfrom the Developmental Studies Center in Oak-land, California.

Sites: Flagship schools are located in Louisville,Kentucky; White Plains, New York; and Cupertino,California.

School visited: Hazelwood Elementary School, Jef-ferson County Public Schools, 1325 Bluegrass Ave.,Louisville, KY 40215. Site visit contacts: Brenda

143

Logan, Principal; Sheila Koshewa, Project Coordi-nator of CDP

North Country SchoolP.O. Box 187Lake Placid, NY 12946-0187Contact person: Frank Wallace, HeadPhone: (518) 523-9329Fax: (518) 523-4858

A residential school in Lake Placid, New York,North Country provides a family-oriented environ-ment dedicated to the development of the wholechild. In a rural setting, featuring a working farm,students learn the social, emotional, and intellec-tual skills needed for a full and complete life of re-flection, interaction, and contribution. Somestudents have had difficulties adjusting to peer,community, or family life in their home settings.Thus, North Country provides an environment inwhich children learn to accept themselves and di-verse others, as well. The school accepts elemen-tary and middle school-aged students.

School visited: North Country School, P.O. Box187, Lake Placid, NY 12946-0187. Site visit contact:Frank Wallace

PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies) Program Prevention Research CenterPennsylvania State UniversityHenderson Building SouthUniversity Park, PA 16802Contact person: Mark GreenbergPhone: (814) 863-0241Fax: (814) 863-7963Web: http://weber.u.washington.edu/~paths/Publisher: Developmental Research and Programs1-800-736-2630

PATHS is a curriculum-based program. Chil-dren learn to recognize, express, and manage emo-tions; stop and think; use verbal thought; and learnwords to help mediate understanding of self andothers, social problem-solving skills, and languageskills for self-control. Training, staff, and logistical

support are provided by the PATHS ResearchGroup at the University of Washington. Special ma-terials are available for children with hearing im-pairments. The program focuses on all elementarygrades.

Sites: Flagship sites are in the Seattle, Washington,area; rural Pennsylvania; and Nashville, Tennessee.

School visited: Hazel Valley Elementary School,Highline School District 401, 402 SW 132nd St.,Burien, WA 98146. Site visit contact: Barbara Wal-ton, Principal

Primary Mental Health Project, Inc. (PMHP)575 Mount Hope Ave.Rochester, New York 14620-2290Contact Person: A. Dirk HightowerPhone: (716) 273-5957Fax: (716) 232-6350

PMHP, Inc., features several different pro-grams. The oldest and most widespread is calledPMHP, in which young elementary school-agedstudents showing early signs of risk, due to socialisolation, aggression, or academic failure, arepaired with Child Associates who meet with themonce a week to help build a positive relationshipand SEL skills. Social problem-solving programs,including ENHANCE for preschool and kindergar-ten, build critical thinking skills. The Children ofDivorce Program is a school-based, curriculum-based short-term intervention for children under-going this stressful life event. It has receivedresearch validation and extensive national acclaim.Focal age groups are preschool through elementary.

Sites: Flagships sites are found throughout NewYork State; there are more than 500 implementa-tion sites throughout the United States and itsterritories.

Schools visited: Dudley Primary School, 211 Hamilton Rd., Fair-port, NY 14450. Site visit contact: Paul Earnst,Principal

Rochester City School #29, 88 Kirkland Rd., Roches-ter, NY 14611


144

Site visit contact: Ms. Vivian McCloud, Principal

Resolving Conflict Creatively Program (RCCP)RCCP National Center163 Third Ave., #103New York, NY 10003Contact person: Linda Lantieri, Director, Resolving Conflict Creatively Program National CenterPhone: (212) 387-0225Fax: (212) 387-0510E-mail: [email protected]

RCCP, an initiative of Educators for Social Re-sponsibility, provides teachers with in-depth train-ing, curriculums, and staff development andsupport; establishes peer mediation programs; of-fers parent workshops; and conducts leadershiptraining for school administrators. The goal is toshow students they have many choices besides pas-sivity or aggression for dealing with conflict, togive them the skills needed to make those choicesin the real world, to increase their appreciation oftheir own and other cultures, and to show themthey can play a more powerful role in creating amore peaceful world. It operates at all grade levels,with an elementary- and middle-school focus.Sites: Flagship schools can be found throughoutthe New York City area and in South Orange-Maplewood, New Jersey; additional sites existthroughout the United States.Schools visited: Maplewood Middle School, Jeffer-son Elementary School, Clinton ElementarySchool. Write to: Board of Education, 525 AcademySt., Maplewood, NJ 07040. Site visit contacts:Zephryn Conte, RCCP Site Coordinator; Mary Ed-wards, RCCP District Liaison

The Responsive ClassroomNortheast Foundation for Children71 Montague City Rd.Greenfield, MA 01301Contact person: Chip WoodPhone: 800-360-6332; (413) 772-2066Fax: (413) 772-2097E-mail: [email protected]

The Responsive Classroom is an approach tointegrating the teaching of academic skills and so-cial skills as part of everyday school life. The pro-gram translates vision and beliefs into soundpractices. These practices provide a classroomstructure within which academic and social learn-ing flourish. The practices grow out of teachers’daily work with children and include MorningMeeting, Classroom Organization, Rules and Logi-cal Consequences, Choice Time, Guided Discovery,and Assessment and Reporting to Parents. Obser-vation and research show that these practices boostself-esteem, promote prosocial behavior, and re-duce problem behaviors in urban, suburban, andrural schools. Our aim is to nurture inquisitive,competent and industrious students who will usetheir skills to add to the positive resources of theworld. The Responsive Classroom is a way ofthinking about teaching and interacting with chil-dren. Although management techniques and skillsare taught, it is not just a set of steps or recipes. It isan all-encompassing approach to teaching, learn-ing, and living.

Sites: Charlemont, Massachusetts; Cincinnati,Ohio; Cortland, New York; Dover, New Hamp-shire; Fitchburg, Massachusetts; Springfield, Massa-chusetts; and Washington, D.C.

School visited: Horace Mann Elementary School,45th & Newark Sts., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20016.Site visit contact: Sheila Ford, Principal

School Development Program (SDP)Yale Child Study Center55 College St., Dept. ANew Haven, CT 06510Contact person: Edward JoynerPhone: (203) 737-1020Fax: (203) 737-1023

The SDP involves a systemic process that tar-gets an entire school for change. It includes (a) aschool planning and management team, which is amanagement policy group with representativesfrom the teaching staff, support staff, parent

Appendix C

145

groups, and administrators; (b) a mental healthteam comprised of child development and mentalhealth specialists in the school whose function in-cludes addressing school climate concerns, as wellas individual student and teacher problems and is-sues; and (c) a parent program that involves par-ents in every facet of school life, including activedaily participation in school activities, policy andmanagement issues, and general school support.The SDP introduces (a) a comprehensive schoolplan that establishes the social and academic goalsand activities of the school; (b) staff developmentactivities designed to address the objectives out-lined in the plan; and (c) monitoring and assess-ment of program processes and outcomes toinform program modifications.

Sites: Flagship sites are in New Haven, Connecti-cut; Washington, D.C.; New York State; and Nash-ville, Tennessee.

School visited: Board of Education, New HavenPublic Schools, 54 Meadows St., New Haven, CT06510. Site visit contact persons: Valerie Maholmes,Ph.D., Coordinator for SDP, New Haven; LystraRichardson, Coordinator, New Haven PublicSchools

Second Step Violence Prevention CurriculumThe Committee for Children2203 Airport Way South, Suite 500Seattle, WA, 98134-2027Contact persons: Barbara Guzzo, Karen BachelderPhone: 800-634-4449; (206) 343-1223Fax: (206) 343-1445

Second Step is a social and emotional skills cur-riculum that teaches children to change the atti-tudes and behaviors that contribute to violence.Through multimedia lesson presentations, class-room discussion, role play, and schoolwide rein-forcement, children develop emotionalunderstanding, empathy, impulse control, problem-solving, and anger-management skills. A FamilyGuide to Second Step is a companion program thatteaches parents of Second Step students to practice

and reinforce prosocial behavior at the home. Cur-riculums, videos, training for professionals, imple-mentation support, and research and evaluationare provided by Committee for Children. The pro-gram is directed to students, teachers, and parentsof children from preschool to 9th grade.Sites: Flagships sites are available throughout theUnited States and Canada. Implementation hastaken place across North America and in seven for-eign countries.Schools visited: Kimball Elementary, 3200 23rdAve. South, Seattle, WA 98144. Site visit contacts:Theresa Escobar, School Counselor; BarbaraGuzzo, Committee for Children.Whitworth Elementary, 5215 46th Ave. South, Seat-tle, WA 98118. Site visit contacts: Susan McCloskey,Principal; Barbara Guzzo, Committee for Children.

Social Decision Making and Problem SolvingDepartment of PsychologyRutgers University, Livingston CampusNew Brunswick, NJ 08903Primary Contact Person: Maurice EliasPhone: (732) 445-2444Fax: (732) 445-0036

For Training of Trainers, National Dissemination:SPS Unit240 Stelton Rd.Piscataway, NJ 08854-3248Contact persons: Linda Bruene-Butler, Lisa BlumPhone: (732) 235-4939Fax: (732) 235-5115

For Video/Media/Computer-Technology Applications:Psychological Enterprises, Inc.165 Washington St.Morristown, NJ 07960Contact Person: Steven TobiasPhone: (973) 829-6806Fax: (973) 829-6802

Social Decision Making and Problem Solving isa curriculum-based framework for promoting stu-dents’ social competence and life skills and pre-venting violence, substance abuse, and related


146

problem behaviors. Focal skills include how to un-derstand social situations, one’s feelings, and theperspectives of those involved; calm down whenupset or under pressure; create personally mean-ingful and prosocial goals; consider alternativesand consequences to ways of reaching goals; mak-ing and enacting effective plans; and overcomingpersonal and interpersonal obstacles. Main curricu-lum foci are Readiness Skills (self-control, socialawareness, and group participation), Social Deci-sion Making Strategy Skills, and Application Skills(infusion into academics, interpersonal situations).There are curriculum materials, and parent andtraining manuals. Extensive applications are madeto self-contained classrooms and include specialeducation students. Video- (“Talking with TJ”) andcomputer-based applications are a current focus. Itoperates from pre-K to 12th grade, with a focus onelementary and middle school.Sites: Flagship schools include those site visitedand The Children’s Institute in Livingston, NewJersey; Chester, New Jersey Township; St. Charles,Illinois School District; Astor Home for Children,New York; Westchester County, New York; andsites in Arizona, Washington, Texas, New York,New Jersey, USA; Australia; India; and Israel.

Schools visited:Watsessing School, 71 Prospect St., Bloomfield, NJ07003. Site visit contact: Darlene Mattia, PrincipalBerkeley Heights, New Jersey Public Schools, 345Plainfield Ave., Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922. Sitevisit contact: Mrs. Joan London, Assistant Superin-tendentBartle School, Mansfield Ave., Highland Park, NJ08904. Site visit contact: Dr. Frank Fehn, PrincipalCape May Special Services School District, CrestHaven Rd., Cape May Courthouse, NJ 08201. Sitevisit contact: Karalee Corson, Director

Social Development Research Group (SDRG)Raising Healthy Children Program9732 3rd Ave., NESuite #401Seattle, WA 98115

Contact persons: Kevin Haggerty and Lois MerymanPhone: (206) 543-3188; 685-3854Fax: (206) 543-4507E-mail: [email protected]

Raising Healthy Children, a project funded bythe National Institute on Drug Abuse, seeks to re-duce known risk factors for later problem behav-iors while increasing protective factors amongelementary school-aged students. The interven-tions focus on three critical socializing units—theschool, family, and peer group. Intervention strate-gies include staff development, parenting pro-grams and home visits for families, and socialskills development for students. The strategies aredesigned to increase bonding between studentsand their school and parents; teach skills to parentsand teachers to increase academic success and re-duce problem behaviors; and reinforce positivenorms. These strategies have been shown by ear-lier SDRG research to reduce children’s risk forlater health and behavior problems. Preliminaryanalysis of RHC data reveal statistically significantdifferences between program and comparison stu-dents in their growth in social competency over atwo-year period. Evaluation efforts will continueto further our understanding of how to effectivelypromote children’s development as healthy com-munity members.

Schools visited:Cedar Way Elementary School, 22222 39th Ave.West, Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043-5252. Site visitcontact: Jeanne Smart, Principal

Lynnwood Intermediate. 18638 44th Ave. West,Lynnwood, WA 98037-4605. Site visit contact: Mar-cie Nashem, Principal

Mountlake Terrace Elementary School, 22001 52ndAve. West, Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043-3399. Sitevisit contact: Pat Mourtada, Principal

Hazelwood Elementary School, 3300 204th St. SW,Lynnwood, WA 98036-6899. Site visit contact: JaneWestergaard-Nimocks, Principal

Appendix C

147

Success for LifeLa Salle Academy612 Academy Ave.Providence, RI 02908Contact person: Ray Hebel, Academic DeanPhone: (401) 351-7750Fax: (401) 444-1782Developer: Raymond Pasi, Ph.D.Phone: (703) 358-5400Fax: (703) 358-5409

Success for Life is the name La Salle Academygives to its schoolwide and curriculum-infusedprogram in social and emotional education. Stu-dent needs in this domain are met through a widevariety of established and new school initiatives.La Salle’s Goals of Community Behavior were cre-ated by the joint efforts of the principal, faculty,and student representatives, and function as theoverall guideline for acceptable behavior. Otherschool programs range from a Big Brother/Big Sis-ter program and Athlete Goal Sheets to a dailymorning reflection. These programs are comple-mented by social and emotional lessons, which areexplicitly taught in every academic discipline sev-eral times a year. Specific themes and related skillsserve as the guidelines for what is covered in eachgrade. The program is unique in its blending ofspecific schoolwide programs with social/emo-tional infusion into every subject.

School visited: La Salle Academy, 612 AcademyAve., Providence, RI 02908. Site visit contact:Raymond Pasi

Acclaimed SEL Programs in Schools NotVisited

Limited time made it impossible to site visit morethan a representative sampling of outstanding SELprogram models. Below, we list selected programsin CASEL’s database that were not visited. How-ever, each of these models has ongoing programsthat may be visited through arrangements with thecontact person.

Facing History and OurselvesNational Office16 Hurd Rd.Brookline, MA 02146-6919Contact person: Margo Stern StromPhone: (617) 232-1595Fax: (617) 232-0281

Facing History and Ourselves is a national edu-cation and teacher training organization whosemission is to engage students of diverse back-grounds in an examination of racism, prejudice,and antisemitism in order to promote the develop-ment of a more humane and informed citizenry. Bystudying the historical development and lessons ofthe Holocaust and other examples of genocide, stu-dents explore the connection between history andcurrent events and the choices they confront intheir own lives.

Sites: In addition to the National Office in Massa-chusetts, Regional Centers are maintained in Chi-cago, Illinois; Memphis, Tennessee; New York,New York; Los Angeles, California; and San Fran-cisco, California.

Going for the Goal (GOAL)The Life Skills CenterWest Virginia Commonwealth University800 W. Franklin St.Richmond, VA 32384-2018Contact persons: Steven Danish, Alice WesterbergPhone: (804) 828-4384Fax: (804) 828-0239

GOAL is a 10-session, 10-hour program taughtto middle school students by well-trained highschool students, both in and after school. The skillstaught are how to identify positive life goals, theprocess of goal attainment, social problem solving,identifying health-compromising and goal-diverting behaviors, identifying health- and goal-promoting behaviors, and how to seek socialsupport. There are printed Leaders Manuals andStudent Activity Guides.


148

Sites: Connecticut, New York, Georgia, Michigan,Virginia, Massachusetts, California, USA; Australiaand New Zealand

Growing HealthyNational Center for Health Education (NCHE)72 Spring St., Suite 208New York, NY 10012-4019Contact person: Urvi R. Dalal, MPHPhone: (212) 334-9470, ext. 25Fax: (212) 334-9845

Growing Healthy is a school-based comprehen-sive health education curriculum designed to meetthe needs of students in kindergarten through 6thgrade. Its lessons are planned and sequential withvaried activities that address not only the physical,but also the social and emotional aspects of health.The curriculum is designed to help children con-front today’s pressing health issues such as sub-stance use; HIV/AIDS; teen pregnancy; andviolence, injury, and abuse. The program includesrole play, small-group exercises, cooperative andexperimental activities, as well as videos, 3-D ana-tomical models, games, cassettes, and optionalcomputer software. Unlike single-topic curricu-lums, in 43 to 51 lessons per grade level, GrowingHealthy enables students to adopt proactive atti-tudes and behaviors by giving them the life skillsthey need.

Sites: Through the NCHE office, program facilita-tors can be contacted for specific information in thefollowing states: Arizona, Arkansas, California,Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa,Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Mon-tana, New Mexico, New York, South Dakota, Ten-nessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

“I Can Problem Solve” (ICPS)Allegheny UniversityBroad and Vine Sts.Philadelphia, PA 19102Contact person: Myrna Shure, Ph.D. (Developer/Author)

Phone: (215) 762-7205Fax: (215) 762-8625

The award-winning ICPS program teaches chil-dren (pre-K to 6th grade) thinking skills that theycan use to resolve or prevent problems betweenthemselves and other people. Extensive researchhas proven children as young as four can learnthese thinking skills. Children are guided to thinkfor themselves (how, not what to think), to evalu-ate their own ideas and to try out their own solu-tions. There are three basic elements to training:basic skills, problem-solving skills, and programframework. Basic skills include: problem-solvingvocabulary and dialogue techniques, identificationof feelings, and seeing others’ points of view. Prob-lem-solving skills focus on considering multiple so-lutions, consequences of these solutions, anddetermining best solution. The framework of theprogram consists of teaching lessons several timesa week. Lessons are in game form and sequentiallybuild on one another; concepts are reviewed andpracticed. Children learn to apply skills to real-lifesituations. (Companion award-winning parent pro-gram: Raising a Thinking Child book and workbook.)

Sites: Throughout United States and abroad

The Mysteries ProgramInstitute for Social and Emotional Learning3833 N. 57th St.Boulder, CO 80301Contact person: Rachael KesslerPhone: (303) 581-0331Fax: (303) 581-0295

Mysteries provides training and materials thatgive adolescent students the tools to learn to toler-ate and enjoy human diversity; to develop compas-sion, responsibility, and empowerment; to capturethe ability to play; to express joy and love; and tofeel connected to community. Neglected dimen-sions of intelligence are emphasized: sensitivity toself and other, intuition, imagination, body wis-dom, and spirituality. A Passages Program pre-pares educators to address social and emotional

Appendix C

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issues related to teenage transitions into, during,and after high school.

Sites: Flagship sites are in New York and Califor-nia.

Positive Adolescent Choices Training (PACT)School of Professional Psychology, Ellis InstituteWright State University9 N. Edwin Moses Blvd.Dayton, OH 45407Contact persons: Janeece Warfield, Betty R. YungPhone: (937) 775-4300Fax: (937) 775-4323

PACT is a school-based skill development pro-gram designed to prevent violence among African-American and other high-risk youth. The programtrains youth in three social skills (giving negativefeedback, receiving negative feedback, and negotia-tion), anger management, and violence risk educa-tion. Videotapes and program manuals can bepurchased for program implementation, and train-ing for group leaders may be arranged. Observa-tions may be arranged in the PACT middle schoolsite.

Site: A comprehensive observation site is set up ina Dayton, Ohio, middle school.

Preschool Stress Relief Project (PSSRP)Wholistic Stress Control Institute2545 Benjamin E. Mays Dr., SWAtlanta, GA 30311Contact person: Gloria ElderPhone: (404) 755-0068Fax: (404) 755-4333

PSSRP is a substance abuse prevention andmental health program developed to provide train-ing, consultation, and educational resources instress management to Head Start, day care, andpublic school teachers. The project’s goal is to en-able teachers to instruct preschoolers and elemen-tary school students living in high-risk environ-ments to develop positive coping skills for reduc-ing and managing stress in their lives. The project

provides workshops for parents on stress reduc-tion techniques for families as well. Educationalmaterials include curriculum, videos, puppets,posters, songs, stickers, coloring book, and parentworkbook. Training services are also available.Sites: Arizona, Georgia, Minnesota, New Jersey,Ohio, and Washington

Project OZ, Inc.502 S. Morris Ave.Bloomington, IL 61701Contact person: Mike DobbinsPhone: (309) 827-0377Fax: (309) 829-8877E-mail: [email protected]

Project OZ has created several curriculum-based programs for special education and generaleducation students. Special prevention moduleshave been created for substance abuse in grades K-12, and violence prevention for grades 4-7.

Sites: Baltimore City, Maryland; Region 5, Chicago;Decatur, Illinois; and Branson, Missouri

Reach Out To Schools: Social Competency ProgramThe Stone Center, Wellesley College106 Central St.Wellesley, MA 02181-8268Contact person: Pamela SeiglePhone: (617) 283-2847Fax: (617) 283-3646

Reach Out to Schools is a comprehensive multi-year program for grades K-5. A yearlong curricu-lum contains 40 lessons in three competency areas:creating a cooperative classroom environment,building self-esteem and positive relationships,and solving interpersonal problems. Lessons areconducted twice each week in an “Open Circle”format. Workshops are provide to parents as well.Sites: Flagships sites are located throughout Massa-chusetts: Boston, Easton, Framingham, Franklin,Holbrook, Hopkinson, Medfield, Natick, Ran-dolph, Sherborn, Wayland, Wellesley, Westwood,and Weymouth.


150

The Social Competence Program for Young Adolescents (SCPP-YA)Department of Psychology (M/C 285)University of Illinois-Chicago1007 W. Harrison St.Chicago IL 60607-7137Contact person: Roger WeissbergPhone: (312) 413-1012Fax: (312) 355-0559

SCPP-YA is a middle school prevention pro-gram that teaches students cognitive, behavioral,and affective skills and encourages them to applythese skills in dealing with daily challenges, prob-lems, and decisions. It has been a core element ofNew Haven’s systemwide, K through 12 social de-velopment curriculum instruction since 1989. The45-session SCPP-YA has 3 modules. The first mod-ule includes 27 lessons of intensive instruction insocial problem-solving (SPS) skills. These founda-tional lessons are followed by two 9-session pro-grams that teach students to apply SPS skills to theprevention of substance abuse and high-risk sexualbehavior. To foster the application and generaliza-tion of SPS concepts and skills to daily life, teach-ers are trained to model problem solving tostudents in situations other than formal classroomlessons, and to guide and encourage students totry out problem-solving strategies in school, athome, and in the community. Research evaluationsindicate positive program effects on students’ prob-lem-solving and stress-management skills, proso-cial attitudes about conflict, social behavior, andalcohol use.Sites: The flagship site is the New Haven, Connecti-cut, Public Schools.

Success for All Program (SFA)Johns Hopkins University3503 N. Charles St.Baltimore, MD 21218Contact person: Barbara CoppersmithPhone: 1-800-548-4998Fax: (410) 516-8890

SFA is a schoolwide restructuring program for

students in grades pre-K to 5. It organizes re-sources to focus on prevention and early interven-tion so that every student will succeed in readingthroughout the elementary grades. Components in-clude tutors, eight-week assessments, cooperativelearning, reading and writing programs, familysupport and staff support teams, and a full-timesite facilitator.Sites: Elementary schools in the following statesare among those that can be visited: Arizona, Cali-fornia, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland,Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina,Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia,and West Virginia.

Teenage Health Teaching Modules (THTM)Center for School Health ProgramsEducation Development Center, Inc.55 Chapel St.Newton, MA 02158Contact Person: Christine BlaberPhone: (617) 969-7100Fax: (617) 244-3436E-mail: [email protected]

To see the program in the classroom, contact:Frances (“Kika”) BrownHealth/Physical Education Teacher30845 Ashwood Dr.Granger, IN 46530(219) 295-4700

THTM is a successful, nationally used, and in-dependently evaluated comprehensive schoolhealth curriculum for grades 6 through 12. It pro-vides adolescents with the knowledge, skills, andunderstanding necessary to act in ways that en-hance their immediate and long-term health. Theevaluation of THTM concluded that the curricu-lum produced positive effects on students’ healthknowledge, attitudes, and self-reported behaviors.As a comprehensive health curriculum, THTM ad-dresses topics as diverse as disease prevention andcontrol, nutrition and fitness, injury and violenceprevention, mental and emotional health, andhealthy relationships.

Appendix C

151

Index

Abuse or neglect issues, 72. See also At-risk childrenAcademic success and SEL, 3–6, 12, 61, 85, 88Adapting SEL

for different populations, 64–68 in response to problems, 97–102

Administratorslong-range perspective, 72–73professional development, 68–73response to calls for SEL, 8–10support for SEL program, 94, 104, 120support for teachers, 71–72, 94, 104

Adolescentsdevelopmental milestones, 38–41healthy perspectives for, 40–41personal-academic connection, 19–20skills employers want for teens, 7

AIDS prevention programs. See Prevention programs“Anger Thermometer,” 52, 53Arizona, 89Artistic expression, 54Assumption School, Seattle, Washington, 54At-risk children

caring and, 6consistency in SEL procedures and, 65, 97importance of school to, 115linking SEL with developmental milestones, 29–31SEL and, 5

Auburndale School, Kentucky, 80Avot, Pirke, 96

Bachelder, Karen, 95, 99Bartle School, Highland Park, New Jersey, 59, 60, 61, 68Behavioral skills, 27–29Behavior problems

defusing problem behaviors, 68preventing, 5, 6, 66–68rehearsal and practice of skills and, 55SEL and, 5, 6

Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, 83, 89Bill of Rights and Responsibilities, 44–45Bloomfield, New Jersey, 95, 111, 113Book Talks, 63Boulder, Colorado, 54Boundary setting, 69, 70Bronx, New York, 78Brown, Jacqualine, 24Buddy Program, 26Businesses

SEL and, 6–8skills employers want for teens, 7

California, 54, 71, 88Cape May, New Jersey, 32Caring

in the classroom, 45–47importance of, 6, 31, 32, 33, 125modeling of, 69–70school climate and, 108

Catalano, Richard, 49CDP. See Child Development ProjectCedar Way Elementary School, Mountlake Terrace,

Washington, 62Challenging of students, 76–77Character

addressing in an SEL framework, 31–33, 34, 108definition, 32–33

Character educationdefinition, 2goals of, 2, 5overlap with SEL, 2, 5, 31–33, 34

Character Education Partnership, 2Page numbers in italics refer to pages that contain figures and boxedexamples.

153

Child developmentemotion and, 27linking SEL to, 33–41, 92overview of, 37–41

Child Development Project, 71, 80, 87, 92Children of Divorce Project, 23Children’s Institute, 66, 84, 97Citizenship, 8Class Constitution, 44–45Class meetings, 46–47Classroom climate. See also School climate

creating a supportive environment, 44–47, 80, 120effects of unhealthy, 21elements of supportive, 76–77establishing rules, 43–45importance of, 75–77

Closure, 69Cognitive skills and SEL, 3–5, 27Colorado, 54Comer, James, 12, 99“Comer Process,” 89Committee for Children, 95Communication skills, 22, 108Communities, changes in, 9–10Community involvement

in evaluation process, 111in supporting SEL, 3, 10, 89–90, 97, 120keeping the community informed, 97, 124

Community service, 24, 26, 89Computer Friends program, 90Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group, 66–68Confidence, 31, 108Connecticut, 3, 4, 76Consequential thinking, 6Consistency

at-risk children and, 65, 97importance of, 49

Consortium on the School-Based Promotion of SocialCompetence, 109, 118, 119

Contextual factors for SEL. See also Classroom climate;School climatealigning with district goals, 85–87community involvement and support, 3, 10, 89–90,

97, 120coordinating and integrating SEL, 79–85empowering students, 77–79home and school collaboration, 3, 10, 87–89, 97, 109supportive environment, 75–77, 110

Contracts for goal setting, 54, 57–58Conyers, John, 90Cook County, Illinois, 90

Cooperative and small-group learning, 54–55, 65Coping skills and support for transitions and crises,

22–24Cost issues, 114, 124Councils, 46–47Counseling, SEL as adjunct to, 66–68Crossroads School for the Arts and Sciences, Santa

Monica, California, 88Cueing and coaching, 59Cultural sensitivity, 109, 120Current events, integrating SEL, 62Curriculum

for different age groups, 133–138integrating SEL, 61–64, 93, 109key SEL program elements, 109–110, 119

“Day Starter” activity, 19Decatur Elementary, Washington, 54Decision making, 6, 27, 108Decision-making teams, 104Declaration of Independence, 125–126Delaney, Marge, 83DeMattia, Darlene, 95Democracy, 8, 125–126Developmental milestones

linking SEL with, 29–31, 33–41, 92, 109overview of, 37–41

Developmental Studies Center, 71Displays, 48, 59, 97Districts, aligning goals with, 85–87Diversity, 92, 109, 120Divorce, 23Dramatic arts, 54Drug abuse prevention programs. See Prevention

programsDSC. See Developmental Studies CenterDunson, Lorna, 62

Educational challenges, 1Educators. See Administrators; Reflective educator

concept; TeachersElementary school children, developmental milestones,

37–38Emotion

child development and, 27cognition and, 3–5, 27

Emotional attachment, 44, 45“Emotional hijacking,” 30, 66Emotional Intelligence, 2Emotional intelligence

as integrative concept, 27–29definition, 2key skills, 30

Emotional quotient, 97

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154

Empathy, 30. See also CaringEmployment

SEL and, 6–8skills employers want for teens, 7

Empowering students, 77–79Ettinger, Bruce, 66Evaluating SEL programs

applying evaluation results, 113–114considerations for, 118cost-effectiveness and cost-benefits, 114, 124creating a culture for, 104–105current practices, 15–18, 119–120curriculum and instructional issues, 111–112, 119implementation and evaluation issues, 110, 119importance of, 114–115key SEL program elements, 109–110, 119monitoring and evaluating systematically, 106–107outcome criteria, 108–111participation in, 111–113program implementation, 100, 105–106, 124Program Review Worksheet, 121–123questions to address, 106, 118–124reflective educator concept, 103–104student anecdotes about program effects, 112–113

Event-triggered services, 22–24Examples

1A, Helping Children Cope with Divorce, 231B, Coping Effectively with an Ill Teacher and Her

Substitute, 241C, Resolving Conflict and Creating Peaceable

Relationships, 251D, Positive Contributory Service for Different Age

Groups, 261E, Problem-Solving Steps Used by Different

Programs, 28–291F, Emotional Intelligence: Key Skills in Social and

Emotional Learning, 302A, Drawing on Community to Provide Support

When School Tragedy Strikes, 323A, How to Address Values, Virtue, and Character

Using an SEL Framework, 344A, La Salle Academy’s Success for Life Program:

Embodying the Principles of SEL, 35–375A, Good Morning in the Responsive Classroom, 465B, Walls Speak Volumes About SEL, 486A, Frameworks Matter, 496B, Consistency Matters, 497A, A Curriculum-Based SEL Lesson, 517B, Your Anger Thermometer, 539A, SEL and Sports: Perfect Together, 57–589B, Prompting Self-Regulation, Self-Control, and Skill

Transfer, 609C, SEL on the Op-Ed Page, 6110A, SEL and Academics, 6110B, Reading, Writing, and Conflict Resolution, 6210C, SEL and Literature, 6210D, Book Talks, 6311A, SEL and Inclusion, 6511B, Adapting SEL for Students with Special Needs, 6611C, How Students at a Residential School View SEL,

6712A, Defusing Problem Behaviors, 6814A, Hassle Logs for Teachers, 6915A, Ongoing Commitment and Expert Support

Produce Genuine Changes in Practice, 7117A, Student, Parent and Staff Views of Positive

School Climate, 7617B, Morning Reflections, 7818A, Setting Up a Supportive Environment for All

Children, 8019A, Reinforcing Social Problem-Solving Steps

Through Academic Instruction and Real-LifeApplication, 81–82

19B, Group Meetings and Activities to Reinforce SELInstruction, 8319C, Innovative Student Support Services That

ReinforceSEL, 8420A, Districtwide Support Strengthens SEL Programs,

8621A, Parents’ Night, 8722A, Building Our Future Together: Senior Citizens

Fill an Emotional Void, 9025A, The Importance of Ongoing Professional

Development and Support: Advice from Leadersof Site-Visited Programs, 95

25B, Having Regard for One’s Professional Integrity,96

26A, Principles to Guide SEL Program Development,96

30A, The Responsibilities of a Social DevelopmentCoordinator, 98

31A, Institutionalizing SEL Programs, 9936A, Prevention Plus III Model, 10737A, Key Structural Elements of Social and Emotional

Learning Programs, 109–11037B, A Principal’s Evaluation Criteria and

Observations, 11137C, Student Anecdotes About Program Effects,

112–11338A, Teachers Reflect on What They Have Done to

Improve SEL Activities, 11439A, Bonding to School Helps Prevent Drug Abuse in

High-Risk Students, 115

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Index

155

Families. See also Parental involvementchanges in, 9–10home and school collaboration, 3, 10, 87–89, 97, 109responsibility for SEL learning, 8, 33

Family Life Education programs, 92, 98Family Science Nights, 87Family therapy, SEL as adjunct to, 66–68“Feelings Fingerprints,” 52“FIG TESPN” problem-solving steps, 28Florence, South Carolina, 59Foster Grandparents program, 90Four C’s, 31–32Framework for SEL, 11, 47, 49, 73, 92, 94, 109Franklin High School, Seattle, Washington, 56Friendship Mobile, 114

Gangs, 32Gardner, Howard, 12Generalization, 109Generations Exchange program, 90Gilligan, Carol, 12Goals

for SEL programs, 10–12identifying your program goals, 16, 20, 119–120

Goal-setting skills, 6, 53–54Goleman, Daniel, 2, 3, 7, 12, 21, 30Good Morning Game, 46Group discussions, 50–52Group dynamics

facilitation skills, 68–69group participation skills, 27, 108small-group learning, 54–55, 65

Guidelines, 10–12, 139–141Guideline 1, 21–29Guideline 2, 29–31Guideline 3, 31–33Guideline 4, 33–41Guideline 5, 44–47, 48Guideline 6, 47, 49Guideline 7, 47–55Guideline 8, 55Guideline 9, 55–60, 61Guideline 10, 61–64Guideline 11, 64–66, 67Guideline 12, 66–68Guideline 13, 68–69Guideline 14, 69–71Guideline 15, 71–72Guideline 16, 72–73Guideline 17, 75–77, 78Guideline 18, 77–79, 80Guideline 19, 79–85Guideline 20, 85–87Guideline 21, 87–89

Guideline 22, 89Guideline 23, 91–92Guideline 24, 92–93Guideline 25, 94–96Guideline 26, 94, 96Guideline 27, 94Guideline 28, 94, 96Guideline 29, 96–97Guideline 30, 97–100Guideline 31, 97–100Guideline 32, 97–100Guideline 33, 97–100Guideline 34, 100–102Guideline 35, 105–106Guideline 36, 106–107Guideline 37, 108–113Guideline 38, 111, 113Guideline 39, 113–114, 115

Haffey, William, 95Haggerty, Kevin, 43, 95, 115Hassle Logs, 69Hawkins, David, 49Hazel Valley Elementary, Washington, 64–65Hazelwood School, Lexington, Kentucky, 26, 80Health. See also Prevention programs

component of SEL programs, 22, 120effects of “independent” decisions, 21information-oriented programs, 6, 31linking SEL to health programs, 98social and emotional status and, 7

Hearing loss and social development, 65Highland Park, New Jersey, 59, 60, 61, 68High school, developmental milestones, 40–41. See also

AdolescentsHightower, A. Dirk, 91, 99History, integrating SEL, 62Humor, 52, 56, 71

IEPs. See Individualized Educational PlansI Feel Calm Book, 114Illinois, 90I’m Always in Trouble, 84Implementing SEL programs. See also Pilot programs

anticipating and overcoming obstacles, 100–102considerations for, 92, 110, 118, 119, 120–124long-term, 97–100questionnaire for, 106

Inclusionadapting SEL to, 64–68as element of pilot programs, 96–97

Individualized Educational Plans, 65Information sharing, 97–100, 110, 124Instruction


156

issues of, 109–110, 119methods of, 47–55

Integrating SELcognition, behavior, and emotion, 27–29into curriculum, 61–64, 92, 93, 109into schools, 19–41

Interpersonal Cognitive Problem-Solving, 60

“Keep Calm,” 56, 60, 111, 113Kelly, James, 96Kent, Washington, 46Kentucky, 26, 71, 80, 87Knight, Margy Burs, 114Kohn, Alfie, 49Koshewa, Sheila, 71Krah, Marge, 32

Lake Placid, New York, 67, 83Language disorders and social development, 65La Salle Academy, Providence, Rhode Island

athletic program, 57–58Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program, 26, 35Morning Reflections, 78Senior Service Program, 26, 35Success for Life Program, 35–37

Learning disabilities and social development, 65Lexington, Kentucky, 26, 71, 80Lickona, Thomas, 32–33Life skills and social competencies, 22, 94“Life Skills Evening,” 88Lisi, Bob, 26“Listening Position,” 59Literature, 61–62, 63“Lunchtime Group,” 83Lykins, Mary Beth, 87Lynnwood Intermediate School, Lynnwood,

Washington, 48Maholmes, Valerie, 86Management of feelings, 52–53, 108Mattia, Darlene, 111McCloud, Vivian, 61Media promotion of SEL, 97Memory, 3Mental delays and social development, 65Mental health team, 89Mentor teachers, 72Middle school, developmental milestones, 38–39Modeling, 56, 69–70Monroe County, New York, 95Morning Meetings, 112–113Morning Reflections, 78

Mountlake Terrace, Washington, 62Multiple intelligences

instructional methods for SEL and, 47–55social basis of, 5, 64

Murphy, Michael J., 57“Mysteries Questions,” 78–79

Nashville, Tennessee, 50National Commission on the Role of the School and the

Community in Improving Adolescent Health, 22Networking, 73Neurological disorders and social development, 61New Brunswick, New Jersey, 56New Haven, Connecticut, 3, 4, 76New Jersey, 8, 32, 49, 56, 59, 60, 61, 62, 68, 79, 83, 89, 95,

99, 111, 113Newsletters, 99New York, 23, 61, 78, 91, 95, 112North Brunswick, New Jersey, 83North Country School, Lake Placid, New York, 67, 83

Openness, 70, 76Outcome criteria, 108–111Overview, 12–13, 117–124

Parental involvementhome and school collaboration, 3, 10, 87–89, 97–98, 109in evaluation process, 111, 124parents’ responsibility for SEL, 8, 33

Parent education, 68, 120Parents’ Night, 87Parent-teacher organization, 89Pasi, Raymond, 26, 35, 37PATHS program, 47, 51, 60, 92, 114Peacebuilders Program, Tucson, Arizona, 89Pedro-Carroll, Joanne, 23Peer coaching of teachers, 72Peer counseling program, 80Peer pressure, 6Pennsylvania, 49Personal Problem Solving Record, 53, 81–82Pilot programs

anticipating and overcoming obstacles, 100–102elements of successful, 92–93expanding, 93–97, 98–100guiding principles, 96inclusion and, 96–97life skills and problem prevention, 94long-term implementation, 97–100monitoring and evaluating, 97, 105–106, 124professional development and, 94, 95selecting and starting, 91–93, 110selection criteria, 92“spirit of continuous improvement,” 97

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Index

157

Piscataway, New Jersey, 79Play, 54, 71Poedubicky, Vicki, 60, 61, 68, 69Posters, 48, 59Preschool children, developmental milestones, 37–38Prevention Plus III model, 107Prevention programs

attitude toward, 1framework for, 11, 47, 94health-promotion and problem prevention skills, 22ineffectiveness of, 1, 6, 31information-oriented, 6, 31

Primary Mental Health Project, 23, 61, 84, 89, 91, 95, 112Problem solving

applied to establishing high-quality SEL programs,118, 119–124

applied to literature, 63long-range perspective and, 72–73Personal Problem Solving Record, 53, 81–82strategies for, 27, 28–29student defense of social problem solving, 61using teachable moments, 55–59, 70

“Problem-Solving Lunch,” 84Problem-Solving Room, 84Professional development, 68–72, 94–95Professional integrity, 96Program descriptions and contacts, 143–151Program Review Worksheet, 121–123Prompting and cuing, 55–60Providence, Rhode Island, 26, 35–37, 57–58, 78Public service, 24, 26, 89

Quality of materials, 92, 110Questionnaire for implementation process, 106

Raising Healthy Children program, 84RCCP. See Resolving Conflict Creatively ProgramRead Aloud Nights, 87Reading Room, 84Reflecting on current practices, 15–18, 119–120Reflective educator concept, 103–104Rehearsal and practice, 52, 55Reinforcement, 93Relationship skills, 30, 108Religious issues, 32, 88Researcher-teacher concept, 103Resilience, 5Resolving Conflict Creatively Program, 25, 62Respect, 33, 75–76“Respect and trust” campaign, 76Responsibility, 33, 125

Responsive Classroom, 92, 112–113Responsiveness, 70–71Rhode Island, 26, 35–37, 57–58, 78Richardson, Lystra, 86Rochester, New York, 23, 61, 91, 112Role play, 52Rutgers University, 100

Safe and Drug Free Schools, 86, 99Scaffolding dialogue, 59–60School #29, Rochester, New York, 61School board, 89, 94, 110School climate. See also Classroom climate

creating a supportive environment, 80, 120elements of supportive, 76–77importance of supportive, 10, 20, 75–77inclusion and, 96–97reflective, 104student, parent, and staff views of positive, 76

School Development Program, 86, 89School Development Research Group, 62School improvement plan, 83, 85School improvement strategies, 85School improvement team, 89School role in SEL, 8–10School tragedies, 32Schuyler, Tom, 92Scientist practitioner concept, 103Seattle, Washington, 24, 54, 56, 65, 89, 95Second Step Violence Prevention Curriculum, 24, 28, 60,

64, 73, 88SEL. See Social and emotional learningSelf-awareness, 30, 52–53, 108Self-concept, 108Self-control

element of SEL, 108prompting, 60skills, 27, 30steps of, 105

Self-esteem, 31–33, 77, 111Self-reflection, 53–54Self-regulation, 30, 52–53, 60Senior citizens, 90Senior Exchange program, 90Sense of belonging, 44, 47, 75, 80Service projects, 24, 26, 89Sharing circles, 32, 46–47, 88Shoreline, Washington, 64, 73Signs, 48, 59Sirois, Ed, 78Site-based management, 104Site visit information, 143–151Skillstreaming series, 111Slavin, Robert, 101

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158

Small-group learning, 54–55, 65Social and emotional development committee, 97Social and emotional learning

as “the missing piece” of education, 1–2, 6, 20, 125definition, 2goals of, 2, 10–12importance of, 2–6

Social Competence Promotion Program for YoungAdolescents, 29, 60

Social Decision Making and Problem Solving, 60, 63, 66,81–82, 84, 95, 111, 113

Social Decision Making Clubs, 83Social Decision-Making Skills: A Guide for the

Elementary Grades, 28Social development coordinator, 97–98Social Development Project, 3, 4Social Development Research Group/Raising Health

Children, 84, 89, 95Social Problem Solving, 32, 60, 84Social services, SEL as adjunct to, 66–68Social studies, integrating SEL, 62Solution Room, 84Somerville, New Jersey, 89South Carolina, 59South Orange-Maplewood, New Jersey, 62Speaker designations, 46–47Special needs students

adapting SEL for, 64–68inclusion as element of pilot programs, 96–97

Special services, SEL as adjunct to, 66–68, 98Sports programs, 56, 57SPS. See Social Problem SolvingStaff development. See Professional developmentState and federal initiatives, aligning SEL programs with,

86, 98, 120Stingley, Brenda, 48Storytelling and biography, 50, 70Stress

benefits of SEL for teachers, 73thinking under, 3–5, 27, 56

Student Conflict Manager/Personal Problem-SolvingGuidecomputer program, 53, 84

Substance abuse prevention programs, 6, 22. See alsoPrevention programs

Substitute teachers, 24Success for Life program, 35–37Summit, New Jersey, 89Supportive environment

creating a supportive environment, 45–47, 80, 120elements of, 76–77for teachers, 71–72, 104importance of, 10, 20, 75–77, 110

Support services, 84Support staff, 72, 120Sylwester, Robert, 5

Tacoma, Washington, 56Talking Walls, 114“Talking with TJ” video series, 83Teachable moments, 55–59, 70Teachers

long-range perspective, 72–73professional development, 68–72, 94–95response to calls for SEL, 8–10supportive environment for, 71–72, 104

Teacher-student bond, 45–46, 69, 77Teacher-student contracts, 54Tennessee, 50Thinking Corner, 84Time management, 6, 114Tyrone, Pennsylvania, 49

Valuesaddressing in an SEL framework, 34definition, 32importance of, 31–33

VandeGrind, Steve, 48

Wall displays, 48, 59, 97Washington, 46, 48, 51, 54, 56, 62, 64–65, 73, 89, 95Washington, DC, 112–113Watsessing School, Bloomfield, New Jersey, 94Web sites, 99Westchester County Task Force on Social Competence

Promotion Instruction, 120Writing, 61, 62

(continued)

Index

159

About the Authors

Maurice J. Elias, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychologyat Rutgers University and codeveloper of the So-cial Decision Making and Problem Solving Project.This project received the 1988 Lela Rowland Pre-vention Award from the National Mental HealthAssociation, is approved by the Program Effective-ness Panel of the National Diffusion Network as afederally validated prevention program, and, mostrecently, has been named as a Model Program bythe National Educational Goals Panel. Dr. Elias isalso cofounder of the Consortium on the School-Based Promotion of Social Competence, a memberof the Leadership Team of the Collaborative for theAdvancement of Social and Emotional Learning(CASEL), and serves as adviser to the Rutgers-based Consortium on Emotional Intelligence in theWorkplace, funded by the Fetzer Institute and co-chaired by Dan Goleman. With Dr. John Clabby, hehas written a practical guide for parents, educa-tors, and mental health professionals, Teach YourChild Decision Making (Doubleday, 1986). Dr. Elias’sother books include Social Decision Making Skills: ACurriculum Guide for the Elementary Grades(Author), Problem Solving/Decision Making for Socialand Academic Success: A School-Based Approach (Na-tional Education Association Professional Library),Building Social Problem Solving Skills: Guidelines froma School-Based Program (Jossey-Bass), Social DecisionMaking and Life Skills Development: Guidelines forMiddle School Educators (Aspen), Promoting Student

Success Through Group Intervention (Haworth), andSocial Problem Solving Interventions in the Schools(Guilford). Dr. Elias is married and the father oftwo children. He may be reached at the Depart-ment of Psychology, Rutgers University, LivingstonCampus, New Brunswick, NJ 08903. Phone: (732)445-2444; fax: (732) 445-0036; e-mail: [email protected].

Joseph E. Zins, Ed.D., is Professor in the College ofEducation at the University of Cincinnati and aconsulting psychologist with the Beechwood, Ken-tucky, Independent Schools. A licensed psycholo-gist, he has twenty-five years of applied experiencewith public schools, a community mental healthcenter, a pediatric hospital, and other organiza-tions. Professor Zins has authored more than a hun-dred scholarly publications, including eight bookson consultation, prevention, and the delivery ofpsychological services in schools. Among his booksare Helping Students Succeed in the Regular Class-room: A Guide for Developing Intervention AssistancePrograms, Handbook of Consultation Services for Chil-dren, Promoting Student Success Through Group Inter-ventions, and Psychoeducational Interventions in theSchools: Methods and Procedures for Enhancing Stu-dent Competence. He also is Editor of the multidisci-plinary Journal of Educational and PsychologicalConsultation and has been a member of numerouseditorial boards. In addition to being a member ofthe Collaborative for the Advancement of Social

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and Emotional Learning (CASEL) and the Consor-tium on the School-Based Promotion of SocialCompetence, Dr. Zins is a Fellow of the AmericanPsychological Association and past secretary of theNational Association of School Psychologists. Pro-fessor Zins may be contacted at 339 Teachers Col-lege, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH45221-0002. Phone: (513) 556-3341; fax: (513) 556-1581; e-mail: [email protected].

Roger P. Weissberg, Ph.D., is Professor and Direc-tor of Graduate Studies for the Psychology Depart-ment at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC).He is Executive Director of the Collaborative forthe Advancement of Social and Emotional Learn-ing (CASEL). He directs an NIMH-funded Predoc-toral and Postdoctoral Prevention ResearchTraining Program in Urban Children’s MentalHealth and AIDS Prevention at UIC, and alsoholds an appointment with the Mid-Atlantic Labo-ratory for Student Success funded by the Office ofEducational Research and Improvement of the U.S.Department of Education. Professor Weissberg haspublished about one hundred articles and chaptersfocusing on preventive interventions with childrenand adolescents, and has coauthored nine curricu-lums on school-based programs to promote socialcompetence and prevent problem behaviors includ-ing drug use, high-risk sexual behaviors, and ag-gression. Three recent books that he coedited areHealthy Children 2010: Enhancing Children’s Wellness,Healthy Children 2010: Establishing Preventive Serv-ices, and Children and Youth: Interdisciplinary Perspec-tives (Sage 1997). Professor Weissberg was theResearch Director for the Primary Mental HealthProject from 1980 to 1982. He was a Professor inthe Psychology Department at Yale University be-tween 1982 and 1992, where he collaborated withthe New Haven Public School System to establishthe New Haven’s Kindergarten through grade 12Social Development Project. He has been the Presi-dent of the American Psychological Association’sSociety for Community Research and Action. He isa recipient of the William T. Grant Foundation’s

five-year Faculty Scholars Award in Children’sMental Health, the Connecticut Psychological Asso-ciation’s 1992 Award for Distinguished Psychologi-cal Contribution in the Public Interest, and theNational Mental Health Association’s 1992 LelaRowland Prevention Award. He may be contactedat Department of Psychology (M/C 285), The Uni-versity of Illinois at Chicago, 1007 W. Harrison St.,Chicago, IL 60607-7137. Phone: (312) 355-0640; fax: (312) 355-0559; e-mail: [email protected].

Karin Frey, Ph.D., is Research Associate Professorof Educational Psychology at the University ofWashington and the Director of Research andEvaluation at the Committee for Committee forChildren. Her research focuses on children’s socialand emotional development. Her basic research,looking at mastery motivation, emotional expres-sion, and peer interaction in school settings, hasbeen published in leading journals of child devel-opment. Her applied research documents the im-pact of a social-competence program on teachersand students over a period of several years. Dr.Frey has also worked in hospitals and clinics, pro-viding social-emotional support and skill trainingto groups of children with special needs. She maybe contacted at Committee for Children, 2203 Air-port Way South, Seattle, WA 98134. Phone: (206)343-1223; fax: (206) 343-1445; e-mail: karinf@ u.washington.edu.

Mark T. Greenberg, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychol-ogy at Pennsylvania State University. He is thecoauthor of several books including Promoting So-cial and Emotional Development in Deaf Children: ThePATHS Project (1993), The PATHS Curriculum (1995),and Attachment in the Preschool Years: Theory, Re-search and Intervention (1990). He was the PrincipalInvestigator of the Seattle site of the Fast Track Pre-vention Program. He continutes to direct thePATHS Curriculum Project. His primary interest isthe prevention of child psychopathology throughthe development of prevention programs that pro-mote healthy emotion regulation and social compe-


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tence in all children. His work on the PATHS Cur-riculum is used in schools in Europe, Australia,Canada, as well as in the United States. He may becontacted at Prevention Research Center, Pennsyl-vania State University, Henderson Building South,University Park, PA 16802. Phone: (814) 863-0241;fax: (814) 863-7963; Web: http://weber.u.washington.edu/~paths/.

Norris M. Haynes, Ph.D., is Associate Professor ofPsychology, Education, and Child Development atthe Yale Child Study Center and Research Directorof the School Development Program (SDP). Dr.Haynes contributes significantly to the SDP’s train-ing and dissemination activities. Dr. Haynes hastaught at the elementary and high school levels.He has been a professor at Howard University andadjunct professor at several other universities. Heis the recipient of many honors and awards, includ-ing recognition as a Fellow of the American Psycho-logical Association, Outstanding Young Man ofAmerica, citation in several Who’s Who publica-tions, The Crispus Attucks Award for EducationalLeadership, Fulbright Scholarship, and the firstHoward University Graduate School DistinguishedAlumnus Award in 1994. Dr. Haynes is the authorof many articles, book chapters, and a recent booktitled Critical Issues in Educating African-AmericanChildren. He is also the author of Promoting Motiva-tion, Learning and Achievement Among Urban Middleand High School Students (in press). Dr. Haynes isalso coeditor of Rallying the Whole Village: TheComer Process for Reforming Education (1996), pub-lished by Teachers College Press, and coeditor ofanother book to be published by Teachers CollegePress titled: Child by Child, Adult by Adult, andSchool by School. He may be contacted at Yale ChildStudy Center, 230 S. Frontage Rd., New Haven, CT06520-7900. Phone: (203) 785-2548; fax: (203) 785-3359; e-mail: [email protected].

Rachael Kessler is Director of the Institute for So-cial & Emotional Learning. She provides profes-sional and curriculum development for schools

and individual educators through consultation, in-service training, and workshops. As first chair ofthe Department of Human Development at Cross-roads School in Santa Monica, California, Kesslerpioneered one of the first curriculums to integrateemotional, social, and spiritual capacities with aca-demic learning. Her curriculums include “rites ofpassage” for adolescents: students are provided aschool-based structure for expressing their yearn-ing for meaning, purpose, and connection and areoffered guidance and validation to constructivelynavigate their deep internal and external changes.Kessler’s publications include: The Mysteries Source-book, A Teachers’ Guide; “Honoring Young Voices: AVision for Education (video); ”The Mysteries Pro-gram: Educating Adolescents for Today’s World";“The Teaching Presence”; and “The ’Senior Pas-sage’ Course” in Crossroads: The Quest for Con-temporary Rites of Passage." She may be reachedat the Institute for Social & Emotional Learning,3833 N. 57th St., Boulder, CO 80301-3017. Phone:(303) 581-0331; fax: (303) 581-0295; e-mail: [email protected].

Mary E. Schwab-Stone, M.D., is a child psychia-trist with training in epidemiology. Her researchhas been guided by an interest in the relationshipbetween the social environment and psychologicaladjustment in childhood, with a particular empha-sis on children growing up in situations of socialand economic disadvantage. In recent years this in-terest has become focused specifically on school-based programs for the prevention ofpsychological difficulties and the promotion ofhealthy development in children in urban settings.She has collaborated with the New Haven PublicSchools as a program consultant, and heads theYale-based team responsible for evaluation of theirsocial development and prevention programming.She has served as a clinical consultant to the Spe-cial Education Program in the New Haven Schoolsfor a number of years. After graduating from Har-vard University, she earned her M.D. at DartmouthMedical School. She did residency training in adult

About the Authors

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and child psychiatry at the Massachusetts MentalHealth Center in Boston. After clinical training shewas on the staff at McLean Hospital in Belmont,Massachusetts, and did part-time psychiatric prac-tice. In 1984, she decided to pursue more actively alongstanding interest in child psychiatric researchby undertaking a research training fellowship inchild psychiatry and epidemiology at ColumbiaCollege of Physicians and Surgeons. She moved toNew Haven in 1986 where she is currently HarrisAssociate Professor of Child Psychiatry at the YaleChild Study Center. She served as Acting Directorof the Collaborative for the Advancement of Socialand Emotional Learning (CASEL) until October1996 and continues to serve on the CASEL Leader-ship Team. She may be contacted at Yale ChildStudy Center, 230 S. Frontage Rd., New Haven, CT06520-7900. Phone: (203) 785-2546; fax: (203) 785-6106; e-mail: [email protected].

Timothy P. Shriver, Ph.D., is President and ChiefExecutive Officer of Special Olympics Interna-tional, and Chair of the Leadership Team of theCollaborative for the Advancement of Social andEmotional Learning (CASEL). Prior to joining Spe-

cial Olympics, Shriver was the Supervisor of theNew Haven, Connecticut, Public Schools’ SocialDevelopment Project, a comprehensive, K-12, pri-mary prevention effort involving students, parents,teachers, administrators, community leaders, andscholars. The Project, which he launched in 1987, isdesigned to prevent substance abuse, violence, andteen pregnancy. In 1994, he helped launch CASEL,a national organization to promote effective school-based prevention programming. In that role, hecontinues to advocate for effective primary preven-tion programming in schools nationwide. Shriverhas written extensively on these issues and hascoauthored several publications including, “Pro-moting Positive Social Development and HealthPractices in Young Urban Adolescents,” “Involve-ment in Multiple Program Behaviors of Young Ur-ban Adolescents,” “No Safe Haven: A Study ofViolence Exposure in an Urban Community,” and“No New Wars.” He may be contacted at SpecialOlympics International, Inc., 1325 G St., NW, Suite500, Washington, DC 20005. Phone: (202) 628-3630,ext. 235; fax: (202) 628-0067; e-mail: [email protected].


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promoting social and emotional learning€¦ · gene r. carter, executive director michelle terry,...

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