January 9, 2019 | EducationDive

Education dive features PACE research that address the needs and opportunities for social emotional learning (SEL) to include the role of clubs and other after-school activities that help to broaden and extend social-emotional skills such as empathy and communication.

December 4, 2018 | RTI International

As U.S. public schools become increasingly diverse racially, culturally and economically, they are turning to social emotional programs to better serve the different ways in which students interact with and invest in schooling and their education. Social emotional learning (SEL)...

September 18, 2018 | EdSource

California ranks at or near the bottom of all states when it comes to the percentage of students with access to health and mental health care at schools. Yet, with $90 in added annual spending per student—which would total about...

August 13, 2018 | Education Week

Nowhere is a data-informed approach to social-emotional learning more pronounced than in California’s CORE Districts, which embarked on a groundbreaking effort in 2013 to capture a more holistic vision of student success and school quality. There, eight of the largest...

August 13, 2018 | Education Week

Nowhere is a data-informed approach to social-emotional learning more pronounced than in California's CORE Districts, which embarked on a groundbreaking effort in 2013 to capture a more holistic vision of student success and school quality. There, eight of the largest...

Like their state counterparts, state boards must both respond to crises and plan ahead. A focus on creating the best possible learning for all will help educators, students, and families emerge from this crisis on a stronger footing. This issue of...

May 11, 2018 | Aspen Institute

Policy Analysis for California Education and CORE, an organization representing eight urban school districts in California, released a new practice brief highlighting lessons learned on implementing social and emotional learning programs from the CORE districts.

May 17, 2001 | Daily Bruin

High school seniors around the country are feeling apathetic toward their classes during their final semester, which often carries over and negatively affects their freshman year of college. The epidemic, commonly known as “senioritis,” is the topic of a recent...

Commentary author
Summary

California has embraced Social Emotional Learning (SEL) as a crucial aspect of education, integrating emotional management, positive goal setting, empathy, and relationship skills into academic success. This commitment is evident in the state's adoption of SEL components in its educational standards and accountability systems. However, while the state is implementing surveys to gauge school climate, it's yet to fully understand how these relate to academic progress or link social-emotional learning to overall school improvement. The CORE districts have taken strides by measuring specific competencies like self-management and growth mindset, finding that these skills predict student performance at different academic levels. Yet, educators need guidance on using this data for improvement. PACE is studying the CORE districts' innovative accountability system to pinpoint successful policies and practices regarding SEL, aiming to reduce disparities among student sub-groups. Understanding how learning environments foster SEL can inform efforts to improve education across California and potentially nationally. Moving forward, California needs to focus on developing educators' capacity to utilize SEL data effectively and invest in integrating SEL in both school-day and expanded learning environments for continuous improvement.

Commentary author
Rami Benbenishty
Summary

A new study challenges the prevailing belief that improving school climate and reducing violence directly lead to enhanced academic performance. Analyzing data from California schools over time, it suggests a different causal relationship: improved academic performance appears to drive reduced violence and a better school climate, rather than the reverse. These findings underscore the importance of integrating social-emotional, climate, and violence reduction programs into broader academic reforms rather than treating them as separate entities. The study highlights the necessity of further research in diverse settings using both quantitative and qualitative methods to understand this causal process thoroughly. It emphasizes that schools striving for academic improvement should consider addressing issues of climate and victimization as part of their academic reform efforts, highlighting the potential positive impact on teacher-student relationships. Additionally, the study proposes integrating measures of climate, violence, and academics within state accountability systems, aligning with the Every Student Succeeds Act, to support school improvement initiatives. Such an integrated approach, the study argues, will not only enhance academic outcomes but also ensure student safety, support well-being, and foster positive behaviors.