Integrating an Evidence-Based Program throughout a School Community Using the Casel Guide for Social and Emotional Learning

Schools that take responsibility for preparing all students to succeed emphasize the importance of graduating students who are knowledgeable, responsible, caring, and socially competent. Students who demonstrate mastery in these areas are on their way to becoming positive family members and neighbors, contributing citizens, and productive workers. Educators are increasingly emphasizing social and emotional learning (SEL) as a way to achieve this type of success by ensuring that their students feel safe, cared for, and are engaged in their education.

A randomized control trial is being conducted that has a primary goal of improving students' social, emotional, and academic outcomes. The trial is funded by the US Department of Education’s Investing in Innovation fund (i3), and is being implemented in a large urban school district. The 28 participating schools serve a student population that is comprised of predominantly ethnic and racial minorities (33% Black; 64% Hispanic) who are economically disadvantaged (94%). This project seeks to promote healthy social-emotional development for participating students as a way to help close the gap in outcomes that is seen when compared to higher-income and majority populations in their district.

All participating schools implement an evidence-based SEL program called Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS). PATHS is one of the most extensively researched and effectively replicated classroom-based SEL programs available to schools. Half of the participating schools were randomized to receive a combination of PATHS and an innovative model for school support and improvement developed by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) called the Guide for Schoolwide Social and Emotional Learning.

The School Guide supports a process for planning, implementing, and monitoring systemic SEL in schools. This Guide includes helpful tools and provides research-based guidance that school leadership teams can use to support and coordinate high quality SEL throughout their school community. Implementation is supported in part by an SEL coach that offers technical assistance and expertise during monthly team meetings, individual and group meetings (e.g., grade level meetings), as well as through facilitation of professional learning events.

This interactive paper presentation will (1) provide an overview of effective schoolwide SEL and (2) describe ways in which the CASEL School Guide helps support practitioners in coordinating and integrating SEL in classrooms, throughout a school building, and with families and community agencies.