I will be the first person to tell you that investing in explicit social and emotional instruction is critical to student success. My own research rigorously documents this evidence base. But what’s become clear to me is that while the evidence for explicit SEL instruction is strong, the field is messy.
When students participate in evidence-based, explicit social and emotional skill instruction, they do better and feel better at school. They have better test scores and grades, better friendships and relationships, better attendance, and better engagement in school and their communities. They are better able to handle stress, anxiety, and peer pressure. They make healthier choices in the face of bigger emotions and are less likely to hurt themselves or someone else.
First popularized 30 years ago by the Collaborative for Social, Emotional, and Academic Learning, “social and emotional learning” is an umbrella term for a giant set of skills and approaches and theories and mindsets that support human development. Recent research has demonstrated that what was once an interconnected web of science-based offerings with a shared purpose to support student development and school success is now a vast sea of floating islands of programming clustered around a variety of theories and intentions. Think of the wide range of mindfulness, transformative SEL, emotional intelligence, character development, anti-bullying, citizenship, and more.
The challenge is that the SEL programs marketed to schools today teach different skills, toward different ends—not all of which are evidence-based. It’s not the only reason SEL has been politicized, but it certainly isn’t helping the case.
Social and emotional learning is now a U.S. marketplace of shiny sales worth more than $4 billion annually. As the evidence and funding for SEL has accumulated in the past few decades, many education companies jumped into the hot market—sometimes before making sure their specific program had the science behind it. It’s an unregulated market that varies widely in quality, and the vendors generally get paid regardless of the outcome. Just because a product has great marketing doesn’t mean it’s evidence-based.
The solution is on all of us: school leaders, educators, and parents. This SEL Day is a good time to start asking some essential questions about your school’s social and emotional strategy.
What does your SEL program teach? And how does it teach it?
Many programs still teach debunked myths in emotion science that suggest there is a right or wrong way for students to feel. Some only teach students to down regulate (using the age-old phrasing of “calm down”). Others teach breathing as a universal regulation strategy, even though this strategy does more harm than good for some students.
Some are facilitated by a third-party expert who drops in and leaves, despite the evidence consistently demonstrating programs are more effective when teachers are the primary facilitators. Others offer menus of lessons for schools to grab and go with, despite the evidence demonstrating sequence matters in student skill development.
Some educators hold schoolwide assemblies that claim to build community with spirit attire. No one learns how to be a better friend by wearing a T-shirt, not even if they have fun wearing it.
What is your SEL program effective at? And how do you know?
Explicit SEL instruction can improve student academic achievement on standardized-test scores and grades, reduce absenteeism and exclusionary discipline referrals, and promote a culture of safety and belonging at school.
Start with the administrative data and accountability metrics your school already has access to. Are there observable trends or, better yet, statistically significant shifts in student grades or experiences at school?
Then, add explicit skill assessments. You want to see evidence of student growth in a skill, such as impulse control or perspective taking. There is no shortage of SEL assessments offered to schools, and they vary in quality just as much as instructional programs do. Warning signs to look out for include if the assessment was developed for the program, which introduces bias and encourages teaching to the test. You should also be wary of adopting assessments that produce a composite SEL score, which doesn’t reflect what discrete SEL skills look like in actual everyday life for students.
Who is your SEL program helping?
Universal SEL programs should benefit all students in your school. Find a sample of five students and ask how they feel at school. Do they have what they need to be successful in their coursework? Have they learned a strategy they can use to support them at school?
Start by asking the students who are frequent flyers to the principal’s office, the nurse’s office, or on warning lists for attendance. Then, find five more among those students you are most likely to find in student leadership, on the athletic fields, or on the school stages after school.
Ask the adults who work most proximally with them. Have they seen shifts in student engagement, bullying, or peer relationships? Do they think your school’s approach to SEL is working for all their students?
Look out for warning signs, such as when the program is helping teachers with “managing classroom’s behaviors.” This is a common euphemism a program is more likely teaching students compliance rather than durable skills that support their development.
Is your school’s program evidence-based?
When vetting a potential SEL program, peruse the website or materials for evidence of an external evaluation. That’s the strongest form of evidence a program can provide. The key information you are looking for is:
- Was the evaluation done by a third party?
- Does the evaluation include a group of students, teachers, or classrooms that didn’t get the program to compare the effects?
- Does the program demonstrate evidence of effectiveness on outcomes that matter to you and your school?
We at the Education Collaboratory just launched a living resource hub of SEL evidence. This free, public website synthesizes and translates rigorous SEL program-evaluation evidence into clear, actionable data visualizations for education leaders, practitioners, and policymakers.
Social and emotional learning is at an inflection point. There’s too much at stake right now for us to stay comfortable in the way we’ve been doing things. Take this moment as an opportunity to lead with evidence.
