Social and Emotional Learning

Social emotional learning (SEL) programs can promote academic achievement and positive social behavior, and reduce conduct problems, substance abuse, and emotional distress. The Issue There is widespread evidence of successful, universal SEL programs and practices that can support social and emotional development in students during the elementary school years. Based on decades of research and evaluation in rigorous field trials, these approaches are now widely available to schools, along...

Watch this video from Pottstown School District to learn about the new Second Step Social & Emotional Learning curriculum which is currently integrated into 64 classrooms. Each class at Elizabeth B. Barth Elementary School, which is featured in the video, has SEL lessons.

Disciplinary polices have come under fire across the country with the revelation that thousands of preschool students are suspended or expelled each year–an issue that can be improved with professional development in social-emotional learning, according to new study. Researchers at Vanderbilt University found that teachers trained in using the Pyramid Model, an approach based on positive behavior support in developing children’s social-emotional competence and preventing and addressing...