1. Social and Emotional Learning: An Essential Component of High Quality Education
AISD Department of Social and Emotional Learning
Summer 2012
Time: 1 minute Elapsed time: 1 minute [Show slide as participants are entering the room.]

2. What skills and qualities do we most want for our children?
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3. Skills for the 21st Century Basic Knowledge/Skills
Applied Skills
English Language (spoken)
Reading Comprehension (in English)
Writing in English (grammar, spelling, etc.)
Mathematics
Science
Government/Economics
Humanities/Arts
Foreign Languages
History/Geography
Critical Thinking/Problem Solving
Oral Communications
Written Communications
Teamwork Collaboration
Diversity
Information Technology Application
Leadership
Creativity/Innovation
Lifelong Learning/Self Direction
Professionalism/Work Ethic
Ethics/Social Responsibility
Time: 5 minutes Elapsed time: 6 minutes
Ask participants to circle the five skills they think employers rated as
“very important” to high school graduates’ successful job performance.
Share background on the Skills for the 21st Century Report:
The Conference Board, Corporate Voices for Working Families, The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and The Society for Human Resource Management collaborated to conduct this study of employers’ opinions of high school and college graduates workforce readiness.
Survey respondents included executive directors, vice presidents, and human resource supervisors from industries such as manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, and entertainment.
Employers found a majority of new workforce entrants “woefully ill-prepared for the demands of today’s (and tomorrow’s) workplace.”
What are the “top 5” skills for high school graduates?
From: Are They Really Ready to Work? Employers’ Perspectives on the Basic Knowledge and Applied Skills for New Entrants to the 21st Century U.S. Workforce. (2006) Available at
School-Connect
School-Connect Training Slides

4. Skills for the 21st Century
Basic Knowledge/Skills
Applied Skills
English Language (spoken)
Reading Comprehension (in English) (5)
Writing in English (grammar, spelling, etc.)
Mathematics
Science
Government/Economics
Humanities/Arts
Foreign Languages
History/Geography
Critical Thinking/Problem Solving
Oral Communications (3)
Written Communications
Teamwork Collaboration (2)
Diversity
Information Technology Application
Leadership
Creativity/Innovation
Lifelong Learning/Self Direction
Professionalism/Work Ethic (1)
Ethics/Social Responsibility (4)
Time: 2 minutes Elapsed time: 8 minutes
Give answer to the “top 5” skills for high school graduates: In a survey
of more than 400 employers, employers ranked the following as most important:
1) Professionalism and work ethic (19) ) Ethics/social responsibility( 20)
2) Teamwork collaboration (13) ) Reading comprehension (2)
3) Oral communications (11)
Note that 4 out 5 skills ranked above are applied skills.
What are the “top 5” skills for high school graduates?
From: Are They Really Ready to Work? Employers’ Perspectives on the Basic Knowledge and Applied Skills for New Entrants to the 21st Century U.S. Workforce. (2006) Available at
School-Connect
School-Connect Training Slides

5. What is Social and Emotional Learning?
Social and emotional learning (SEL) involves the processes through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
Time: 2 minutes Elapsed time: 10 minutes
[Share the CASEL definition of SEL. Recall what participants said during the initial discussion at the beginning of the session and tie their responses to this definition.]
Why do you think that SEL includes both the development of competencies and the learning environment in its definition? [Gather several responses.]
CASEL 2012

6. Responsible Decision Making
The Five Competencies
CASEL has identified five core areas of social and emotional competence.
Self-Awareness
Self-Management
Responsible Decision Making
Time: 4 minutes Elapsed time: 14 minutes
[Click each competency into place.]CASEL has identified five core areas of social and emotional competence. We will focus briefly on each competency. [Click each competency into place.]
These five core competencies are inter-related; our emotional responses, thinking, and actions are intricately connected; brain research confirms that strong emotions can override our higher-order thinking. Our emotional state also influences our ability to attend to, concentrate, and remember what we learn. SEL helps us develop our ability to recognize and manage our emotions so that we can think clearly, choose wisely, and act deliberately. It also helps us become interpersonally effective, by learning to build healthy and productive relationships and to be responsible decision-makers.
Let’s take a look at each of these competencies. Please take out the handout called “Social and Emotional Learning Core Competencies.” On the back side, you will see skill sets that accompany each of the five core competencies. Take a look at the skill sets within each of the five core competencies. What do you notice about them? [Gather 2 – 3 responses.]
Social
Awareness
Relationship Skills
© CASEL 2012 6

7. About CASEL’s Collaborating Districts Initiative
CASEL is teaming with large urban school districts to implement district-wide SEL.
Anchorage, AK
Austin, TX
Cleveland, OH
Chicago, IL
Nashville, TN
Oakland, CA
Sacramento, CA
Washoe County, NV
Time: 3 minutes Elapsed time: 17 minutes
CASEL is the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, located in Chicago, IL. CASEL was formed in 1994, shortly after Daniel Goleman wrote Emotional Intelligence. CASEL is the leading group in the nation in the area of SEL. With the broad goal of establishing SEL programming as an essential part of education for all students and recognizing that districts must play a fundamental role in shaping, supporting, and sustaining SEL programming in schools and classrooms, CASEL and NoVo Foundation have developed a national strategy called the Collaborating Districts Initiative to advance district-wide social and emotional learning in selected large urban school districts throughout the U.S. Three districts were selected early in 2011 (Anchorage, Austin, and Cleveland). During the fall of 2011, CASEL conducted additional site visits and selected five districts to be part of the second cohort for the initiative. There are now a total of eight collaborating districts, as listed on this slide.
CASEL 2012

8. Skills for Social and Academic Success
Research Links SEL to Higher Student Success
23 percentile point increase in SEL skills
9 point gain in attitudes about self/others/school
9 point gain in pro-social behavior
11 point gain on standardized tests (math and reading)
And Reduced Risks for Failure
Problem behaviors down 9 points
Emotional distress down 10 points
Time: 2 minutes Elapsed time: 21 minutes
This research was provided from a meta-analysis that was done to show the link between academic success and Social and Emotional Learning Programs.
Research supports the link between social and emotional learning and academic success. We also know that kids who are part of SEL programs have better attitudes about themselves , others and school and that problem behaviors decrease.
Source: Durlak, J.A., Weissberg, R.P., Dymnicki, A.B., Taylor, R.D., and Schellinger, K. (in press). “The Impact of Enhancing Students’ Social and Emotional Learning: A Meta-Analysis of School-Based Universal Interventions.” Child Development. 8

9. Integration Culture and Climate Explicit Instruction
SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING
How does your school and your classroom feel to all the members of the learning community?
Integration
Culture and Climate
How are you intentionally teaching the knowledge and skills of SEL?
How do you intentionally address SEL through other academic areas and instructional strategies?
Time: 2 minutes Elapsed time: 23 minutes
Creating a system for SEL in a school requires three areas of work – the climate and culture of the school, doing explicit instruction of SEL skills, and integrating the skills into the rest of the curriculum. We will look at each of these separately and also talk about how they influence each other.
Explicit Instruction

10. Instructional Practices that Promote SEL
MORE
Inquiry/project based learning
Integrated learning
Cooperation
Critical thinking & problem solving
Collaborative structures
Student-centered
Self-assessment
Less
Teacher lecture
Disconnected subject areas
Competition
Rote learning
Independent seatwork
Teacher-directed
Rewards
Time: 3 minutes Elapsed time: 26 minutes
Look at these instructional practices. Do you see anything that you are not already working to do more of?
Teaching in ways that promote SEL is really just more of what we know is good for students.
CASEL 2012

11. Effective SEL Snapshot
What does effective SEL look like and sound like in the classroom?
Exhibit a warm and caring demeanor and voice
Treat all students with respect and fairness
Focus on students’ positive qualities/contributions
Use inquiry and open-ended questioning strategies
Facilitate cooperative learning activities
Provide opportunities to think critically, problem solve, and reflect on learning
Promote civic values, active citizenship, and service
What does effective SEL look like and sound like across the whole campus?
Active participation in a safe, engaging, supportive, and well-managed learning environment.
Sequenced, Active, Focused, and Explicit (SAFE) evidenced-based SEL skills instruction.
Interactive, cooperative, and reflective instructional practices for modeling, practicing, and reinforcing SEL skills and dispositions.
Modeling of SEL skills by adults and students.
Teachable moments to teach, model, and reinforce SEL throughout the school day.
Integration of SEL activities throughout the curriculum and school.
Time: 6 minutes Elapsed time: 32 minutes
Here’s a quick summary of what SEL looks like in the classroom, in students, and on a campus. Please find the matching handout in your packet and
Pick one strategy from each area that you are going to focus on encouraging this year. Be prepared to give an example of how you will incorporate these strategies in your staff meetings.
Ask everyone to stand. Take 7 steps and find a partner. Stand on one leg and explain why you chose that one and how you will encourage. When finished, put leg down and have second person pick up leg and share one other.
Thank your partner and return to seat.
This is a good time to build in a break for 7-9 minutes.

12. Adult SEL Competence & Learning
Adults who have the ability to recognize, understand, label, express, and regulate emotions are more likely to demonstrate patience and empathy, encourage healthy communication, and create safe learning environments. (Brackett, Katella, Kremenitzer, Alster, and Caruso, 2008)
Emotional skills of teachers influence student conduct, engagement, attachment to school, and academic performance. (Baker, 1999; Hawkins, 1999; Schaps, Battistich, & Solomon, 1997; Sutton & Wheatley, 2003; Wentzel, 2002)
Time: 3 minutes Elapsed time: 35 minutes
Research shows that adult SEL competence has a direct impact on learning. For example:
[click] Adults who have the ability to recognize, understand, label, express, and regulate emotions are more likely to demonstrate patience and empathy, encourage healthy communication, and create safe learning environments (Brackett, Katella, Kremenitzer, Alster, and Caruso, 2008). Why do you think that would be the case? [Gather 1 – 2 responses.]
[click] Emotional skills of teachers influence student conduct, engagement, attachment to school, and academic performance (Baker, 1999; Hawkins, 1999; Schaps, Battistich, & Solomon, 1997; Sutton & Wheatley, 2003; Wentzel, 2002). Again, why do you think the emotional skillfulness of the teacher would influence these outcomes? [Gather 1 – 2 responses.] [
CASEL 2012

13. Adult SEL Competence & Learning
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14. Time: 2 minutes Elapsed time: 42
Curriculum Standards

15. SEL Connections PBS CIS No Place for Hate Child Study System
Parent Education
CIS
SEL
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We are working with other departments to try to tie things together at the district level. There is always discussion about what initiative related to what and how pieces go together. Talk for a minute with a shoulder partner about how you see these pieces working together for children.
Ask for share outs.
No Place for Hate
Child Study System

16. What can I do now? Work on climate and culture
Building community
Student voice
Focus on areas of effective SEL and instruction
Engagement strategies
Student talk vs teacher talk
Reflecting on skills in group/cooperative learning

17. Resources www.cfchildren.org E-newsletter Funding page
Online Community
Video clips
(Collaborative for Social and Emotional Learning)
(exclusively for 4th edition Second Step users)
A.I.S.D. SEL Team, Office of Academics:
Sherrie Raven Gala Friese
Caroline Chase Aleza Berube
Becky Flynn Madonna Ramp
Erica Ramirez R.Keeth Matheny