Essentials of Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Donna Lord Black

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СКАЧАТЬ of rigorous research,” and “this research demonstrates that well‐implemented, universal SEL programming, both in and out of school, promotes a broad range of short‐ and long‐term academic and behavioral benefits for K‐12 students” (p. 54). Proponents further argue that SEL has not been driven by any federal mandates but has been “based on the emerging consensus of successful communities, convinced that this is the missing piece in American education” (NCSEAD, 2019, p. 8).

      Other arguments in opposition to SEL raise concerns about the adoption of SEL standards. Essentially, opponents of SEL believe these standards will become the non‐academic version of the Common Core State Standards Initiative (2020) and that schools will be measured on how students feel and on students’ social behaviors (Gorman, 2016). Ideological opponents further argue that SEL is a “nationwide effort to develop government standards for kids’ feelings, social behavior, and relationships” (Pullman, 2016) and is nothing more than social engineering. Pullman (2016) likens SEL to a “liberal social agenda on race and sexuality” and states that “[it] is all about psychologically and emotionally manipulating children in order to push a certain political agenda.” Advocates for SEL contend that it is not ideological at all but is based on research and knowledge of strategies that support learning in a social context and promote healthy development. Advocates further argue that these strategies have proven far more effective than the traditional policies and practices that have long relied on blame, control, and punitive approaches.

      Clearly, there is much work to be done to gain consensus on whether social and emotional development are two critical dimensions of learning. While healthy and respectful debate can be useful and can lead to constructive results, there also is the possibility that the debate will become one that is less focused on the educational benefits and more focused on political and ideological issues. Indeed, it has been suggested that critics are “gearing up for another education war, one that could easily become as nasty, divisive, and damaging as the reading wars, the math wars, and—the mother of all education wars—the war between progressive and conservative philosophies of education” (Zhao, 2020).

If SEL is to be successful, there must be ongoing research and evidence to support its efficacy, along with a commitment to the hard work needed to lay a foundation for success and ensure implementation with fidelity. Evaluating outcomes of SEL must include a comprehensive process for collecting, reviewing, and analyzing qualitative and quantitative information, all of which can be undermined by inappropriate and incohesive data. Proven metrics and systematic methodology will be essential to the decision‐making process. Finn and Hess (2019) offer seven suggestions for avoiding pitfalls and delivering on SEL’s promise. A description of these suggestions is provided in Rapid Reference 1.3.

Rapid Reference 1.3 Seven Suggestions for Avoiding the Pitfalls of SEL and Delivering on Its Promise

      1 Slow down and focus on getting it right. While the need for SEL may be high, going fast may not be the best approach. Growing the program steadily and slowly will make it possible to focus on doing it wisely and well. A calibrated rollout can increase the likelihood of positive change.

      2 Be clear about what SEL is and is not. It can be tempting and much easier to build momentum and win allies by offering an inclusive or generic definition of SEL, but proponents need to make clear that SEL is not a replacement for rigorous instruction. Instead, it enhances instruction. It rests on legitimate research, and it is part of preparing students to become competent adults and responsible citizens.

      3 Make sure that character and civic education loom large in the SEL portfolio. The link between SEL, civic education, and character education is equally as important as the link between SEL and academic achievement. Promoting character formation and preparation for responsible citizenship should be critical elements of the SEL portfolio.

      4 Making schools safer is an appealing facet of SEL, so long as the transcendent point is student safety, not adult agendas. The goal of SEL should not be about promoting political and legal debates over discipline policy and practices, but should adhere to the goal of making students feel safe and valued. Strategies for doing this should be held to the standards of evidence, not to standards that are ideologically friendly or politically useful.

      5 Parental enthusiasm for SEL is healthy, but it ought not to become a free pass for academic frailty. Social emotional learning is inextricably linked to academic learning, and it is important to help parents understand this. Policy makers can help by making vivid connections between SEL and academic achievement on report cards and through accountability systems.

      6 Make it a priority to develop valid, reliable, intuitive metrics for SEL—and be honest about their limits. More reliable instruments are needed for measuring SEL. This will improve credibility while also allowing schools to view SEL outcomes alongside academic data. School climate surveys are a start, but they are subjective and thus not sufficient. A relentless commitment to evidence will increase credibility, but when evidence is shaky, it should be acknowledged and not downplayed. Emphasis on transparency and integrity is critical and includes distinguishing between “solid evidence” and “thoughtful opinion.”

      7 In celebrating “evidence‐based” practices and encouraging further research, be wary of analysts who give short shrift to how their findings translate to the real world. Evidence‐based recommendations often play out better in controlled environments than they do in the real world. SEL does not yet have large sets of data on implementation, and while this is needed, careful evaluation of efficacy will be critical. SEL researchers and advocates should seek feedback and evidence on what can go wrong in the real world when considering which interventions can make a difference and under what conditions.

      Source: Finn, C.E., & Hess, F.M. (2019). What social and emotional learning needs to succeed and survive. Washington, DC: American Enterprise Institute. Reprinted with permission of Finn, C.E., Jr., Hess, F. and EducationNext.

THE NEED FOR A COMMON LANGUAGE, A COMMON PERSPECTIVE, AND A COMMON VISION

      Given the myriad of challenges in understanding what SEL is and how intervention approaches should be aligned with scientifically supported practices, the implementation process can be challenging. As with any new initiative, there must be a plan, but the plans used by many schools have not always been well prepared, nor have they been as comprehensive as they should be. This may be due to the nebulous nature of SEL, but it is more likely due to schools’ perceptions of SEL as an add‐on program or service. Developing an implementation plan for SEL involves so much more. It is effort‐intensive and must be viewed through a lens that extends beyond programming.

As a precursor to developing a school‐ or district‐wide implementation plan, schools should begin by engaging a group of key stakeholders. The primary goal for this group is to focus on sustainable implementation of SEL. Accomplishing this goal would involve an in‐depth process whereby the school’s or district’s infrastructure is thoroughly examined to ensure it can sustain SEL efforts (this will be discussed in more detail in Section III). Given that most schools struggle with an imprecise understanding of SEL, the group’s first responsibility would need to focus on eliminating some of the common misperceptions and misunderstandings that obscure the real meaning of SEL and its potential benefits. A recommended approach for this involves three critical steps that can help lay a foundation for the group’s future successes. For a complete description of the three‐step process, read Rapid Reference 1.4.

Rapid Reference 1.4 СКАЧАТЬ