CASEL-Report-low-res-FINAL

Figure 5 Many teachers believe their schools place too little emphasis on developing students’ life skills,
including their social and emotional skills.
Developing students’ ability to apply knowledge
and skills to real-world situations
Developing students’ social and emotional skills
Developing critical thinking and reasoning
abilities in students
Developing students’ knowledge and skills in key
content and subject areas
backgrounds, rich or poor. A minority of
teachers (18 percent) think it is important
to teach social and emotional skills only
in high-poverty schools.
teachers Say SEL Should Be
Given Greater Emphasis
The survey finds that nearly nine in ten
teachers (88 percent) say SEL occurs
in their schools, either on an individual
teacher (ad hoc) basis or schoolwide.
One-third of teachers (30 percent) report
that their schools place too little emphasis
on developing social and emotional skills
and skills related to these competencies
(Figure 5), including developing students’
7%
ability to apply knowledge to real-world
situations (32 percent). Teachers are
more than four times as likely to say
their school places too little emphasis on
developing social and emotional skills
(30 percent) versus developing students’
knowledge and skills in key content and
subject areas (7 percent).
teachers See the
Importance and Benefits
of SEL
In addition to endorsing SEL as an
important component of the school
experience, teachers also report many
benefits of SEL to students. Randi
“Teachers enter the profession to provide a well-rounded education
and support the whole student, which includes social and emotional
skills development. SEL is a critical part of every child’s growth, both
as students and as contributing members of society. Teachers have
shared with us how important this is — now it’s up to all of us to
support them in this essential work.”
— Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers
My school places too little
emphasis on this goal
A National teacher Survey on How Social and Emotional Learning Can Empower Children and transform Schools 17
26%
30%
32%
Weingarten, President of the American
Federation of Teachers, explains,
“Teachers enter the profession to provide
a well-rounded education and support
the whole student, which includes social
and emotional skills development. SEL is
a critical part of every child’s growth, both
as students and as contributing members
of society.” Likewise, research finds
that SEL programs are most frequently
associated with positive results, increased
pro-social behavior, and improved
academic performance. 45 One teacher
from Philadelphia puts it simply: “[SEL]
needs to be taught everywhere.”
More than three-quarters of teachers
believe a larger focus by schools on SEL
will have a major benefit on students in
the crucial areas of workforce readiness
(87 percent), school attendance and
graduation (80 percent), life success
(87 percent), college preparation (78
percent), and academic success (75
percent). Teachers also report relational
and academic benefits. A majority of
teachers (94 percent) say teaching social
and emotional skills will probably or
definitely improve relationships between
teachers and students and reduce bullying
(93 percent). More than three-quarters