CASEL-Report-low-res-FINAL

nearly 70 percent report that they were
not motivated to work hard, and twothirds
would have worked harder if more
had been demanded of them. 80 While
teachers think SEL should be available
in all schools — not just high-poverty
schools — SEL can play a unique role in
engaging students in high-poverty areas.
Research corroborates teachers’ views:
Studies have found that students who
receive high-quality SEL instruction,
including students in schools with high
rates of poverty, demonstrate improved
attitudes and behaviors, including a
greater motivation to learn, improved
relationships with peers, and a deeper
connection to their school. 81 Where the
primary goal of a program is to improve
social and emotional skills, the number
of SEL lessons delivered is also related to
fewer unexcused absences among girls. 82
This suggests that a strong SEL program
can help reduce student absenteeism
and improve student interest — both
indicators of whether a student is on or
off track to graduate.
SEL Improves Student
Behavior
Teachers list poor student behavior in
the classroom as the second biggest
problem in their school, after students’
lack of interest in learning. A Philadelphia
elementary school teacher explains, “The
children who can self-manage, who are
self-aware, who hit each of these goals,
these are the children who are more
successful in my classroom. Last year,
I had some children who had a very
difficult time regulating their emotions
and regulating their behavior. There was
nothing cognitively wrong with them,
but because they were not able to selfmanage
the behavior in the classroom,
they were not at grade level, anywhere
Students who receive SEL instruction have been found to exhibit
reduced emotional distress, including fewer reports of depression,
anxiety, stress, and social withdrawal.
close to it. And once you’ve lost that
foundation, especially in the early years,
it’s very difficult to get that back.”
According to the survey, more than half of
teachers (57 percent) list poor behavior
as at least somewhat of a problem. Of
these teachers, three in four say SEL is
very important (75 percent) and think
it will improve student performance (79
percent). Research supports teacher’s
beliefs. School-based SEL interventions
have been found to have indirect effects
on reducing anxiety and depression,
preventing aggressive and antisocial
behavior, and promoting positive prosocial
behavior. 83 Students who receive
SEL instruction have been found to have
reduced emotional distress, including
fewer reports of depression, anxiety,
stress, and social withdrawal. 84
SEL increases socially appropriate
behavior and positive peer relations, while
decreasing destructive internalization of
behaviors. 85 For example, one elementary
school in Austin, TX, taught students
several strategies for successfully
resolving conflicts as part of the district’s
SEL initiative. As a result, students began
to use these strategies on their own
during unstructured school hours such
as recess or before or after school began.
(Read more about this initiative on page
36.) Students in SEL programs enjoy
on average a 9–10 percentage point
improvement in positive attitude, conduct
problems, and emotional distress,
compared to students not participating
in SEL universal programs. 86 In a study
on the Strong Start K–2 SEL curriculum,
a statistically significant percentage of
students exhibited behavior problems
at the onset but then decreased during
the intervention period. 87 Furthermore,
students in the program were less likely
to internalize behaviors than students
outside of the program. An eighth
grade boy explains, “Some kids are
disrespectful … Students may not listen
or they may do something wrong. It ruins
Research shows that levels of conflict decrease significantly in
classrooms receiving SEL instruction, while classrooms not receiving
SEL instruction experience an increase in conflict.
A National teacher Survey on How Social and Emotional Learning Can Empower Children and transform Schools 25