the-missing-piece

SURVEY FINDINGS 3TEACHERS IDENTIFY KEY ACCELERATORSFOR SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNINGSocial and emotional learning (SEL) provides an opportunity for a powerful, student-centric approach toeducation that puts the social and emotional development of the child at the heart of every classroom,school, and district. Academic, social, and emotional learning are inextricably linked, and SEL canaccelerate student learning by increasing students’ intrinsic motivation to achieve, their ability to beattentive and engaged in their work, their satisfaction with learning, their sense of belonging, and theirdesire to work cooperatively with other students. SEL also helps teachers become more effective, byfostering their own social and emotional development and supporting a caring and challenging classroomclimate. SEL programs are gaining in popularity and are increasingly being integrated into schoolcurricula. In the survey, teachers identified several ways to accelerate the use of SEL in classrooms,schools, and communities.Adopt SchoolwideProgrammingWhile the organic demand for SEL exists,teachers often resort to a fragmentedapproach to introduce crucial socialand emotional skills to their students.Although the research on the efficacy of asystemic approach to SEL versus a moread hoc approach is limited, it is sensibleto think a more systemic approachwould support student outcomes whilealso easing time burdens on educators.For example, schoolwide initiativeswould support resource sharing andreinforce lessons. In discussions withadministrators and teachers from schoolswith proven SEL programs, educationleaders stress that whole school buyinis crucial to their success. Theseprograms boast systemic implementationand include teacher and administratorinvolvement as well as professionaldevelopment and participation of schoolstaff and part-time personnel.Less than half (44 percent) of teachers surveyed say social andemotional skills are being taught on a schoolwide programmatic basis.Schools are expected increasingly toplay a large role in the development ofyouth from children to well-balancedadults. 124 While the survey indicates SELis occurring organically, many schoolsdo not view SEL as a core part of theeducation mission and many effortsare fragmented. 125 Less than half (44percent) of teachers surveyed say socialand emotional skills are being taught ona schoolwide programmatic basis (Figure11). The lack of SEL programming isespecially stark at the high school level:Only 28 percent of high school teacherssay it is occurring schoolwide, comparedto 43 percent of middle school teachersand 49 percent of prekindergarten andelementary school teachers. In addition30 The Missing Piece