the-missing-piece

after-school activities. They can usegoal-setting instructions and focuson problem-solving strategies andthe decision-making process. Acrossthe school, educators can stress theimportance of SEL application, not onlyin the classroom but also in everyday lifethrough consistent and age-appropriatesupportive services. Based on thespecific age and culture of studentsand needs of the school, school leaderscan develop coordinated and explicitproblem-solving strategies on targetedissues (e.g., healthy lifestyle, conflictresolution, and healthy study habits).They can provide time in the curricula forstudents and teachers to learn, work, andpractice these strategies. Academic andsocial and emotional learning should bemutually reinforcing.Conduct Resource andNeeds Assessments inSchools 160For SEL to be a success on a systematicand strategic scale, the school and thecommunity can determine the resources,needs, and readiness of the schooland identify SEL best practices andmeasures that fit their school. Schoolleaders can conduct resource and needsassessments that build on evidencebasedSEL programming that is alreadybeing implemented and appropriatelyaddresses the needs identified bystudents, parents, and school staff.Not only does this create a sense ofownership in the program, because itinvolves high-level school officials andteachers, it can help increase parent buyin.Furthermore, school leaders shouldstrive to create a learning environmentthat fosters more extensive personalinteraction. This will allow teachers tounderstand individual students better andallow students to feel more engaged inthe learning process.Ensure EffectiveCoordination with Out-of-School Partners 161Social and emotional skills developmentcan link to all aspects of a child’slife — including his or her home lifeand extracurricular activities. Familyinvolvement facilitates child’s cognitive,social, and emotional learning andfunctioning. A successful school-familypartnership (SFP) must be based on theidea that all families can contribute to achild’s learning and development — andparents, as well as teachers, share theresponsibility. Likewise, communityschoolpartnerships can help to betterfacilitate a child’s progress throughschool. Establishing partnerships withcommunity-based program providersand agencies like social services, mentalhealth, and welfare can provide furtherout-of-school support for students.To facilitate the creation of studentfamily-communitypartnerships, schoolscan create a position of SEL or SFPcoordinator, who can be involved withprogram implementation and serve asa liaison with families and communitypartners. Teachers can share SELstrategies, tools, and resources thatmatch the children’s learning styles andskills with parents to help with at-homereinforcement. They can also coordinatewith out-of-school services to recommendwhich competencies can be supported inextracurricular environments.Getting families and community partnersinto the classroom to observe and activelyparticipate in SEL is another means ofearning parent and community partners’buy-in, as well as at-home and extracurricular reinforcement. Creating parentsupport during the assessment processincludes home visits and engagingfamilies in the initial program assessment.For example, students and parents cangenerate individual SEL goals at thebeginning of each school year. This willencourage family presence in the laterevaluation process. Family involvement inthe subsequent individual assessment ofstudents and during transitions (e.g. frommiddle to high school) can help parentsand children navigate potentially stressfultimes.38 The Missing Piece