A foundation for lifelong success

Educators and educational institutions recognize that it is not enough to teach the "3 Rs." They need to educate the entire child. That means making sure they have the "other kind of smart." That other "smart" means they can make good decisions, weigh consequences, manage their behavior even when angry, and work effectively with other people. It’s the kind of smart that will mean success throughout their lives, so that they can set goals, enter the workforce with good people skills and work behaviors, make ethical decisions, locate and use community resources and become good citizens of their communities.

Those social emotional smarts are vital to academic success. Students who receive SEL skills instruction improve an average of 14% on standardized achievement tests, according to research from CASEL (Collaborative to Advance Social and Emotional Learning). The NYS Education Department, with the support of the NYS Office of Mental Health, has developed guidelines that incorporate social and emotional development into elementary and secondary school programs.

According to CASEL, most schools have taken a "piecemeal" approach to addressing barriers to learning. Schools have used an issue-by-issue approach, with bullying prevention, drug prevention, violence prevention, character education, multi-cultural education, suicide prevention and so on. But what is the alternative?

CASEL suggests SEL as the coordinating framework for addressing barriers to learning. Using this framework, we can examine and improve the school climate, coordinate across programs, reduce duplication and improve outcomes for children and their families.