Welcome to CASEL

Our mission is to establish social and emotional learning (SEL) as an essential part of education. We envision a world where families, schools, and communities work together to promote children's success in school and life and to support the healthy development of all children. In this vision, children and adults are engaged life-long learners who are self-aware, caring and connected to others, and responsible in their decision-making. Children and adults achieve to their fullest potential, and participate constructively in a democratic society.

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Brazelton on Parents, Teachers and SEL

Pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton speaks about the importance of parents modeling good social and emotional skills in a new Edutopia "Big Thinkers" video. Brazelton spoke with Edutopia's Milton Chen at the CASEL Forum in December 2009.

Edutopia cover Brazelton's ideas historic work is the basis for Nurturing Children and Families: Building on the Legacy of T. B. Brazelton, a new book that gathers research on the physiological, social, and emotional bases of child development. Edited by Barry Lester and Joshua Sparrow, the book features articles by experts in fields Brazelton has influenced: pediatrics, psychology, early childhood education, and public policy.

SEL is also featured in Milton Chen's new book, Education Nation: Six Leading Edges of Innovation in our Schools, which outlines a vision for education based on the latest scientific knowledge about how children think, learn, and develop.

Parent Involvement in School Boosts Social Skills

A University of Pittsburgh study of more than 1300 children followed from birth to fifth grade focused on how parent involvement affects children's academic, social, and emotional well-being in elementary school.

Science Daily summarized findings in the May/June 2010 Child Development article. Children whose parents increased visits to the school and encouraged education at home showed a decrease in problem behaviors, anxiety and depression. Pro-social behaviors such as cooperation and self-control improved. The study did not find effects tying parent involvement to academic achievement.

Oregon Resiliency Project Links Prevention and SEL

An 8-year project at the University of Oregon is summarized in "Linking Prevention Science and Social and Emotional Learning", an article by Kenneth W. Merrell in Psychology in the Schools (2010). The article describes how the Oregon Resiliency Project developed the Strong Kids curriculum with goals, outcomes, and measures that integrated key prevention and SEL indicators. Related studies cover implementation, the research model, and targeted interventions for children with special needs.

Helpful Data

Large scale, comprehensive data guide policy and practice and create important backdrops for funding decisions. Recent reports provide information about a range of indicators relevant to child development and education.

• The Child Well-Being Index of 2010 measures 28 key indicators of quality-of-life. This year's report offers the first data on the impact of the "Great Recession" on children. Sources include the U.S. Census, Centers for Disease Control, and the National Center for Education Statistics.
  
  
• Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (YRBS) monitors risk-taking and health issues like obesity and asthma among youth. It includes a national school-based survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other locally conducted surveys.
  
  
• The State of America's Children compiles recent national and state data on child poverty, health, youth at-risk, early child development, education, family income and gun violence.
  
  
• Conditions of Education 2010 includes national, regional, and state data in 5 broad categories: participation in education, learner outcomes, student effort and progress, and the context of education including costs, staffing, and the social climate.
• Kids Count 2010 is the latest edition of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's annual databook on children's well-being in all 50 states.
  
  
• School Survey on Crime and Safety from from the National Center for Education Statistics tracks variables related to school safety, including frequency of school crime and violence, disciplinary actions, and school practices related to prevention and crime reduction.