Letting Students Lead the Way: Elementary Students Use SEL Data to Drive Change

Key Points

• When students analyze their own social and emotional learning (SEL) data, they become active drivers of schoolwide improvement.
• Formative assessment and needs assessment tools, like student surveys, can align student voice with school vision.
• Empowering student voice in SEL fosters agency, belonging, and improved outcomes.

At Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary (SCG) in Santa Cruz, California, social and emotional learning (SEL) isn’t something done to students; it’s something done with them. Last year, our 4th- and 5th-grade student leaders took charge of analyzing our school’s SEL data, setting goals, and implementing change. The process not only strengthened our SEL outcomes but transformed how our students see themselves as contributors to the school vision.

We began by asking: What do our students need most to feel seen, heard, and supported at school? To answer, we used a formative assessment approach through the Kelvin Education survey (in partnership with CalHope), gathering real-time student wellness and climate data across several domains. Rather than adult staff interpreting the data alone, we invited students into the process as analysts and advocates.

From Data to Direction

Our student leadership team, 25 thoughtful 4th- and 5th-graders, examined the survey results through a needs assessment lens. We encouraged them to notice patterns, wonder about causes, and identify areas they felt called to change. As one student observed, “We all feel stressed sometimes, and as you get into bigger grades, it can be harder to stay focused on your dreams.”

Their insight became our north star.

Using that reflection and concrete data, the students created SMART goals—specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely, focusing on improving coping strategies across all grade levels. They designed lessons for every class (TK through 5th grade), teaching their peers about the brain’s emotional systems, the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex, and the tools we can use to regulate emotions.

In essence, they weren’t just learning SEL; they were driving it.

Action and Impact

This student-led effort functioned as both a formative assessment and a cycle of continuous improvement. Students first measured the school’s social-emotional climate, implemented an intervention, and then re-measured their impact through a second survey at year’s end. The process empowered them to understand not just what was happening, but why, and to see that their actions could directly influence the data and, more importantly, their school community.

When the second round of surveys arrived, the students were eager to see if their lessons had made a difference. Comparing the new data to their October baseline, they noted significant gains in students reporting confidence in managing emotions and seeking help. As one 5th-grader proudly said, “It feels like we actually changed something.”

Alignment With the School Vision

At its core, this work embodies our school vision, to cultivate belonging, resilience, and leadership in every student. By connecting student vision with schoolwide goals, we bridged the gap between intention and impact. The process also reflected CASEL’s Transformative SEL Framework, supporting students in developing identity (self-awareness), agency (self-management), belonging (social awareness), collaborative problem-solving (relationship skills), and curiosity (responsible decision-making).

Our staff came to see SEL not just as a curriculum, but as a collaborative culture driven by student voice, data, empathy, and equity. Empowering students to co-analyze and co-design SEL practices fostered a sense of ownership and community cohesion that no adult-only initiative could have achieved.

Driving SEL Forward

This project taught us that when students are trusted with real data and real decisions, they rise to the occasion. SEL moves from being abstract to actionable, something lived daily in classrooms, playgrounds, and hallways.

As educators, we often ask: How can we drive SEL in our schools? The better question might be: How can we let students drive it for themselves? At Santa Cruz Gardens, we’ve learned that student voice isn’t a bonus feature of SEL, it’s the engine and the heart.

The views in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of CASEL.

Sue Robinson, ASW, PPSC-CWA, is a school social worker at Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary in Santa Cruz, CA. She is passionate about elevating student voice, building systems that support belonging, and integrating SEL into every layer of school culture.

Related Posts

• From Feedback to Action: Using Student Experience Data to Transform Learning Environments
• Roundup: 6 Blogs Showcasing Student Voice
• How Can School Districts Elevate Student Voice? Check Out Three Case Studies From Across the U.S.

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