Summary
This report, developed with extensive support from school districts in our Equity Work Group, offers five emerging insights:
As school systems across the country continue to wrestle with persistent inequities in students’ opportunities and outcomes, they are exploring how SEL can be used as a lever to advance equity. They are asking questions such as: How can we help individuals, groups, and institutions examine and interrupt inequitable policies and practices? How can we create opportunities for students, families, and educators to co-construct more inclusive, student-centered school environments? How can we reveal and nurture the interests, talents, and contributions of children, youth, and adults from diverse backgrounds?
- Explicitly position and communicate about SEL as a lever for equity
- Prioritize adult learning and critical reflection about their own social, emotional, and cultural competencies
- Elevate students’ cultural assets, voice, and agency
- Partner authentically with families and communities to develop culturally responsive approaches to SEL
- Establish SEL data strategies that help to share power, dismantle inequities, and build more equitable learning environments
- Examples of current practices that CASEL’s district partners are using to drive this effort
- Additional considerations and reflection questions to guide schools and districts in equity-focused SEL implementation
- And potential continuous improvement and research questions to help inform action research agendas for systematically testing these emerging insights to create a more robust evidence base.
