Webisode Series: Educating Future-Ready Students

Bridging SEL and career and workforce development is a win-win. By promoting the social and emotional development of all students, they are given rich opportunities to explore and practice new skills in a broad array of career fields.

Tune in to the five-part webisode series for state and district leaders on social and emotional learning (SEL) and career and workforce development.

Webisode 1: Enhancing Future Student Success

Featured Speakers: Matthew Atwell (formerly with Civic), John Bridgeland (Civic), Dr. Dana Godek (CASEL), and Dr. Orrin White (Delaware Department of Education).

Key Takeaways:

1. Develop a shared vision of student success that explicitly integrates SEL and CWD.
2. Build adult capacity to provide productive and collaborative instructional strategies.
3. Foster the creation of safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environments.
4. Cultivate opportunities for customized learning, including Personalized Career and Academic Planning (PCAP) and individualization.
5. Provide flexible, future-ready pathways that lead to stackable credentials that are valued by institutions of higher education and employers.

Related Resources:

• Brief: Development Framework for the Integration of Social and Emotional Learning and Career and Workforce Development
• Report: Educating Future-Ready Students
• Report: Preparing Youth for The Workforce of Tomorrow

Webisode 2: Effective Approaches to Meet Students’ Needs

Featured Speakers: Dr. Linda Dusenbury (formerly with CASEL), Laura Fridirici (Pennsylvania Department of Education), Kate Kreamer (Advance CTE), and Dr. Demetrius Roberts (Pennsylvania Department of Education).

Key Takeaways:

1. Equity is essential to a shared theory of action.
2. Build coalitions across communities to increase access.
3. Start with high quality SEL and Employability Skill Building.
4. Organize practice supports for and with school districts, speaking the same language.
5. Offer badges and micro credentials to incentivize students.

Related Resources:

• Report: Academic Standards for Career Education and Work
• Infographic: Career Ready Skills: Educating for Employability
• Webpage: Pennsylvania Career Ready Skills

Webisode 3: Framework for SEL and Workforce Preparation

Featured Speakers: Dr. Dana Godek (CASEL), Roneeta Guha (formerly with Linked Learning Alliance), Teri LeSage (Educational Consultant), and Karin Smith (Wisconsin Department of Education).

Key Takeaways:

1. Organize a structure for collaboration.
2. SEL enhances CWD for every child.
3. Promote evidence-based practices.
4. Maintain ongoing field learning for deepen SEL knowledge and practice

Related Resources:

• Case Study: Wisconsin: Regional Career Pathways Link SEL to Career and Workforce Development
• Guide: Wisconsin’s Guide to Social and Emotional Learning and Workforce Readiness
• Report: Equity: Wisconsin’s Model to Inform Culturally Responsive Practices

Webisode 4: Support and Promotion of Student Engagement

Featured Speakers: Dr. Dana Godek (CASEL), Kent Reed (Kansas Department of Education), Dr. Stacy Smith (Kansas Department of Education), Dr. V. Scott Solberg (Boston University).

Key Takeaways:

1. Leverage ILPs to develop SEL skills.
2. Organize SEL recognition systems to encourage high-quality practices.
3. Breakdown silos to collaborate effectively.
4. Engage stakeholders and align with state goals.

Related Resources:

• Case Study: Kansas: A Vision for Integrating SEL with Career and Workforce Development for Students
• Webpage: Kansas Individual Plans of Study (IPS) – Student
• Guide: Kansas Individual Plan of Study (IPS) Digital Reference Guide

Webisode 5: Effective Approaches to Meet Community Needs

Featured Speakers: Dr. Stanley Litow (Duke University), Dr. Teri Lawler (Delaware Department of Education), Luke Rhine (formerly with Delaware Department of Education), and Dr. Damien Sweeney (Kentucky State Department of Education).

Key Takeaways:

1. Develop a strong foundation for SEL.
2. Honor evidence-based SEL practices.
3. Plan for high-leverage points across teams.
4. Ensure resource supports for every learner.

Related Resources:

• Case Study: Delaware: Partnerships Integrate SEL With Career and Workforce Development to Define a New Generation of Learners
• Brief: Delaware CASEL BRIDGE Crosswalk:
• Webpage: Delaware Pathways

Thank you for Learning Policy Institute for supporting the production of these conversations.