The SEL Innovations series aims to help the field imagine new, more expansive and equitable approaches to SEL and wellness to ensure that all children, adolescents, and adults feel safe, supported, and seen so that they can thrive. The purpose of this third report is to highlight how supportive climate and discipline strategies work together to build schools where all students thrive.
Schools can and should be places that support students’ overall growth and development—academically, socially, and emotionally—but not all students have access to the relationships and learning experiences necessary to realize their fullest potential. Supportive school climate and supportive discipline work together to create asset-based, engaging learning environments and to help eliminate discipline disparities. A supportive school climate focuses on proactive measures, while supportive discipline provides a responsive approach. Both prioritize relationships, and both are critical. In this report we tackle how schools can build supportive cultures where disciplinary practices are developmentally appropriate, instructive, and SEL-aligned.
