UIC University of Illinoisat Chicago

Education That Gets Results: Social and Emotional Learning for School and Life Success

Roger P. WeissbergProfessor of Psychology and Education

President, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional LearningUniversity of Illinois at Chicago

Invited Keynote Presentation at the Safe and Healthy Learner ConferenceSponsored by the Minnesota Department of Education, St. Cloud, MN.

November 8, 2006

CASEL at UIC

Overview

• The challenges that schools face• Rationale and theory for SEL• Research: SEL, improved behavior, and

academic success• Illinois SEL student learning standards• Framework to design and implement school-

wide SEL (Part 1)

CASEL at UIC

Schools Can Not Do This Alone(Vollmer, 2001)

In the 1600’s schools were established to:

1. Teach basic reading, writing, and arithmetic skills2. Cultivate values that serve a democratic society

At the beginning of the 20th century society began to assign additional responsibilities to the schools….

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The People of Each Community Must Answer Two Essential Questions

1. What do we want our children to know and be able to do when they graduate?

2. How can the entire community be organized to ensure that all students reach the stated goals?

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Pull the Weeds Before YouPlant the Flowers (Reeves, 2006)

1. List the initiatives/programs your school has started in the past 5 years.

2. List the initiatives/programs that have been discontinued as a result of careful evaluation and weeding.

3. Which list is longer?

Pledge: “I will not ask you to implement one more initiative until we first take some things off the table.”

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2004 Minnesota Student Survey12th graders – (N = 34,521)

Attitudes and Behaviors %

I like school very much or quite a bit 39.5

How many of your teachers are interested in you as a person? 46

Has a person pushed, shoved, or grabbed you on school property? (12 months)

28.5

How often have you hit or beat up another person? (12 months) 20.5

Student use of alcohol or drugs is a problem at this school 65

Frequent binge drinking 21.5

Have you had sexual intercourse 3 or more times 38.5

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Social and Emotional Assets Reported by 6th-12th-Graders (Search Institute, 1999)

Asset

category Asset

% of students

How people who know you well would rate you on:

Social

competence

Thinking through the results of your

choices, planning ahead

29

Caring about others’ feelings, feeling sad

when a friend is unhappy, being good at

making and keeping friends

43

Respecting the values/beliefs of people of

different races/cultures

35

Support My teachers really care about me 24

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How Schools Have Addressed the Needs:Many Programs for Many Problems

• AIDS Education

• Bullying Prevention

• Career Education

• Character Education

• Civic Education

• Conflict Resolution

• Delinquency Prevention

• Dropout Prevention

• Drug Education

• Family-life Education

• Health Education

• Law-related Education

• Mental Health Promotion

• Multicultural Education

• Nutrition Education

• Service-Learning

• Sex Education

• Suicide Prevention

• Truancy Prevention

• Violence Prevention

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SEL Conceptual Framework for Academic Performance

Coordinated School, Family, and Community Programming

Social, Emotional, and

Academic Learning

Academically Successful

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Coordinated School, Family, and Community Programming

Social, Emotional, and

Academic Learning

Academically Successful

Healthy

Character Development

Engaged Citizens

SEL Conceptual Framework for Positive Youth Development

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What is the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)?

• Founded in 1993 by Daniel Goleman and Eileen Rockefeller Growald

• Based at University of Illinois at Chicago• Mission:

– Advance the science of SEL – Expand evidence-based, integrated SEL practice as

an essential part of preschool through high school education

• For more information - visit www.casel.org

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The CASEL Model

• Boundary-spanning, field-building research• Standards of excellence, products, and tools• Professional development and support for

educational leaders• Policy to expand evidence-based practice• Accountability and assessment• Communications and dissemination

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CASEL Defines the Field of Social and Emotional Learning (Elias et al., 1997)

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What Is Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)?

SEL is the process of acquiring the following competencies:– self-awareness– self-management– social awareness– relationship skills– responsible decision making

These competencies provide the foundation for positive health practices, engaged citizenship, and academic achievement.

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Fostering Competence

“It is critical to the future of a society that its children become competent adults and productive citizens. Thus, society and parents have a stake in the development of competence and in understanding the processes that facilitate it and undermine it”

(Masten & Coatsworth, 1998, p. 205)

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Why SEL?

• Relationships provide a foundation for learning

• Emotions affect how and what we learn

• Relevant skills can be taught

• Positive effects on academic performance, health,

relationships, and citizenship

• Demanded by employers

• Essential for lifelong success

• A coordinating framework to overcome fragmentation of

prevention and youth-development programs

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From Fragmentation to Coherence

Getting from here…

…to here

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School-wide Coordinated SEL Programming

After-school and community activities that are coordinated with school SEL efforts

School-family-community partnerships to enhance social, emotional and academic competence

Coordinated mental health and health services that reinforce SEL instruction

Planned, systematic classroom-based SEL instruction and a supportive school climate

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Social Development Strategy for Promoting Healthy Behaviors (Hawkins & Catalano)

Opportunities

Bonding:Attachment

Commitment

Healthy Behaviors, Character, and Academic Success

Skills Recognition

Healthy Beliefs and Clear Standards

Individual Characteristics

A Model for Student Success

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A Classic SELMeta-cognitive Model

THINK

GO

• STOP, CALM DOWN, & THINK before you act

• Say the PROBLEM and how you FEEL

• Set a POSITIVE GOAL

• Think of lots of SOLUTIONS

• Think ahead to the CONSEQUENCES

• GO ahead and TRY the BEST PLAN

STOP

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Becoming a Successful Problem Solver

(1) My PROBLEM was _________________________________________(2) The PEOPLE involved were:__________________________________(3) BEFORE the problem was solved:

a) On a 1 (low) to 10 (high) scale, my STRESS level was __________b) I FELT_________ and ____________

c) The OTHER PEOPLE felt ______________ and______________(4) I did or said (MY SOLUTION)______________________________(5) What happened next (THE CONSEQUENCES)?_________________(6) Was the problem solved? _____________(7) If the problem was not solved, I could have tried a different solution.

Three things I could have said or done are:1. _________________________________________________________2. _________________________________________________________3. _________________________________________________________

(8) Which solution might be the best one? __________________________(9) Why might that be the best one?_______________________________(10) What things might you keep in mind the next time a problem like this comes up so that you

will handle it successfully? _______________________________________________

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Reflection Question

Informing a Colleague:

What did I miss?

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SEL Study 1: SEL Competencies

Program Control Condition _(n=103) (n=92) X Time___________ M SD M SD F ES

_____________________________________________________________________________ Alterative solutions Pre 12.77 3.30 13.18 3.32 Post 14.58 3.60 13.03 3.59 16.25* .55 Mean effectiveness Pre 2.65 0.37 2.64 0.38 Post 2.81 0.35 2.60 0.36 9.86* .56 % Aggressive Pre 22.09 16.44 23.49 17.71 Post 17.78 13.89 24.48 17.74 4.94* -.50 % Cooperative Pre 10.42 10.49 10.81 10.54 Post 14.94 12.33 9.22 8.99 11.09* .56______________________________________________________ ________________________*p< .05

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SEL Study 1:

Teacher Ratings of Students’ Adjustment

Program Control Condition ( n=238) (n=183) _________ X Time_________ ________

Primary Teachers M SD M SD________ _F_________ES_________ Behavioral conduct Pre 13.90 4.23 14.46 3.66 Post 14.66 4.01 14.53 4.03 17.54* .17 Social acceptance Pre 6.89 1.94 6.87 1.73 Post 6.89 1.90 6.95 1.74 .03____ _-.02_______Secondary Teachers (n=218) (n=151)_______________________________ Behavioral conduct Pre 14.14 4.02 12.95 3.29 Post 14.62 4.27 12.59 3.73 6.46* .19 Social acceptance Pre 7.14 1.77 6.82 1.55 Post 7.17 1.97 6.71 1.58 4.17* .06______________________________________________________ ________________________________*p< .05

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SEL Study 1: Self-Reported Delinquent Acts

2.75

3

3.25

3.5

3.75

4

4.25

PREPOST

Program Control

( n= 164) ( n = 121)

SELF-REPORTED DELINQUENT

ACTS(TOTAL SCALE

SCORE)

C - % Increase = 36.8

E- % Increase = 2.8

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Effects of SEL Participation on Teachers: Self-reported Survey Responses

96 96 10079

88 83

0

20

40

60

80

100

% of 6th gradeteachers reportingimprovement% of 9th gradeteachers reportingimprovement

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Outcomes Related to Academic Success

• Attitudes (motivation, commitment)• Behavior (participation, study habits)• Performance (grades, subject mastery)

Zins, Weissberg, Wang, and Walberg (2004) summarized growing evidence-based support for improvements in:

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Durlak, Weissberg et al. (2006) Meta-analysis: Inclusion Criteria

School, family, or community programs that promote SEL assets and influence behavior

Target a school-aged population (5 – 18 years old)

Promotion or prevention, but not treatment Employ a control group design Report by the end of 2005 & in English Present sufficient data to calculate effect sizes

School Universal: SEL AssetsN = 270 Outcome Studies

SEL Assets Post n Post ES Percentile

Change

Socio-emotional-cognitive Skills

85 .74* .27

Self-perception 87 .25* .10

School Bonding 24 .32* .125

Prosocial Norms 54 26* .10

School Universal: Behavioral Adjustment and School Performance (N = 270)

Outcomes Post n Post ES Percentile Change

Positive Social Behavior 96 .31* .12

Conduct Problems 82 .32* .125

Violence/Aggression 58 .30* .12

Substance Use 36 .24 .095

Emotional Distress 71 .34* .13

Grades 16 .25 .10

Achievement Tests 27 .47* .14

Disciplinary Referrals 26 .32* .125

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Key Characteristics of Effective SEL Programs(Greenberg, Weissberg et al., 2003)

• Programs that enhance SEL competencies are effective in promoting positive behaviors and preventing/reducing problem behaviors.

• Behavioral and cognitive-behavioral approaches produce best results.

• Interactive approaches are superior to knowledge only.• Changes in school ecology, classroom climate, and

teacher behavior are essential to effectiveness.• Programs implemented in isolation have little effect.• Multi-year programs have more enduring benefits.

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Effective School-wide SEL Programming

• Begins in preschool and continues through high school

• Provides sequenced instruction that builds upon and reinforces learning from one year to the next

• Has structured manual and curriculum to support consistency of delivery

• Provides opportunities for students to apply SEL skills and ethical values in academic instruction and service activities

• Establishes and enforces high behavioral and academic standards

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Effective School-wide SEL Programming

• Addresses multiple populations: student, peer group, classroom, school, family, and community

• Applied to multiple domains: academics, health, relationships, citizenship

• Involves parents and community members in program planning, implementation and evaluation

• Monitors and evaluates programming for continuous improvement

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Illinois Children’s Mental Health Act: Incorporating SEL into Each District’s Educational Program

• Every Illinois school district shall develop a policy for incorporating social and emotional development into the district’s educational program.

• The policy shall address teaching and assessing social and emotional skills and protocols for responding to children with social, emotional, or mental health problems that impact learning ability.

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Illinois Children’s Mental Health Act:Incorporating SEL into the State Learning Standards

The Illinois State Board of Education shall develop and implement a plan to incorporate social and emotional development standards as part of the Illinois Learning Standards for the purpose of enhancing and measuring children’s school readiness and ability to achieve academic success.

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Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)Social and Emotional Learning Goals

• Goal 1: Develop self-awareness and self-management skills to achieve school and life success.

• Goal 2: Use social-awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive relationships.

• Goal 3: Demonstrate decision-making skills and responsible behaviors in personal, school, and community contexts.

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ISBE’s Plan for Implementing SEL Standards

• Raising educator and public awareness about SEL standards

• Professional development for Illinois educators

• Promoting high quality school/district implementation and sustainability

• Ongoing evaluation and recommendations for continuous improvement

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Safe and Sound: An Educational Leader’s Guide to Social and Emotional Learning Programs

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Sustainable Schoolwide Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) – (CASEL, 2006)

• School leadership commits to schoolwide SEL• Engage stakeholders and initiate SEL infrastructure• Develop shared vision aligned with district and state priorities• Conduct a schoolwide needs/resources assessment• Develop SEL implementation action plan• Select evidence-based programming• Provide ongoing professional development• Launch SEL instruction aligned with planned scope and

sequence• Integrate school-wide, family, and community SEL

programming• Evaluate practices and impacts for continuous improvement

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The Effects of Leadership Development and Support on SEL Practices and Student Outcomes

Student outcomes:

•Academic performance•SEL competencies•Connection•Reduced risk behaviors•Character•Civic Engagement

Professional development and support

of school leadership

teams

Leadership competencies School and

classroom effects:

•Programming•Climate•Partnerships

Leadership relationships

Leadership practices

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Agenda for SEL Assessment and Accountability

• Impact of professional development on school leaders’ emotional intelligence, relationships, practice, and student learning

• Rubrics for implementation of SEL programming

• Engagement of students’ families and community agencies

• Safe, supportive, and respectful school and classroom climates

• Student outcomes: SEL skills; risky, disruptive behaviors; academic attitudes, behavior, and performance

• Reporting of SEL-related outcomes on student, school, district, and state report cards

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Take-Home (Back to School) Messages

1. There is an inextricable link between students’ social-emotional adjustment and their academic achievement.

2. Academic success rests on a foundation of social-emotional competencies that must be planfully nurtured as part of mainstream education.

3. SEL variables are not just relevant to academic achievement; they are central to it.