Social Emotional Learning in Schools: Comprehensive Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the core tenets, CASEL competencies, implementation science, assessment methodologies, ecological considerations, and empirical research of Social Emotional Learning in school settings.

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)

The process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions (CASEL, 2020).

Self-Awareness

The CASEL core competency defined as the abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior across contexts, including recognizing strengths and limitations with a well-grounded sense of confidence and purpose.

Self-Management

The CASEL core competency defined as the abilities to manage one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations to achieve personal and collective goals, including delaying gratification, managing stress, and maintaining motivation.

Social Awareness

The CASEL core competency defined as the abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and contexts, as well as understanding broader historical and social behavioral norms.

Relationship Skills

The CASEL core competency defined as the abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and navigate settings with diverse individuals and groups through active listening, clear communication, collaborative problem-solving, and constructive conflict negotiation.

Responsible Decision-Making

The CASEL core competency defined as the abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across diverse situations, taking into account ethical standards, safety concerns, and collective well-being.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Potentially traumatic events occurring during childhood ($0$ to $17$ years)—such as experiencing or witnessing violence, abuse, neglect, or living in a household with substance misuse or mental health problems—that undermine a child's sense of safety, stability, and bonding.

Toxic Stress

Prolonged, severe activation of the body's stress response systems in childhood without adequate protective relationships, which can impair brain development, disrupt relationship formation, and lead to lifelong physical and mental health issues.

Pathways to Wellness (Cowen, 1994)

A foundational framework identifying five essential routes to positive psychological health: forming wholesome early attachments, acquiring age-appropriate competencies, exposure to wellness-favoring environments, having an internal locus of control, and coping effectively with stress.

Cost-Effectiveness of SEL (Belfield et al., 2015)

Economic research showing that high-quality, school-based social and emotional learning programs yield an average societal return of $\\text{\$}11$ for every $\\text{\$}1$ invested.

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015)

Federal education legislation that broadened school success indicators beyond test scores and allocated funding to support SEL research, implementation, and specialized teacher-leader positions.

Ecological Factors in SEL Assessment

A multi-tiered assessment approach recognizing that student outcomes are shaped by three nested spheres of influence: student factors (interpersonal, intrapersonal, academic competence), classroom factors (climate, teacher competence, fidelity), and school/community factors (safety, physical conditions, norms).

Needs Assessment Survey

An assessment tool administered prior to program adoption to evaluate existing community needs, available resources, and stakeholder perceptions, helping schools identify service gaps and establish prioritized goals.

School Climate Survey

A measurement tool that evaluates the extent to which an educational setting is physically safe, welcoming, caring, and encouraging, where staff maintain high academic expectations and positive student relationships.

Implementation Fidelity

The degree to which an evidence-based program or curriculum is delivered exactly as intended by its developers, adhering to original protocols, sequences, and instructional methods.

Dosage

An implementation dimension measuring the quantity or amount of an intervention delivered to students, such as the number of lessons completed or the percentage of core curriculum components taught.

Reach

An implementation dimension quantifying the proportion and representation of the intended student population that actively participates in an SEL program or intervention.

Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA)

A standardized, strengths-based rating scale designed to assess social-emotional competencies and resilience in students, including a specific version (DESSA-SSE) aligned with the Second Step curriculum.

Cycle of Inquiry

A continuous three-phase process guiding SEL assessment and decision-making: Phase I (Identification and Clarification of goals/resources), Phase II (Measurement Selection and Data Collection), and Phase III (Data Analysis and Summative Evaluation).

Implementation Science

The scientific study of methods and actionable strategies that facilitate the systematic uptake and integration of evidence-based practices and research into regular use by educators and practitioners.

Implementation Outcomes

The direct effects of deliberate efforts to deliver an intervention—including acceptability, feasibility, fidelity, cost, reach, and sustainability—which precede and directly govern student-level outcomes.

Acceptability

An implementation outcome reflecting the perception among stakeholders and practitioners that an SEL practice or intervention is agreeable, palatable, or satisfactory.

Appropriateness

An implementation outcome reflecting the perceived fit, relevance, or compatibility of a program to address a school's specific needs and align with an educator's role and job expectations.

Feasibility

An implementation outcome describing the extent to which a new program or instructional practice can be realistically carried out within a given school setting considering space, time, and resources.

Sustainability (Implementation Outcome)

The degree to which an evidence-based SEL practice is maintained, institutionalized, and comprehensively delivered within a school or district's routine operations over an extended timeframe.

Implementation Factors Framework (Dowling & Barry, 2020)

A five-factor model outlining the critical elements influencing SEL delivery: Program Factors, Participant Factors, Teacher Factors, School Contextual Factors, and Organizational Capacity Factors.

Blob Tree

A visual, projective feelings check-in tool created by Pip Wilson and Ian Long (2005) featuring genderless figures in various positions on and around a tree, used to help students articulate complex emotional states.

Core Components (Active Ingredients)

The essential, indispensable parts, practices, or instructional elements of an intervention that directly drive positive behavioral, social, and academic changes in students.

Common Practice Elements (Wigelsworth et al., 2022)

Discrete skill targets within SEL curricula; empirical analysis revealed that out of $25$ identified discrete SEL skills, just $12$ specific skills constitute $80\%$ of all practice in published programs.

Durlak et al. (2011) Meta-Analysis

A seminal meta-analysis of $213$ school-based SEL programs involving $270{,}034$ students showing significant improvements in social skills and conduct, alongside a landmark average $11$ percentile-point gain in academic achievement.

Taylor et al. (2017) Meta-Analysis

A longitudinal meta-analysis evaluating $82$ K–12 SEL programs ($N = 97{,}406$), demonstrating that positive social, emotional, behavioral, and academic gains are sustained from $1$ to nearly $4$ years, and up to $18$ years post-intervention.