- Oxford School District
- Why S.E.L. Is Important
Social and Emotional Learning
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Why S.E.L. Is Important
Research suggests that the integration of social and emotional with academic learning is beneficial to students in school and beyond. When well implemented, S.E.L. programs have been linked to a host of important educational and life outcomes, as listed here:
- Higher test scores
- Higher graduation rates
- Prevention of bullying
- Reduction in teacher stress
- Improved college and career skills such as flexibility, adaptability, collaboration, and creativity
- Improved social performance, job outcomes, and higher education attainment
How do we develop students’ social and emotional skills, habits and mindsets?
A positive school climate and culture are the foundation for academic, social, and emotional learning. According to the National School Climate Center, school climate is defined as the “patterns of students’, parents’ and teachers’ experience of school life. It reflects norms, values, relationships, teaching and learning practices, and organizational structures.” A school’s climate, sometimes referred to as school culture, includes everything within the school ranging from physical environment such as the condition of the bathrooms, walls, and classroom furniture, to the kind of learning students have access to; to the more abstract conceptions of climate such as how welcoming the front office staff is or how students are spoken to in the hallways or the cafeteria line. A school’s climate “sets the tone” at the school and can be both seen and felt in how people within the school interact with one another.
Benefits of S.E.L.
Research confirms and teachers, parents, and principals agree: Social and emotional competencies can be taught, modeled, and practiced and lead to positive student outcomes that are important for success in school and in life.
Decades of research studies demonstrate the following benefits of S.E.L.:
- Improvement in students’ social and emotional skills, attitudes, relationships, academic performance, and perceptions of classroom and school climate
- Decline in students’ anxiety, behavior problems, and substance use
- Long-term improvements in students’ skills, attitudes, prosocial behavior, and academic performance