From Insights to Action: Redefining State Efforts to Support Social and Emotional Learning. CSI Emerging Insights Brief

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. This report updates the original June 2018 "Emerging Insights" report and shares recent innovations and advancements in the ways states are advancing statewide SEL. In this brief, the authors highlight the ways state education agencies (SEAs) have developed policies and practices to promote systemic SEL within states and across their districts and schools. Specifically, they first provide information about the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning's (CASEL's) Collaborating States Initiative (CSI) and the progress of state teams. Second, the authors provide descriptive and state examples for each activity within the four focus areas of CASEL's state theory of action: build foundational support and plan for SEL, strengthen adult SEL competencies and capacities; promote student SEL; and reflect on data for continuous improvement. [For the original report, "Emerging Insights from States' Efforts to Strengthen Social and Emotional Learning," see ED586404.]