The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) has identified quality school classroom-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programs for preschool and elementary students in their 2013 Guide. Social and emotional learning encompasses the processes of acquiring the knowledge, skills and attitudes for competency in areas such as awareness and management of one’s self and relationships, and responsible decision-making. Recent research has shown that school-based SEL programs improve students’ classroom behavior and reduce conduct problems, such as bullying.
The “2013 CASEL Guide: Effective Social and Emotional Learning Programs—Preschool and Elementary School Edition” uses a systematic framework to select and evaluate evidence-based programs that have the potential for broad dissemination to schools across the United States.
The CASEL Guide focuses on:
- Universal school-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programs intended for all students (not just those that target students with special needs or pre-existing challenges); and
- School-based programs that can be delivered by existing school personnel during the regular school day.
The Guide outlines program descriptions as well as guidelines for selecting and implementing programs at the school and district-level. In addition to being a resource for educators, the Guide also documents significant advances that the SEL field has made in the past decade, establishes new and more rigorous standards for SEL program adoption, and provides suggestions for next steps for SEL research and practice.
A subsequent edition of the Guide will be released for middle and high school programs in 2013.
CASEL welcomes nominations from anyone who is aware of a program that might meet their criteria; they have a continuous submission and review process. Please contact info@casel.org to nominate new programs for possible inclusion in the next Guide.
To download the Preschool-Elementary Editon of the 2013 Guide, go to the Casel website.