SEL Gaining Substantial Traction in K–12

Social and emotional learning are making strides in K–12. According to a new study, more educators are aware of SEL and believe in its value for student academic success and wellbeing and see it as a tool that can be or has been helpful in transitioning back to in-person instruction.

The 2021 Social and Emotional Learning Report, from education publisher McGraw Hill, which was a follow-up to a study on SEL published in 2018, found that teachers are more aware now than they were in 2018 about their districts' plans for implementing SEL (91% compared with 77%). More than half of educators (56%) say their districts or schools have begin implementing SEL. And among administrators, more than double said they are implementing a standalone SEL program in their schools or districts (34% this year compared with 16% in 2018).

Educators are also very confident in the positive effects of SEL. According to the report:

  • 96% of educators reported they believe SEL will help reduce behavioral problems, notably bullying, (95%), disengagement (94%), safety-related issues (93%), poor relationships with teachers (91%) and the negative effects of transitioning from remote to in-person instruction (91%);

  • 91% indicated they believe it will help improve grades; and

  • 95% said it will help reduce emotional distress.

Parents also appear to be largely onboard with SEL. According to the report, 87% of parents say SEL is "important in helping children navigate today's world."

The complete report is freely available at mheducation.com.

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


Featured

  • conceptual graph of rising AI adoption

    AI Adoption Rising, but Trust Gap Limits Impact

    A recent global study by IDC and SAS found that while the adoption of artificial intelligence continues to expand rapidly across industries, a misalignment between perceived trust in AI systems and their actual trustworthiness is limiting business returns.

  • Businessman Holding Light Bulb and Digital Brain

    Zoom to Fund AI Education with $10 Million in Grants

    Zoom Cares, the global social impact arm of collaboration platform Zoom, has announced a three-year, $10 million commitment to expand access to AI education and opportunity through both national and regional grants.

  • school building with a large five-column calendar grid in the background

    ParentSquare Launches New Attendance Module

    Family engagement platform ParentSquare has introduced ParentSquare Attendance Plus, a new solution designed to help reduce chronic absenteeism with timely communication.

  • blue and green network lines

    HPE Intros Agentic AI Enhancements to Mist Platform

    HPE recently introduced new capabilities for its Juniper Mist platform that leverage agentic AI to enable more autonomous, intelligent, and proactive network operations.