It's BAAACK!
The SEL Exchange is returning in February, and we're focused on one topic — belonging and engagement in ACTION!
Registration is now open! Check out what we have planned: bit.ly/3DD4gPn
CASEL is proud to introduce Data-Driven: A Research Quarterly for Education Leaders.
casel.org/quarterly/fall26/
Data-Driven is for every day educators who hear about new findings by education researchers and ask, "Now what? How does this impact what happens in my school?"
This quarterly newsletter translates what's new in research and makes it tangible for teachers, principals, counselors, and all the adults in a school community. It's education research that educators can use.
Subscribe now and read our first issue on attendance FOR FREE!
It always comes back to relationships.
A new study from Equal Opportunity Schools and the Center for Trust and Transformation looked at 1.8 million student records across more than 1,400 schools. The finding: students who have a trusted adult at school are 10 to 20% more likely to take advanced coursework, and they tend to have slightly higher GPAs too.
Teachers topped the list of who students named as that trusted adult, followed by counselors, coaches, school leaders, and office and custodial staff.
Read more about the study in this K-12 Dive article: k12dive.com/news/trusting-re…
What's one way your school or district is working to make sure every student has that adult in their corner?
#SEL #K12Education #SchoolClimate
"It's like another home to us." — a Grade 8 student, on what belonging at school feels like.
In late 2023, a team of Canadian researchers, including CASEL Weissberg Scholar Tonje M. Molyneux, asked Grade 6-8 students in two districts what helped them feel like they belonged at school, and what got in the way. What the students shared is inspiring, and many of the things on their list are pretty simple. Researchers grouped what they heard into three categories: comfort, care, and connection.
Give the list below a read, and try to incorporate something new into your everyday routines at school based on what these students said.
You can read the full study published by the International Journal of Education Research here: sciencedirect.com/science/ar…
#SchoolBelonging #StudentVoice
Look who's working hard to help advance SEL!
Join us in welcoming Cassandra Doggrell to our new cohort of SEL Fellows.
Today is World Mental Health Day and a good day to remind educators that adult mental health in schools matters as much as student mental health.
We ask students to build skills like emotional regulation, self-awareness, and effective communication but modeling those skills starts with us as adults. SEL isn't only a skill set for kids to learn. It's something adults need to practice too, and schools need to support.
Let's all commit to doing our part to support each other's mental health. Be kind. Be supportive. And just simply be there for each other. #WorldMentalHealthDay
bit.ly/4yvmDAs
Look who's working hard to help advance SEL!
Join us in welcoming Patrick Bircher to our new cohort of SEL Fellows.
Looking for a little SEL inspiration? Our blog is open 24/7, and it's full of thoughtful and inspiring reads! A couple of favorites from the past month:
📘 One Goal, Many Voices: Representation in the Selection Process of an SEL Curriculum
📘 Teaching SEL Twice: What a School Social Work Intern Program Taught Me About Adult Learners
You can find ALL of them on our website: casel.org/blog/
We need reliable and consistent chronic absence data to know how to improve the issue.
A new Education Week article digs into how states actually track chronic absence and points out gaps in the process, from inconsistent state methods to federal oversight that isn't catching the problem.
If we don't reliably know who's missing school and why, it's hard to know whether the interventions we're funding are working.
Read the full article here: bit.ly/4rQA23x
#ChronicAbsenteeism #K12Policy
"This webinar shared so much information in such little time. Excellent presentation!"
Thank you to everyone who joined us and EveryDay Labs for Present and Thriving: Nurturing Student Connection for Better Attendance. We had an information packed hour long discussion exploring the undeniable link between student sense of belonging and consistent school attendance.
If you weren't able to join us, you can watch the recording here: casel.org/events/present-and…
#SEL #ChronicAbsenteeism #StudentAttendance
Absenteeism is not a new concern in education. It's been top of mind for educators and administrators for years, especially since COVID.
Here's a great article from a few years back by CASEL CEO Joshua Starr. It's another chance to hear his insight on issues affecting student well-being.
edweek.org/leadership/opinio…
#ChronicAbsenteeism
Let CASEL help you build the classroom culture you want.
CASEL's new self-paced virtual course, Belonging & Engagement in the Classroom, gives teachers concrete strategies for building a classroom where students feel like they belong, because that's what makes curiosity, and eventually learning, possible.
Think of it as SEL 101: the foundational piece that helps everything click into place.
Watch this short clip of CASEL board member David Adams for a preview of what you can expect, then sign up to take the first step to creating a classroom environment where learners can grow and thrive.
Register here: leadingschoolwidesel.casel.o…..
#SEL #TeacherPD #ClassroomCulture #CASEL
Meet our Fellows!
Nuria Gabitova is founder and executive director of iSchool for the Future, where she champions a global vision for education that balances head and heart by integrating STEAM and Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Here's why she wanted to be part of this special cohort:
"I believe SEL is how we design a world where every learner - from a child in a classroom to an educator leading change - feels seen, valued, and capable of greatness. It’s the bridge between what we know and who we can become."
We're so glad to have her voice as part of this conversation!
September is #AttendanceAwarenessMonth.
Have you read the new report from CASEL's Director of Research and Learning, Dr. Rista Plate: The Attendance Paradox?
The report shares findings from a CASEL survey of 400 teachers and administrators across the U.S., covering their concerns about student attendance, how much control they feel they have over improving it, and where school climate and belonging fit into the picture.
Download the report and see whether your feelings on the topic align with the survey responses. 🔽
casel.org/the-attendance-par…
#SEL #SchoolAttendance #ChronicAbsenteeism
Meet our Fellows!
Shuang Zhao has a PhD from Shenyang normal university with a focus on K-12 and teacher education. Here's why she wanted to be part of this special cohort:
"I hope to change or rebuild the new educational ecosystem through SEL."
We're so glad to have her voice as part of this conversation!
Improving student engagement is a key part of addressing chronic absenteeism. When students feel connected, supported, and engaged in their learning, they have more reasons to show up.
This District Administration article explores how schools can create better conditions for student engagement. Give it a read here: bit.ly/4xqQYQd
