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School age population is made up of socio-culturally diverse student with a variety of social-emotional needs.

40-60% of from urban, suburban, and rural high school become chronically disengaged from schoolnot counting those who have already dropped out (Payton, et al., 2008, p. 1).

30% of high school students participate in or experience multiple high-risk behaviors (e.g., substance use, sex, violence, depression, attempted suicide) that interfere with school performance and jeopardize their potential for success (Payton, et al., 2008, p. 1; Greenberg, et al., 2003).
Approximately 20% of young people experience mental health problems during the course of the year, yet 75-80% if these do not receive appropriate interventions (Greenberg, et al., 2003, p. 467).

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is an educational process through which students learn the skills necessary to be selfconfident and motivated, recognize and manage their emotions, develop positive relationships with peers and adults, appreciate the perspectives of others, establish prosocial goals and solve problems, resolve conflicts respectfully, adapt to the demands of growth and development to contribute to their peer group, family, school, and community, and to make responsible decisions that enhance their overall health.

Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011; Illinois Childrens Mental Health Partnership School Policies and Standards Committee, 2006; Payton et al., 2008; Payton, Wardlaw, Graczyk, Bloodworth, Tompsett, & Weissberg, 2000; Rosenblatt & Elias, 2008; Weissberg, November 2011

Basic social-emotional skills are a requisite for academic learning to take place. In the absence of adequate coping skills, the bulk of a childs attention and resources will be directed towards responding to emotional stressors, at the expense of academic learning Rosenblatt & Elias, 2008, p. 536

Emotions drive attention, learning, and memory by distracting students, making it difficult to accomplish simple tasks such as following directions Strengthen preparedness for learning Emotions are a passageway for connecting to academic material (Rivers & Brackett, 2011) Influence on metacognitive processing, prosocial behavior, effort, perseverance, classroom management, and classroom climate
Positive and lasting changes on the educational experience

(Kress, Norris, Schoenholz, Elias, & Seigle, 2004)

capacity to reason about and use emotion to enhance thinking, problemsolving, relationships, and personal growth. (Rivers & Brackett, 2011, p. 81)
How cognitive and emotional processes

interact to enhance thinking

Influence on cognitive abilities, social functioning, academic performance, and overall well-being
Brackett, Rivers, & Salovey, 2011

Self-Awareness

Identify and recognize emotions Accurate self-perceptions Recognizing strengths, needs, and values Self-efficacy Spirituality Perspective taking Empathy Appreciating diversity Respect for others Problem identification and situation analysis Problem solving Evaluation and reflection Personal, moral, and ethical responsibility

Self-Management

Impulse control and stress management Self-motivation and discipline Goal setting and organizational skills

Social Awareness

Relationship Management

Responsible Decision Making


Communication, social engagement, and building relationships Working cooperatively Negotiation, refusal, and conflict management Help seeking and providing

(Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning [CASEL], 2008; OBrien & Resnik, 2009; Payton, et al., 2008; Payton, et al, 2000)

Improving SEL competencies should provide a foundation for better adjustment and academic performance as reflected in more positive social behaviors, fewer conduct problems, less emotional distress, and improved test scores and grades (Durlak, et al., 2011, p. 406).
Important for ALL students
Management of emotions across contexts Management of stress and impulses that may disrupt
Standards Committee, 2006).

learning (Illinois Childrens Mental Health Partnership School Policies and

1.

Teaches how to apply SEL skills in and out of school

2.

Builds connections to school by creating a caring and engaging learning environment


Provides developmentally and culturally appropriate instruction Enhances school performance by addressing cognitive, affective, and social dimensions of learning

3.

4.

5. 6.

Encourages family and school partnerships


Includes continuous evaluation and improvement
(Brackett, Patti, Stern, Rivers, Elbertson, Chisholm, & Salovey, 2011, p. 331)

The assertion is that, for children to thrive, it is necessary both to integrate the teaching of emotional skills into the academic curriculum and provide training and opportunities for students and all stakeholdersschool leaders, teachers, staff, and family membersto apply these skills in their daily interactions.
(Brackett, et al., 2011, p. 330)

Mental health is a critical component of childrens learning and general health. Fostering social and emotional health in children as a part of healthy child development must therefore be a national priority (U.S. Public Health Service, 2000, p. 3, as cited by Durlak, et al., 2011, p. 420).
HR 4223: The Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning Act of 2009
Five year grant towards training to state, local, and community educational agencies and organizations A bill that never became a law

HR 2437: The Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning Act of 2011


To support evidence-based social and emotional learning programming As of September 2011, still in legislative processing (being reviewed by subcommittee)

Massachusetts Behavioral Health and Public Schools Framework


Aims to improve the well-being of students by

creating healthy, safe, and supportive school environments to benefit all students Three levels of support Assessment tool available to help schools collect data

An Act Relative to Bullying in Schools (Chapter 92 of the Acts of 2010)


of SEL curriculum

Includes guidelines on effective implementation


Bynoe, November 2011; MA DESE, 2011

Aims to teach five (5) key emotional literacy skills: Recognizing emotions in facial expressions,

vocal cues, and the body Understanding the causes and consequences of emotions Labeling the full range of emotions using a rich vocabulary Expressing emotions appropriately in different contexts Regulating emotions effectively to foster healthy relationships and achieve goals

(Elbertson, Brackett, & Weissberg, 2010; Brackett, et al., 2009; Rivers & Brackett, 2011; The RULER Approach, n.d)

Personal Associations
Academic and Real-World Link School-Home Partnership

Creative Connection
Strategy Building
(Rivers & Brackett, 2011)

Charters: joint mission statement (school-wide)


Mood Meters: feeling (pleasant v. unpleasant) and energy (low v. high) Meta-moments: learning emotion regulation strategies to expand the space between event and reaction

The Blueprint: problem-solving model about social and personal challenges AND plan for future challenges
(The RULER Approach, n.d)

http://therulerapproach.org/index.php/about/what-is-the-rulerapproach/the-anchors/

Classroom program includes series of lessons that focus on feeling words.


Students recall personal experiences and use the word in academic (e.g., writing) and creative (e.g., artistic representations) realms. Students become the teacher at home and discuss the word with their families. Strategy building sessions to develop problemsolving and emotion regulation skills.

Integrates seamless into academic curricula and is designed to meet learning standards in ELA
Developmentally appropriate levels

Knowledge and skills associated with emotions can be taught and developed in both children and adults
Accumulated exposure and experience
Rivers & Brackett, 2011

students needed to connect with what they were learning and the best way he [Maurer] thought to create that connection was to get students to adopt the perspectives of others by stepping into their shoes and, more specifically, by feeling what they may have felt.
Rivers & Brackett, 2011, p. 81

It is necessary that the school leader is actively engaged in and supportive of the process.
Belief in and commitment to transforming the school

culture.

Road map the implementation process (a.k.a. transparency)


10 Steps Total time frame for change is between 5 and 10 years.

Cannot rely on one individual to make a change


Develop a committee/team (e.g., Resource Coordination

Team [RCT])

(CASEL, 2008; Elliot, Kratochwill, & Roach, 2003)

Phase 1: Readiness

Step 1: School leaders commit to school-wide SEL. Step 2: School leaders engage stakeholders and form a steering committee. Step 3: The school community develops, articulates, and effectively communicates a shared vision of student social, emotional, and academic development.

Phase 2: Planning

Step 4: The steering committee conducts a needs and resources assessment. Step 5: The steering committee develops an action plan. Step 6: The school community selects an evidence-based SEL program.
CASELs Safe and Sound: An Educational Leaders Guide to Social and Emotional Learning Programs (2003).

Phase 3: Implementation/Sustainability

Step 7: Program developers provide initial staff development for those launching the program.
Programs and training build teachers SEL skills as facilitators, problem -solvers, and communicators (Kress, Norris, Schoenholz, Elias, & Seigle, 2004) Master Trainers (RULER approach)

Step 8: Teachers piloting the program launch SEL in select classrooms. Step 9: All school staff engage in instructions and integrate SEL school-wide. Step 10: The school community revisits activities and adjust for improvement.

Lifecycle of interventionswhat works now wont necessarily work in three years (Diekstra, 2008) (Brackett, et al, 2011; CASEL, 2008)

Brackett, et al., 2011, p. 337

Commitment Program developers introduce The RULER Approach to key stakeholders

Training and Capacity Building RULER Master Trainers begin enacting the Train-the-Trainer model

Sustainability School leaders, RULER Master Trainers, and teachers provide continuous training and support all stakeholders School-based teams track, evaluate, and refine RULER implementation plan to ensure lasting impact

School leaders commit to the implementation plan and attend Emotional Literacy for School Leaders training and coaching sessions School leaders create a districtwide steering committee and school-based teams

Training and coaching for educators and support staff commences.

Training for family members begins

District-wide steering committee fully embeds RULER into their learning standards, behavior management policies, financial and strategic planning, and the districts vision and mission statements
The RULER Approach, n.d.

School leaders identify RULER Master Trainers at each school

The Feeling Words Curriculum is launched

On average, todays schools average 14 simultaneous activities in place to combat problem behavior and enhance the learning environment (Elbertson, Brackett, & Weissberg, 2010, p. 1026)

Continuity and consistency across school years (early years through high school) is key.

Increased social-emotional skills Increased positive attitudes towards self and others Increased positive social behaviors, such as cooperation Fewer conduct problems Improved academic performance the average member of the control group would demonstrate an 11-percentile gain in [academic] achievement if they had participated in an SEL program (Durlak, et al., 2011, p. 417). Teachers perceive students as: more competent, less hyperactive, self-confident Addition of family component increases positive outcomes Maintenance of results six months post-intervention

(Elbertson, Brackett, & Weissberg, 2010; Payton, et al., 2008)

Adults serve as role models


Less burn-out, increased job satisfaction Feel more supported Teachers emotional competence influences student conduct, engagement, attachment to school, and academic performance

Critical for teachers to be successful and effective


School leaders also develop skills to enhance their work performance

Academic improvement in ELA


Increased adaptive skills and decreased school problems (as measured by BASC-2)
Work habits, social development, positive

relationships

Problem-solving model focused on difficult situation and perspective-taking


Consider how emotions and behaviors affect

others

Brackett, Rivers, Reyes, & Salovey, 2010

The RULER Approach YouTube channel


http://www.youtube.com/user/rulerapproach?feature=watch

Brackett, M. A., Patti, J., Stern, R., Rivers, S. E., Elbertson, N. A., Chisholm, C., Salovey, P. (2009). A sustainable, skill-based model to building emotionally literate schools. In R. Thompson, M. Hughes, & J. B. Terrell (Eds.), Handbook of developing emotional and social intelligence: Best practices, case studies, and tools (pp. 329-358). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Brackett, M.A., Rivers, S.E., Reyes, M.R., & Salovey, P. (in press). Enhancing academic performance and social and emotional competence with the RULER Feeling Words Curriculum. Learning and Individual Differences.DOI:10.1016/j.lindif.2010.10.002 Brackett, M.A., Rivers, S.E., & Salovey, P. (2011). Emotional intelligence: implications for personal, social, academic, and workplace success. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 5, 88-103. DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-9004.2010.00334.x Bynoe, J.L.G. (2011, November). Initatives, frameworks, and guidance: An overview of current ESE initiatives, frameworks, and guidance to improve school climate and provide safe and supportive learning environments for all students [Presentation slides]. Retrieved from http://www.sel4mass.org/documents-for-sel-conference-for-sam/. Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. (2008). Leading an SEL school. Newton, MA: National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention, Education Development Center, Inc. Retrieved from http://casel.org/wpcontent/uploads/Leading-an-SEL-School-EDC.pdf

Diekstra, R. F. W. (Ed.). Effectiveness of school-based social and emotional education programmes worldwide. Retrieved from http://educacion.fundacionmbotin.org/ficheros_descarga/pdf/EN/evaluation.pdf Durlak, J.A., Weissberg, R.P., Dymnicki, A.B., Taylor, R.B., & Schellinger, K.B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405-432. Elbertson, N. A., Brackett, M. A., & Weissberg, R. P. (2010). School-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programming: Current perspectives. In A. Hargreaves, M. Fullan, D. Hopkins, & A. Lieberman (Eds.). The Second International Handbook of Educational Change (p. 1017-1032. New York, N.Y.: Springer. Elias, M.J., Bruene-Butler, L., Blum, L., & Schuyler, T. (1997). How to launch a social and emotional learning program. Educational Leadership, 54(8), 15-19. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may97/vol54/num08/Howto-Launch-a-Social-$-Emotional-Learning-Program.aspx. Greenberg, M. T., Weissberg, R, P., OBrien, M. U., Zins, J. E., Fredericks, L., Resnik, H., Elias, M. J. (2003). Enhancing School-based prevention and youth development through coordinated social, emotional & academic learning. American Psychologist, 58(6/7) 466-474. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.58.6-7.466 HR 2437: The Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning Act of 2011. Retrieved from http://casel.org/wp-content/uploads/Final-Summary-for-HR-2437.pdf.

The Illinois Childrens Mental Health Partnership School Policies and Standards Committee. Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about social and emotional learning (SEL). Retrieved from Illinois State Board of Education website http://www.isbe.state.il.us/ils/social_emotional/pdf/sel_learning_faq.pdf. Kress, J.S., Norris, J.A., Schoenholz, D.A., Elias, M.J., & Seigle, P. (2004). Social and emotional learning: Making a case for educators. American Journal of Education, 111, 68-89. Retrieved from http://itziarzubillaga.net/bpe/Dossier/Emotional%20learning.pdf.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (2011). Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Guidelines for the Implementation of Social and Emotional Learning Curricula K12. Retrieved from http://www.doe.mass.edu/bullying/SELguide.pdf.

OBrien, M. U. & Resnik, H. (2009). The Illinois social and emotional learning (SEL) standards: Leading the way for school and student success. Illinois Principals Association Building Leadership: A Practioners Bulletin, 16(7). Payton, J.W., Wardlaw, D.M., Graczyk, P.A., Bloodworth, M.R.,Tompsett, C.J., & Weissberg, R.P. (2000). Social and emotional learning: A framework for promoting mental health and reducing risk behaviors in children and youth. Journal of School Health, 70(5), 179185. Payton, J., Weissberg, R. P., Durlak, J. A., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., Schellinger, K. B., & Pachan, M. (2008). The positive impact of social and emotional learning for kindergarten to eighth-grade students: Findings from three scientific reviews. Chicago, IL: Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning.

Rivers, S.E. & Brackett, M.A. (2011). Achieving standards in the English language arts (and more) using the RULER Approach to social and emotional learning. Reading and Writing Quarterly, 27, 75-100. DOI: 10.1080/10573569.2011.532715 Rosenblatt, J. L. & Elias, M. J. (2008). Dosage Effects of a preventive social-emotional learning intervention on achievement loss associated with middle school transition. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 29(6), 535-555. doi: 10.1007/s10935-008-0153-9 The RULER Approach (n.d.) The RULER Approach to social and emotional learning [Brochure]. Retrieved from http://therulerapproach.org/. Weissberg, R. P. (2011, November). Promoting the social, emotional, and academic learning of millions of young people [Presentation slides]. Retrieved from http://www.sel4mass.org/documents-for-sel-conference-for-sam/.

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