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Strategy to ensure every student has a meaningful relationship at school.

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There may be nothing more important in a child's life than a positive and stable relationship with a caring adult. For students, a positive connection to at least one school adult - whether a teacher, counselor, sports coach, or other school staff member - can have tremendous benefits that include reduced bullying, lower drop-out rates, and improved social-emotional capacities.

Rather than leave these connections to chance, relationship mapping invests time in making sure that every student is known by at least one adult.

Using this strategy, school staff identify youth who do not currently have positive connections with school adults during a private meeting. Those students are then paired with a supportive adult mentor within the school. Throughout the year, mentors support each other through the successes and challenges of building relationships with students, and school administrators routinely communicate with staff to determine how well the process is going. At the end of the year, the staff convenes to talk about how their efforts may have positively affected students. Adults may also choose to pay particular attention to "at risk" students as these connections may be particularly important for students who are having a hard time at home or in school.

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Relationship Mapping Strategy | Making Caring Common - Making Caring Common

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Use this online version of our popular Relationship Mapping Strategy for your school, community organization, or religious group to help ensure that everyone has a strong connection to someone else during challenging times.

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Strategies for Equitable Family Engagement

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Strategies for Equitable Family Engagement

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Provides strategies and examples on who to engage families.

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Tools for Educators to Listen and Learn From Families

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Tools for Educators to Listen and Learn From Families

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Provides sample forms of communication with families.

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Practices to build knowledge and experiences of families during COVID-19

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As many of us gather virtually during this time of COVID-19, we feel a need to talk about what is happening and how we're being affected.

The impact has to do with those who become sick, obviously. The rest of us who are settling in place in our homes and maintaining physical distance are also dramatically affected.

Early in the crisis, a teacher asked, "I'm out of school; all my students are at home. What's a good circle prompt to do at this time?"

The second side of the restorative questions card can really be helpful for a teacher or anyone else who wants to organize a responsive talking circle - assuredly a virtual circle - using a tool like Zoom or Google Hangouts. These questions are typically used to help those who have been harmed by others' actions.

Kaethe Weingarten, in her book Common Shock, points out how natural disasters and diseases often act like perpetrators. In the case of COVID-19, it's not a person causing harm. It's a virus, and we've all been affected in some way.

The original restorative questions on side two are:

What did you think when you realized what had happened?

What impact has this incident had on you and others?

What has been the hardest thing for you?

What do you think needs to happen to make things right?

What a lot of us are feeling now is some form of loss, whether it's a loss of social connection, things we had planned to be doing, loss of a job, or loss of a loved one. Some of these questions can be used without modification; others can be modified. While not definitive, here are some variations tailored to the current moment that we've found useful:

What have you been thinking or feeling as this crisis unfolds?

How are you being impacted by physical distancing, loss of income, loss of social connections, etc.?

What has been the hardest thing for you?

Share one thing you are doing to move forward.

Who is one person you can reach out to connect with?

What is something in your control you can do in the coming days and weeks?

The initial questions let us talk first about the events outside our control and their impact on us. Remember: Self-care is critical at this time. The questions are organized to keep us thinking about the future, to instill a sense of hope and agency.

The more we can practice having these conversations in a structured, constructive way, we will be ready to continue having similar structured conversations when the crisis comes to an end and we re-enter our new normal. In times of change, we can always trust the circle to help us through.

Elizabeth Smull is a Lecturer at the IIRP Graduate School. Joshua Wachtel is the IIRP's Communications Specialist.

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Image by Phil Wolff at Flickr Creative CommonsAs many of us gather virtually during this time of COVID-19, we feel a need to talk about what is happening and how we're being affected. The impact has to do with those who become sick, obviously.

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Community-Care Strategies for Schools During the Coronavirus Crisis

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Community-Care Strategies for Schools During the Coronavirus Crisis

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Offers guiding questions and strategies for building community and connectedness

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Key Concepts for Leveraging Chronic Absence During the Coronavirus Pandemic

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Key Concepts for Leveraging Chronic Absence During the Coronavirus Pandemic

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Provides a list of strategies to support students and families to help reduce chronic absenteeism

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Key Concepts for Leveraging Chronic Absence During the Coronavirus Pandemic

During the coronavirus pandemic, taking attendance daily and monitoring when students miss too much school is more essential than ever.

The pandemic has exposed the harsh reality that many students and families are living paycheck to paycheck, with limited access to sufficient food, stable housing or health care, and no savings to fall back on after a sudden loss in income. Distance learning also shines a spotlight on the many families who don't own a computer or lack quality internet service so children can benefit from virtual learning. The disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on Black, Latinx and Native American communities illustrates the long-term health effects of unequal access to resources due to racism.

Monitoring when students miss opportunities to learn - whether offered in person or through distance learning - is an invaluable tool for strengthening the efforts of educators, community partners and families to reduce the adverse impact of this pandemic on the country's more than 55 million school children

Attendance Works developed a multi-phase framework (see image below) to assist educators and their partners in thinking strategically about supporting students and families. States and districts are now preparing for Phase 4, Transition back to School. How well states and districts navigated each phase affected the phase that followed. Those who built teams to organize a strong response in the spring were able to offer more coordinated supports to students and families. Those who were able to establish and maintain connections with families while school buildings were closed are more likely to see students return in the fall. See Present, Engaged and Supported for planning a data-informed, restorative transition back to school.

At its core, chronic absence measures when students miss so much school they are at risk of not being prepared for kindergarten, learning to read by third grade, failing courses in middle school and dropping out of high school.

A high level of chronic absence alerts schools, community partners and families that one or more positive conditions for learning are not in place. When these four conditions for learning - physical and emotional health and safety; a sense of belonging, connection and support; academic challenge and engagement; and adults and peers with social emotional competency - are in place, students are more likely to attend school. (Learn more about the connection between conditions for learning and chronic absence here.)

Monitoring Attendance in Distance Learning

Some students and families have not been in touch with their schools during the pandemic. We've developed a list of ideas and strategies for making this connection.

Strategies for Connecting with Students and Families

High chronic absence levels also signal the need for extra support to particular students or investments that are needed to address systemic problems. The best results occur when there is an intentional effort to avoid blaming students and families for the lack of attendance or participation.

During this time of the coronavirus pandemic, we recommend three strategies that leverage the power of chronic absence and other metrics to reduce the adverse impact of this crisis.

Leverage Existing Attendance Data to Identify Where to Provide Additional Support: Chronic absence data, along with other information collected before schools closed, (i.e., special ed, health or housing), shed light on which students, populations and schools need more support, including food, physical or mental health resources, or access to learning materials or technology. These data, along with information about ethnicity and home language, can be used to determine which staff might be best equipped to reach out to students and families. Once contact is made, the conversations with families should be about determining the need for additional support and an opportunity to problem-solve together, not to talk about absences.

Districts should help schools document what is learned during this outreach. A centralized system that tracks the various needs and supports offered can also ensure families aren't called multiple times to secure the same information.

Monitor Participation To Support Early Warning: The pandemic is expanding the notion of schooling to include learning in virtual and remote settings. Drawing from lessons learned from when we helped establish chronic absence as a national metric, we have been consulting with states, localities and researchers to identify appropriate measures for noticing when students are not engaging or participating in remote learning. The result is a new data framework which recommends additional metrics, (contact, connectivity, relationships and participation) for the purposes of establishing early warning systems and informing program and policy decisions. Together with chronic absence, these metrics help reveal what challenges need to be addressed to ensure an equal opportunity to learn. See diagram below.

Given the unprecedented nature of the current situation, we also advise against using attendance or participation data for the purpose of allocating funding, taking legal action or reestablishing high stakes accountability at this time. Rather, districts and states can and should invest in developing and researching the best ways to measure lack of participation, and then later, use the experience to inform what should be adopted as a common metric.

Use Data to Strengthen the Transition Back to School: The reopening of schools for SY 2020-21 won't be "business as usual." Transition plans and strategies to help students get back into the school routine will be even more essential. Absenteeism (chronic absence, no-shows, low participation during the spring, etc.) data collected before and after the coronavirus pandemic will be especially valuable because it is now one of the few consistent, real-time data points still available to support data-driven approaches to improving learning.

Schools will need to monitor who doesn't show up on the first day of school and use their chronic absence data (broken down by schools, grades, ethnicity, home language, special ed, etc.) and other metrics to show situations that require immediate problem solving and support. For help with taking a data informed approach to the transition to school, see our Transition Planning Guide and Worksheets.

When students return to class, schools will also need to adopt relationship building, trauma-informed and restorative practices as part of their Tier 1, universal approach to supporting student behavior and engagement. Most students, teachers, and support staff will be entering schools with challenging and difficult experiences and many will have been out of the routine of school for months. For more information about effective tiered strategies, see the Attendance Playbook: Smart Solutions for Reducing Chronic Absence in the Covid Era and the accompanying guide to implementation.

These concepts now guide the development of Attendance Works materials. We will update this page as we learn more. Revised November 20, 2020

More from Attendance Works

Copyright 2018 © All Rights Reserved

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Key Concepts for Leveraging Chronic Absence During the Coronavirus Pandemic - Attendance Works

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Key Concepts for Leveraging Chronic Absence During the Coronavirus Pandemic During the coronavirus pandemic, taking attendance daily and monitoring when students miss too much school is more essential than ever.

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5 minute check-in chats with students-CASEL

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5 minute check-in chats with students-CASEL

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Provides strategies and questions for implementing 5 minute check-in chats with students.

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Fostering Healthy Relationships and Promoting Positive Discipline in Schools

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Fostering Healthy Relationships and Promoting Positive Discipline in Schools

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Explores restorative practices and promoting relationships in schools.

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A new toolkit released today aims to help educators better understand what restorative practices are and how they foster safe learning environments through community building and constructive conflict resolution. The toolkit illustrates how restorative practices can be seamlessly integrated into the classroom, curriculum and culture of schools, and how they can help transform schools to support the growth and health of all students.

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Restorative Practices: Fostering Healthy Relationships & Promoting Positive Discipline in Schools

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A new toolkit released today aims to help educators better understand what restorative practices are and how they foster safe learning environments through community building and constructive conflict resolution. The toolkit illustrates how restorative practices can be seamlessly integrated into the classroom, curriculum and culture of schools, and how they can help transform schools to support the growth and health of all students.

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Establish Structures for Two-Way Communication

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Establish Structures for Two-Way Communication

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CASEL's guide to communication.

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Two-Way Communication - Casel Schoolguide

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Before developing an action plan for schoolwide SEL, you'll want to establish communication structures that will help keep all stakeholders informed, engaged, and excited throughout implementation. Predictable, regular communication will also improve trust between the team and the larger school community and help ensure everyone has a voice in schoolwide SEL.

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Engage All Stakeholders in Foundational Learner

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Engage All Stakeholders in Foundational Learner

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CASEL's guide to help in planning for stakeholder engagement.

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For all of the groups above, you may want to begin with an interactive introduction to SEL with the following basic agenda:

An engaging opening activity that demonstrates the power of SEL.

What is SEL? Videos and information on CASEL's 5 Competency Framework can be found here, along with a reflection protocol to use with small or large groups.

Why is SEL important?

How can SEL affect the experiences, academic success, and lifelong outcomes of students?

How is SEL promoted in the school and classroom and within the family and community?

A closing activity that prompts staff to think optimistically about the future of SEL in the school.

Our free, one-hour online course is an all-audiences introduction to SEL that includes videos, application activities, and a facilitation guide. Additionally, here is our sample SEL 101 presentation and video.

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Foundational Learning - Casel Schoolguide

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For all of the groups above, you may want to begin with an interactive introduction to SEL with the following basic agenda: An engaging opening activity that demonstrates the power of SEL. What is SEL? Videos and information on CASEL's 5 Competency Framework can be found here, along with a reflection protocol to use with small or large groups.

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This webpage from CASEL offers a variety of resources for communicating about SEL.

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More than two decades of research demonstrates that education promoting social and emotional learning (SEL) gets results. The findings come from multiple fields and sources, including student achievement, neuroscience, health, employment, psychology, classroom management, learning theory, economics, and the prevention of youth problem behaviors.

SEL interventions that address CASEL's five core competencies increased students' academic performance by 11 percentile points, compared to students who did not participate in such SEL programs. Students participating in SEL programs also showed improved classroom behavior, an increased ability to manage stress and depression, and better attitudes about themselves, others, and school. Read the 2011 of 213 studies involving 270,000+ students. Read a 2019 summary of the meta-analysis practical benefits of SEL that answer questions such as "Should we use this program in my school?" and "Would this new program really be helpful or worthwhile for our students?"

SEL programming can have a positive impact up to 18 years later on academics, conduct problems, emotional distress, and drug use. Read the 2017 meta-analysis of 82 research studies involving 100,000 students worldwide.

11:1 Return on Investment

Read the 2015 The average return on investment for six evidence-based programs is 11 to 1, meaning for every dollar invested there is an $11 return. review from Columbia University.

Can Help Reduce Poverty, Improve Economic Mobility

Read the SEL competencies are critically important for the long-term success of all students in today's economy. A bipartisan 2015 report recommends several steps to scale up high-quality, evidence-based SEL programs as a core component of children's education. report from American Enterprise Institute and Brookings Institution.

Improves Lifetime Outcomes

Read the 2015 There are statistically significant associations between SEL skills in kindergarten and key outcomes for young adults years later. SEL decreased the likelihood of living in or being on a waiting list for public housing, receiving public assistance, having any involvement with police before adulthood, and ever spending time in a detention facility. national study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

Support for SEL is Strong...

From Young People

They see the benefits of attending schools that emphasize SEL. But most current and recent high school students believe their schools could have done better.

Read the 2018 report.

Read the press release.

From Principals

They say SEL is essential but want more guidance, training, and support. Top priorities: more training for teachers and greater access to research-based strategies for developing SEL in students.

Read the 2019 update to the report ( exec summary).

Read the 2017 report ( exec summary).

From Educators

A survey of 762 educators from 15 countries by The Economist Intelligence Unit found 80% of educators believe positive emotions are critical for academic success, emotional well-being is crucial for developing foundational literacies and communication skills.

Read the survey.

From the Public

A 2017 PDK poll found the public believes teaching skills such as cooperation, respect, and problem-solving are the most important factor in school quality.

From Scientists

A consensus brief from the National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development shows a wide range of scientists agree: SEL matters, is doable, and has an impact.

Read the 2017 brief.

From Teachers

A survey of teachers commissioned by CASEL found 93% of teachers want a greater focus on SEL in schools. They agree that social and emotional skills are teachable and are calling for schools to prioritize the integration of SEL learning practices and strategies.

Read the 2013 report.

From Parents

81% of parents believe that SEL is just as important as academic learning, according to the 2018 Social and Emotional Learning Report from McGraw-Hill Education/Morning Consult.

Read the 2018 study.

From Employers

Six of the Top 10 skills identified by the World Economic Forum involve social and emotional competence. In another survey, 92% of surveyed executives say skills such as problem-solving and communicating clearly are equal to or more important than technical skills. Companies such as Allstate, Bank of America, and Google are prioritizing SEL.

Read more from a 2016 congressional briefing.

Looking for more resources?

Making the Case for SEL

Need to make a compelling case on the benefits of SEL for your stakeholders? This PowerPoint from CASEL brings together powerful scientific evidence of the benefits of SEL and survey results that reflect the growing demand for SEL from all sectors. Presented in easy-to-understand, customizable .

SEL Resource Library

Our online Resource Library features resources with a strong basis for better understanding SEL. The repository of readings, websites, videos, and more are categorized below to help users gain the knowledge necessary to understanding fundamental areas of SEL.

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More than two decades of research demonstrates that education promoting social and emotional learning (SEL) gets results. The findings come from multiple fields and sources, including student achievement, neuroscience, health, employment, psychology, classroom management, learning theory, economics, and the prevention of youth problem behaviors.

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Interview and Survey Your Community About the Path Forward

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Interview and Survey Your Community About the Path Forward

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CASEL provides samples to survey and intervention community about areas of support.

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CASEL's protocol and template for reviewing schoolwide SEL efforts.

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Administer Distance Learning Surveys to Students, Families, and Staff

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Administer Distance Learning Surveys to Students, Families, and Staff

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Provides a downloadable open resource for surveys to elevate student voice and gain family and community feedback.

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Take a data-driven approach to distance learning

With the transition from on-campus learning to videoconferencing and online classes due to COVID-19, districts and schools can use Panorama survey results to incorporate the needs of students, staff, and families into immediate response plans.

Identify students' social, emotional, and academic needs at home

Deliver targeted supports to teachers and staff

Respond equitably to community needs

Disaggregate your family feedback data to distribute resources to the community members who need them the most.

Use the data to help educators sharpen online course delivery, provide quality virtual learning opportunities, and better connect with students and families.

With Panorama's student survey questions, understand students' distance learning experience in order to allocate resources and provide holistic support systems.

Explore Our Dashboards →

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Distance Learning Surveys | Panorama Education

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With the transition from on-campus learning to videoconferencing and online classes due to COVID-19, districts and schools can use Panorama survey results to incorporate the needs of students, staff, and families into immediate response plans.

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Guide to prepare to build your coalition to set schoolwide SEL vision and goals.

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Develop a Shared Vision and Goals for Social and Emotional Learning

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Develop a Shared Vision and Goals for Social and Emotional Learning

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Guide to help you develop your vision and goals for SEL.

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Youth-Adult Partnership Roadmap to Agency

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Youth-Adult Partnership Roadmap to Agency

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Rubric to help improve youth-adult partnerships to increase agency.

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Pursuing Social and Emotional Development Through a Racial Equity Lens: A Call to Action

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Pursuing Social and Emotional Development Through a Racial Equity Lens: A Call to Action

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Publication that identifies ways that equity and SEL can work together in learning.

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Both equity and social, emotional, and academic development are currently receiving much-needed attention, but neither can fully succeed without recognizing strengths and addressing gaps in these complementary priorities. Rather than being pursued as two separate bodies of work, the field needs to identify ways in which equity and social, emotional, and academic development can be mutually reinforcing. To accomplish this requires examining issues of race directly; this can be difficult and uncomfortable, but we cannot avoid race and let the challenges go unacknowledged and, therefore, inadequately addressed.

For district leaders interested in implementing the changes recommended in the Call to Action, please see our new resource Pursuing Social and Emotional Development Through a Racial Equity Lens: 5 Strategies for System Leaders to Take Action.

The following individuals and organizations endorse the content of this brief and join the Aspen Institute Education & Society Program in a call to action to ensure education leaders actively integrate a culturally and racially responsive approach to social, emotional, and academic development in P-12 schooling.

David Adams, Urban Assembly

Katie Ahsell, Community Consolidated School District 59, Illinois

Linda Allen

Whitney Allgood, National School Climate Center

Carol Allred, Positive Action, Inc.

Rahesha Amon-Harrison, NYC Department of Education

Karen Anderson, District 75, New York City Department of Education

Alex Ariemma

Kay Augustine

Laura Bakosh, Inner Explorer

Oscar Barbarin, University of Maryland, College Park

Joyce Bartz, Evanston/Skokie School District 65, Illinois

Alli Begel, Milwaukee Public Schools, Wisconsin

Rachel Belfield, Committee for Children

Sheldon Berman, Andover Public Schools, Massachusetts

Kara Bobroff, Native American Community Academy

Jan Brabham, Carolina Day School, North Carolina

Marc Brackett, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence

John Bridgeland, Civic Enterprises

Karen Bridges, Elk Grove Unified School District, California

Catherine Brown, Center for American Progress

Sara Burd, Reading Public Schools, Massachusetts

LaWanda Burgoyne, Capital School District, Delaware

Debra Bush, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Ohio

Sarah Butcher, SEL for Washington

Regina Caines

Andrew Calkins, Next Generation Learning Challenges

Steve Canavero, Nevada Department of Education

Meria Carstarphen, Atlanta Public Schools

Shar Carter, Langston University

Sydney Chaffee, Codman Academy Charter Public School

Stephen Chang, The National Equity Project

LaShawn Chatmon, The National Equity Project

Velma Cobb, Touro College Lander Center

Jonathan Cohen, National School Climate Center

Becki Cohn-Vargas, Cohn-Vargas Consulting

Baionne Coleman, Impact Public Schools

Melissa Copland, Fresno Unified School District, California

Donna Cross, Evanston/Skokie School District 65, Illinois

Walter Da Luz

Linda Darling-Hammond, Learning Policy Institute

BreAnna Davis, School Readiness Consulting

Michele De La Garza, San Antonio Independent School District, Texas

Marissa del Rosario

Beatriz DeSantiago-Fjelstad, Minneapolis Public Schools, Minnesota

Nina Dibner, PowerTools

Itai Dinour, Einhorn Family Charitable Trust

Diarra Diouf, MomsRising

Stephanie Drenka

Mary Driscoll, Boston Public Schools, Massachusetts

Kamilah Drummond-Forrester, Open Circle

Joan Cole Duffell, Committee for Children

Brandon Dukes

Jeff Duncan-Andrade, San Francisco State University

Will Dunford, San Francisco Unfied School District, California

Roberta Duvall, Washoe County School District, Nevada

Bren Elliott, District of Columbia Public Schools

Alison Elmer, Arlington Public Schools, Massachusetts

Dale Erquiaga, Communities In Schools

Camille A. Farrington, University of Chicago Consortium on School Research

Meg Fenech, A2 STEAM School, Michigan

Jinni Forcucci, Delaware Teacher of the Year 2018

Deborah Forshaw, Children's Services Council of Broward County, Florida

Denise Forte, The Century Foundation

Julia Gabor, kid-grit

Theresa Garcia, Austin Independent School District, Texas

Linda Gibbens, Urbana School District 116, Illinois

Nate Gibbs-Bowling, Lincoln High School

Libia Gil, Illinois State Board of Education

Merryl Gladstone

Malaika Golden, Aiton Elementary School, District of Columbia Public Schools

Gregory Gomez, Leadership ISD

JoEtta Gonzales, Casa Grande Elementary School District, Arizona

Danielle Gonzales, The Aspen Institute Education & Society Program

Sandra Gonzalez, Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School

Robert Goodrich, Racial Advocates for Cross-Cultural Education

Jennifer Green, GALS, Inc.

Kristi Greenaway Cirignano, Tacoma Public Schools, Washington

Sharolyn Griffith, Star Valley High School

Ashish Gupta

Leticia Guzman Ingram, Basalt High School

Madeline Hafner, Minority Student Achievement Network, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Anthony Hamlet, Pittsburgh Public Schools, Pennsylvania

Zaretta Hammond, Transformative Learning Solutions

Kyle Hanson, Minneapolis Public Housing Authority

Mark Harmon-Vaught, KIPP NYC Public Charter Schools

Chris Harried, Vivien T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy, Baltimore City Public Schools

Tiffanie Harrison, Round Rock High School, Texas

Jerry Hawkins, Dallas Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation

Debbie Hearty, Denver Public Schools

Sonya Heisters, YouthTruth

Julie Heller, Westport Public Schools, Connecticut

Dena Hellums

Kristin Hendricks, Wake County Public School System, North Carolina

Heather Hirsch, Minnesota Department of Education

Kelly Hurst, Being Black at School

Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, University of Southern California

Coretta Jackson

Janice Jackson

Damie Jackson-Diop

Robert Jagers, University of Michigan

Kelly James, Education First

Nakia James-Jenkins, Girls Who Code

Heidi Johnecheck

Keshila Jones, Roseville High School

Raye Jones Avery, Christina Cultural Arts Center Inc.

Alfredo Juárez, Los Angeles Unified School District, California

Brad Jupp, Retired Educator

Lee Kappes, The Aspen Institute Education & Society Program

Kevin Kerr, Dallas Independent School District, Texas

Michelle Kinder, Momentous Institute

Lisa Knight, Grand Rapids Urban League

Mary Beth Kropp, Collaborative Learning Solutions

Sara LaHayne, Move This World

Mary Lammi, Needham Public Schools, Massachusetts

Linda Lantieri, CASEL

Margaret LaRaia, Heinemann Professional Development Services

Gwin Laws, Caldwell County Schools, North Carolina

John Leeper, Shelby County Public Schools, Tennessee

Wanda Legrand, District of Columbia Public Schools

Laura Leighton, ZoomerangKidz

Jordan Lippman, The TeamBuilders Group

Lillian Lowery, The Education Trust

Ray Lozano, El Paso Independent School District

Tara Madden-Dent, Nevada Department of Education

Shanti Majefski, Greenhill School, Texas

Carmel Martin, Center for American Progress

Gail Mastropietro, Providence Public Schools, Rhode Island

Christy McGill, Nevada Department of Education

Kent McIntosh, University of Oregon

Jorge Melgoza, Mt. Diablo Unified School District, California

Wendy Menard, New York City Department of Education

Lisa Micou, Chesterfield County Public Schools, Virginia

David Militzer, California Department of Education

Arthur Mills IV, Fulton County Schools, Georgia

Eric Moore, Minneapolis Public Schools, Minnesota

Avrilios Moumoutjis, Broward County Public Schools, Florida

Julie Mushing, Kent Intermediate School District, Michigan

Aleta Myers, Arlington Public Schools, Virginia

Lori Nathanson, Lori Nathanson Consulting, LLC

Jason Ness, Niles West High School, Niles Township District 219, Illinois

Matt Nink, Global Youth Leadership Institute

Mutale Nkonde, Beyond Bias Consulting

Linda Noonan, Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education

Jessica Ochoa Hendrix, Killer Snails

Katie Olavarria, Prime Time Palm Beach County

Jennifer Oliver, A Step Beyond

Kizawanda Olowe

Colin Orr, McQuaid Jesuit High School, New York

David Osher, American Institutes for Research

Susan Patrick, iNACOL

Deb Pattee, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Antoinette Pearson, Eastern Michigan University

Josan Perales, Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center

Andre Perry, The Brookings Institution

Derek Peterson, Instititute for Community and Adolescent Resilience (ICAR-US)

Troy Pinkney, Bank Street College of Education

Mary Ann Pitcher, Network for College Success, The University of Chicago

Karen Pittman, The Forum for Youth Investment

Alexandra Porrata, Loma Vista Immersion Academy

Deirdra Preis, Equity Consultant

Hugh Price, National Urban League

Roberta Price Gardner, Kennesaw State University

Kurtis Quig, Denver Public Schools, Colorado

Carolyne Quintana, Bronxdale High School, New York City Department of Education

Carrie Ramanauskas, Bridgeport Public Schools, Connecticut

Pamela Randall-Garner

Eliza Rankin, Seattle parent and advocate

Vanessa Reale, Fall River Public Schools, Massachusetts

Jennifer Reid

Nilufar Rezai, Chicago Public Schools

Debbie Rivas-Drake, University of Michigan

Laura Robell, Envision Education

Tina Robertson, Momentous Institute

Colin Rose, Boston Public Schools

Jon Rosenberg, Hebrew Public Charter School for Global Citizens

Alyson Rotter, Kitsap Strong

Eddie Ruiz, School District of Palm Beach County, Florida

Robert Runcie, Broward County Public Schools, Florida

Reid Saaris, Equal Opportunity Schools

Aaliyah Samuel, National Governors Association

Zakiya Sankara-Jabar, Dignity in Schools Campaign

Julia Sarmiento, Hillsborough County Public Schools

Emily Saunders, Ajo Unified School District, Arizona

Theresa Saunders, Eastern Michigan University

Diana Scalera, Focusing Initiatives International

Patricia Seidler

Shital Shah

Sharon Shapses, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence

Sho Shigeoka, Beaverton School District, Oregon

Gisele C. Shorter, Social Innovation Engineer

Timothy Shriver, Special Olympics International

Diana Shulla-Cose, Perspectives Charter Schools

Max Silverman, University of Washington Center for Educational Leadership

Alexandra Simbana

Keith Simmons, Bib County School District, Georgia

Dena N. Simmons, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence

Priya Singhvi, Greenhill School, Texas

Marc Skvirsky, Facing History and Ourselves

Lynn Smith, Bethune Institute Education Corporation

Brooke Stafford-Brizard, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

Claude Steele, Stanford University

Erik Stegman, The Center for Native American Youth, The Aspen Institute

Zoe Stemm-Calderon, Raikes Foundation

Sheila Stewart, Peoria Public Schools, Illinois

Evan Stone, Educators for Excellence

Ann Szekely, Schools That Can

Lyon Terry, Seattle Public Schools

Kari Thierer, School Reform Initiative

Sharon Thomas, Colorado Springs School District 11, Colorado

Kim Traverso, Connecticut State Department of Education

Vivian Tseng, William T. Grant Foundation

Krista Tyler, Mom

Ash Vasudeva, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

Ron Walker, Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color

Craig Walters, Todd County School District, South Dakota

Elizabeth Warner, School Culture and Climate Initiative

Augustina Warton, Catalyst Arts

Roger Weissberg, University of Illinois at Chicago

Katie Welsh, Chicago Public Schools, Illinois

Renee White, HTH New School Creation Fellow

Ross Wiener, The Aspen Institute Education & Society Program

Jane Williams, DRIVE Educational System

Greg Wolcott, Woodbridge School District 68, Illinois

Mark Wolfe, AVID Center

Carey Wright, Mississippi Department of Education

Vicki Zakrzewski, Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley

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Pursuing Social and Emotional Development Through a Racial Equity Lens: A Call to Action

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Both equity and social, emotional, and academic development are currently receiving much-needed attention, but neither can fully succeed without recognizing strengths and addressing gaps in these complementary priorities. Rather than being pursued as two separate bodies of work, the field needs to identify ways in which equity and social, emotional, and academic development can be mutually reinforcing.

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CASEL's guide to schoolwide SEL to help staff develop agreements on how they will work together towards a shared vision.

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This tool provides guidance for creating staff shared agreements about how they will work together to achieve a shared vision for schoolwide SEL.

Download Resource Purchase A Printed Copy

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This tool provides guidance for creating staff shared agreements about how they will work together to achieve a shared vision for schoolwide SEL. Download Resource Purchase A Printed Copy

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Educator Resilience and Trauma-Informed Self-Care: Self-Assessment and Planning Tool

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Educator Resilience and Trauma-Informed Self-Care: Self-Assessment and Planning Tool

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This tool provides teachers the opportunity to self-reflect on their current self-care practices

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Circle protocol for providing staff opportunities to reflect and share ways to practice self-care.

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Practices to broaden and strengthen the SEL system.

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Provides ways school leaders can check-in and connect with staff.

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Compassion Resilience Toolkit for Schools

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Compassion Resilience Toolkit for Schools

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This toolkit provides ways to help combat compassion fatigue in school staff.

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Compassion Resilience Toolkit - Facilitator resources to build the capacity of helping professionals, caregivers, and the systems in which they serve.

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Facilitator resources to build the capacity of helping professionals, caregivers, and the systems in which they serve.

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Self-Care Strategies for Educators During the Coronavirus Crisis

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Self-Care Strategies for Educators During the Coronavirus Crisis

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A tool to support educators as they face the stress of COVID-19 and its effects on schools and teaching.

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The challenges and stresses that educators face in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic are unprecedented. To continue supporting their students in this challenging context, teachers and other educators must first be able to take care of themselves.

Addressed to educators who face the stresses of the pandemic and the resulting school closures and online service provision, this brief offers practical information and guidance on self-care. It describes self-care as paying adequate attention to one's own physical and psychological health and wellness, and actively attending to one's own health and well-being.

The brief, produced by WestEd as part of a collection of Crisis Response Resources, builds on a growing research base about self-care, as well as WestEd's extensive experience in education, public health, and wellness services.

The brief provides sections on healthy mindsets and behaviors; identity, connectedness, and belonging; healthy boundaries and interactions; and when to seek help. The guidance aims to help educators attend to self-care so that they, in turn, can most effectively continue to educate and support those who depend on them.

For more information and guidance, visit our COVID-19 Resources page.

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Self-Care Strategies for Educators During the Coronavirus Crisis: Supporting Personal Social and Emotional Well-Being

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The challenges and stresses that educators face in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic are unprecedented. To continue supporting their students in this challenging context, teachers and other educators must first be able to take care of themselves.

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Online curriculum that supports teachers who are dealing with secondary traumatic stress.

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Support for Teachers Affected by Trauma

Geared toward preK-12 teachers, STAT (Support for Teachers Affected by Trauma) was developed over a two-year period by a group of experts in the fields of secondary traumatic stress (STS), education, and technology. STAT comprises five online modules that explore the concepts of secondary trauma, risk factors associated with susceptibility to STS, the impact of STS across multiple life domains, and tangible self-care skills.

STAT is a user-friendly curriculum that allows participants to engage in a range of STS learning interactives; explore scenarios that highlight the impact of STS; listen to teachers describe their experiences with STS and self-care; and complete self-assessment scales that can measure and track STS levels over time. STAT brings much needed attention and understanding of secondary trauma to the field of preK-12 education.

Visit the Training page to access the STAT course.

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Support for Teachers Affected by Trauma | Home

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Geared toward preK-12 teachers, STAT (Support for Teachers Affected by Trauma) was developed over a two-year period by a group of experts in the fields of secondary traumatic stress (STS), education, and technology. STAT comprises five online modules that explore the concepts of secondary trauma, risk factors associated with susceptibility to STS, the impact of STS across multiple life domains, and tangible self-care skills.

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Online learning module that share's tips from the nation's trauma experts.

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The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

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Psychological First Aid (PFA) is an evidence-informed modular approach to help children, adolescents, adults, and families in the immediate aftermath of disaster and terrorism. Individuals affected by a disaster or traumatic incident, whether survivors, witnesses, or responders to such events, may struggle with or face new challenges following the event. PFA was developed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and the National Center for PTSD, with contributions from individuals involved in disaster research and response.

PFA is designed to reduce the initial distress caused by traumatic events and to foster short- and long-term adaptive functioning and coping. PFA does not assume that all survivors will develop severe mental health problems or long-term difficulties in recovery. Instead, it is based on an understanding that disaster survivors and others affected by such events will experience a broad range of early reactions (e.g., physical, psychological, behavioral, spiritual). Some of these reactions will cause enough distress to interfere with adaptive coping, and recovery may be helped by support from compassionate and caring disaster responders.

PFA core actions constitute the basic objectives of providing early assistance within days or weeks following an event. Providers should be flexible, and base the amount of time they spend on each core action on the survivors' specific needs and concerns. The core skills are designed to be helpful in addressing the survivors' and responders' needs and concerns. PFA is designed for delivery in diverse settings. Mental health and other disaster response workers may be called upon to provide Psychological First Aid in general population shelters, special needs shelters, field hospitals and medical triage areas, acute care facilities (e.g., Emergency Departments), staging areas or respite centers for first responders or other relief workers, emergency operations centers, crisis hotlines or phone banks, feeding locations, disaster assistance service centers, family reception and assistance centers, homes, businesses, and other community settings.

The eight PFA Core Actions include:

Contact and Engagement: To respond to contacts initiated by survivors, or to initiate contacts in a non-intrusive, compassionate, and helpful manner.

Safety and Comfort: To enhance immediate and ongoing safety, and provide physical and emotional comfort.

Stabilization (if needed): To calm and orient emotionally overwhelmed or disoriented survivors.

Information Gathering on Current Needs and Concerns: To identify immediate needs and concerns, gather additional information, and tailor Psychological First Aid interventions.

Practical Assistance: To offer practical help to survivors in addressing immediate needs and concerns.

Connection with Social Supports: To help establish brief or ongoing contacts with primary support persons and other sources of support, including family members, friends, and community helping resources.

Information on Coping: To provide information about stress reactions and coping to reduce distress and promote adaptive functioning.

Linkage with Collaborative Services: To link survivors with available services needed at the time or in the future.

In addition to translating PFA into several languages, NCTSN members and partners have worked to develop PFA adaptations for school personnel (for use in the aftermath of a school crisis, disaster, or terrorism event), as well as community religious professionals, Medical Reserve Corps members, and staff at facilities serving families and youth who are experiencing homelessness.

To access the PFA Field Operations Guide, adaptations, handouts, and other resources related to PFA, visit NCTSN Resources. To learn more, visit the PFA Online course on the NCTSN Learning Center for Child and Adolescent Trauma.

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Psychological First Aid (PFA) is an evidence-informed modular approach to help children, adolescents, adults, and families in the immediate aftermath of disaster and terrorism. Individuals affected by a disaster or traumatic incident, whether survivors, witnesses, or responders to such events, may struggle with or face new challenges following the event.

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CASEL's guide to developing your schoolwide SEL PD plan.

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An important part of schoolwide SEL implementation is ongoing, high-quality professional learning that supports staff in developing practices that prioritize and promote SEL. Effective professional learning involves educators as active participants in their learning and is focused on schoolwide impact rather than solely individual growth.
If you have already begun developing a professional learning plan, use the rubric or the questions below to identify areas for continuous improvement:
As your team develops an SEL implementation plan, determine what professional learning needs to occur to achieve your goals. For example:

Goal 1: All teachers will begin integrating SEL into at least one lesson plan per week beginning on Nov. 15, 2021.
Action Steps:

The SEL team will participate in district-provided training on SEL and academic integration by Sept. 30, 2021.

The SEL team will provide a two-hour professional learning session to all teachers on integrating SEL into lesson plans during the Nov. 1, 2021, in-service day, and the principal will set expectations for integrating SEL into lesson plans.

The SEL team will meet with grade-level teams to collaboratively review lesson plans monthly from Dec. 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022.

For each implementation goal, consider:

Who will engage in professional learning. Identify the specific groups that need to be engaged to reach the goal. This may include the SEL team, the entire staff, teachers, community partners, etc.

What your school needs to know and be able to do to achieve this goal. Align all professional learning objectives with your school's shared vision and goals. Also, consider stakeholders' current levels of understanding and need. Depending on your school's goals and needs, professional learning topics might include:

Cultivating social and emotional competencies as an adult.

Integrating SEL into academic lessons.

Implementing continuous improvement cycles.

Learning to use a new SEL program.

Promoting equity through SEL.

How professional learning will be accessed and delivered. Professional learning can come from a number of sources. Sometimes the SEL team will have the knowledge and expertise to lead professional learning at their school. Other times the team will have the responsibility of looking for others who can provide professional learning. Consider:

Who in our school or community already has expertise in this area?

What district professional learning is available to support this?

What outside professional learning is available to support this e.g. community partners, external providers, conferences, webinars, etc.?

What online or print tools and information is available to support this?

Regardless of the source, professional learning is most effective when it is supported by school leaders, provides participants with opportunities to practice what they are learning, and allows time for reflecting on progress. For more on effective professional learning, see Learning Forward's Standards for Professional Learning.

When and Where professional learning will take place. Consider the schedules and needs of all stakeholders who will need to be present in professional learning to ensure participants can engage fully. This may require attention to teaching schedules, as well as when out-of-school time and community partners are present. Professional learning can take place throughout the school year as a component of:

In-service days.

Staff meetings.

Grade-level or department meetings.

Scheduled classroom visits.

Dedicated professional learning community (PLC) time.

Off-site at district or conference events.

Phillips Elementary School's Professional Learning Plan
Phillips Elementary School uses a collective and collaborative structure for professional learning about SEL. Their professional learning plan emphasizes three critical concepts: time, universal implementation, and leadership.

"Time" means that SEL is an instructional priority. Professional learning has a place on every meeting agenda and professional activity, and time is dedicated every week throughout the school year for staff members to discuss, review, reflect on, and improve classroom and schoolwide SEL implementation.

"Universal implementation" means that all adults at the school participate in ongoing professional learning for SEL. Adults practice the SEL skills they are learning so they can lead students and families in SEL activities. Participating school personnel include classroom teachers, office staff, paraprofessionals, yard duty supervisors, cafeteria staff, after-school staff, and any other adult who touches students' lives.

"Leadership" refers to the expectation that everyone should be part of establishing and developing a positive school culture. Every adult and student in the school is encouraged to model and reinforce SEL in every aspect of school life. Funding and other forms of support are allocated to facilitate professional SEL-related learning opportunities and programming.

Staff is motivated to participate in these professional learning opportunities because they are teacher-led, provide a safe learning environment for open sharing of experiences and ideas, highlight practical teaching practices, and address the academic, social, and emotional needs of students in ways that are relevant and practical.

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An important part of schoolwide SEL implementation is ongoing, high-quality professional learning that supports staff in developing practices that prioritize and promote SEL. Effective professional learning involves educators as active participants in their learning and is focused on schoolwide impact rather than solely individual growth.

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NCSSLE resources for incorporating trauma sensitivity into the classroom.

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Building Trauma-Sensitive Schools

Resources included in the Building Trauma-Sensitive Schools component of the Training Package introduce all school staff to the concept of trauma sensitivity and provide examples of trauma-sensitive practices that can be adopted in the classroom and schoolwide. Resources include an online module, downloadable handouts, and a facilitation guide that includes suggestions for how to conduct in-person training sessions using the module and handouts.

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Building Trauma-Sensitive Schools Resources included in the Building Trauma-Sensitive Schools component of the Training Package introduce all school staff to the concept of trauma sensitivity and provide examples of trauma-sensitive practices that can be adopted in the classroom and schoolwide.

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Turnaround for Children's resource that connects stress and the effects on the brain.

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Turnaround for Children is offering free access to Stress and the Brain, a resource for educators selected to complement the insights and advice offered by Turnaround Founder and Senior Science Advisor Pamela Cantor, M.D. on a special edition of The 180 Podcast entitled Coronavirus: Keeping Our Children and Ourselves Safe.

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Stress and the Brain | Turnaround for Children

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Turnaround for Children is offering free access to Stress and the Brain, a resource for educators selected to complement the insights and advice offered by Turnaround Founder and Senior Science Advisor Pamela Cantor, M.D. on a special edition of The 180 Podcast entitled Coronavirus: Keeping Our Children and Ourselves Safe.

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Addressing Race and Trauma in the Classroom: A Resource for Educators

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Addressing Race and Trauma in the Classroom: A Resource for Educators

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The NCTSN's professional learning tool for educators to create a more trauma-informed classroom.

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Common Beliefs Survey: Teaching Racially and Ethnically Diverse Students

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Common Beliefs Survey: Teaching Racially and Ethnically Diverse Students

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A professional learning activity that leads staff to reflect on their beliefs and examine how they meet the needs of diverse students.

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Framework:
Teachers want students to learn, and many make an effort to be particularly responsive to racially and ethnically diverse students. Many of the beliefs we hold and lessons we are taught about racially and ethnically diverse students and how best to facilitate their learning have positive effects. Others, however, while seemingly sensible and well intended, can have negative consequences.

Objective:
To examine commonly held beliefs about racially and ethnically diverse students, the kinds of things we may say in conversations about how to meet the learning needs of all students.

Time and Materials:
For individual use:
One hour
Copy of the Teacher Voices worksheet (PDF)
Copy of the Discussion Prompts (PDF)

For in-service or pre-service use:
Two hours
Copy of the"Teacher Voices" worksheet (PDF), for each participant
Copy of the Discussion Prompts (PDF), for small groups

Instructions:
For individual use:
Read each statement on the"Teacher Voices" worksheet (PDF) and complete the "First Thoughts" section after each statement. Try not to "over-think" the items, answering instead with your "gut response."

Next, read the entries for each statement on the Discussion Prompts (PDF). As you read each discussion prompt, reflect on your initial response in "First Thoughts," and write down additional thoughts, along with possible action steps that might help you better serve students.

For in-service or pre-service use:
Prior to the in-service or pre-service class, introduce the planned framework and objective and ask participants to complete the "First Thoughts" section of the"Teacher Voices" worksheet (PDF) and to hand in their completed sheets anonymously.

Compile "scores" and comments from participants' worksheets, providing a "class score" for each statement, along with representative samples from their comments.

Begin the in-service or pre-service class by re-introducing the framework and objective. Next, share the class's composite scores and comments from the "Teacher Voices" worksheet.

Next, break participants into diverse, small groups of four to six - up to 13 groups in all. Assign each small group one or more statements for further reflection. Provide each small group with a copy of their assigned statements, with composite scores and representative comments, as well as the Discussion Prompts (PDF) for their corresponding questions.

Allow small groups adequate time for discussion, encouraging them to write down thoughts and comments and to come up with at least one related "action step" that might help them and others better serve racially and ethnically diverse students.

Ask small groups to report back to the class. Facilitate a whole-group discussion, as needed.
Willis Hawley, Jacqueline Jordan Irvine and Melissa Landa designed the instruments and framework for this activity.

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Common Beliefs Survey: Teaching Racially and Ethnically Diverse Students

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Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

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Strategies for Trauma-Informed Distance Learning

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Strategies for Trauma-Informed Distance Learning

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This offers general strategies to respond to SEL needs in distance learning.

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The challenges of recognizing and responding to students' social, emotional, and mental health needs are compounded in a distance learning environment.

To help educators use trauma-informed teaching practices in distance learning contexts, this brief offers strategies, with specific examples, for recognizing and responding to students' social and emotional needs while teaching remotely.

The strategies are organized using neuroscientist Bruce Perry's "3 Rs" approach to intervention: Regulate, Relate, and Reason.

Using the strategies in this brief to address students' social and emotional needs for regulation and relationships can help educators ensure that their students are ready to reason and continue to thrive, even from a distance.

Visit the Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety at WestEd for more information.

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Strategies for Trauma-Informed Distance Learning

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The challenges of recognizing and responding to students' social, emotional, and mental health needs are compounded in a distance learning environment. To help educators use trauma-informed teaching practices in distance learning contexts, this brief offers strategies, with specific examples, for recognizing and responding to students' social and emotional needs while teaching remotely.

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This Time, With Feeling: Integrating Social and Emotional Development and College and Career Readiness Standards

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This Time, With Feeling: Integrating Social and Emotional Development and College and Career Readiness Standards

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This article provides examples of integrating

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Sample Teaching Activities to Support Core Competencies of SEL

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Sample Teaching Activities to Support Core Competencies of SEL

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The document from CASEL provides some common strategies to promote student SEL.

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This document from CASEL provides examples of SEL prompts for reflective discussions for students.

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Guidance for Trauma Screening in Schools

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Guidance for Trauma Screening in Schools

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This guide provides information on using screeners for intervention options.

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This video explains the need for trauma-sensitive learning environments.

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All children need safe and supportive environments in order to learn.

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study demonstrates that nearly every school has students who have been exposed to overwhelming experiences, such as witnessing violence at home, being direct targets of abuse, homelessness or having a parent with substance abuse or mental health issues.

For some children these experiences result in a trauma response that can lead to a cascade of social, emotional and academic difficulties that can interfere with a child's ability to learn at school. Recent neurobiological research has shown that the trauma response can diminish concentration, memory and the organizational and language abilities students need to succeed in school, potentially leading to problems with academic performance, challenging behavior in the classroom, and difficulty forming relationships.

Trauma-sensitive schools help ALL children to feel safe to learn.

There are a growing number of schools throughout Massachusetts and the United States engaged in the work of creating trauma-sensitive schools.

This video features one such school, the Baker School in Brockton, MA. The Baker is one of several schools in Brockton that are becoming trauma-sensitive through a concerted, well supported district-wide effort. This video highlights the importance of leadership-superintendents, assistant superintendents-principals, and educators-in creating the understanding and infrastructure that can support the team work among staff needed for all children to be successful. As one school staff member explains "Every child belongs to everyone and when kids feel that, the kids and teachers are happy." Watch the video

A Video Discussion Guide: Why We Need Trauma-Sensitive Schools

This guide is an invitation to hold a conversation about our video Why We Need Trauma-Sensitive Schools. It is designed for educators and others who want to embark on or engage in the process of creating trauma-sensitive schools. A trauma-sensitive school is a place where an ongoing, inquiry-based process allows for teamwork, coordination, creativity and sharing of responsibility for all students, and where continuous learning is for students as well as educators. There are a growing number of schools throughout Massachusetts and the United States en-gaged in the work of creating trauma-sensitive schools.
More about the Video Discussion Guide

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Why We Need Trauma-Sensitive Schools - The Video

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The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study demonstrates that nearly every school has students who have been exposed to overwhelming experiences, such as witnessing violence at home, being direct targets of abuse, homelessness or having a parent with substance abuse or mental health issues.

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This toolkit provides research-based strategies to create a healthy classroom environment.

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Trauma-informed SEL is an approach to fostering youths' social-emotional development with practices that support all students, but is particularly inclusive and responsive to the needs of children and youth who have experienced trauma. This approach calls for creating reliable learning environments where students who have experienced adversities and trauma

feel supported and connected;

are welcome to explore their strengths and identities;

can exercise their agency;

can develop meaningful, positive relationships with adults and peers; and

have access to the mental health supports they need.

Learn More about Trauma-informed SEL

Below, you can download our Trauma-Informed SEL Toolkit - a 120-minute professional development session designed for educators seeking research-based strategies to create a healthy classroom environment for students who have experienced adversities and trauma.

Why Download the Trauma-informed SEL Toolkit?

The research-based toolkit is rich with resources to explore, strategies to implement in the classroom, and prompts for reflections aimed at facilitating educator learning and engagement with the material. The toolkit includes:

More information about trauma and how it impacts students' success;

A range of strengths-based strategies educators can integrate into their classroom;

Overview of secondary traumatic stress and strategies for educator self-care;

A list of research articles, papers, and videos for further review; and

A facilitator's guide (including an abbreviated guide for a 60-minute session).

The download link includes a multimedia presentation, a three-page overview handout, and a brief facilitator's guide.

Trauma-Informed SEL Webinar & Accompanying Slides

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A full recording of our Trauma-Informed SEL Webinar is located below! What is Trauma-Informed SEL? Trauma-informed SEL is an approach to fostering youths' social-emotional development with practices that support all students, but is particularly inclusive and responsive to the needs of children and youth who have experienced trauma.

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Use this as a self-assessment for your own self-care plan

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CASEL video on the impact of SEL for students

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The Impact of Social and Emotional Learning

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Edutopia video on the power of relationships in the classroom