Giving Compass' Take:

• This American Educator Panels Data Note discusses the proportion of teachers that make and report goals about social-emotional learning growth in schools. 

• Why is goal setting a crucial part of measuring and sustaining SEL growth? 

• Read about the ways we can improve social-emotional learning. 

A growing body of evidence shows that social-emotional skills predict the long-term outcomes of students, even after controlling for differences in academic achievement. Despite the evidence that social-emotional learning (SEL) contributes to student success, few studies have investigated the extent to which educators promote SEL among their students.

This American Educator Panels Data Note details the extent to which a nationally representative sample of teachers and school leaders report setting goals for the social-emotional growth of their students.

Results indicated that about 60 percent of teachers and principals report setting goals for student SEL growth. However, teachers were less likely to report that their school leadership set these goals compared with principals' self-reports. These results indicate that SEL goal setting is substantial but by no means universal.

Educators implement social-emotional learning, but principals and teachers have different views.

Key Findings:

  • About 60 percent of teachers and principals reported setting goals for growth in student SEL.
  • Teachers were less likely to report that school leadership set SEL goals than principals were to self-report goal setting.
  • Nonurban teachers were less likely to report that their school leaders are setting goals for SEL growth, and nonurban principals were less likely to report that district leaders are setting goals for SEL growth.

Read the full article about social-emotional learning by  Christopher Joseph Doss, William R. Johnston, Goke Akinniranye at RAND