Giving Compass' Take:

· The authors discuss how to choose the right social and emotional learning programs, the best ways to maximize impact, and how to intervene as needs change. 

· What is involved in social and emotional learning? What are the benefits of adopting these programs?

· Here's how social and emotional learning prepares students for life. 

Educators have become increasingly interested in supporting students to cultivate inter- and intra-personal skills such as collaborative teamwork, self-management and responsible decision making—skills that are developed through the process of social and emotional learning (SEL). The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) has created new opportunities for educators to incorporate evidence-based SEL interventions (such as curricula, programs, and practices) into their schools and classrooms. Educators across the country are not only expressing support for SEL but are adopting programs and practices to promote SEL. A new guide we developed with colleagues at the nonpartisan RAND Corporation is meant to help educators adopt evidenced-based interventions that fit the needs of their students and communities.

Identifying evidence-based interventions is one important step in reaping the benefits of SEL-related investments. Educators can use our 2017 report to learn more about SEL interventions that align with ESSA's standards of evidence. Another guide (PDF) by Harvard University professor Stephanie Jones and colleagues synthesizes key information about SEL interventions, including the focus of the intervention, the ages or grade levels of students for whom the intervention was designed and the instructional approach utilized.

Another important step in maximizing the benefits of investments in SEL is matching these investments to the local context. Just as we would expect educators to select academic curricula based on their alignment with local education standards and the needs of students in their communities, the selection of SEL interventions should be based on similar criteria.

Read the full article about social and emotional learning programs by Stephani L. Wrabel and Laura S. Hamilton at RAND Corporation.