According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), "SEL is a process for helping children and even adults develop the fundamental skills for life effectiveness. SEL teaches the skills we all need to handle ourselves, our relationships, and our work, effectively and ethically.

These skills include recognizing and managing our emotions, developing caring and concern for others, establishing positive relationships, making responsible decisions, and handling challenging situations constructively and ethically. They are the skills that allow children to calm themselves when angry, make friends, resolve conflicts respectfully, and make ethical and safe choices.

Many of the programs that teach SEL skills have now been rigorously evaluated and found to have positive impacts. According to reliable research, schools are a highly effective setting for teaching SEL skills."

SEL improves students' positive behavior and reduces negative behavior.

It promotes young people's academic success, health, and well-being at the same time that it prevents a variety of problems such as alcohol and drug use, violence, truancy, and bullying.

A large body of scientific research has determined that effective SEL in schools significantly improves students':

• Social-emotional skills
• Attitudes about self and others
• Social interactions

It also decreases their levels of emotional distress and conduct problems.

SEL is also associated with significant improvements in students' academic performance and attitudes toward school.

A landmark review done at the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional learning (CASEL) found that students who receive SEL instruction had more positive attitudes about school and improved an average of 11 percentile points on standardized achievement tests compared to students who did not receive such instruction.

SEL prepares young people for success in adulthood.

SEL helps students become good communicators, cooperative members of a team, effective leaders, and caring, concerned members of their communities. It teaches them how to set and achieve goals and how to persist in the face of challenges. These are precisely the skills that today's employers consider important for the workforce of the future.

We've learned that together they are a power force in supporting students' academic performance and achievement.

SEL emphasizes these essential competencies:

CASEL has identified five core groups of social and emotional competencies:

• Self-awareness- accurately assessing one's feelings, interests, values, and strengths; maintaining a well-grounded sense of self-confidence
• Self-management- regulating one's emotions to handle stress, control impulses, and persevere in overcoming obstacles; setting and monitoring progress toward personal and academic goals; expressing emotions appropriately
• Social awareness- being able to take the perspective of and empathize with others; recognizing and appreciating individual and group similarities and differences; recognizing and using family, school, and community resources
• Relationship skills- establishing and maintaining healthy and rewarding relationships based on cooperation; resisting inappropriate social pressure; preventing, managing, and resolving interpersonal conflict; seeking help when needed
• Responsible decision-making- making decisions based on consideration of ethical standards, safety concerns, appropriate social norms, respect for others, and likely consequences of various actions; applying decision-making skills to academic and social situations; contributing to the well-being of one's school and community

SEL is also a framework for school improvement. Teaching SEL skills helps create and maintain safe, caring learning environments. The most beneficial SEL programs provide sequential and developmentally appropriate instruction in SEL skills. They are implemented in a coordinated manner, school wide, from preschool through high school. Lessons are reinforced in the classroom, during out-of-school activities, and at home. Educators receive ongoing professional development in SEL. And families and schools work together to promote children's social, emotional, and academic success.

Schools that create socially and emotionally sound learning and working environments, and that help students and staff develop greater social and emotional competence, in turn help ensure positive short- and long-term academic and personal outcomes for students, and higher levels of teaching and work satisfaction for staff.