Social Emotional Learning
At Oroville City Elementary School District, part of our mission is to prepare all of our students for high school, college, and beyond. This means, in addition to academics, we want to prepare them to work effectively in groups, interview for jobs, solve conflicts in a professional setting, and clearly communicate their ideas.
To do this, we’ve scheduled time into each classroom each week to directly teach social and emotional skills utilizing the curricula Second Step for Kindergarten through fifth grade and Scholl Connect for Middle School. These programs are directly connected to the concepts of Social Emotional Learning studied by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). These concepts include self-awareness, self-management, relationship skills, social awareness, and responsible decision-making.
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According to CASEL (casel.org/what-is-sel/):
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
What Does the Research Say?
Studies through University of Illinois at Chicago, Loyola University, and the University of British Columbia have shown that students’ involvement in Social Emotional Learning consistently creates immediate improvements in mental health and social skills. Even 18 years later, students who participated in SEL programs outscore peers in terms of positive social behaviors and attitudes, teamwork, social awareness, and academics. They have fewer conduct problems, less emotional distress, and lower drug use, among many other benefits.
In addition, a meta-analysis study of over 270,000 students has shown SEL to have a significant impact on academic achievement. Students with SEL in school, on average, score 11% higher than their peers in academic testing, have a higher overall GPA, and are more likely to graduate college.