Strategies for Establishing School-OST-Family Partnerships in Support of SEL
Before launching an SEL action plan, it’s important to take stock of what is going on across your school and previous SEL-related efforts. Build on your strengths and learn from members of your school community who have seen many initiatives come and go by honoring and reflecting on the work that has come before.
Focus Area 2: Continuous Improvement Connections
A safe and supportive school climate is an important factor for improving academic, behavioral, and mental health outcomes for students (Thapa, 2013).
Establish structures to support consistent two-way SEL communications between the SEL team and all stakeholders.
Review your current level of implementation, identify needs and resources, set goals, and develop concrete action steps for SEL implementation.
Set goals and action steps to promote SEL for students
The core of SEL implementation is promoting students’ social and emotional learning throughout the school day and in partnership with families and communities. Because student learning is influenced by their interactions across many relationships and environments, promoting student SEL requires thoughtful coordination of strategies across the settings where students live and learn.
Implement and reflect on data to continuously improve
The SEL team meets regularly to drive the action plan forward, reflect on new data, and continuously improve SEL implementation to meet established SEL goals and respond to needs that arise.
Focus Area 1b: Continuous Improvement Connections
The core tool used in this guide is the Schoolwide SEL Implementation Rubric. The rubric provides an overview of a systemic approach to schoolwide SEL, and teams can review it to get a sense of what SEL looks like when it is coordinated across classrooms, the school, homes, and the community.
Review your current level of implementation, identify needs and resources, set goals, and develop concrete action steps for SEL implementation.
The SEL team serves as a model for positive practices that promote healthy relationships among adults, students, and families. It’s highly beneficial to build a strong team dynamic and positive working relationship by developing group norms and team routines.