SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING

WHAT IS SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING, AND WHY IT MATTERS

Social and emotional learning is a process of building awareness and skills in managing emotions, setting goals, establishing relationships and making responsible decisions that support success in school and in life. It helps students with the basics, like getting along with others and getting through the school day effectively. More than two decades of research on social and emotional learning shows strong benefits for students, including increased academic performance, improved classroom behavior, increased ability to manage stress and depression, better attitudes about themselves, others and school and improved lifetime outcomes.

The Washington State Legislature passed Senate Bill 5395 in 2020 requiring all school districts to provide social and emotional learning curriculum in kindergarten through third grade by the 2022–23 school year.



ASSESSMENT TOOL: PANORAMA SCREENER

Measuring and improving social and emotional skills

Frequently asked questions about the Panorama Screener
See what questions are on the Panorama Screener: grades 3-5
See what questions are on the Panorama Screener: grades 6-12
Opt-out of the Panorama Screener

Competencies measured

  1. Self Management
  2. Growth Mindset
  3. Self Awareness
  4. Teacher/Student Relationships

Third grade through high school students will utilize the screener twice per year.

How the data is used

The results will provide a high-level picture of social and emotional learning to help each school meet Washington state standards.

School staff will be able to use this data to better understand students’ experiences at school and provide support.

 THE CURRICULUM K-8: SECOND STEP
WHAT ARE THE TOPICS COVERED IN THE LESSONS?

The Second Step digital program includes four full units of weekly, age-appropriate lessons for kindergarten through eighth grade. The interactive, teacher-led units include five 15- to 30-minute lessons. The last lesson of each unit is a performance task in which students demonstrate evidence of their learning.

GROWTH MINDSET, GOAL-SETTING

Students learn how to develop a growth mindset and apply research-based goal-setting strategies to their social and academic lives.

This unit’s content helps create classrooms that are connected and encouraging by helping students set and achieve collective and personal goals and learn from challenges and mistakes.

EMOTION MANAGEMENT

Students learn how to build their emotional vocabularies, practice identifying their own and others’ emotions and recognize the importance of labeling and processing their emotions.

This unit’s content helps students understand and explore how past experiences as well as unique perspectives influence how they feel and respond to situations.

EMPATHY & KINDNESS

Students learn how to recognize kindness and act kindly toward others, and how to develop empathy by learning strategies to take others’ perspectives.

This unit’s content helps students understand others’ points of view.

PROBLEM-SOLVING

Students learn how to process strong emotions, describe a problem, identify the wants and needs of others, think of and explore the outcomes of potential solutions, and pick the best solution.

This unit’s content helps students ask, listen, and empathize with all parties involved during problem-solving.

 THE CURRICULUM 9-12: CHARACTER STRONG
WHAT ARE THE THEMES COVERED IN THE CURRICULUM?

The Character Strong curriculum includes 25 unique digital sessions at each grade level for grades 9-12, facilitated by classroom teachers once a week.

The Character Strong curriculum includes the following themes:

  • 9th grade: Belonging
  • 10th grade: Well-being
  • 11th grade: Engagement
  • 12th grade: Leadership

Resources

LESSONS

How often will social and emotional lessons be taught?

Grades K-8 lesson outline
Grades 9-12 lesson outline

LESSON PREVIEWS

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE K-8 SECOND STEP CURRICULUM
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE 9-12 CHARACTER STRONG CURRICULUM