A large body of evidence indicates that well-implemented social and emotional learning (SEL) programs improve academic, social, and emotional outcomes for students and educators. In this report, the authors explore U.S. states' supportive and limiting policies and conditions for SEL and investigate whether and how those policies and conditions relate to educators' reported SEL implementation efforts.

Social and Emotional Learning in U.S. Schools

Findings from CASEL's Nationwide Policy Scan and the American Teacher Panel and American School Leader Panel Surveys

Alexandra Skoog-Hoffman, Asher A. Miller, Rista C. Plate, Duncan C. Meyers, Andrew S. Tucker, Gabrielle Meyers, Melissa Kay Diliberti, Heather L. Schwartz, Megan Kuhfeld, Robert J. Jagers, et al.

ResearchPublished Sep 17, 2024

A large body of evidence indicates that well-implemented social and emotional learning (SEL) programs improve academic, social, and emotional outcomes for students and educators. Education policy has the potential to influence the high-quality implementation of SEL, from the school district, to the school, to the classroom. Before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, U.S. states enacted supportive policies and conditions to promote SEL in schools. However, curricula that foster the development of social and emotional competences have been one of many controversies about the instructional content and instructional practices schools should use to teach students. Thus, legislators in nine states have proposed bills to prohibit or inhibit SEL instruction in kindergarten through grade 12 (K–12) schools.

In this report, the authors investigate whether states' SEL policies (for and against) are associated with the implementation of SEL by K–12 schools, as reported by teachers and principals. In their approach, the authors merge the survey data they collected from educators with the results of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning's (CASEL's) nationwide scan of each state's and the District of Columbia's SEL-relevant policies and conditions. The authors also study whether SEL implementation is correlated with two teacher-reported indicators of positive student experience: supportive climate and student interest in learning. The authors' findings show whether state policymakers' SEL-related policies (including legislation and guidance) connect to schools' on-the-ground decisions and implementation, as reported by principals and teachers.

Key Findings

  • More schools across the United States are incorporating SEL into students' educational experiences, and nearly all U.S. states have policies that support SEL in schools.
  • A greater proportion of K–12 schools are delivering instruction to children about social and emotional competencies. By the 2023–2024 school year, 83 percent of school principals reported that their schools used a SEL curriculum, up from 76 percent in the 2021–2022 school year.
  • Forty-nine U.S. states (plus the District of Columbia) have at least one supportive policy or condition that actively promotes SEL in schools.
  • Principals and teachers working in states with more supportive SEL policies and conditions are more likely to report SEL implementation in their schools.
  • Principal-reported spending on SEL programs, practices, and professional learning is associated with a wide array of high-quality implementation efforts.
  • Teachers who instruct their students in SEL are more likely to report that their schools have a positive school climate and that students are interested in learning.

Recommendations

  • Policymakers should encourage SEL implementation in schools, such as through the adoption of SEL standards, competencies, or benchmarks, and the inclusion of SEL in a state education agency's strategic plan.
  • Policymakers should provide dedicated funding for school leader and educator professional learning to support the implementation of high-quality SEL in schools.
  • Policymakers should ensure that high-quality SEL implementation is an integral part of bolstering a positive school climate.
  • Policymakers should leverage federal policies and resources to strengthen students' academic, social, and emotional well-being and educators' social and emotional competence and capacity.

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Citation

RAND Style Manual
Skoog-Hoffman, Alexandra, Asher A. Miller, Rista C. Plate, Duncan C. Meyers, Andrew S. Tucker, Gabrielle Meyers, Melissa Kay Diliberti, Heather L. Schwartz, Megan Kuhfeld, Robert J. Jagers, Lakeisha Steele, and Justina Schlund, Social and Emotional Learning in U.S. Schools: Findings from CASEL's Nationwide Policy Scan and the American Teacher Panel and American School Leader Panel Surveys, RAND Corporation, RR-A1822-2, 2024. As of October 6, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1822-2.html
Chicago Manual of Style
Skoog-Hoffman, Alexandra, Asher A. Miller, Rista C. Plate, Duncan C. Meyers, Andrew S. Tucker, Gabrielle Meyers, Melissa Kay Diliberti, Heather L. Schwartz, Megan Kuhfeld, Robert J. Jagers, Lakeisha Steele, and Justina Schlund, Social and Emotional Learning in U.S. Schools: Findings from CASEL's Nationwide Policy Scan and the American Teacher Panel and American School Leader Panel Surveys. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2024. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1822-2.html.
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The research described in this report was funded by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) and conducted by RAND Education and Labor.

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