CREATING SAFE AND HEALTHY SCHOOLS

Advocating for Social Emotional Learning in WA State

Representative Tana Senn, 41st Legislative District

Tana.Senn@leg.wa.gov (360) 786-7894

Sarah Butcher, SEL for WashingtonSELforWA@gmail.com (425) 442-3430

Presenters

SEL for Washington

OUR VISION

Supporting the academic, social and emotional growth of each and every Washington student through effective social and emotional learning programs, policies, and practices in Washington schools.

“The goal of the Basic Education Act...…shall be to provide students with the opportunity to become responsible citizens, to contribute to their own economic well-being and to that of their families and communities, and to enjoy productive and satisfying lives.”

RCW 28A.150.210

Washington State’s Goal for Education

Washington State 2014 Healthy Youth Survey

27-35% of youth (8,10 &12th grades) felt so sad and hopeless for 2 or more weeks in a row that they stopped their usual activities.

16-31% (6,8,10,12th grades) had been bullied in the past 30 days

8-20% (8,10,12th grades) attempted, considered attempting, or made a plan for suicide

11-15% (6,8,10,12th grades) report not feeling safe at school

8th 10th 12th

Anxious, nervous or on edgeNot able to stop or control worry-ing

63%

51%51%

64%

37%

50%

% o

f st

ud

en

ts

Washington State 2014 Healthy Youth Survey Results

Students who report feeling nervous, anxious or not being able to stop or control worrying in the past 2 weeks

An average of 2 youth between the ages of 10 and 24 die by suicide each week in Washington State

40% of youth who attempt suicide, make a first attempt in elementary or middle school

(http://www.yspp.org/about_suicide/statistics.htm)

The Whole Learner

Emotional(Resiliency/Empathy

IntellectualProblem Solving/

Creativity

Physical(Stamina)

All Components are interdependent

Emotions and relationships directly affect how students learn and how they use that learning in other contexts.

Emotions and relationships can either motivate students to engage in learning or if unmanaged interfere with attention, memory, and positive behaviors.

(CASEL: 2007 www.casel.org)

Emotional Wellbeing is Necessary for Learning

Relationships, Relevance, Rigor

Student’s drive to achieve academically is often driven more by the student-teacher relationship than by a fundamental interest in the subject.

Students see a positive relationship with teachers as the pillars that come before learning

(Results of a five year study of students ideas on improving learning, school safety, risk prevention and relationships. James & Ciurczak. February 2004)

It’s Not a New Idea

“Education in this country will never reach its highest end until the care of the physical, social, and moral interests shall take precedence over more intellectual development and acquirements.”

Katherine Beecher, Founder of Public EducationAutobiography, 1839

Building a Safe and Supportive Learning Environment

Physical and emotional wellness and safety

Challenging and engaging curriculum

Supportive learning community with respectful relationships and trust

School staff able to respond to their own challenges and the challenges students bring into the classroom everyday

Understand Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Understand how neurological development affects every part of a person’s life, behavior, social emotional competencies and readiness to learn

Involvement of families and surrounding community

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Personal Emotional

abuse Physical abuse Sexual abuse Emotional

neglect Physical

neglect

Family Witnessing domestic

violence Alcohol or substance

abuse in the home Mentally ill or suicidal

household members Parental marital discord Incarcerated household

member Homelessness

ACEs in WASHINGTON SCHOOLS – SOPHOMORES AND SENIORS(2010)

What is Social Emotional Learning? (SEL)

SEL is the educational process, through which students 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

Make responsible decisions

Framework for Student Success: SEL Skill

Development

social & emotional learning

Self-awareness

Social Awareness

Relationship Skills

Responsible Decision-making

Self-management

Forming positive relationships, working in teams, dealing

effectively with conflict

Making ethical, constructive

choices about personal and social behavior

Managing emotions andbehaviors to

achieve one’s goals

Showing understanding and empathy for others

Recognizing one’s emotions and values as well as one’s strengths

and limitations

© 2007. CASEL.

Why support and teach these skills in school?

Emotions affect how and what we learn Schools are social places - relationships

provide foundation for learning Reduces barriers to learning such as

stress and anxiety Increases school connectedness and

essential skills Aligns with the academic agenda of

schools Essential for success in school and life

Social Emotional Learning supports academics

11% improvement in achievement test scores

9% decrease in conduct problems, such as classroom misbehavior and aggression

10% decrease in emotional distress, such as anxiety and depression

9% improvement in attitudes about self, others, and school

9% improvement in classroom behavior

(Casel Meta Analysis - Durak et al.,2011)

Why do we need standards for Social Emotional Learning?

Learning standards create uniformity and common goals in education by establishing and communicating priorities

We need a system that supports schools in teaching the whole child and provides preventative and intentional supports

“Humans are Underrated”Fortune Magazine, July 2015

“…Employers’ top priorities include relationship building, teaming, co-creativity, brainstorming, cultural sensitivity, and ability to manage diverse employees—right-brain skills of social interaction.”

“Being a great performer is becoming less about what you know and more about what you’re like.”

“’Empathy is the critical 21st-century skill,’ says Meg Bear, group vice president of Oracle…[Yet,] as demand for empathy grows, supply shrinks. Researchers analyzed 72 studies that measured empathy in about 14,000 college students since 1979 and found a broad decline over time.”

Full article link: http://fortune.com/2015/07/23/humans-are-underrated/

WA State School District Administrators

78% of Washington State School District

Administrators who responded to an OSPI

survey, Overwhelmingly identified the need

to address students’ behavioral-health

issues as most critical and they called for a

system-wide multi-tiered framework to

address prevention, intervention and

social/emotional/health issues. (Source: OSPI 2014)

WA State Teachers

When given a full definition of social and emotional learning, 94% Washington teachers overwhelmingly believe that it should be an important part of students’ in-school experience.

(Source: The Missing Piece: A Survey of Washington State Teachers on Social and Emotional Learning, by John Bridgeland and Jennifer DePaoli of Civic Enterprises 2014)

SEL in Action

OSPI Compassionate Schools

UW Tacoma Center for Strong Schools

Bellevue Schools Positive and Productive Life Initiative

Rural Alliance for College Success

Seattle School District - South Shore PreK-8

UW SMART Center

3DL Partnership

And many more individual classroom, school wide and district efforts

Empower, Reinforce, Identify, Recommend

Teachers are not intended to be mental health experts – They do need to know their students

School Administration and Principal buy-in for school climate work is a must

SEL skills are best learned when integrated and reinforced in every class by every teacher – not just by a school counselor or school social worker

Increasing Capacity for this Work

Professional Educator Standards Board New Requirements Teachers – 2016 Administrators and Principals - 2017

Professional Development Ensure resources – No unfunded mandates

Family Engagement and Involvement

SEL Policy 2015

An Act Relating to Providing Students with Skills that Promote Mental Health and Well-Being and Increase Academic Performance (SEL Workgroup)

Current school funding model for counselors

School testing vs. counselors

What will the SEL workgroup do?Convened through OSPI and will make recommendations for creating a social emotional learning framework including: Comprehensive K-12 SEL benchmarks Establishing common language around SEL

in schools Guidance for districts, schools, and

educators on best-practices An implementation plan for incorporating

the social emotional learning within current education initiatives

Workgroup Members

Department of Early Learning

OSPI Student Support OSPI Teaching and

Learning Educational Opportunity

Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee (EOGOAC)

Office of the Education Ombuds

Higher Ed Faculty Member with SEL expertise

K-12 Educator K-12 Administrator School Psychologist School Counselor School Social Worker Parent Organization SEL Stakeholder Group ESD Rural Schools

Representative Washington Workforce

Training Board

Get Involved

Monthly meetings are open to the public Their will be an opportunity for public

comment at each meeting Report to the Legislature due by October

2016 Contact Jenny Plaja at OSPI to be

added to the SEL Workgroup Distribution List: jenny.plaja@k12.wa.us office: 360-725-6504

We Still Have Work To Do…

Integrate Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) within the K-12 education system through development of standards and benchmarks, technical assistance, and guidance with research supported curriculum and instruction techniques.

Ensure adequate staffing of school psychologists, counselors, school social workers, behavioral interventionists, mental health providers, school nurses, speech and language pathologists, and family engagement personnel.

Continued…

Require teacher and principal preparation programs and professional development to include instruction in the understanding, use, and development of Social and Emotional Learning skills and effective classroom management strategies.

Create a coordinated system-of-care approach that involves effectively engaging appropriate agencies and community partners to expand available services and supports for students who are dealing with trauma, substance abuse, and mental health issues.

Opportunities

2016 Legislative Session Training through Educational Service

Districts HB 2149: Counselors, Homeless

Liaisons, Nurses Create a coordinated system of care

King County Levy: Best Start for KidsFederal Reauthorization of No Child

Left Behind

Join Us…

Go to www.SELforWA.com and join our grassroots coalition and stay informed

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Spread the word. Let your elected officials and school administrators know that you support SEL!