With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, schools have become increasingly accountable for the academic performance of their students. The legislation calls for states to set standards for what a child should know and learn in each grade and for schools to demonstrate adequate yearly progress toward meeting those standards.

In order to provide students with safe learning environments in which they can meet these high academic goals, schools across the country are engaged in efforts to prevent school violence and drug use among youth.

Many educators are turning to the field of social and emotional learning (SEL) to help students build the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral skills they need to make healthy choices and succeed in academics as well as other aspects of their lives.

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is an international group of researchers and practitioners working to establish SEL as an integral part of education from preschool through high school. Their work includes helping compile a strong base of scientific evidence that links SEL to children's academic achievement.

What is SEL?

Social and emotional learning (SEL) refers to knowledge, habits, skills, and ideals that enable students to recognize and manage their emotions, develop caring and concern for others, make responsible decisions, establish and maintain positive relationships, and handle challenging situations effectively.

Children with social and emotional competencies are those who are self-aware and who can identify and manage their own emotions. They can understand the thoughts and feelings of others. They have good problem-solving skills and can analyze and predict how the decisions they make today can affect their future. They can build healthy and rewarding relationships with others. (See “Core SEL Competencies” at left for details.)

Why is SEL Important?

Research by CASEL, published in various scholarly journals and books, documents the beneficial effects of SEL on children’s health and well-being. Among the impacts are:

• Reduced violent and antisocial behavior
• Reduced drug and alcohol use
• Improved social skills
• Better impulse control
• Better conflict resolution skills
• Reduced school misbehavior

When students develop good problem-solving skills, healthy relationships, a strong sense of self-worth, and the ability to set both long- and short-term goals, they are less likely to make poor choices with long-term health and social consequences. This reduces the likelihood that students will take part in various high-risk behaviors such as drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, using drugs, or engaging in violence.

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