{"id":79104,"date":"2024-01-03T10:22:56","date_gmt":"2024-01-03T16:22:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/casel.org\/?post_type=blogposts&#038;p=79104"},"modified":"2024-07-30T14:34:16","modified_gmt":"2024-07-30T19:34:16","slug":"starting-sel-from-the-ground-up","status":"publish","type":"blogposts","link":"https:\/\/casel.org\/blog\/starting-sel-from-the-ground-up\/","title":{"rendered":"One District&#8217;s Journey: Starting SEL From the Ground Up"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Read about a district where families and teachers led the way in creating a new SEL initiative.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The initiative was built to be sustainable for use throughout the school and be responsive to local and varying needs.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Advice: &#8220;If you\u2019re a small district or a single school looking to start this work or move it forward, be willing to take chances and experiment.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>In many districts, SEL implementation is a top-down effort. The district launches an SEL initiative, which the central office develops, leads, and supports. The school is on the receiving end. But what happens when families and teachers lead the way? Can one school spark a priority around SEL across the district?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This was the situation in my school, Park Dale Lane Elementary, in Encinitas Union School District (EUSD). My school recognized a desire and need for SEL, but we knew the district wasn\u2019t in a place yet to support it. So we did what educators do when they see what students need: We found a way to deliver by starting from the ground up to create an approach to SEL that would later go districtwide.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-thumbnail is-resized is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"240\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/G3iVsC7pRb34WcU-t67hoW11f69ti4KfwAW3kKeRoKwxQOKZfjvbTarv3JWiT5JRyjHXKWqkUI5UwVDK-W51fi-huEH9jlTl4ChdrXJaqueJPwKMpmIi2iEPZs5U.jpg?auto=compress&amp;fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=300&amp;w=225\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-79107\" style=\"width:225px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>6<sup>th<\/sup> grade team-building: Positive affirmation garden stones for the school community<br><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"grassroots-beginnings\"><strong>Grassroots Beginnings<\/strong><\/h2><a class=top href=\"#top\">Back to top<\/a>\n\n\n\n<p>In my school, the call for SEL began with families. The parents and caregivers of students in special education were asking for a framework for SEL inclusion for our school community. As a teacher and a parent of students who attended Park Dale Lane, they came to me. With a background in SEL, I was honored to develop a framework of supports and practices for our whole school population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What we were developing was needed by <em>all <\/em>students. Indeed, the vast majority of families wanted SEL for their children. So I gave a presentation about prioritizing SEL for the entire student population, sharing the <em>what<\/em>, <em>why <\/em>and <em>how <\/em>of SEL.The enthusiasm was so strong that we had a parent volunteer provide funding to cover the cost of getting started. We were on our way!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s when my work really started. We called our initiative <strong>T.R.A.C.<\/strong>, which stands for <strong>T<\/strong>eam-building, <strong>R<\/strong>egulation, <strong>A<\/strong>wareness, and <strong>C<\/strong>ommunity. To ensure it was high-quality, I made sure that all of the CASEL 5 SEL competencies were at the core of the content and we worked to ensure that it followed CASEL\u2019s guidance on leveraging the <strong>SAFE <\/strong>model:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>S<\/strong>equenced: Connected and coordinated activities to foster skills development.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>A<\/strong>ctive: Employing active forms of learning to help students master new skills and attitudes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>F<\/strong>ocused: Dedicated time and attention to developing personal and social skills.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>E<\/strong>xplicit: Targeting specific social and emotional skills.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The initiative was built to be sustainable for use throughout the entire school, and to be responsive to local and varying needs. We did this by making the content flexible, so that the school could decide how much time to spend on some activities within each area, depending on their students\u2019 particular needs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, while <strong>T.R.A.C. <\/strong>started with a unit on self-awareness, there was flexibility about how much emphasis to put on any area within that competency, so the school could spend more time on naming feelings, if that\u2019s what they felt their students needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-thumbnail is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"240\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/6-pUOdNmhd8ulLLOeeQfi1sl0ln-veLVAAk-dav6RCtrkMm-IPfoBfz6pcYQc9k1b2s5jhoNrD2hbi9fGO-hE-8a-YHbr1miSnWTghxJkkXK-zitI2Yni7FnG8gH.jpg?auto=compress&amp;fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=300&amp;w=225\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-79108\" style=\"width:224px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Students dive deep into learning what causes their feelings and what those feelings feel like internally to build self awareness and self management skills<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"going-wide\"><strong>Going Wide<\/strong><\/h2><a class=top href=\"#top\">Back to top<\/a>\n\n\n\n<p>Soon enough, our work got the attention of the district. I was asked to support a rollout of our local approach to other schools. Within six months, we piloted it at another school, and within a year and a half, it was in all schools. We took what we learned from each campus rollout to inform what we did at the next school, and we leveraged our success to help get other staff on board.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At each school, we designated an SEL leader to support classroom teachers and model how SEL can be woven into all instruction. This innovative and dynamic approach allowed for a common SEL language across sites, which supported our students&#8217; academic and emotional growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The T.R.A.C. initiative has proven to be successful both implicitly and explicitly in our school district. Almost immediately, we saw the number of behavior referrals dramatically decrease within months of implementation. Students felt that their feelings and needs were being validated by adults on campus, so they did not need to act out to get that attention.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We also began to see the culture of the school shift to a more positive, connected, and supportive atmosphere. A common language around feelings, awareness, conflict resolution, empathy, and coping skills was quickly built with staff, students, and parents. Students and staff were able to positively and calmly navigate problems that arose, which led to a more caring and kind climate. This has allowed everyone to feel understood and a sense of belonging, and feel that they are a valued member of the community. Years later, this positive culture has only grown, and we see a bright future for our students who have gained these critical life skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-thumbnail\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"253\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/lgQjpSU_bKa4glOzmosObyg5UtE4KP2hpNVTQvGnKqDMOpUl61AzjXiOhoEMiop1DGAXboescIaT3sAtYBOMVJr90aBxmIFRXiTcXUV8cLLB9c80Gae5CsMpJilJ.jpg?auto=compress&amp;fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=300&amp;w=237\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-79109\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Four steps to solving problems peacefully builds conflict-resolution skills<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"advice\"><strong>Advice<\/strong><\/h2><a class=top href=\"#top\">Back to top<\/a>\n\n\n\n<p>If there\u2019s one thing I learned from this work, it\u2019s that you need to start with your stakeholders and keep listening to them. In my school, the call for SEL came from families. We developed an approach that went districtwide but never lost touch with the original request. This was reflected in giving schools the freedom to implement it in a way that meets the local needs of their students and their community. We didn\u2019t just build a box and fill it with a certain lesson for every grade every year. We listened to what was needed from our community\u2014and we still do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And my advice? If you\u2019re a small district or a single school looking to start this work or move it forward, be willing to take chances and experiment. Come up with some ideas, then sit back and imagine if they\u2019ll work. There are a lot of great ideas out there, so make sure what you\u2019re going to do will meet the needs of your staff and community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-thumbnail is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"240\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/I-PiVFnJlZbIgpFYRXaIB5zqgEAahQ1-8XF8i3Ivo3kIhjwDiQUNBb-TmM3-JQooiqxSR6hnepWHOgRT-i7h4AqMu0siMGTjXB-mIzzNAt7xSd4VMic91j6OYHI0.jpg?auto=compress&amp;fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=300&amp;w=225\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-79110\" style=\"width:225px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Students build one-on-one connections with each other with whole-class connection chains<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The views in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of CASEL.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Sarah Wood<\/strong> is a classroom teacher with a master&#8217;s degree in social emotional learning. She has a passion for supporting children and families to build core inter- and intrapersonal skills. She grew up in Oakland, California, and attended the University of California, San Diego, and San Diego State University. Currently, she lives in Encinitas, California, with her husband, four children, and two dogs.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Related Blogs:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/casel.org\/blog\/sel-action-planning-with-your-community\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SEL Action Planning with Your Community<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/casel.org\/blog\/social-and-emotional-learning-starts-at-home-and-doesnt-end-there\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Social and Emotional Learning Starts at Home (And Doesn\u2019t End There)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/casel.org\/blog\/how-can-districts-learn-about-sel-from-each-other-austin-and-albuquerque-lead-the-way\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How Can Districts Learn About SEL From Each Other? Austin and Albuquerque Lead the Way<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"write-for-us\"><strong>Write for Us<\/strong><\/h2><a class=top href=\"#top\">Back to top<\/a>\n\n\n\n<p>Are you interested in writing for CASEL\u2019s blog,&nbsp;<em>Constellations<\/em>?&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1zSZFveKA8xsmlCADpfDP8t-y9emN0qswHQh1MnfmqBI\/edit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more<\/a>&nbsp;about what we\u2019re looking for and how to pitch your idea!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In many districts, SEL implementation is a top-down effort. The district launches an SEL initiative, which the central office develops, leads, and supports. The school is on the receiving end. But what happens when families and teachers lead the way? Can one school spark a priority around SEL across the district?&nbsp; This was the situation [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26603,"featured_media":79106,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","theme":[199],"class_list":["post-79104","blogposts","type-blogposts","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","theme-spotlights"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blogposts\/79104","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blogposts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blogposts"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26603"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79104"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79104"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"theme","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/theme?post=79104"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}