澳门跑狗论坛

Student Well-Being

States Look to Social-Emotional Learning to Combat Student Misbehavior, Poor Mental Health

By Libby Stanford 鈥 September 15, 2023 6 min read
Image of happy and unhappy face symbols.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

Education officials in Missouri are hopeful that new state social-emotional learning standards will eventually help them combat the core challenge of teacher turnover.

Over half of the state鈥檚 new teachers leave the profession by their fifth year, and as of last December, there were more than 3,000 vacancies in the state, representing 5.4 percent of teaching positions, according to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Student misbehavior is consistently a top factor teachers cite when leaving their jobs, and teachers say student behavior has grown worse since schools reopened from pandemic shutdowns.

But robust and effective social-emotional learning, or SEL, which teaches students about managing their emotions, cultivating healthy relationships, and fostering empathy, could help prevent poor behavior and improve school climates, ultimately improving teacher morale, state Superintendent Margie Vandeven said.

Teachers 鈥渨ant to work in a very positive, constructive climate where they can come in and do their job, which is to educate our children,鈥 Vandeven said.

Last December, the state鈥檚 board of education鈥檚 climate and culture committee charged the education department with developing standalone K-12 SEL standards that would parallel the state鈥檚 academic standards that also address expectations for instruction in math, English, and other subject areas. Over the past year, the department developed those standards with input from educators and presented them to the state board and to the public for comment. The public comment period ended Sept. 15, and the board could approve the finalized standards in the coming months.

The state isn鈥檛 alone in identifying SEL as a potential response to misbehavior, poor student mental health, and low teacher morale, all problems that have grown worse in recent years. Every state incorporates SEL tenets into its academic standards or guidance for districts in some way, and the momentum has grown in recent years.

Every state and school district should consider SEL as a strategy for 鈥減rimary prevention鈥 of mental health issues, said Jordan Posamentier, vice president of policy and advocacy at Committee for Children, a nonprofit that provides SEL programming to districts, including the popular Second Step curriculum.

鈥淲hen it comes to youth mental health and wellness, you can think of primary prevention as sort of the physical health parallel to, 鈥榚at your fruit and vegetables,鈥欌 Posamentier said. 鈥淔rom my lens, I鈥檓 looking for primary prevention inclusive of skill-building that supports relationship skills, emotional management, goal setting, and problem-solving, that we have historically referred to as social-emotional learning.鈥

Researchers have found that instruction in social and emotional skills , as well as skills like communication and critical thinking. But students , and adults need to be consistent in reinforcing them.

How SEL can support student mental health

In most states, including Missouri, the SEL framework or standards are limited to pre-K or the early elementary grades, according to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, or CASEL, a national group that advocates for SEL.

However, more states have recently looked to expand those standards, especially as students struggle with record-high rates of anxiety and depression. Forty-five states first adopted SEL competencies within the past decade alone, and 15 states have expanded or adopted SEL standards in the past three years, according to CASEL.

See Also

Fourth-grade students Briley Williams, 9, left, and Jacqueline Naula, 9, work together in their English Language Arts class at Israel Putnam Elementary School in Meriden, Conn., on Dec. 9, 2022. School accountability measures show Meriden schools making academic gains including attendance and addressing social-emotional learning needs.
Fourth-grade students Briley Williams, 9, left, and Jacqueline Naula, 9, work together in their English/language arts class at Israel Putnam Elementary School in Meriden, Conn., on Dec. 9, 2022. Meriden schools have made progress on attendance and addressing social-emotional learning needs.
Dave Zajac/Record-Journal via AP

But when it comes to addressing students鈥 worsening mental health, policymakers have devoted more attention to increasing the number of mental health professionals in schools. In the 2021-22 school year, there were 1,127 students to every school psychologist, according to the National Association of School Psychologists, well above the association鈥檚 recommended ratio of 500 students to every psychologist.

Earlier this year, the Biden administration provided $100 million in grants to states to increase the supply of mental health school professionals through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

鈥淭he solution in policy tends to be 鈥 bodies in buildings鈥攕o, we just need more social workers, counselors, psychologists to respond to the increasing need that we see,鈥 Posamentier said. 鈥淭hat is a good idea, and it will fail. You cannot solve a countrywide mental health crisis through small group or one-on-one interventions.鈥

School mental health workers are also often tasked with intervening when students鈥 mental health reaches a crisis level. SEL can bolster their work by giving students the tools to regulate emotions so fewer of them reach crisis levels, Posamentier said.

The misinformation challenge

But as SEL gains steam and shows promise in research, political resistance has grown.

Over the last few years, conservative education advocates have argued that SEL is a method to indoctrinate children with liberal values or views.

In Arizona, on the website of the state education department, state Superintendent Tom Horne as a 鈥渢rojan horse鈥 for introducing critical race theory into schools.

In Florida, Education Commissioner Manny Diaz earlier this year from a popular curriculum provider, suggesting they conflict with a state law restricting instruction on race and racism. The state last year rejected a number of math textbooks, citing references in them to SEL.

However, both states still have programs that teach the same skills SEL emphasizes.

For example, in Arizona, the education department, under Horne鈥檚 leadership, has , , a workshop program that teaches students to 鈥渄evelop moral character,鈥 鈥渋mprove decision-making qualities,鈥 鈥渄emonstrate integrity, honesty, promise-keeping, and loyalty,鈥 and 鈥渄isplay compassion and a concern for the well-being of others,鈥 among others. And Florida including confidence building, mental and emotional health, resiliency, and responsible decision-making, before graduating.

鈥淲ith all this antagonism, it鈥檚 going to [result in a] chill in the classroom because teachers are confused and want to respect the law, and you prevent them from doing this well,鈥 Posamentier said. 鈥淏ut you cannot effectively ban it because it is integral to going to school, to teaching and learning.鈥

Misinformation has been a challenge for the Missouri board as it has crafted the SEL standards, Vandeven said. She is hopeful, however, that will help combat some of it.

鈥淥ur group was very clear that we needed to publish not only the standards themselves but a very clear glossary and then indicators of success,鈥 she said. 鈥淚f you take a look at the glossary, that helps to eliminate some of the politicization that you might see around these words.鈥

Ultimately, Vandeven wants the standards to provide a path forward for Missouri schools without becoming mired in political battles.

鈥淲e were very clear: Keep the politics out,鈥 she said. 鈥淪tay focused on our kids and find a way to serve them best.鈥

A version of this article appeared in the September 27, 2023 edition of 澳门跑狗论坛 as States Look to Social-Emotional Learning to Combat Student Misbehavior, Poor Mental Health

Events

Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum Big AI Questions for Schools. How They Should Respond鈥
Join this free virtual event to unpack some of the big questions around the use of AI in K-12 education.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of 澳门跑狗论坛's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in Schools
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of 澳门跑狗论坛's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Spark Minds, Reignite Students & Teachers: STEM鈥檚 Role in Supporting Presence and Engagement
Is your district struggling with chronic absenteeism? Discover how STEM can reignite students' and teachers' passion for learning.
Content provided by 

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Student Well-Being What Do Schools Owe Students With Traumatic Brain Injuries?
Physicians say students with traumatic brain injuries can fall through the cracks when returning to school.
8 min read
Anjali Verma, 18, takes an online calculus class after her occupational therapy appointment at the Doylestown Library in Doylestown, Pa., on Dec. 5, 2024.
Anjali Verma, 18, takes an online calculus class after her occupational therapy appointment at the Doylestown Library in Doylestown, Pa., on Dec. 5, 2024.
Michelle Gustafson for 澳门跑狗论坛
Student Well-Being School Leaders Confront Racist Texts, Harmful Rhetoric After Divisive Election
Educators say inflammatory rhetoric from the campaign trail has made its way into schools.
7 min read
A woman looks at a hand held device on a train in New Jersey.
Black students鈥攁s young as middle schoolers鈥攈ave received racists texts invoking slavery in the wake of the presidential election. Educators say they're starting to see inflammatory campaign rhetoric make its way into classrooms.
Jenny Kane/AP
Student Well-Being Download Traumatic Brain Injuries Are More Common Than You Think. Here's What to Know
Here's how educators can make sure injured students don't fall behind as they recover.
1 min read
Illustration of a female student sitting at her desk and holding hands against her temples while swirls of pencils, papers, question marks, stars, and exclamation marks swirl around her head.
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being How Teachers Can Help LGBTQ+ Students With Post-Election Anxiety
LGBTQ+ crisis prevention hotlines have seen a spike in calls from youth and their families.
6 min read
Photo of distraught teen girl.
Preeti M / Getty