What is standing in the way of SEL in 2024? Along with ongoing political pushback in some parts of the country, one barrier to social-emotional learning programs is that mental health positions are often funded by grants and other short-term sources, a new report contends.
This week’s RAND Corporation analysis, which focuses on high school, cites educators who warn that teens continue to struggle with “anxiety, depression, apathy, and communication skills” even as districts have expanded on-campus mental health counseling and other care programs.
RAND’s multi-year SEL study offers insights into staffing, high school-specific social-emotional learning practices, district-level support and equity-oriented practices.
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“School practices that support social-emotional well-being for high school students include team meetings, advisory periods, collaboration with outside mental health agencies, professional development for teachers, and connections between academic content and college and career readiness initiatives,” the report’s authors assert.
“Challenges at the district level include staff churn, disorganization and lack of support from central office leadership,” the authors add.
SEL expansion
To bolster social-emotional learning in high school, the report recommends superintendents and their teams:
- Find sustainable funding for mental health specialists.
- Hire principals, district leaders and support staff trained and competent in SEL.
- Conduct a district-level social-emotional well-being audit and use the results, alongside other formal and informal SEL data, to drive future initiatives.
- Design districtwide SEL plans that contain programs designed specifically for high school students and that focus on depression, anxiety, apathy and communication skills.
- Ensure that SEL initiatives provide individualized support for students of color, females and LGBTQ+ students; incorporate districtwide diversity, equity and inclusion efforts; and connect with equity-oriented clubs and safe spaces.
More DA coverage
A look at the latest news in student well-being and behavior from District Administration:
More parents now support banning cell phones at school
Fewer phones in class means students would develop stronger social skills, the majority of adults said in a new survey.
Student mental health: Teens are feeling a little better
The latest data from the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey show that slightly fewer teens in 2023 reported persistent sadness or hopelessness, compared to two years prior.
