Supporting Students’ Social, Emotional ... - Aspen Institute

The Practice Base For How We Learn Supporting Students' Social, Emotional, and Academic Development

Consensus Statements of Practice From the Council of Distinguished Educators National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development The Aspen Institute Sheldon Berman with Sydney Chaffee & Julia Sarmiento March 12, 2018

FOREWORD

The Consensus Statements in this document contain profound wisdom. The educators who together forged this consensus represent great distinction and diversity: they are teachers and counselors; they are superintendents and social entrepreneurs; they come from traditional public schools and charter schools; they come from Anchorage, Alaska to Andover, Massachusetts and from Tampa, Florida to Tacoma, Washington. They articulate an inspiring vision for learning in our public schools, and state clearly the conditions that need to be in place to make this vision a reality for all students.

These statements of practice build on and complement scientific consensus statements regarding The Evidence Base for How We Learn that were jointly developed by leading neuroscientists, psychologists, physicians, economists, and education scholars and published in September 2017. Taken together, these statements reinforce deep insights that parents and educators have always understood, and that science now establishes empirically: the social, emotional, and academic dimensions of learning are inextricably linked in the brain; healthy development across all these domains is essential for success in school and in life; schools have the ability to positively shape students' social, emotional, and academic development, in partnership with families and communities; and integrating social and emotional learning with academic instruction contributes to greater achievement and equity in education outcomes.

The Aspen Institute deeply appreciates the contributions of these distinguished educators, who unanimously endorse The Practice Base for How We Learn. Their collective effort lays the cornerstone for achieving much better learning outcomes for students. We are especially grateful to Shelley Berman, Julia Sarmiento, and Sydney Chaffee, who took the lead in drafting these consensus statements, with active participation and guidance from the whole group throughout the process.

COUNCIL OF DISTINGUISHED EDUCATORS

David Adams Director of Social-Emotional Learning, Urban Assembly

Jillian Ahrens Teacher, Memorial School; Vice President, Cleveland Teachers Union

Sara Burd Director, Guidance and Social Emotional Learning, Arlington Public Schools

Meria Carstarphen Superintendent, Atlanta Public Schools

Jim Balfanz President, City Year

Ron Berger Chief Academic Officer, EL Education

Sheldon Berman Superintendent, Andover Public Schools

2 THE PRACTICE BASE FOR HOW WE LEARN

John Deasy Superintendent-in-Residence, The Broad Center

Daren Dickson Chief Culture Officer, Valor Collegiate Academics

Joan Duffell Executive Director, Committee for Children

Roberta Duvall Principal, Cold Springs Middle School

Shayne Evans Founder and Managing Partner, The Academy Group

Joshua J. Garcia Deputy Superintendent, Tacoma Public Schools

Eric Gordon Chief Executive Officer, Cleveland Metropolitan School District

Paul D. Goren Superintendent, Evanston/Skokie District 65

Kris Hinrichsen Teacher, Chinook Open Optional Program, Anchorage School District

Tanika Island Director Urban Teacher Education Program/Urban Education Institute, University of Chicago

Kersten Johnson-Struempler Senior Director, Secondary Schools, Anchorage School District

Linda Lantieri Adjunct Assistant Professor, Teachers College, Columbia University

R. Keeth Matheny Teacher, Austin High School

Meg Mayo-Brown Superintendent, Barnstable Public Schools

Pamela Moran Superintendent, Albemarle Schools

Mauricio Pineda Teacher, Frank Reilly Elementary School

Christopher Poulos Instructional Leader/Teacher, Joel Barlow High School

Jonathan Raymond President, Stuart Foundation

Nilufar Rezai Personalized Learning SEL Specialist, Chicago Public Schools

Sonja Brookins Santelises CEO, Baltimore City Public Schools

Julia Sarmiento SEL Coordinator, Hillsborough County Public Schools

Eric Schaps Former President, Development Studies Center (DSC); Executive Consultant, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)

Joshua P. Starr CEO, PDK International Family of Associations

Michelle Steagall Chief Academic Officer, CORE Districts

Lyon Terry 2015 Washington State Teacher of the Year, Lawton Elementary School

Wynne A. Tye Assistant Superintendent, Hillsborough County Public Schools

Antwan Wilson Former Superintendent, Oakland, Calif., and District of Columbia Public Schools

AUTHORS: Dr. Sheldon Berman is the Superintendent of Andover Public Schools.

Sydney Chaffee is the 2017 National Teacher of the Year and a humanities teacher at Codman Academy Charter Public School.

Julia Sarmiento is the SEL Coordinator of Hillsborough County Public Schools.

March 2018

ASPEN INSTITUTE 2018 3

WHY SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, AND ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT IS IMPORTANT

As educators, we envision a world in which students graduate from high school not only prepared for college and career, but accepting their responsibility to take an active role in their communities and contribute to civic life. We envision a world of principled, compassionate civility, where students learn through guided practice in real-life situations how to engage in open dialogue and to treat one another with dignity and mutual respect. We envision a world in which school is where children learn how to be the best possible versions of themselves and to pursue the positive difference they can make in the world. We see the integration of social, emotional, and academic development as the pathway to learning that achieves these ends.

Social and emotional development is the process through which people acquire and apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. Weaving together social, emotional, and academic development creates high-quality learning environments in schools and classrooms. In these environments, children can confidently do their best work because they interact with a cooperative and welcoming community of learners. When social, emotional,

and academic development are deliberately and thoughtfully interconnected, students benefit from learning experiences that enrich their understanding of academic content and strengthen their critical thinking skills. Such experiences enable students to be more effective contributors in their classrooms today and in their workplaces and communities tomorrow.

Schools and districts across the country already have set in motion strategies that pave the way forward. These promising practices, highlighted throughout this report, can serve as catalysts for education leaders and policymakers to fully integrate social, emotional, and academic development.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT HOW WE LEARN

In September 2017, the Council of Distinguished Scientists of the Aspen Institute National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development issued The Evidence Base for How We Learn--a brief on the connections among social, emotional, and academic development. Drawing from research in brain science, medicine, economics, psychology, and education, these 28 scientists concluded that learning, by its very nature, is both social and emotional.

In essence, cognitive abilities, emotional competencies, and social and interpersonal skills intertwine in the learning process. Since

We envision a world in which school is where children learn how to be the best possible versions of themselves and to pursue the positive difference they can make in the world.

4 THE PRACTICE BASE FOR HOW WE LEARN

strength or weakness in any one of these three areas can foster or impede growth in the others, academic learning is best achieved when its social, emotional, and cognitive dimensions are all well supported.

The scientists also agreed that the research provides clarity on several deeper issues.

? Social, emotional, and academic development matters. These interdependent competencies are essential to success in school, workplace, home, and community. Their integration also improves school climate and teacher effectiveness, and children benefit regardless of where they live, their racial/ethnic background, or their socio-economic status.

? Social and emotional skills are malleable. As with cognitive skills, we can teach and develop them throughout childhood, adolescence, and beyond. High-quality programs and practices shape environments and experiences to positively affect students' social and emotional learning as well as their academic outcomes.

? Schools play a central role in fostering healthy social, emotional, and academic development, particularly when their work is reinforced by safe and supportive family and community environments. Success depends upon consistent implementation, modeling by adults and peers, and professional development that deepens school staff's social and emotional skills.

? Supporting the integration of social, emotional, and academic development is a wise public investment, well worth the expenditure of effort and resources. Higher social and emotional competencies are associated with wage growth, job productivity, and long-term employment. Such competencies can reduce violence, drug use, delinquent behavior, and

mental health problems and provide internal support for children who experience the stress of poverty, violence, and trauma in their families or neighborhoods. They have the potential to help create a more equitable society where all children can succeed.

The Council of Distinguished Scientists closed its report by noting that, "Integrating social and emotional development with academic instruction is foundational to the success of our young people, and therefore to the success of our education system and society at large." The Council's work encourages us--as parents, educators, and community members--to elevate the nation's vision of high-quality programs and practices and to hasten the integration of social, emotional, and academic development for all students.

NATIONAL COMMISSION'S COUNCIL OF DISTINGUISHED EDUCATORS

Responding to the urgent need to weave social, emotional, and academic development into preK-12 education, the Aspen Institute National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development convened a Council of Distinguished Educators. The Commission charged the Council with developing a consensus report that frames what we know about effectively integrating social, emotional, and academic development within our schools.

The Council is composed of teachers, school counselors, principals, system leaders, superintendents, and community partners from a diverse range of schools and educational systems across the country. The members bring wide experience in the emerging field of integrating social, emotional, and academic

THE ASPEN INSTITUTE 2018 5

development, including myriad models of practice. Their views build upon and validate the earlier brief, The Evidence Base for How We Learn, presented by the Council of Distinguished Scientists. The Council of Distinguished Educators drew on its collective, firsthand experiences in schools and classrooms to develop this companion document, The Practice Base for How We Learn, which corroborates the interconnectedness of the social, emotional, and cognitive domains as essential to all learning. It also examines how the role of the teacher, as well as the classroom and school environment, encompass these same three dimensions-- parallel conditions that our profession needs to recognize and capitalize on if we are to maximize the learning outcomes of all students. The conclusions of the Council members underscore the critical role that preK-12 institutions can and must play in the full integration of social, emotional, and academic development.

LEARNING AND TEACHING ARE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL

Learning necessitates taking risks. It means challenging oneself to master new skills and explore new understandings. It means tolerating ambiguity and being willing to make mistakes. Effective academic development requires an environment where students feel socially and emotionally safe in taking the risks necessary to learn and grow. The essential character of that environment is the degree to which students feel known, cared about, included and supported. The social and emotional environments of the classroom and school have a profound impact on students' ability and willingness to learn.

Just as students' academic learning is integrally tied to social and emotional factors, so is academic

teaching a social and emotional endeavor. Research provides clear direction for instruction that best supports student engagement and intellectual risk taking, and for the environments that foster strong learning communities. The way teachers and administrators interact with students, facilitate relationships among students, and model positive relationship-building plays a critical role in students' sense of belonging, emotional safety, ability to collaborate with peers, and identities as learners. These attributes enable students to engage with rigorous academic content.

Educators typically develop frameworks for academic learning by creating a scope and sequence in each curricular area. However, we have not paid the same close attention to structuring the social and emotional environment of the classroom or to sequencing students' social and emotional development. The Council of Distinguished Educators endorses the Council of Distinguished Scientists' assertion that it is time to move the nation "beyond the debate as to whether schools should attend to students' social and emotional development, to how we can integrate social, emotional, and academic development into the mission and daily work of all schools." The following principles articulate pathways to accomplishing this goal.

The social and emotional

environments of the

classroom and school

have a profound impact

on students' ability and

willingness to learn.

6 THE PRACTICE BASE FOR HOW WE LEARN

CONSENSUS STATEMENTS ON PRACTICE

SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, AND ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT IS FOR ALL STUDENTS

The integration of social, emotional, and academic development shifts the emphasis to learning environments.

Integrating social, emotional, and academic development enables all students to work together well to achieve the goals of the classroom, while appreciating and respecting interpersonal differences. Social and emotional learning is sometimes regarded too narrowly as a targeted intervention just for students who experienced trauma or who have behavior issues or other special needs. Although the integration of social, emotional, and academic learning does benefit students who are confronting challenges, this integrated approach is for all students. This reality shifts the emphasis from addressing particular students' behavior or motivation to understanding the central role of the learning environment. By not viewing students as the problem, this approach directs adults to explore the broader environmental and social context in which students learn.

The goal is to create an inclusive environment where each student feels affirmed and valued, receiving the supports and developing the competencies to be successful. Through approaches such as explicit skill instruction, classroom community-building activities, and the embedding of social and emotional learning into

academic instruction, educators create a culture and climate that enhance the growth of each student's social and emotional competencies in ways that also support equity and excellence in academic achievement. As educators, as policymakers, as parents and community leaders, we must consciously design, implement, and support environments where all students can successfully develop the social, emotional, and academic skills required for success in an increasingly complex world. To do otherwise is to risk accelerating and deepening inequality.

The integration of social, emotional, and academic development promotes equity.

The mission of public education is to provide all individuals with access to the opportunity to be successful. However, preK-12 education in the United States is providing neither equitable opportunities nor equitable outcomes for all students, as evidenced by markedly and persistently lower rates of high school graduation and college access and completion for low-income students, English language learners, students with learning differences, and students of color.

A key goal of integrating social, emotional, and academic development is to foster a school climate and culture as well as learning opportunities that are inclusive of and responsive to the diversity of interests, aptitudes, perspectives, races, and cultures represented in the classroom. Enabling students to feel respected for their cultural identities and perspectives and to learn culturally relevant

THE ASPEN INSTITUTE 2018 7

material is an essential element in creating safe, affirming, and inclusive classrooms. For example, various cultures approach social situations differently. Drawing out and valuing this diversity acknowledges students' cultures while promoting equity and expanding choices and opportunities for all students. Open conversations about culture and cultural experiences teach students to appreciate the perspective of others and the richness that diversity brings to learning.

In addition, far too many students come to school from circumstances of poverty, violence, and/or childhood trauma. These adverse experiences generally put them at a disadvantage compared with students from more privileged environments. We know that the chronic stress associated with growing up in poverty, especially intergenerational, concentrated poverty, can have long-lasting consequences for learning, behavior, and well-being.

Integrated learning ensures that the underlying skills that give some students a social, emotional, or academic advantage in learning are explicitly and intentionally developed in all students, enabling them to express themselves and perform at their highest levels. By addressing the social and emotional dimensions of learning along with

Open conversations about culture and cultural experiences teach students to appreciate the perspective of others and the richness that diversity brings to learning.

academic development, teachers get to know their students better, recognize the strengths that each student brings to the class, and create an environment where all students' cultures and backgrounds are leveraged as assets for learning. Teachers can further personalize the learning environment by providing customized instructional strategies and evidence-based supports and by promoting positive relationships with multiple adults in the school. We need to ensure that all schools, especially those in highpoverty areas, have sufficient person power, resources, and the necessary partners to provide students with the educational opportunities they deserve. Combined, these strategies can serve as a buffer against the effects of chronic stress, enabling students' social and emotional competencies to blossom and heightening their engagement in academics.

SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, AND ACADEMIC LEARNING FOR STUDENTS STARTS WITH ADULTS

Professional and collegial support for integrating the three dimensions of learning enhances educators' effectiveness in the classroom.

Teachers who integrate social, emotional, and academic development are more effective at engaging students in learning, managing their classrooms, and resolving conflicts. They create safe and supportive settings where students can take the necessary risks for academic growth and personal development. Adept at managing relationships within the classroom and supporting challenged students equitably, these teachers foster highly effective learning environments.

To fully integrate social and emotional dimensions of learning with academic instruction, teachers

8 THE PRACTICE BASE FOR HOW WE LEARN

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download