This is a chapter excerpt from Guilford Publications.

Handbook of Social and Emotional Learning, Second Edition.

Edited by Joseph A. Durlak, Celene E. Domitrovich, and Joseph L. Mahoney.
Copyright © 2025. Purchase this book now: www.guilford.com/p/durlak

CH A P T ER 1

The Current Status

of Social and Emotional Learning

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Joseph A. Durlak, Celene E. Domitrovich, and Joseph L. Mahoney

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lf or
W hat do we want for our children and
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• Recognize how to advocate for themselves,
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young people? Many parents, caregiv- when to seek help from others, when to
ers, teachers, and mentors would likely re- offer others help, and when working with
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spond to this question by saying they hope others is necessary to achieve personal or
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children will grow up to be happy and suc- collective goals.

cessful in whatever they do, although these • Understand how to make decisions that
hopes can be realized in several different avoid undue risk to themselves or others.
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ways. If we develop a list of more specific • Act honestly and ethically.

goals for all children, suppose, as children • Demonstrate empathy and compassion for
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develop, they do the following: others.

• Recognize that working with others dif-
• Learn how to manage and express their ferent from themselves presents not only
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thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in effec- ways to achieve collective goals but also
tive ways. opportunities for new growth and under-
• Feel supported and accepted by their peers standing.
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and the adults with whom they interact. • Feel connected to their family and com-
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• Develop a positive but realistic sense of munity and are motivated and able to con-
self and their abilities. tribute to the betterment of their local and
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• Develop and maintain healthy relation- global society.

ships with peers and adults. • Encounter environments that allow them
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• Know how to listen to and communicate to practice and apply their abilities in dif-
effectively with diverse others. ferent situations.
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• Feel challenged to do their best in what- • Live in communities that protect them
ever they undertake. from harm and foster their development.
• Learn how to persevere and deal with • Are given opportunities to express their
challenges, stress, and setbacks. opinion and offer input into matters that
• Understand their needs, emotions, moti- affect their lives and their communities.
vations, and goals in different situations. • Encounter multiple opportunities to use
• Appreciate the value of education and life- their talents and resources and show lead-
long learning. ership in different ways.
• Learn how to resolve minor or major con- • Succeed in academics, relationships, fam-
flicts peacefully without aggression, vio- ily life, community involvement, profes-
lence, or doing any harm to others. sional endeavors, and overall life.

3
4 Foundations

Are these goals attainable? Our answer is a and cannot guarantee the goals listed at the
definite yes! beginning of this chapter will be realized for
all, but it is one effective strategy that can
We believe that social and emotional be applied to help maximize the potential of
learning (SEL) is one effective way to in- those on whom it is focused. To be success-
crease the chances that all young people ful, efforts to foster SEL cannot focus ex-
reach these goals (and perhaps some others). clusively on what children and youth can do
The over 1,000 manuscript pages that make as individuals. They must also involve what
up this volume are devoted to explaining adults can do to assist them because posi-
how to attain what many parents and others tive developmental outcomes depend on the
wish for young people. characteristics of the environments that sur-

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round young people throughout their lives.

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Although the skills that any child possesses
What Is SEL? are important, they cannot be nurtured or

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developed fully without the presence of en-
SEL, a worldwide scientific enterprise fo- vironmental conditions (at home, at school,
cused on children, youth, and adults, is and in their community) that foster a range

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dedicated to fostering healthy development of skills and that provide opportunities for
and positive outcomes by creating environ- their practice and application in multiple

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ments, programs, learning opportunities, contexts (Mahoney et al., 2021; Weissberg
and policies that foster a range of intrap- et al., 2015). Therefore, it is important to

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ersonal and interpersonal competencies. create and sustain supportive environments
SEL can be broadly defined as the “process that not only protect young people from
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through which all young people and adults potential harm but also foster their posi-
acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, tive growth and development. To accom-
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and attitudes to develop healthy identities, plish this, SEL research, practice, and policy
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manage emotions and achieve personal and should be coordinated to give all children a
collective goals, feel and show empathy for chance to realize their full potential. This
others, establish and maintain supportive can be done through a variety of means de-
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relationships, and make responsible and car- scribed throughout this volume.
ing decisions” (Collaborative for Academic, Our purpose in this chapter is fourfold.
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Social, and Emotional Learning [CASEL], First, we provide an overview of the strong
2020). To reach these goals, SEL efforts are scientific basis of SEL, discuss the different
designed to develop social and emotional terminology that has been used in reference
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competencies (SECs) that involve the coor- to SEL, and indicate how several other major
dination of cognition, affect, and behavior fields of research and practice overlap with
to help people achieve specific tasks and SEL. Second, we discuss the major develop-
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positive developmental outcomes in diverse ments that have occurred in the field over
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social and cultural contexts (Mahoney et al., the past decades and after publication of the
2021). CASEL emphasizes that both intrap- first edition of our Handbook of Social and
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ersonal and interpersonal competencies are Emotional Learning (Durlak et al., 2015).
important and interconnected and has ad- Third, we summarize several themes that
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vocated for developing these competencies shape current SEL research and practice,
in five broad domains: self-awareness, self- and require more attention in the future;
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management, social awareness, relationship and, fourth, we end with an overview of the
skills, social relationships, and responsible organization and contents of this volume.
decision making.
Of course, positive developmental out-
comes may emerge under natural conditions The Scientific Basis of SEL
for many young people because of positive
caregiving and high-quality early educa- SEL should not be considered a fad or an
tional experiences, but SEL is designed to ideological movement because there is an
maximize the possibilities of growth for all, extensive and credible scientific basis for the
beginning in early childhood and continu- value of various SECs for positive develop-
ing across the lifespan. SEL is not a panacea ment and adjustment. Research evidence
 The Current Status of SEL 5

is present in four different types of studies interpersonal competencies (or skills), per-
involving child and adolescent populations. sonal and social skills, 21st-century skills,
First, there is considerable correlational noncognitive skills, and soft skills (and these
evidence that SECs are positively related to do not exhaust all the possibilities) (cf. Berg
better personal, social, and academic out- et al., 2017; Jones & Doolittle, 2017). For
comes, and negatively related to adjustment ease of discussion, however, we use the for-
problems (Hukkelberg et al., 2019). Second, mer three terms interchangeably. Although
there is predictive evidence from longitudinal each report should be examined for distinc-
studies that various SECs assessed in child- tive differences, for the most part, the previ-
hood and adolescence are significantly relat- ous terminology refers to intrapersonal and
ed to a variety of later indices of adjustment interpersonal skills that have been associ-

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(Taylor et al., 2017). SECs are also predic- ated with positive development.

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tive of academic, personal, and employment Over time and across different disciplines,
success in adulthood, including outcomes alternative terms have appeared with re-

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such as higher graduation rates, lower rates spect to SEL. For example, social emotional
of school dropout, less delinquency and education is the term used in several Eu-
crime, fewer mental health problems, and a ropean countries instead of SEL (see Cefai

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more successful employment history (Heck- & Simões, Chapter 34, this volume), and
man & Kautza, 2012; Jones et al., 2015; through the efforts and leadership of the

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Moffitt et al., 2011). Third, there is substan- World Health Organization (WHO), the
tial evidence from school-based inventions alternative term life skills education or life

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that efforts designed to enhance SECs are skills training has appeared and influenced
associated with improved academic, per- many efforts around the world. The WHO
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sonal, and social outcomes (see Durlak & (1997) defines life skills as “a group of psy-
Mahoney, Chapter 3, this volume). Fourth, chosocial competencies and interpersonal
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among those studies assessing such associa- skills that help people make informed deci-
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tions, there is evidence that the promotion sions, solve problems, think critically and
of SECs mediates both positive and negative creatively, communicate effectively, build
outcomes attained in experimental SEL in- healthy relationships, empathize with oth-
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terventions (Domitrovich et al., 2017; also ers, and cope with and manage their lives
see Barnes et al., Chapter 28, this volume). in a healthy and productive manner” (p.17).
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Overall, the scientific literature that has ap- The correspondence between life skills and
peared in many countries around the world SEL is obvious.
indicates that SECs are important compo-
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nents of healthy development and that their

promotion is linked to several indices of pos-
Multidisciplinary Contributions to SEL
itive adjustment and success in life. Figure 1.1 illustrates four major disciplines
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(and others may be noted) that have devel-

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oped concurrently with SEL or have some-

Basic Terminology times predated it and deserve attention
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With respect to terms for SECs, there is a because each of these disciplines has made
difference between having a competency, substantial contributions to research and
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which refers to the capacity to do something practice in SEL. In different ways and to dif-
effectively, and the actual demonstration of fering degrees, these fields have produced
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this competency through behavior. In other many successful interventions that qualify as
words, there is a difference between being SEL but are described with a different label
able to do something and doing it. Often a or designation; that is, programs developed
person’s emotions, motivations, and goals in these areas are not called SEL but instead
interact with the circumstances of a particu- are identified as efforts at prevention, men-
lar context to influence whether a compe- tal health promotion, character education,
tency one possesses results in the successful or positive youth development.
execution of a skill. Some of the terms that However, for our purposes, the important
have been used in the literature in reference thing to keep in mind is not the title or label
to what are targeted in SEL programs or in- attached to any program or intervention,
terventions—SECs—are intrapersonal and but whether its major intent is to promote
6 FOUNDATIONS

psychology can overlap with SEL when it fo-

cuses on both personal and social skills, but
it is distinctive when it focuses only on the
former skills. For example, positive psychol-
ogy often concentrates on changing individ-
uals’ cognitions and feelings about how one
should view or evaluate what has happened
or what is important in one’s life, and some
of these initiatives are often labeled as flour-
ishing, gratitude, well-being, or happiness
interventions. In a similar fashion, mental

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health promotion may overlap with SEL if

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it focuses on developing both personal and
social skills but would not if its goal is on

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only one of these areas.
In summary, several fields of research and
FIGURE 1.1. Four major disciplines that have practice have developed over the years that

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overlap with SEL. overlap to varying degrees with the aims
and goals of SEL. However, we want to

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stress that the areas we discuss here are not
personal and social skills in children and in conflict or antagonistic to each other. In

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youth. Because if it does so, it qualifies as some cases, interventions focus on working
SEL. Each of the fields depicted in Figure directly with young people, while in other
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1.1 also has distinctive features from SEL. cases, the attempt is to work with adults to
In brief, Character Education and SEL over- create the learning conditions or supportive
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lap considerably, but the former approach environment for fostering SEL. Although
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can be unique in its focus on moral develop- there are exceptions depending on specific
ment, moral reasoning, and the motivations programs and circumstances, so that each
behind ethical behavior, which are not usu- report should be carefully read and evalu-
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ally the focus of SEL. Prevention can also be ated, the fields in Figure 1.1 typically share
directed on any aspect of development (e.g., several important perspectives and guiding
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physical or sexual health), and interventions principles in common when they concentrate
can attempt to change future problems or on promoting both personal and social de-
disorders by targeting either the reduction of velopment. These commonalities include the
©

risk or the promotion of protective factors following:

that are associated with the etiology of the
targeted outcome. Universal, school-based • Improving young people’s personal and
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prevention programs are designed to benefit social development promotes positive de-
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all students and often include the promotion velopment and adjustment; personal and
of SECs, so they are often considered SEL social skills are malleable and can be
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programs (Greenberg et al., 2017). Preven- changed through various types of inter-
tion programs can target factors at all levels ventions.
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of the ecology, including the laws or policies • Ecological factors present at different lev-
intended to reduce risk and create opportu- els or contexts (e.g., family, peers, schools,
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nities that decrease the chances of poor out- community organizations, and social pol-
comes. Because these interventions do not icies and norms) influence development
specifically focus on promoting personal or and adjustment and may be also targeted
social skills, they are not considered SEL. because such factors can either promote
Positive youth development, which often or lessen the impact of interventions.
concentrates on the adolescent years, may • Research findings should guide practice
focus on environmental supports and op- and policy.
portunities that encourage youth to use their • Implementation is essential for program
existing skills or talents instead of directly success; it is not that evidence-based pro-
developing or enhancing new SECs. Positive grams are effective; rather, it is well-im-
 The Current Status of SEL 7

plemented, evidence-based programs that these major developments and guide them to
are effective. chapters in this volume that further discuss
• A developmental perspective is critical be- these issues.
cause it suggests what to try to achieve for
whom and when; individuals need differ-
ent skills at different times to master life’s
A Systemic Approach to SEL
challenges, to achieve different goals, and Over time, the concept of SEL within formal
to contribute to their communities. education has evolved significantly, transi-
• Universal approaches should be attempted tioning from traditional classroom-based
first; promoting skills is appropriate at all instruction to a comprehensive and inte-
ages and for everyone. grated approach spanning various settings.

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• Cultural and ethnic factors and social This shift toward a systemic approach em-

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contexts matter; programs should be phasizes the alignment and integration of
adapted to fit different life circumstances SEL principles, policies, and actions across

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and environments to increase the chances school, family, and community contexts,
of effectively motivating, engaging, and departing from isolated interventions. Sup-
helping participants. ported by extensive research (e.g., Berman et

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• Adapting a systemic approach is likely to al., Chapter 22, this volume; Li et al., 2023;
help us understand the factors that pro- Mahoney et al., 2021; Oberle et al., 2016;

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mote or impede the impact of initiatives, Weissberg et al., 2015), this systemic model,
and this may contribute to their termina- typified by schoolwide systemic SEL, perme-

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tion or sustainability. ates classroom practices, academic content,
organizational structures, and institutional
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Many of these commonalities overlap with policies. It is intentionally coordinated with
the principles of SEL presented by Shriver learning experiences in other settings, such
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and Weissberg in the Introduction to this as the home, after-school, and community
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volume. programs; prioritizing active student en-

In other words, although the language dif- gagement in cultivating social and emotional
fers depending on an author’s perspective, skills, fostering positive relationships, equi-
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experience, and traditions, there are now table learning environments; and amplifying
many individuals working in several scien- student voice, belonging, agency, and char-
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tific disciplines who agree that the enhance- acter development.

ment of SECs can be beneficial. One way to illustrate a systemic approach
to SEL across any setting is depicted in Fig-
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ure 1.2, which has five interconnected sets

The Evolution of SEL of SECs: self-awareness, self-management,
social awareness, relationship skills, and re-
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The field of SEL has evolved in several im- sponsible decision making at the core of any
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portant ways in the past two decades and intervention. These teachable skills contrib-
since the publication of the first edition of the ute to success in education, work, and life
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Handbook in 2015. We want to emphasize but can be influenced by various interacting

some of these developments. For example, ecological factors, depending on the context.
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a systemic framework has been proposed For example, in school settings, different
and accepted by many in the field as a use- factors can affect key settings such as class-
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ful way to guide future policy, research, and rooms, schools, homes, and communities.
practice. There is now international accep- Interactions between students and adults,
tance and promotion of SEL. SEL has also anchored in SECs and social relationships,
expanded in several ways in terms of who shape the learning environment over time,
is included in interventions, where inter- with their impact heightened when language
ventions may occur, how interventions are and practices are consistent across settings
delivered, and finally, in what skills should (Leschitz et al., 2023; Mahoney et al., 2024).
be taught and what outcomes SEL may be A systemic approach to SEL is pivotal for
able to achieve. The sections that follow reinforcing SECs across diverse settings, en-
are intended to bring readers up-to-date on suring cohesive learning experiences, and
8 Foundations

Organizational
Climate

Providers’
Historical Competencies
Context & Capacities

Self-
Management

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Self- Responsible
Awareness Decision

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Making
Policies &
Funding SEL Community
Partnerships

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Social Relationship
Awareness Skills

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G Participant
Provider
Training & Characteristics
Support Input
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Cultural &
Developmental
Considerations
25
20

FIGURE 1.2. A systemic view of possible factors affecting SEL initiatives. Note. Figure 1.2 can be
adapted to fit settings other than traditional school settings by changing the pertinent terms. For
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example, while the inner focus on promoting SECs in five major domains would still be relevant, refer-
ences to schools would be dropped in favor of terms related to other settings in which interventions
would occur such as community or work staff, managers or supervisors, and organizational climate,
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culture, practices and policies.

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SEL Has Achieved Worldwide Acceptance

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promoting educational equity. This collab-

orative approach involves stakeholders in and Support
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developing shared visions and action plans, In its early history, SEL research and practice
integrating SEL into various aspects of edu- occurred largely within the United States,
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cation over time to address evolving needs but this situation has changed dramatically.
from preschool through high school and Figure 1.3 illustrates that outcome research
beyond. It contributes to inclusive and cul- on SEL-related programs has appeared in
turally responsive learning environments, at least 153 countries around the world (as
empowers marginalized groups, and chal- of December 10, 2023). Although research
lenges systemic biases, ultimately serving as in some places has only recently begun, in
a universal component of education. Aligned other countries there is now a substantial
with a multi-tiered system of support, sys- and growing SEL research literature. A lit-
temic SEL optimizes resource allocation, any of prestigious international organiza-
potentially reducing the need for intensive tions, nonprofit foundations, and scholarly
services and fostering economic benefits. institutions have all agreed on the value of
 The Current Status of SEL 9

promoting social and personal development gramming to fit cultural and social norms
of young people, and have encouraged and and priorities because the same program is
supported SEL-related initiatives around unlikely to be successful in every context.
the world (e.g., Karanga, 2023; Network of In some cases, programs developed in the
Experts Working on the Social Dimension United States have been effective in other
of Education and Training [NESET], 2023; countries, but in many other cases, existing
UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural programs have been adapted to fit different
Organization Mahatma Ghandi Institute of contexts and populations, or entirely new
Education for Peace and Sustainable Devel- programs have been developed and conduct-
opment [UNESCO MGIEP], 2022; WHO, ed (e.g., Moy & Hazen, 2018; Wigelsworth
1994; World Bank [see Puerta et al., 2016]). et al., 2016).

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Furthermore, building on the solid sci-

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entific evidence in support of SEL, several
countries have developed models for inte-
Who Is Served, and Where Interventions Occur

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grating policy, research, and practice. This Another evolution in SEL has been expan-
has been done by establishing nationwide sion in the range of populations that are
educational or mental health policies that served and the settings where intervention

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have led to several large-scale dissemina- efforts take place. Universal school-based
tion efforts and usually allow flexibility to programs have been and still are a priority

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make adaptations for each community con- to reach all children in preschool through
text and served population. The success of high school. However, as attention has in-

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these efforts often depends on how far along creased regarding the value of SECs, there
different countries are in coordinating their have been many successful programs that
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efforts, and the financial and professional fall under the umbrella of SEL. For example,
support that is available for program imple- there are programs that have helped indi-
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mentation and evaluation (see Chapters 34 viduals who have some early personal or be-
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to 39, this volume). havioral problems. We call these “targeted

Work at the international level also under- programs,” and a growing number of these
scores the importance of customizing pro- have been successful for schoolchildren,
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20
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FIGURE 1.3. One hundred fifty-three countries in which SEL outcome research has been reported are
darkened.
10 Foundations

higher education students (including those how the SEL field has expanded and broad-
in various graduate and professional train- ened its reach over time and suggests where,
ing problems), and adult employees in vari- how, and for whom future SEL research and
ous organizations (see Durlak & Mahoney, practice will occur and should be studied.
Chapter 3, this volume). Community-based We must stress, however, that there is much
programs have also been effective both as more scientific evidence in support of uni-
universal and targeted strategies. There versal school-based interventions for stu-
has also been increased attention toward dents in early education through high school
improving the personal and social skills of than there is for these expanded aspects of
educators. These programs can relieve job SEL (see Durlak & Mahoney, Chapter 3,
stress and improve educators’ interperson- this volume).

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al relationships with their colleagues and

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also aid in more effective implementation
of SEL programs for students (in this vol-
What Skills Should Be Promoted and What
Outcomes Should Be Assessed?

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ume, see Jennings & Alamos, Chapter 10;
Hon et al., Chapter 26; Roeser et al., Chap- A succession of reviews has indicated that
ter 27). Furthermore, interventions have universal, school-based SEL programs are

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been conducted in the workplace to target associated with multiple positive benefits for
many of the same skills that are promoted participants (Durlak et al., 2022). The usual

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in school settings, such as problem-solving outcome categories that have been assessed
skills, communication skills, and skills rel- include various SECs, such as improvements

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evant to working effectively in groups and in attitudes toward self and school, posi-
with diverse individuals (see Kyllonen et al., tive social behaviors and academic perfor-
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Chapter 24, this volume). In other words, mance, and reductions in behavior problems
the literature has indicated that personal and emotional distress (e.g., symptoms of
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and social skills development is applicable anxiety, stress, and depressive symptoms).
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and useful for not only schoolchildren and These outcomes are certainly important, but
adolescents but also for college, university, more recently, authors have emphasized the
and professional students, and for workers need to broaden the scope of interventions
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and educators as well. Furthermore, SEL has in terms of targeted skills and possible out-
been an effective strategy when offered uni- comes that can be achieved through SEL in-
20

versally or as a targeted approach for those terventions. We discuss two strategies in this
with early difficulties. section that have been suggested for future
SEL programming: transformative SEL and
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global education.
How Interventions Are Delivered For example, transformative SEL has been
A final way that SEL has been expanded is suggested as a potential way to achieve edu-
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through the use of technology, which may cational equity and excellence for all stu-
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include online programs, videos and CDs, dents (Jagers et al., 2019; also see Cipriano
virtual reality, or the use of smartphones. & Strambler, Chapter 5, this volume). Trans-
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There is growing evidence that technological formative SEL focuses on human rights and
interventions can improve various personal social justice and aims to promote skills such
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and social skills and offer additional benefits as cultural and multicultural competence,
for students, educators, and workers using positive identity, agency, and skills needed
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either a universal or targeted strategy (in this to think critically about the practices and
volume, see Durlak & Mahoney, Chapter 3; norms of one’s community and how they
Rivers et al., Chapter 25). may be improved through social action and
In summary, in addition to universal citizen participation. Global Citizenship Ed-
school-based programs, SEL may also occur ucation is a paradigm that prods educators
in the community and the workplace, be of- to develop the competencies learners need
fered to students of all ages and at all edu- for improving their communities in terms of
cational levels, target those who have some making them more just, peaceful, tolerant,
early-identified difficulties, and can be deliv- inclusive, and secure (UNESCO, 2015).
ered through various technological means. These two examples suggest the need to
Each of these developments is an example of expand traditional ideas about SEL pro-
 The Current Status of SEL 11

grams in terms of how students can become larly important for students who have been
skillful members of society and be success- historically marginalized or excluded due to
ful in contributing to the common good. The racial, social, or economic reasons. These
skills needed for such accomplishments can- students might be more engaged and mo-
not be developed in brief SEL programming tivated to participate and contribute when
but require attention throughout students’ learning opportunities and practices speak
educational careers. For example, several to their real-life experiences and their input
basic skills emphasized in many current SEL is solicited about how to change the current
programs, such as good communication and state of affairs.
problem-solving skills, and the ability to We mention transformative SEL and
work well with others, are likely needed as global education as innovative ideas that

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building blocks before students can develop are attempting to broaden the scope of what

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what may be seen as higher-order or more competencies can be developed through SEL
complicated skills related to good citizen- programming and enhance SEL-related ef-

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ship and social change. Although there is forts to help learners become more active
not yet a consensus on exactly which skills and participatory members of the local and
might be important to achieve social change, global community. Essentially, these ideas

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Kioupi and Voulvoulis (2019) provide a use- are a challenge to test the potential of SEL.
ful list of what combination of higher-order We expect SEL activities in the next decade

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cognitive skills and SECs might be useful or to reflect creative responses to these chal-
necessary. Some of these include the abil- lenges.

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ity to think systemically and strategically,
and with a future-orientation; empathy
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that encompasses understanding and con- Major Themes in This Handbook
nections across cultural, ethnic, social, and
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geographic differences; comfort with and Table 1.1 lists eight major themes addressed
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acceptance of multicultural differences and in various (and often multiple) chapters of

the proposed contributions offered by dif- this handbook and important questions that
ferent cultural or ethnic groups; and media need to be addressed for progress to be made
25

literacy. in SEL. Several of these have already been

Research on the impact of the two ex- discussed, but we want to comment on a few
20

amples presented here was only beginning of the others.

when this volume went to press; however,
they present challenges in terms of prepar-
Equity
©

ing learners to participate in the world of the

21st century. How do we organize a com- Equity has become an important consider-
plex hierarchy of skills so they can be most ation for all types of physical, mental, social,
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successfully taught to all students? How can and educational services, particularly for
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we measure these skills using fair, culturally groups that historically have not been well
sensitive assessment methods? What educa- served by various systems of care. Although
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tional practices are most conducive to devel- different conceptions of equity have been
oping different skills? Perhaps project-based advanced, two important considerations are
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learning, service learning, and community inclusion and benefit; that is, who is being
internships and mentorships can contribute served and who is benefiting from their par-
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in this regard. How should we measure the ticipation? Current data are initially reas-
process of social change that is complicated suring with respect to equity in SEL initia-
and usually does not occur quickly? How tives both in terms of inclusion and benefit.
do we prepare educators to incorporate and Universal, school-based programs have been
reach these ambitious goals through effec- effective in many countries for many diverse
tive pedagogical practices? populations, and when participant char-
Progress toward the ambitious or aspira- acteristics are examined, the data indicate
tional goals discussed here (e.g., developing that students from different racial and eth-
the necessary motivation and competence nic groups, those from lower socioeconomic
to make needed changes in society) is ap- groups, and those with special learning and
plicable for all learners but may be particu- developmental needs have benefited from
12 Foundations

TABLE 1.1. Major Themes Occurring throughout This Handbook

Themes Questions addressed
Language How should SEL be defined and communicated for different audiences to
and communication clarify what it is, and what it is not?

Systemic SEL How might different individual and ecological factors/levels be important
for program training, implementation, and impacts?

Advancing equity How are equity, inclusion, and opportunity—including cultural and social
appropriateness—important to, and integrated in, SEL theory, practice,
and impacts?

s
es
Adult SEL How are parents, educators, and other adults working with children
supported to develop and reinforce SEL across settings and over time?

Pr
Practice and policy How can we build, disseminate, implement, and sustain effective practices
and policies in organizations and systems?

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Assessment What are the advancements and challenges to developing and disseminating
practical and psychometrically sound assessments of student and adult

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SECs that are contextually, culturally, and developmentally appropriate?

Rigorous research How has the research basis for SEL advanced, and what needs to improve

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to better ground SEL practice in rigorous empirical science?
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Field building What recommendations can be offered to guide the field of SEL in the
coming years?
e
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SEL programs (see Durlak et al., 2022; Dur- et al., Chapter 16; Crowder et al., Chapter
lak & Mahoney, Chapter 3, this volume). 30), incorporating youth voices from the
25

Unfortunately, too few studies have exam- outset. However, addressing cultural bias in
ined these issues. Therefore, more research assessments remains a challenge on a large
20

is needed to assess how well SEL programs scale. Moreover, existing assessments of
serve the needs of all participants and how SECs have been designed for universal ad-
much more effective they might become if ministration and interpretation. The field
©

changes were made to meet the needs and will need to determine how these measures
circumstances of different participants. The align (or do not align) within the context of
chapters in Part III of this volume discuss Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)
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various complexities related to equity for all that follows differentiated instruction and
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SEL participants. frequent monitoring of student progress

(Shapiro et al., 2024). We also need much
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more work on SEC assessments for adults

Assessment and their connection to student SEL (see Jen-
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Many different assessment methods and nings & Alamos, Chapter 10, this volume).
measures have been used to evaluate SECs. Ultimately, SEL assessments must prioritize
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Recent advancements, such as the Measur- practicality (see McKown & Kharitonova,
ing SEL website and tools from CASEL Chapter 4, this volume), ensuring that they
(2022), have facilitated educators’ selec- are feasible, understandable, and actionable
tion of practical, reliable measures to as- for users, while also demonstrating equita-
sess SECs. Additionally, resources provided ble improvements in students’ SECs.
by RAND (2022) and Jones and colleagues
(2016) offer valuable assessment tools. As
SEL integration expands globally, there is
Field Building
a growing recognition of the need for both As the field of SEL has grown over time, chal-
developmentally appropriate and culturally lenges encountered have been manifested in
valid measures (in this volume, see Lovelace various forms, including differing perspec-
 The Current Status of SEL 13

tives regarding what SEL is, its role in edu- intended to provide authoritative, in-depth
cation, and its appropriateness for all. There coverage of major issues and research find-
have been debates over curriculum content, ings. We solicited the participation of lead-
funding allocation, and policy implementa- ers in the field to serve as section editors to
tion, sometimes resulting in fragmented ef- help us review chapters and to include com-
forts and polarized viewpoints. To overcome mentary in Parts II through VI. We also
these challenges, it is imperative for the SEL asked authors to highlight major issues that
community to apply its SEC to listen to oth- had been discussed by offering key takeaway
ers’ perspectives, needs, and concerns, in messages at the end of each chapter.
order to overcome resistance and foster more In the front matter, the foreword by
acceptance and participation. By emphasiz- Maurice Elias and the introduction by Tim

s
ing common ground such as students’ school Shriver set the stage for what is to come.

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success, family and community engagement, Part I covers several foundational issues of
workforce readiness, and evidence-based SEL. This chapter provides a broad over-

Pr
practices, while also embracing diverse per- view of the current status of SEL and how
spectives, experiences, and voices, the field it has expanded since the Handbook was
can cultivate a more inclusive and resilient first published in 2015. Chapter 2 describes

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approach that recognizes the multifaceted important issues and developments in the
needs of learners and communities. This history and early development of SEL. Part

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collective effort will enable practitioners, I also contains successive chapters covering
researchers, policymakers, and stakehold- research findings, assessment, equity, SEL’s

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ers to navigate complex sociopolitical land- economic value to individuals and society,
scapes and advocate for SEL tailored to local federal and state policies, and field building.
G
needs. In doing so, the field can continue to Celene E. Domitrovich and Susanne A.
build and advance its mission of supporting Denham present an introduction and over-
e
the well-being and success of all individuals. view of Part II, which discusses the process
Th

of SEL at different developmental periods.

Separate chapters are devoted to SEL in
Overview of the Handbook Contents preschool, the elementary years, and ado-
25

lescence. There is also a chapter on SEL ef-

Collaboration has been an important prin- forts with young adults in higher-education
20

ciple in the birth, development, and expan- settings and two chapters that focus on the
sion of SEL, and this volume continues this important caregivers of children and youth.
theme. Many chapters stress that collabora- The first of these chapters argues that
©

tive work among various stakeholders is nec- school–family–community partnerships are

essary to construct and implement programs essential for supporting SEL. The second
that are well suited for their intended popu- presents a framework of SECs for educators
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lations, and how collaboration is necessary and explains how these skills and behaviors
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to effect systemic change in educational and impact student SEL.

mental health institutions. The planning Section editors Christina Cipriano and
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and execution of this volume reflected the Michael J. Strambler introduce Part III,
theme of collaboration. For example, before which focuses on the general issue of equi-
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working with our publisher, we shared our ty. Chapters in this section cover discipline
initial outline for this Handbook with lead- practices, culturally sensitive assessment
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ing figures in the field and tried to incorpo- practices, and supportive school climate.
rate their useful suggestions to strengthen its These chapters illustrate how different strat-
overall contents. We discussed who is doing egies can be used to create conditions that
relevant work and strived for more diversity increase the likelihood that all children can
of perspectives on authorship teams. We maximize their potential. The next section,
also asked several authors who had not pre- Part IV, introduced by section editors Laura
viously worked together to collaborate on S. Hamilton and Harrison J. Kell, is devoted
the writing of several chapters. to expanding contexts and applications of
This second edition of the Handbook has SEL. The chapters in this large section con-
a new structure. We decided to organize centrate on topics such as integrating SEL
chapters into six major parts. Each one is into academic instruction, civic learning and
14 Foundations

community engagement, MTSS and posi- tience, and support of Craig Thomas, Senior
tive behavioral interventions and supports Editor at The Guilford Press, and the work
(PBIS) interventions, the importance of SEL of all the Guilford staff members who as-
with respect to trauma and mental health, sisted in bringing this volume to completion.
school district-level programming, SEL pro- No work is perfect, but we hope its contents
grams in after-school and other community will spur advances in SEL theory, research,
settings, the importance of SEL in the work- practice, and policy.
place, and the application of technology to
SEL interventions.
Kimberly A. Schonert-Reichl, Summer S. REFERENCES
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  The Current Status of SEL 15

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