Social and Emotional Learning
The phrase "emotional intelligence" has been around for almost a decade now. It is used in discussions of business administration, comparative religion, philosophy and even athletics. But perhaps it's most important relevance is within the field of education.
Daniel Goleman is credited with putting the phrase in our vocabulary with his popular book of the same title published in 1995. He noted that IQ appeared to be the standard by which success was measured. He suggested a view with more breadth as well as depth.
For educators, emotional intelligence (EI) has taken the form of "social and emotional learning" (SEL). A quick google search on this phrase will yield over 94,000 references. In essence, the SEL curriculum encourages students to master social and emotional skills along with the typical skills of math and reading.
Goleman notes that the state of Illinois has established SEL skills for every grade from kindergarten through high school:
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"To give just one example of a remarkably detailed and comprehensive curriculum, in the early elementary years students should learn to recognize and accurately label their emotions and how they lead them to act. By the late elementary years lessons in empathy should make children able to identify the nonverbal clues to how someone else feels; in junior high they should be able to analyze what creates stress for them or what motivates their best performance. And in high school the SEL skills include listening and talking in ways that resolve conflicts instead of escalating them and negotiating for win-win solutions."
One of the surprises noted by many schools is that after implementing their SEL program for one target like bullying or drug-prevention, they realized a measurable improvement in student behavior and academic performance.
Roger Wissberg directs the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He recently completed an analysis of 668 SEL studies. PDF files detailing the results of the study can be found at the website.
In brief, their work showed the following:
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"The data show that SEL programs yielded a strong benefit in academic accomplishment, as demonstrated in achievement test results and grade-point averages. In participating schools, up to 50 percent of children showed improved achievement scores and up to 38 percent improved their grade-point averages. SEL programs also made schools safer: incidents of misbehavior dropped by an average of 28 percent; suspensions by 44 percent; and other disciplinary actions by 27 percent. At the same time, attendance rates rose, while 63 percent of students demonstrated significantly more positive behavior. In the world of social science research, these remarkable results for any program promoting behavioral change, SEL had delivered on its promise."
Our December Newsletter ( Doing Good to Do Well ) was about the success of volunteerism in schools. The feedback from subscribers was overwhelming and heartening. Schools looking for ideas on how to get students and student organizations involved with local volunteering opportunities should look at VolunteerMatch. This website consists of a searchable database of ideas. Simply input your zip code and, using the "advanced search," limit your search to opportunities for "teens" or "kids." The results might surprise you.
The Advantage Press, Inc. publishes a number of behavior packets that can help students assess their own social and emotional problems. You are welcome to try our free samples.
The Advantage Press is pleased to make available a new program designed to easily fit within the school week and provide all students with the tools necessary to make better eating choices. Healthy Food of the Week is a nutrition program designed by Blue Ribbon Award Winning PE Educators. It has been tried and tested in a number of diverse schools. It encourages students, parents and the school community to make healthy food choices a part of their daily routine.
This newsletter is freely distributable.