Welcome to the LACOE TSEL Resource Page
Our goal here is to provide you with opportunities to build your own understanding of the scope of social and emotional learning (SEL) and how to best implement a Transformative SEL (TSEL) program in your local context. We understand that implementing a TSEL program can seem daunting, especially with seemingly competing initiatives. Our team is here to support you in understanding the connections and integration with work you may already be doing around MTSS, equity, LCAP, and Differentiated Assistance (DA), for example.
There are numerous resources available here to help schools and districts get started. For LACOE TSEL professional development opportunities or more information, check out the resources below or find our contact info on the bottom of this page.
LACOE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFERINGS
Custom Trainings
We have a variety of trainings and workshops to support your needs, including, but not limited to:
- Transformative SEL 101
- Adult SEL 101
- School Implementation
- Adopting an SEL Curriculum
- Systems Evaluation (Strengths and Needs)
- Building Capacity and Buy-In
- Creating a Vision Statement
- Family and Community Engagement
- SEL and Mental Health Within the Tiers of Support
- The Role of Support Staff in Creating Safe, Connected Schools
- TSEL and Counselors
- A Trauma-Informed Approach to Parenting
- Trauma-Informed Practices in Schools
- Educator Wellness: Preventing Burnout and Cultivating Self-Care
- Integrating TSEL & Trauma-Responsive Practices Into Wellspaces
Events
Sign-up for free or low cost events!
RESOURCES
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is a powerful approach to education that equips students with the skills they need to thrive in school, life and their communities. It goes beyond academics, focusing on the development of essential social-emotional competencies.
SEL helps students develop a strong foundation in five key areas:
- Self-Awareness: Understanding their emotions, strenghts and weaknesses.
- Self-Management: Regulating emotions, setting goals and managing stress.
- Social Awareness: Emphatizing with others, understanding social cues and appreciating diversity.
- Relationship Skills: Communicating effectively, building healthy relationships and resolving conflict peacefully.
- Responsible Decision-Making: Making thoughtful choices that consider the impact on themselves and others.
By integrating SEL into the school environment, students learn to:
- Manage emotions constructibely
- Build strong relationships with peers and adults
- Set and achieve goals
- Resolve conflicts peacefully
- Make responsible decisions
- Thrive in a diverse and changing world
Resources
- An Introduction to Social and Emotional Learning
- This one-hour self guidede course builds your capacity in SEL while providing application activities.
- Social and Emotional Learning: An Introduction
- This slide deck introduces SEL to school communities and includes the "what", "why" and "how" of SEL.
Videos
Equity is fundamental to effective SEL. It ensures that all students, regardless of their background, have equal access to and benefit from SEL programs and practices. Here's how equity plays a crucial role:
- Addressing Disparities: SEL can help identify and address the unique social-emotional challenges faced by different student groups, such as students of color, students from low-income families or students with disabilities.
- Culturally Responsive SEL: It's essential to tailor SEL programs to the cultural backgrounds and experiences of students. This includes using culturally relevant materials and teaching strategies.
- Inclusive SEL: SEL should be accessible to all students, including those with special needs. Accommodations and modifications may be necessary to ensure full participation.
- Building Relationships: SEL fosters strong relationships between students and adults, which is essential for creating a sense of belonging and trust, especially for marginalized students.
- Empowering Students: SEL empowers students to develop the skills and confidence to advocate for themselves and their peers, leading to more equitable school environments.
- Addressing Systemic Issues: SEL can help students understand and address systemic issues that contribute to inequity, such as racism, poverty and discrimination.
By prioritizing equity, schools can create SEL programs that not only develop students' social-emotional skills but also contribute to a more just and inclusive learning environment for all.
Resources
- Pursuing SEL Through a Racial Equity Lens: A Call to Action
- This 2018 writing from the Aspen Institute examines the benefits of pursuing equity in SEL and academic development.
Readings
- Equity and SEL
- Toward Transformative Social and Emotional Learning: Using an Equity Lens (Summary Brief)
- Intersection of Developmental Relationships, Equitable Environments, and SEL
- The Readiness Projects' Definition of Robust Equity
- Edutopia Article, "7 Steps Toward Building an Equitable School Culture"
- Spotlighting Transformative SEL in Action
- Identity, Agency, and Belonging as Expressions of SEL
Videos
- This is Equity (6:45)
- Featuring the voices of young people in California, this video frames problems of inequity and structural racism, the importance of listening to students to learn what they need to succeed and the connection between educational equity and a sense of belonging in school.
- Why is Social and Emotional Learning Important for Equity in Education? (2:32)
- How does social and emotional learning factor into educational equity work? In this video, Jameela Conway-Turner, a researcher at AIR offers a description of why SEL is critical to the work of equity and how it can be implemented in service of equity.
- Webinar: Leveraging SEL to Promote Equity (59:04)
- Webinar highlighting district challenges and promising practices, featuring Dr. Rob Jagers' review of research on SEL's connection to equitable outcomes for diverse student populations.
Transformative SEL (TSEL) builds upon the foundations of SEL by adding 3 critical conditions: Relationships & Connections, Shared Power, and Mental Models. TSEL empowers students and adults to not only develop their own social and emotional skills but also to understand the conditions to transform systems.
- 3 Conditions: (Apply SEL skills to them) Relationships & Connections, Shared Power, and Mental Models
- 5 Focal Constructs: (Prioritized within the 3 Conditions) Identity, Belonging, Collaborative Problem-Solving, Agency, and Curiosity
When students and adults build strong SEL skills to support the 3 Conditions, school communities are places where everyone is seen and valued (Identity), feels connection (Belonging), decisions are shaped by everyone (Collaborative Problem-Solving), they learn advocacy skills (Agency) and question the status quo (Curiosity) to create positive change in their communities and the world around them.
Benefits of SEL and TSEL for Schools:
- Improved academic performance
- Reduced disciplinary problems
- Increased student engagement
- Fostering a more positive and inclusive school climate
- Equiopping students for success in life beyond school
Readings
- Transformative Social-Emotional Learning (CASEL)
- Transformative Social-Emotional Learning (CA Department of Education)
Resources
- Kindergarten-Adult Transformative SEL Competencies (CDE)
- Transformative Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies describe the knowledge, skills, dispositions, and capacities that children and young people can develop when the conditions are supportive to their healthy, whole development.
- Transformative SEL Conditions for Thriving (CDE)
- The Conditions for Thriving provide recommended practices and actions that adults across the education system can use to co-create conditions that support T-SEL development.
- T-SEL Readiness and Reflection Prompts (CDE)
- The prompts can be used to assess readiness to use the SEL Competencies and Conditions for Thriving as first steps for integrating the tools into educator and leader planning and practice.
SEL isn't just for students! By fostering self-awareness, stress management, and healthy communication skills, SEL programs can significantly benefit school staff. This translates to a more supportive and collaborative work environment, reduced burnout, and ultimately, increased staff well-being, allowing educators to bring their best selves to their students each day.
Resources / Articles
- Well-Being and Social-Emotional Learning Resource Bank
- This is a document with many linked resources on SEL and mindfulness resources for adults and educators addressing adult SEL competency, programs, practices, and research by the Yale Center for EQ.
- Greater Good in Education (GGIE) Adult Well-Being
- This page on the Greater Good in Education website contains practices for cultivating the social, emotional, and ethical well-being of school staff members.
Tools
- Managing Emotions in Times of Uncertainty and Stress
- This 10 hour asynchronous course to help school staff better manage their emotions and create supportive learning environments for students.
- SEL Self Assessment for Teachers
- This tool from CASEL assists adult staff in reflecting on their social and emotional competencies and to identify areas for growth.
- 12 Strategies for Adult SEL Facilitation
- From the CASEL District Resource Center, this outlines 12 Tools for Adult SEL that can be used in professional development.
- Three Signature SEL Practices Playbook
- This Three Signature SEL Practices Playbook introduces some simple ways to get started with social and emotional learning. It is designed to help users create safe, generous, equity–centered, and productive learning spaces for adults and students.
Resources: Explicit Instruction
- SEL Three Signature Practices Playbook
- These evidence-based practices are detailed for users to integrate into their daily classroom routines or to use when working with adults to build their SEL competence, too.
- CASEL's SEL Program Guide
- The adoption of evidence-based programs is key to providing consistent, high-quality SEL opportunities for all students (pre-kindergarten through high school).
- Guide of 25 SEL Programs
- This 2017 guide from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Wallace Foundation reviews 25 SEL programs.
- SEL Integration Matrix
- A matrix adapted from CASEL identifies how to integrate the five SEL competencies into school-wide, classroom-wide, individual supports.
Funding
- Supporting SEL with Evidence-based Programs
- A 2018 resource from the Annie E. Casey Foundation describes strategies educational leaders and partners have successfully used to fund and sustain SEL program implementation.
Resources: Integrated SEL
- Teaching Activities for Supporting SEL Competencies
- This 2017 document from CASEL supports practitioners in identifying and incorporating the most common strategies used for SEL.
- Greater Good in Education (GGIE) Student Well-Being
- The Greater Good in Education website contains practices for cultivating the social, emotional, and ethical well-being of school students.
Mental Health
- Kooth Free Mental Health Services for Schools
- Kooth empowers schools to address mental health needs of students.
Trauma-Informed Practices Resource
- NCTSN Supporting Trauma-Informed Schools to Keep Students in the Classroom
- This handout outlines evidence-based practices to create safe, inclusive, and supportive school environments. It emphasizes strategies like restorative practices, calm-down spaces, and cultural responsiveness to address trauma and foster resilience. By integrating trauma-informed practices with social-emotional learning (SEL), the handout supports emotional regulation, equity, and stronger connections, improving student well-being and academic engagement.
Resources / Articles
- Bright Life Kids Mental Health Coaching and Resources for Parents with Kids
- Personalized support for California families. Kids ages 0–12 get free, expert coaching for sleep issues, worry, social skills and more. Live, 1:1 video sessions, secure chat, on-demand content and more.
- Soluna Mental Health Coaching and Resources for Teens and Young Adults
- Teens and Young Adults (ages 13-25) can connect with a trained Soluna Coach. Whether you're looking to talk right now or want to schedule ahead, coaches are available for support. No insurance needed, no session limits and absolutely free.
- SEL Parent Resources
- Comprehensive website from Tustin Unified School District to support SEL at home.
- CASEL's Parent Information Page
- Explains the fundamentals of SEL for parents and resources by grade level.
- Parenting Montana: Tools for Your Child's Success
- Website with easy-to-use tools to help support your child’s success from birth through the teen years in an ever changing environment. Topics include: anger, bullying, confidence, discipline, friends, listening, stress, chores, conflict, homework, peer pressure and more.
- Social Skills Parenting Guides
- Videos and articles for parents to support their children PreK-adulthood from NBC.
Videos
- SEL for Parents (8:31, English)
- SEL for Parents (8:50, Spanish)
Resources / Articles
- Analysis: Social-Emotional Learning is Important. But What do all Those SEL Terms, Concepts and Ideas Actually Mean for the Classroom?
- Explore SEL
- Researchers, educators, employers, and parents agree that social and emotional learning (SEL) and non-academic skills matter for success in school and life, but it can be difficult to decide which skills to focus on – let alone how best to promote and measure them.
Why the Assessment?
The assessment can help SEL teams (or school-based leadership teams) determine where the school is in terms of SEL implementation and identify next steps.
How Does it Work?
At the beginning of the scoring process, each person on the team completes the SEL School Implementation Assessment PDF individually. The team then decides a score collectively for each item using a consensus-building process that encourages equity of voice.
What is the Result?
Completing the assessment will help highlight areas of strength and opportunities for growth. These insights will help schools create a customized implementation plan for schoolwide SEL.
Goals
The goal is to support schools as they begin to develop plans for integrating SEL on their campus as a means of supporting CA MTSS, positive school culture, and equitable environments for all students. Here are some logistics to help you make the most of your time together.
How to Facilitate
- SEL Implementation Assessment
- Read through this one-page document that walks you and your team through the process of facilitating the assessment.
Slide Deck
If you would like to complete this assessment independently as a school team, please follow along with the Slide Deck.
District Resources / Articles
- American Institutes for Research (AIR) on SEL
- This robust website provides briefs, toolkits, reports and research on many aspects of SEL implementation.
School Tools
- CASEL School Guide Essentials
- This guide pulls from the vast website of the CASEL school guide and has the very essential tools and templates for systemically planning and implementing school wide SEL.
- School SEL Implementation Rubric
- This rubric comes from the CASEL Schoolwide SEL essentials. It assists school teams in reflecting on the activities, practices, and processes for SEL through an implementation framework.
District Tools
- CASEL District Resource Center
- This is the premier one-stop for school/district systematic implementation of SEL. The district assessment questionnaire is organized around their 10-element framework lots of support information on processes, practices, artifacts and exemplars.
- District SEL Implementation Rubric
- This rubric comes from the CASEL District Resource Center. It assists district leaders in reflecting on the activities, practices and processes for SEL through a framework and using CDI Theory of Action.
- Districtwide SEL Essentials for Superintendents
- A succinct and comprehensive guide based on the work and research of CASEL in school districts across the country.
Guidance
Measurement Tools
- CASEL Online SEL Assessment Guide
- The Assessment Guide provides several resources for practitioners to select and use measures of student SEL, including guidance on how to select an assessment and use student SEL data, a catalog of SEL assessments equipped with filters and bookmarking and real-world accounts of how practitioners are using SEL assessments. Users must register to access it.
- The RAND Assessment Finder
- Web-based tool that provides information about assessments of K-12 students' interpersonal, intrapersonal and higher-order cognitive competencies.
Statewide SEL Organizations
- SEL4CA
- Learn more about bringing culturally responsive social emotional learning and its impact to California schools and communities.
- Greater Good in Education California - SEL Modules
- Each module topic provides context, facilitation tips, activities for individuals or groups, and additional resources for deeper learning
- Module topics are free to any California educator who registers for a free account.
- Once registered, you should be able to see the "California Social-Emotional Learning" drop-down in the gray banner in the upper right-hand corner.
- CalHOPE SEL Learning Hub
- Free SEL resources for California educators made possible by the Department of Healthcare Services through CalHOPE funding.
- California Educators Together Website
- Designed to provide educators, administrators, specialists and state program leads a common space to communicate, share strategies and access resources. Join by creating a free account to add/share your own resources, create your own collections, create/share your own lesson plans or start your own group as you collaborate with peers across the state.
Resources / Articles
- California's Social and Emotional Learning Guiding Principles
- One-page summary of the five California guidelines for social and emotional learning.
- Social and Emotional Learning in California: A Guide to Resources
CONNECT WITH US
Rachelle Touzard, Ph.D., LMFT
Director I
Student Support Services
touzard_rachelle@lacoe.edu
Colleen Ferreira, M.A.Ed.
Project Director I
Transformative Social-Emotional Learning
Student Support Services
ferreira_colleen@lacoe.edu
Kim Faulkner-Camacho, Ed.D., PPSC
Coordinator III
Transformative Social-Emotional Learning
Student Support Services
faulkner_kimberly@lacoe.edu
