Standards and Policies» Introduction

Standards and policies at the state or district level provide extremely important supports to schools’ SEL efforts. When desired student social and emotional competencies are described in the form of student learning standards, schools are given an enormous boost in legitimacy and focus for their SEL work. Standards help to ensure that all students have the opportunity to develop the core skills of a socially and emotionally capable person. SEL standards provide a clear framework with uniform goals for every child, but also allow schools the flexibility of utilizing a variety of different programs, practices, and strategies to attain these goals.

A number of states, provinces, and districts have developed SEL-related student learning standards, benchmarks, and policies. Standards have been developed as both distinct content areas and as sub-sections of health, language arts, career education, or other subjects.

In this section you will find:

• A description of CASEL’s work to develop and promote SEL standards and policies
• Descriptions and links to SEL-related learning standards and benchmarks in different states, provinces, and districts