Social-emotional learning programs have now been in schools for several years, and in many cases, even longer. They aim to teach kids how to regulate their emotions, empathize with peers, make responsible decisions, and build other life skills. A little more than half of the states have adopted standards for the use of SEL in K-12. But in many places, parents and community members have pushed back against the integration of SEL into district curricula, citing concerns that the programs have a liberal political agenda. Even so, growing concerns about students鈥� declining social skills due to the overuse of cellphones and social media are prompting many schools to use SEL programs to address those concerns.
Join us to:
鈥� Get insights from leading experts on the continued use and expansion of SEL programs in K-12 schools
鈥� Discover which SEL strategies are working best and which are not working
鈥� Find out which SEL skills need the most attention at this moment in time
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Event Agenda
2:00pm ET
Welcome & Introduction
We鈥檒l highlight key insights from recent reporting on social-emotional learning.
Kevin Bushweller oversees coverage of educational technology and learning environments for Education Week.
2:10pm ET
Interactive Session: What Educators Really Think About SEL
Participants will hear a mix of perspectives about SEL from teachers, principals, and district leaders. They will then be asked to react to those perspectives, and we will share the reactions with the audience.
Kevin Bushweller oversees coverage of educational technology and learning environments for Education Week.
2:20pm ET
Industry Perspective: Online, Offline, and Beyond: Skill-Building Strategies for Digital Well-Being
Sponsor content provided by Second Step (Committee for Children)
Discover how policy and practice can provide strong life skills that give students the tools they need to competently navigate the digital world. In this session, we鈥檒l explore how these tools work as a necessary extension to promote student mental well-being when they are online, offline, and in the classroom.
Discover how policy and practice can provide strong life skills that give students the tools they need to competently navigate the digital world. In this session, we鈥檒l explore how these tools work as a necessary extension to promote student mental well-being when they are online, offline, and in the classroom.
Stefani Kauppila
Director, Curriculum,
Committee for Children
Stefani Kauppila leads the team responsible for the vision and strategy behind Committee for Children鈥檚 innovative social-emotional learning (SEL) programs. She was drawn to Committee for Children鈥檚 research-based approach and its vision of safe children thriving in a just and peaceful world. She previously worked as an elementary and middle school teacher before developing web-based mathematics curricula at DreamBox Learning. It was there that she discovered a talent for designing learning experiences in technological environments and a passion for leading teams and forming partnerships with educators and families.
2:30pm ET
Panel Discussion: What Works, What Doesn鈥檛, and a Look Ahead
The emphasis on teaching social-emotional learning continues to expand across K-12 schools, especially at the high school level. Eighty-three percent of principals reported in 2024 that their schools use an SEL curriculum or program, up from 73 percent in the 2021-22 school year, according to a nationally representative survey by RAND and the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. But critics say its inclusion in the curriculum de-emphasizes academic learning and often promotes a politically liberal agenda that does not align with the beliefs of many parents and educators. During this session, experts and educators will discuss the SEL approaches that work best, and those that don鈥檛, and predict how SEL programs might change in the years ahead.
Alyson Klein is an assistant editor for Education Week.
Rosie Rodriguez
School Counselor,
Chester E. Jordan Elementary School, TX
Rosie Rodriguez is an elementary school counselor at Chester E. Jordan Elementary School in El Paso, Texas. Prior to beginning her career as a school counselor in 2013, she was a fourth-grade teacher in the Socorro Independent School District since 2005. Rodriguez earned her undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, with a concentration in Elementary Education, from the University of Texas at El Paso and her master鈥檚 degree in School Counseling from Sul Ross State University. Throughout her career she has presented at professional school counseling conferences at the district, state, and national levels. Rodriguez has earned multiple school counseling awards including one Bronze, two Silver, and one Gold award from The Lone Star State School Counselor Association (LSSSCA). Most recently, Rodriguez was awarded the Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) Award for her comprehensive school counseling program during the 2020-2021school year.
Trish Shaffer
Director, Multi-Tiered System of Supports,
Washoe County School District, NV
Trish Shaffer is a dynamic and passionate educational leader who champions the belief that every individual has the potential to excel and deserves to be celebrated for all they bring to the world. With extensive experience in both special and general education, spanning from pre-kindergarten to university levels, Trish is dedicated to helping students and adults not just succeed, but truly thrive.
Currently, Trish oversees the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Restorative Practices, and Behavioral Health and Management for the Washoe County School District (WCSD) in Northern Nevada. Her 鈥渂oots on the ground鈥� experience is complemented by her role as a consultant and technical advisor for numerous schools and districts.
Currently, Trish oversees the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Restorative Practices, and Behavioral Health and Management for the Washoe County School District (WCSD) in Northern Nevada. Her 鈥渂oots on the ground鈥� experience is complemented by her role as a consultant and technical advisor for numerous schools and districts.
3:15pm ET
Industry Perspective
Sponsor content provided by NASP - National Archery in the 69传媒 Program
More details coming soon.
More details coming soon.
3:25pm ET
Panel Discussion: Building Independent Thinkers Who Can Manage Their Emotions
Being able to manage emotions, behavior, and attention are skills that humans acquire and develop over time, and the early elementary period is the prime time for learning and practicing these skills. But elementary educators are noticing that older elementary students鈥攖hose in grades 3-5鈥攁re still struggling to develop those skills. That puts them at a disadvantage when they move on to secondary school and could explain why a good number of teachers and principals in middle and high school report that their students are struggling to direct their own learning, advocate for themselves, and take responsibility for their education. We will explore what steps elementary schools can take to help students learn to regulate their emotions and what secondary schools can do to help students become more independent thinkers and decision makers.
Lauraine Langreo is an Education Week staff writer, covering education technology and learning environments.
David Adams
Chief Executive Officer,
Urban Assembly
David Adams is the Chief Executive Officer of the Urban Assembly, a nonprofit school support organization that focuses on social-emotional learning. He started with the UA in 2014 as the Director of Social-Emotional Learning, where he created the Resilient Scholars Program (RSP), an approach to integrating SEL into curriculum and classroom practices across the UA network. RSP has grown into a national program, serving schools and districts in Los Angeles, Houston, Syracuse, and other cities. He also led the expansion of the organization into a model provider of school support, with an emphasis on innovation and equity in public education. In 2022, David was named one of Crain鈥檚 40 Under 40 honorees and in 2021 he received the Champion of Equity Award from the American Consortium for Equity in Education. David sits on the board of CASEL and is an author of The Educator鈥檚 Practical Guide to Emotional Intelligence, and a co-author of the textbook Challenges to Integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs in Organizations. He is a Civil Affairs Officer in the Army Reserve and holds an M.Ed in Educational Psychology from Fordham University.
3:55pm ET
Interactive Session: SEL Impact on Academic Achievement and 鈥楽oft Skills鈥�
This session will address key questions about the impact of SEL on student academic outcomes; on so-called 鈥渟oft skills,鈥� such as the ability to collaborate, communicate, be creative, and think critically; and the major challenges educators face when it comes to the use of social-emotional learning efforts. Participants will be asked to respond to a series of questions related to survey data of teachers, principals, and district leaders from the EdWeek Research Center about SEL programs in K-12 schools.
Lauraine Langreo is an Education Week staff writer, covering education technology and learning environments.
4:05pm ET
Closing Thoughts
We will review key takeaways from the forum.
Kevin Bushweller oversees coverage of educational technology and learning environments for Education Week.