The
Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization, is credited with over two decades of work developing and implementing social and emotional learning theory into practice through school structures and systems. CASEL defines social and emotional learning (SEL) as a “process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.” The social and emotional learning framework includes 5 core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. Schools that implement the SEL framework design curricular materials and instructional goals around students’ development in these 5 areas.