Smart List: 50 Organizations, Schools, Networks and Resources Improving SEL

As we come to the end of our October theme of physical and emotional school safety and social and emotional learning (SEL), we’ve been struck by just how many great resources and organizations we’ve worked with and heard about. It’s enough to feel a bit overwhelmed.

That’s why, to close out the month, we’ve compiled the following list of schools and districts doing good work on SEL, organizations developing effective new strategies and PD, organizations advocating for SEL and resources for teachers and EdLeaders.

We know there are a lot of organizations and people doing great work that we missed, but we hope this will get the ball rolling–please feel free to leave a comment with any additional resources you think are worth checking out!

Organizations Developing and Advocating for Effective New SEL Strategies

• ASCD Whole Child Initiative: Working to re-define SEL as an opportunity to promote the long-term development and success of all children.
• CASEL: Leading researcher and advocate of high-quality SEL programs.
• Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (Stanford University): Facilitates collaborations across academia, policy, industry, civil society and government.
• Character Lab: Develops “playbooks” to help students develop character strengths.
• MindUp Program (Hawn Foundation): A 15-lesson program for Pre-K-8th-grade students.
• National Commission on Social, Emotional and Academic Development (Aspen Institute): Exploring how schools can fully integrate social, emotional, and academic development to support the whole student.
• Panorama Ed: Measuring SEL to inform and support teachers.
• Project for Education that Scales: Creates research-based growth mindset interventions and lesson plans.
• Ripple Effects: Provides digital tools for delivery of social-emotional-behavioral supports and training for both students and staff.
• RTI Action Network: Provides a multi-tiered approach to help struggling learners.
• The SEL School: Center on Great Teachers and Leaders: Works on policy and practice to ensure that social and emotional learning is integrated into existing educator effectiveness reforms.
• Scholar Centric: Employs a “research-validated predictive assessment that identifies which students are at risk and why.”
• Second Step: Gives teachers an easy-to-implement way to teach SEL.
• Six Seconds: The Emotional Intelligence Network: Research and practice organization that supports educators who wish to make SEL part of their school environment.
• Social, Emotional and Character Development Lab (Rutgers University): Undertaking research into SEL and providing teachers and leaders with certifications.
• Start Empathy (an initiative of Ashoka): A network of social entrepreneurs and other changemakers driving a movement to make empathy a priority skill for all children.
• Turnaround for Children: Builds awareness and create evidence-based tools that work in high-risk settings.
• WINGS for Kids: equipping at-risk kids with SEL skills to help them “succeed in school, stay in school, and thrive in life”.

Teacher Resources for Addressing and Understanding SEL

• Class Dojo: Digital classroom management tool with a focus on student behavior and parent communication.
• The Flexible SEL Classroom: A great new book with actionable resources from one of Getting Smart’s Teacher Bloggers.
• Mindset Works: Blended learning program for students in grades 4-9 with a focus on growth mindset.
• Myths of the culture of poverty: Publication on understanding the inequities of poverty.
• Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports: Supports schools, districts, and states to build systems capacity for implementing.
• The power of believing that you can improve: Inspiration from Carol Dweck on supporting teachers to use a growth versus a ‘fixed’ mindset with students.
• The Power of Positive Regard: Publication on the importance of adults recognizing and affirming young people (in a similar vein, see our recent post on positivity ratios).
• Thriving Learning Communities & Happify: A program from Mayerson Academy that applies the science of character strengths to the practice of teaching and learning.
• Trauma-Informed Practices Benefit All Students: Some strategies from Edutopia that can help kids build coping skills and self-efficacy.
• The Wallace Foundation: Research-based publications on SEL for teachers, principals and superintendents.
• Wise Skills: Interdisciplinary, teacher-friendly approach to character education and social-emotional learning.
• Zoo U: Game in which students work together to care for a variety of animals to nurture compassion, encourage friendship and build confidence.

School Networks and Districts With an Effective Approach to SEL

• Big Picture Learning: Strong emphasis on mentorship and real-world internships.
• CASEL (see above), who’s partner districts include: Anchorage, Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Cleveland, El Paso, Nashville, Oakland, Sacramento and Washoe County, Nevada.
• EL Education: Every day starts with “Crew,” a great advisory program.
• Evanston/Skokie School District 65. Our interview with Superintendent Paul Goren has some great insights into their approach and commitment to SEL.
• Fresno Unified School District: Has set a five-year goal that “all students will demonstrate the character and competencies for workplace success.”
• Fusion Academy: Fusion was born out of a “passionate belief in the power of positive relationships to unlock academic potential.”
• Gestalt Community Schools: Works to make every student “community-ready” by including service learning in their curriculum (see a profile on them by Christensen Institute).
• Kettle Moraine School District: Learn more about their SEL program in our podcast with KMSD Superintendent Pat DeKlotz.
• KIPP: Has an impressive commitment to a well-developed character program.
• New Tech Network: In New Tech’s brand of PBL, every project includes agency and collaboration components.
• Tacoma Public Schools: Has an impressive, research-driven approach to whole child development (see our article on their work).
• Thrive Public Schools: Has a strong focus on developing college-prepared, career-inspired and community-minded students (see our feature on Thrive).

We’d like to give a special thanks to ASCD and Debbie Zacarian, Lourdes Alvarez-Ortiz and Judie Haynes, authors of Teaching to Strengths: Supporting Students Living with Trauma, Violence, and Chronic Stress, for contributing ideas to this list.

We’re sure we missed some great resources. What would you add? Share in the comments section below, and don’t forget to check out our other recent Smart Lists at our Smart List Series Page.

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