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Sign-up to receive the DESE Holistic support and enrichment, SEL, health and safety newsletter and/or information about opportunities to strengthen comprehensive school mental health efforts
This website is an introduction to Social and Emotional Learning in Massachusetts Public Schools. The Department commonly uses the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL's), definition of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL): SEL is the 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…It can help all young people and adults thrive personally and academically, develop and maintain positive relationships, become lifelong learners, and contribute to a more caring, just world. There are a range of other definitions for Social and Emotional Learning that are also viable.
Holistic Supports and Enrichment: Strengthening Social Emotional Competencies, Health & Safety are goals woven throughout the Department's five core strategies and the Commissioner's Our Way Forward 2019 report. Furthermore, Cultivating Safe and Healthy Learning Environments can help facilitate social emotional learning and is included in Commissioner Riley's Fiscal Year 2023 goals .
Several years ago (2016), the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) held a special meeting on Social and Emotional Learning to provide an opportunity for members to hear a number of key ideas, information, and examples from experts in research, policy, and practice, and have the opportunity to discuss the topic of SEL. More recently (September 2022) the Board heard a presentation about supporting students' mental health and wellness , which included discussion with representatives from two districts using Social Emotional Learning (SEL) & Mental Health Grant funding to support promising practices and challenges they continue to face during this school year.
This website includes information about the following topics. For more information about any of these resources, email achievement@mass.gov .
SEL website sections
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Note: To receive periodic information about updates and offerings related to holistic supports & enrichment, including efforts to help strengthen social emotional competencies, health & safety, you can sign up for the DESE newsletter: Holistic support and enrichment, SEL, health and safety.
Resources shared by the Office of Student and Family Support that help foster social emotional, behavioral, and mental health and wellness with students, staff, families, and partners.
Collaborating States Initiative This summary document provides brief highlights of the Department's efforts to support SEL during our initial few years of participation in the CSI and includes next steps.
PreK-K Standards on SEL and Approaches to Play and Learning (APL) These Standards were developed in June 2015 as a collaborative initiative with the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) and the University of Massachusetts/Boston with funding from the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge Grant. The standards bring attention to critical areas of development and learning that positively impact student outcomes and can be used to guide efforts to strengthen curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional development and family engagement.
Guidelines on Implementing SEL Curricula, K–12 — Updated November 2017 This document contains guidelines for schools and districts on how to effectively implement social and emotional learning curricula for students in grades K–12. The information provided relates to leadership, professional development, resource coordination, instructional approaches, policies and protocols, and collaboration with families.
Culturally Responsive Social-Emotional Competency Development The Department is pleased to present the guidance and reflective tools found in this document, focused on the critical intersection between SEL and culturally responsive teaching.
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Grade 1–3 Resources These resources provide evidenced based and developmentally appropriate performance indicators for 1st through 3rd grade students, as well as suggested activities and supportive practices aligned with all twelve Massachusetts PreK–K Standards for Social Emotional Learning, and (currently) one of the standards for Approaches to Play and Learning (APL).
Social and Emotional Learning Indicator System (SELIS) pilot project Since 2020-2021, the Department has been partnering with several districts to pilot the SELIS tool. The tool is a self-report, strength-based assessment of students' core social and emotional (SE) competencies that produces data to help educators support students' identities; leverage students' social and emotional strengths; and plan supports for students' social and emotional competency skill development.
Professional Standards for Teachers The Professional Standards for Teachers (PSTs) are used by educator preparation programs in designing their teacher preparation programs and in preparing their teacher candidates. The 2015 Guidelines for Professional Standards for Teachers include a Social and Emotional Learning Indicator: Employs a variety of strategies to assist students to develop social emotional competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
Educator Effectiveness Teacher and School Administrator Rubrics Revised versions include increased alignment to SEL.
Acceleration Roadmap for the 2021-22 School Year This resource is based on the idea that every student is capable of accessing grade-appropriate work with the right supports and interventions. The Classroom Educator Edition & the Building Leader Edition are organized around three priorities for the fall: fostering a sense of belonging, monitoring student understanding, and ensuring access to grade-appropriate work with the appropriate scaffolds. The roadmap is not a guide to adoption of new programs; it is a guide to supporting daily classroom instruction in the fall, given the diverse needs exacerbated by the pandemic.
Promoting Student Engagement, Learning, Wellbeing and Safety — School Year 2021-2022 (Released Summer 2021) This document is designed for districts to use to continue to engage with students and their families, and to connect students and families with additional supports they may need during remote and hybrid learning. The document compiles excerpts of previously released as well as new Department guidance, resources, and recommendations.
Guidebook for Inclusive Practice and Foundations online courses for Educators and Administrators Created by Massachusetts educators, this Guidebook includes tools for districts, schools, and educators that are aligned to the MA Educator Evaluation Framework and promote evidence-based best practices for inclusion following the principles of Universal Design for Learning, Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, and Social and Emotional Learning.
MTSS Blueprint and related resources Focused on academic, behavior, and SEL
MTSS Academies Supports integration of SEL within Inclusive Instruction / PBIS
MA Tools for Schools This site is a clearinghouse of resources to support sustainable school improvement in Massachusetts. Also, the MA Tools for Schools COVID-19 Resources page contains links to local and national resources for implementing multi-tiered systems of supports during this time, including slides and links mentioned on COVID-19 related webinars.
Integrating Early Childhood Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) through the Pyramid Model in Inclusive Preschool CommunitiesIncludes SEL related PD and resources
My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP) Student planning tool including personal/social growth
Safe and Supportive Schools Framework/Tool, Grants and PD, Commission — integrated approach, including SEL
Leading Educational Access Project Incorporates SEL focus into PD and support
Last Updated: April 12, 2025