OAR 584-420-0700: Social and Emotional Learning Specialization: Program Standards

(1) Purpose of the Program: Candidates who are prepared with the Social and Emotional Learning Specialization will demonstrate knowledge, skills, professional dispositions and cultural competencies necessary to promote and assess SEL among students and teachers in K-12 settings as articulated by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). The standards below were created for the SEL specialty and are based on the four focus areas articulated by CASEL in the “Guide to Schoolwide SEL” that is designed to support schools and districts in their implementation and assessment of SEL implementation. (2) Standard 1: Foundational knowledge in Social and Emotional Development. Standard 1 is based on the CASEL Schoolwide SEL Guide Focus Area 1: The SEL Teacher understands and applies theories of social and emotional development to their practice. The candidate demonstrates the ability to: (a) Identify and apply various theoretical frameworks from psychology, sociology, and neuroscience to social and emotional development in school contexts; (b) Know the five dimensions of SEL as articulated by the Collaborative for Social, Emotional, and Academic Learning (CASEL) and can identify them in students during multiple developmental periods; (c) Understand the importance of student cultural and academic identity development and how development of social and emotional competencies will vary depending on the individual student’s background and experiences; (d) Understand that systemic, institutional, and individual socio-cultural and historical forces affect impacting social and emotional development (e) Describe how SEL can play a role in promoting equity and inclusion in schools; (f) Describe how SEL can promote trauma informed teaching; (g) Describe the ramifications to consistently marginalized groups if SEL is implemented without equity in mind and identify problematic practices in SEL; and (h) Understand the importance of teacher’s own social and emotional competencies in their ability to implement SEL in their learning environments. (3) Standard 2: Educator Social and Emotional Competencies. Standard 2 is based on CASEL Schoolwide SEL Guide Focus Area 2: The SEL Teacher knows and uses their own social and emotional competencies to facilitate their ability to support students’ social and emotional development and create the appropriate climate to facilitate social and emotional development in schools and classrooms. The candidate demonstrates the ability to: (a) Demonstrates knowledge of their own social and emotional competencies and models these in educational settings; (b) Demonstrates knowledge of their own culture and how that might impact their interaction with students and colleagues; (c) Understands their personal triggers and has a variety of coping strategies to manage their emotions and stress in an educational setting; and (d) Creates a personal wellbeing plan to promote their own resilience and well-being as an educator. (4) Standard 3: SEL Programming. Standard 3 is based on CASEL Schoolwide SEL Guide Focus Area 3: The SEL Teacher knows, understands and uses evidence-based practices and strategies related to creating positive classroom climate and developing social and emotional competencies and is familiar with a variety of universal, evidence-based SEL programs for students and teachers. They are familiar with the roll of SEL in the promotion of equity in schools and how it relates to other common approaches for cultivating students’ wellbeing in schools. The candidate demonstrates the ability to : (a) Understands how to create classroom and school environments that support social and emotional development with evidence based programming; (b) Understands the intersection between SEL and other common approaches for promoting student wellbeing such as character development, culturally response teaching, mindfulness, restorative justice, culturally sensitive and trauma-informed teaching; (c) Describe and identify the features of efficacious SEL programs in K-12 contexts; (d) Is familiar with a variety of evidence-based SEL programs in K-12; (e) Uses understanding of individual differences and diverse culture and communities to ensure SEL is accessible to all students; (f) Utilizes instructional strategies that promote social and emotional competencies; (g) Implements developmentally appropriate SEL skill instruction; and (h) Collaborates with teachers to support SEL instruction and the development of a warm and welcoming classroom environments. (5) Standard 4 : Assessment in SEL. Standard 4 is based on CASEL Schoolwide SEL Guide Focus Area 4: The SEL Teacher knows, understands, and can use a continuous improvement cycle to monitor the impact of SEL programming on students, teachers and schools. The candidate demonstrates the ability to: (a) Identify the nine indicators of effective schoolwide SEL as outlined by CASEL; (b) Collaborates with an educator to assess student social and emotional competencies; (c) Knows how to evaluate social and emotional competencies using a variety of assessment tools; (d) Can make the case for SEL to a variety of stake holders in educational settings such as students, families, teachers, administrators and district leaders; (e) Describe the current state and federal policies surrounding the development and implementation of SEL interventions; (f) Utilize CASEL’s online School Guide to support teachers and schools implement SEL in their settings; and (g) Understand and apply the process of program evaluation and apply it in an educational context to a Tier 1 SEL program including the measurement of constructs such as emotion regulation, executive function, prosociality, belongingness, school climate, and growth mindset.