News: Social Skills Instruction

Why School Shootings are Extreme SEL Events at the Far End of the Social-Emotional Learning Continuum

This Blog emphasizes that school shootings are extreme events at the far end of the social-emotional learning continuum that often occur due to a combination of incomplete preventative practices and i...

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Reconceptualizing Professional Development for the Coming School Year

Many school improvement initiatives fail because of their approach to professional development. This Blog describes the three interdependent goals and components of effective professional development,...

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Schools Must Use Effective Practices to Screen and then Validate Students’ Mental Health Status (Part I)

In the face of schools training teachers to screen and recognize the "early warning" indicators of students' social-emotional and mental health problems, this Blog discusses the ten necessary screenin...

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Fitting Social Skills Instruction into the School Day: Necessity, Priority, Fidelity, and the Secondary School Advisory Period

To address students' current social skills gaps, this Blog described the characteristics of effective social skills programs; when and how classroom teachers can schedule and teach the social skills c...

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The SEL Secret to Success: You Need to “Stop & Think” and “Make Good Choices”

After describing Counselors' perspectives on the most pressing social, emotional, or behavioral student, staff, and school needs, this Blog describes the SEL outcomes when students are taught emotiona...

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(Pandemic-Related?) Behavioral Challenges and Student Violence in Our Schools Today

Given the increasing number of social, emotional, and behavioral challenges exhibited by students in schools across the country this school year, this Blog encourages schools to avoid “crisis-oriented...

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