Understanding the Impact of SEL on Equity in Education: Crisis Leadership
The National Equity Project (NEP) is looking at social and emotional learning (SEL) in relations to K12 education. Cultural analysis of SEL is to assess whether programs “adequately reflect, cultivate, and leverage cultural assets and promote the well-being of Black, Indigenous, Youth of Color (BIPOC) and those from under-resourced backgrounds.” Equity means that each child receives what he or she needs to develop to his or her full academic and social potential” According to the NEP.
This particular Social Emotional Learning (SEL) study notes that most frameworks do not reflect the worldviews of students and families In many school practices, culturally responsive practices can work to change the school culture or climate to make it more welcoming to students of all backgrounds. Positive culture and climate will be driven by adults and will address the overall needs of students by building better relationships. An example of this integration is aligning SEL across the school, the community, and the families. This will reduce the mismatch for students and helps recognize diverse adults as well as children. Schools are working in K12 organizations and are dealing with unpredictable events, this is crisis leadership so how are we supporting the people that we lead?
“Trauma-informed care is defined as practices that promote a culture of safety, empowerment, and healing. A medical office or hospital can be a terrifying experience for someone who has experienced trauma. Monique Tello, MD MPH
How Are you Identifying the needs of your teams?
According to the University at Buffalo Center for Social Research; schools must promote healing and recovery rather than practices and services that may re-traumatize students. The road to Trauma-Informed Care works towards:
What is trauma Informed Care? University at Buffalo School of Social Work
Making sure the administration has a commitment to integrating a trauma-informed culture
Working to provide an introductory training to teachers and staff.
Identify and establish an internal trauma team that meets regularly to support students
Access to any and all potential providers, planning, and evaluation services (consider wrap-around services), and partnerships
Consider policies and procedures that may retraumatize students
Consider Screening and assessment for everyone.
Trauma-informed practice is defined as “any experience in which a person’s internal resources are not adequate to cope with external stressors”. This could be things such as personal experiences in the home or cultural stressors in the students’ neighborhood or family history. Realizing the symptoms of trauma can help create potential paths for recovery and empowerment and integrating this knowledge into policies can help resist re-traumatization of students.
How do we acknowledge all of our students?
Recommendations for the SEL workgroup include highlighting the importance of context and culture in materials taught to ensure issues students may have with learning are fairly presented. Think about including and connecting various framework indicators to encourage reflective practice and build on the assets of individual students. The SEL indicators should also not give privilege to the dominant culture. Teachers should observe all backgrounds, decreasing the focus on the white middle-class system. The recommendations finally want to acknowledge that the pace of SEL development will be variable.
What are you doing to improve S.E.L. at your school? When working in schools there are many barriers that are put in place for BIPOC students. So, what are you doing to minimize those barriers so they can thrive?
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Source:
Monique Tello, M. D. (2018, October 16). Trauma-informed care: What it is, and why it's important. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/trauma-informed-care-what-it-is-and-why-its-important-2018101613562.
Petrokubi, J., Bates, L., & Malinis, C. (2019, February). SEL and Equity: Current Issues and Considerations. Education Northwest.
Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. https://www.k12.wa.us/student-success/resources-subject-area/social-emotional-learning-sel
What is Trauma-Informed Care? University at Buffalo School of Social Work - University at Buffalo. (2020, May 1). http://socialwork.buffalo.edu/social-research/institutes-centers/institute-on-trauma-and-trauma-informed-care/what-is-trauma-informed-care.html.