Social and Emotional Learning

What is SEL? 

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. In APS Pre-K, elementary, and middle schools, the Second Step curriculum is used to teach students skills that strengthen their ability to learn, have empathy, manage emotions, and solve problems. Every day, teachers teach, model, and reinforce SEL skills through Second Step strategies. 

Learn more about SEL as a national movement and how Atlanta is participating. 

Through a comprehensive focus on SEL, Atlanta Public Schools is committed to the social, emotional, and academic development of students by connecting "hearts and smarts" as part of a systemic whole child framework.  APS also recognizes that building the capacity of adults to model SEL skills is at the core of teacher and leader excellence. APS uses the CASEL framework to inform its SEL programming in alignment with the district's strategic plan.  

CASEL defines SEL as 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 (CASEL, 2020).  

SEL advances educational equity and excellence through authentic school-family-community partnerships to establish learning environments and experiences that feature trusting and collaborative relationships, rigorous and meaningful curriculum and instruction, and ongoing evaluation. SEL can help to address various forms of inequity and empower young people and adults to co-create thriving schools and contribute to safe, healthy, and just communities (CASEL 2020).  

Research has found that students who participate in SEL programming make gains in multiple areas including pro-social behavior, attitudes about themselves and others, standardized achievement scores and social emotional skills. These same students also showed a reduction in problem behaviors and emotional distress. (Child Development, 82 (1), 405-432) 

Our "WHY" 

The vision of the SEL Department in Atlanta Public Schools is to have safe, supportive, inclusive, restorative, and equitable learning/work environments where identities are honored, relationships are paramount, the community is welcomed, and well-being is prioritized. 

In order to achieve this vision, we will focus on: 

• Adult SEL Capacity Building  
• Common Language and SEL Standards 
• Explicit SEL Curriculum Beginning in Pre-K to 12th Grade 
• Academic Integration  
• Inclusive, Restorative, and Equitable Learning/Work Environments 
• Emotional Wellness for Students and Staff 
• Family, Home, and Community Connection 

Learn more about SEL at APS

What is the BASC-3 BESS Screener? 

Atlanta Public Schools is committed to creating a culture of student support, and supporting the needs of the whole child. One way we are addressing the whole child is by identifying student strengths and areas for growth relative to social, emotional, and behavioral well-being. In our continuing efforts to support the well-being of all students, we will administer a universal screener of social, emotional & behavioral health. The universal screener that was chosen by the District to help identify student strengths and areas for growth is the BASC-3 Behavior and Emotional Screening Scale (BASC-3 BESS). 

APS & SPARK are committed to creating a culture of student support and a focus on the whole child.  Our school will be administering a universal screener of social, emotional & behavioral health. The assessment has 3 components:  a brief rating scale completed by the homeroom teacher, a parent rating scale, as well as a self-rating scale for students ages 8 and above.   

Together, this information helps us to understand the needs of all students, and to make effective plans to support those needs at the school, class, and individual levels. The screener will be administered at SPARK during the Fall semester.  

What Interventions are in place? 

• Regular counseling classroom instruction centered around the Social Emotional Learning Competencies  

• Daily SEL lesson plans delivered by the classroom teacher  

• Psychoeducational small groups w/ counselor & social worker 

• Self-Esteem  

• Executive Functioning 

• Anxiety 

• Self-Regulation 

• Brief Individual Counseling Interventions 

• Morning Check-Ins 

School Counselor 

The school counselor works with students, teachers, administrators and families to help remove any barriers students may have to being successful in school. The program consists of a variety of services and activities. The school counselor works with students, teachers, administrators, and families to help remove any barriers students may have to being successful in school. The program consists of a variety of services and activities: 

• Individual Counseling 

• Small Group Counseling 

• Classroom Guidance 

• Parent Consultation 

• Teacher Consultation 

• Referral to Community Agencies 

SEL Book of the Month 

Each month, classes focus on a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) competency and theme. Teachers select a student of the month that has best represented the SEL competency, and the selected students are celebrated at a ceremony. The SEL competencies by month are: 

• August: Relationship Skills 

• September: Self Awareness 

• October: Social Awareness 

• November: Social Awareness 

• December: Responsible Decision Making 

• January: Self-Management 

• February: Responsible Decision Making 

• March: Self-Management 

• April: Self-Awareness 

• May: Relationship Skills