Transformative Social and Emotional Learning Overview
In June 2023, the State Board of Education adopted the first Oregon Transformative Social and Emotional (TSEL), Framework and Standards that represent K-12 social and emotional learning expectations for students. Oregon’s Transformative SEL Framework is intended to enact ORS 329.045 and help build capacity for strengthening equity-focused school cultures that support student and adult wellbeing.
According to ORS 329.045: “The board shall require school districts to implement the standards and framework no later than July 1, 2024.”
In response to Senate Bill 5701 Section 304, WestEd partnered with the Oregon Department of Education's Office of Teaching, Learning and Assessment to support the implementation of Oregon’s Transformative Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Standards for schools and districts. Implementation resources resulting from this partnership are available on the
Oregon Transformative Social & Emotional Learning Instructional Frameworks webpage.
Transformative Social-Emotional Learning
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is at the center of how humans learn and thrive. At its core, SEL is about recognizing learning as a social and emotional process. While there are many definitions for SEL, the one most cited in the research is from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (
CASEL):
[SEL is] "an integral part of education and human development. Social emotional learning 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.
Social emotional learning 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. Social emotional learning can help 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, 2022)
Social and Emotional Learning Key Points:
- Social Emotional Learning is not a replacement for mental health care, but mental health is one important component of Social Emotional Learning. ODE believes that mental health is centered within a continuum of care that meets each person's needs for physical and emotional safety, security, social connection, identity, diversity and purpose. Go to the
Integrated Model of Mental Health.
- Co-constructing equitable learning environments means making sure power and privilege related to race are understood as part of social and emotional learning, but is not about shame or blaming anyone because of their identities. The goal is for educators to be able to “address challenges in inequities, including building on students' already-existing cognitive, social, and emotional competencies, addressing injustice and related trauma, mitigating stereotype threat in the classroom, building healthy school culture and climate, and engaging families and communities." (Aspen Institute, 2018)
- Social Emotional Learning works best when educators, students, families, and community members have “trusting and collaborative relationships, rigorous and meaningful curriculum and instruction, and ongoing evaluation." (Jagers, Skoog-Hoffman, Barthelus, and Schlund, 2021)
- Social, emotional, and academic skills are interrelated. Teachers know from experience that a child can't focus on academic skills alone because they aren't learning in a vacuum. Social Emotional Learning supports positive developmental and learning outcomes. When schools, families, and community partners work together to prioritize the social and emotional experiences young people have at school, we can make sure all students have rich opportunities to learn and practice important skills that help them collaborate, solve problems, and succeed in school, college, career and life.
- Social-emotional learning must be embedded throughout the formal education spaces we are responsible for. It can't be an add-on, afterthought, or alternative. That means we build social and emotional skills into the entire learning experience both in targeted and integrated ways.
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Oregon's Transformative Social and Emotional (TSEL) Framework and Standards create a vision that is rooted in equity and that lives into the following definition:
“Transformative Social Emotional Learning is a process whereby young people and adults build strong, respectful, and lasting, relationships that facilitate co-learning to critically examine root causes of inequity, and to develop collaborative solutions that lead to personal, community, and societal well-being” (CASEL, n.d.).
In order for SEL to be transformative, Oregon policies, practices, and approaches will need intentional focus on how to create equitable learning environments that support students’ personal and collective well-being. This entails more than following a curriculum or adding a program, but actually embedding SEL approaches into every content area and school interaction throughout the day.
This includes a shift in systems and a commitment to using:
- Integrated learning opportunities that are modeled, nurtured, and practiced in every context.
- Culturally responsive practices that affirm and honor students’ ways of being, skill development in understanding cultural differences, and honoring students’ unique strengths, perspectives, and contributions.
- Systemic approaches that consider the role and impact of the broader society and the learning environment on students’ behavior and how this impacts the ways students view themselves.
- Social justice approaches that provide students with opportunities to reflect upon and understand the root cause of emotions related to our biases, stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination.
- Student agency and voice (including non-verbal ways to communicate) become valued and necessary parts of the educational process, supporting students to take actions that challenge and change systems.
To fully actualize Transformative SEL in Oregon, there is a shift away from approaches limited to personal responsibility or student participation in a stand-alone curriculum. A Transformative SEL approach focuses on developing the skills to participate, improve, and change institutions and systems in a way that promotes equitable outcomes (Jagers et al., 2019; Westheimer & Kahne, 2004).
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In the short term, Social and Emotional Learning helps us know ourselves, understand the perspectives of others, and make sound personal and social decisions. In the long term, the following results are shown by
research:
- Boost diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts: Social Emotional Learning is a dynamic process that fundamentally transforms how optimal teaching and learning happen, including how both competencies and conditions come together to advance equity. Equity in education and Social Emotional Learning are complimentary priorities that must be mutually reinforcing in Oregon’s classrooms for each to succeed. Learn more through EdTrust.
- Positive social behavior: Students get along better with others with improved social interaction skills and self-knowledge. They gain greater “self-efficacy, confidence, persistence, empathy, connection and commitment to school, and a sense of purpose.” (Weissberg, 2016) When students have positive relationships with peers, family members, and educators, they also perform better in school.
- Prepares students for their future lives and careers: Social and Emotional Learning promotes self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making, in particular—key skills expected when people enter the workforce. Students also gain a sense of purpose and belonging and learning to be civically engaged and culturally responsive. (CASEL, 2022)
- Student academic performance: Social and Emotional Learning is shown to raise students’ achievement scores by an average of 11 percentile points while improving attitudes towards school and increasing their performance in the classroom, including attendance and graduation rates.
- Reduced emotional distress and lower discipline rates: When students are engaged in Social and Emotional Learning, students have better relationships and fewer occurrences of depression, anxiety, stress and social withdrawal. There are also less disruptions and bullying. Studies show that students have less psychological, behavioral, or substance abuse problems in the long term.
- Improves educator well-being: Focusing on adult Social and Emotional Learning supports maintaining stronger relationships with students, more effective classroom management practices, lower levels of job-related anxiety, and less burnout.
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What is Transformative SEL?
Transformative Social Emotional Learning (Transformative SEL) is a process whereby young people and adults build strong, respectful, and lasting, relationships that facilitate co-learning to critically examine root causes of inequity, and to develop collaborative solutions that lead to personal, community, and societal well-being. Transformative SEL builds along the continuum for Social Emotional Learning (SEL) which is a process through which individuals build awareness and skills in managing emotions, setting goals, establishing relationships, and making responsible decisions that support success in school and in life.
Why Implement TSEL?
Oregon’s Transformative SEL Standards help provide a well-rounded education that teaches to the whole child, builds on their strengths, perspectives, and contributions, and guides the interactions and relationships between students and adults. Transformative SEL equips students with the skills needed for college, career, and life. A focus on Transformative SEL enables students and adults to be affirmed in their identities, where they can develop a sense of agency and belonging, engage in collaborative problem-solving, and deepen their curiosity about the kind of society they want to make a reality.
How do I implement TSEL?
Oregon’s Transformative SEL Standards help provide a well-rounded education that teaches to the whole child, builds on their strengths, perspectives, and contributions, and guides the interactions and relationships between students and adults. Transformative SEL equips students with the skills needed for college, career, and life. A focus on Transformative SEL enables students and adults to be affirmed in their identities, where they can develop a sense of agency and belonging, engage in collaborative problem-solving, and deepen their curiosity about the kind of society they want to make a reality.
TSEL Standards
Oregon’s Transformative SEL Standards support schools in ensuring Student Transformative SEL. The five standards were developed by braiding CASEL’s descriptors for each of the five competencies (Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision-Making) with the five transformative SEL focal constructs (Identity, Agency, Belonging, Collaborative Problem-Solving, and Curiosity).
Oregon’s Transformative SEL Standards describe what a person needs to know, understand, and be able to do when it comes to Transformative SEL. Each standard includes 3-4 practices that demonstrate progression towards meeting the standard with more focused knowledge and skill. Each practice also includes a set of four growth indicators organized by Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (Webb, 1997, 1999), providing guidance on what these may look like in action and indicate growth towards the practice and standard. The growth indicators are also intended to help guide adults in making decisions about what learning opportunities are most appropriate for use with individual students and the learning community as they learn, practice, and reflect on how they are making progress towards the standards.
- Identify and reflect upon one’s thoughts, emotions, behaviors, intersectional identity, and capabilities across situations and environments.
- Use management strategies to build personal and collective agency that lead to achieving goals and aspirations.
- Develop social awareness that fosters a sense of belonging and leads to co-constructing equitable, thriving communities and a vibrant society.
- Establish and maintain healthy, supportive relationships and effectively navigate diverse settings in order to collaboratively solve problems.
- Demonstrate curiosity and analysis of oneself and society in order to make caring choices that impact personal, social, and collective well-being across situations and environments.
Implementation Resources
In response to Senate Bill 5701 Section 304, WestEd partnered with the Oregon Department of Education's Office of Teaching, Learning and Assessment to support the implementation of Oregon’s Transformative Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Standards for schools and districts.
Implementation resources resulting from this partnership are available on the
Oregon Transformative Social & Emotional Learning Instructional Frameworks webpage. The Transformative SEL Instructional Frameworks webpage provides professional learning and implementation resources to help educators deepen their understanding for how to integrate the Transformative SEL approach into their practices in districts, schools, and classrooms across Oregon. The resources developed to support the implementation of Transformative Social Emotional Learning include:
- Online professional learning modules in Canvas
- Eight open-access Canvas modules focused on the Transformative SEL Framework & Standards help schools and districts deliver professional learning to educators. Each module is accompanied by a Collaborative LEarning Facilitator Guide to support educators in applying the learning in the Canvas modules
- Online resource hub with professional learning resources
- Teacher guides focused on integrating Transformative SEL in different content areas K–12 (math, science, social science, English language arts, art and health) and a companion lesson spark tool are designed to support teacher planning.
- Transformative SEL implementation guidance for school leaders and district administrators
- Materials for schools and districts to facilitate a 6-hour Transformative SEL workshop for elementary or secondary audiences
- Toolkits to support school and district leaders in communicating about the Transformative SEL Framework & Standards
Oregon’s Transformative SEL Framework and Standards prioritize a systemic approach that focuses on how adults can create the conditions and environments, and integrate practices in content areas to support student SEL. Because of this, there is an intentional move away from traditional programs and/or curriculums. With that in mind, at this time, ODE is not pursuing a formal adoption process and have created the following documents to assist districts in the review and adoption of instructional materials and practices for Transformative SEL instruction:
Transformative Social Emotional Learning is at the center of how humans learn, interact, communicate, and thrive. Transformative Social Emotional Learning is an approach to teaching and learning that can be implemented across contexts
- Integrated through practices that build conditions necessary for students and adults to thrive throughout teaching and learning experiences.
- Integrated through learning opportunities that build collaboration, nurture community, and foster relationships
- Integrated through culturally responsive teaching practices that affirm students’ ways of being
- Integrated through strengths based practices that honor students’ unique strengths, perspectives, and contributions
- Integrated through practices that elevate student agency and voice (including non-verbal ways to communicate) supporting students to take actions that challenge and change systems they want to improve
Transformative Social Emotional Learning is a priority across contexts and content areas.
It is critical to learning, to human connection, and to creating caring, just, inclusive, and healthy schools. The Transformative SEL approach supports adults in building community and facilitating routines and rituals that promote belonging and well-being for all members of the educational ecosystem. In these environments, students have opportunities for reflection, input and feedback about their learning experiences in classrooms and schools that support their sense of agency and affirm their personal, cultural, racial and academic identities.
The following resources support educators in building their knowledge and skills to create the conditions for learning and thriving across contexts and content areas:
- A Roadmap for Improving the Social Emotional Health of Oregon's Students
- Student Success Plans Oregon’s Transformative SEL Standards were created with input from ODE’s Student Success Plan Advisory Groups to improve access and opportunities for students who have been historically underserved in the education system.
- Tribal History/Shared History Learning about tribal nations in Oregon is important for all students. Lesson plans in grades 4th, 8th, and 10th grade are informed by the Essential Understandings and aligned to state standards to fully leverage the strengths, assets, and contributions our Native American students bring to their communities.
- Student Learning Goals for SEL and Engagement As outlined in the Oregon Framework for Teacher and Administrator Evaluation and Support Systems educator evaluations are required to take into account data gathered from multiple measures: professional practice, professional responsibilities, and goals that impact student learning and growth. This companion document provides additional guidance regarding setting and measuring Student Learning and Growth (SLG) Goals for social emotional learning and engagement.
- Integrated Model of Mental Health ODE’s Integrated Model of Mental Health helps to guide the agency’s work of health promotion and illness prevention, and provides a framework for supporting Oregon students, families, and school staff.
- Mental Health Webpage ODE has a number of mental and behavioral health initiatives that focus on the prevention, intervention and response to the mental health needs of school communities.
- Oregon Classroom WISE: Mental Health Literacy for All Oregonians Oregon Classroom WISE is a suite of resources including free, online, self-guided modules for adults and youth interested in strengthening mental health and well-being.
- Oregon's Early Learning and Kindergarten Guidelines The Early Learning and Kindergarten Guidelines include a continuum of development and learning in five domains: approaches to learning, social-emotional development, language and communication, literacy, and mathematics.
- Comprehensive School Counseling Comprehensive school counseling programs are strategically designed and delivered to be broad in scope, preventative in design, and developmental in nature based on academic, college and career readiness and social-emotional learning student standards.