Supporting Emotional Learning Act

Summary: Supporting Emotional Learning Act Amends the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 to require:    the National Center for Education Research to carry out research regarding the impact of social and emotional education; the Commissioner for Education Research to support research into social and emotional skills and habits; and comprehensive centers to provide training, professional development, and technical assistance regarding the use of scientifically valid teaching methods and assessment tools in imparting social and emotional life learning.  Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require highly qualified teachers to have preparation in the understanding, use, and development of social and emotional learning programming. Defines &quot;social and emotional learning&quot; as the processes through which students acquire and effectively apply:  self-awareness and self-management skills to achieve academic and life success; social-awareness and relationship skills to establish and maintain positive relationships; and  responsible decisionmaking skills and behavior in personal, school, and community contexts.  Requires Teacher Quality Partnership grants to be used in preparing prospective and new teachers and principals to understand, use, and develop social and emotional learning programming. (Teacher Quality Partnership grants are provided to partnerships between high-need local educational agencies [LEAs], their high-need schools, and institutions of higher education [IHEs].) Requires centers of excellence to design teacher training programs that promote the understanding, use, and development of social and emotional learning programming. (Centers of excellence are minority-serving IHEs or partnerships between such IHEs and other IHEs that are awarded grants to ensure that current and future teachers are highly qualified.) Requires Teach to Reach grants to be used to train general education teacher candidates to understand, use, and develop social and emotional learning programming. (Teach to Reach grants are provided to partnerships between IHEs and high-need LEAs to more effectively prepare general education teacher candidates to instruct disabled students in general education classrooms).

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Supporting Emotional Learning Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) A positive, healthy school community where children 
        thrive and grow, both intellectually and emotionally, takes 
        purposeful and thoughtful planning. Students who develop 
        personal strengths like grit, perseverance, concern for others, 
        and positive academic mindsets become important contributors to 
        their school and community. Schools have a responsibility to 
        nurture the intrapersonal and interpersonal skills students 
        need to navigate social situations and effectively and 
        respectfully communicate with a diverse group of people.
            (2) In the United States, we have always placed an emphasis 
        on developing academically rigorous curriculum, but 
        unfortunately have not been as deliberate about imparting 
        children with important social and emotional life skills. There 
        needs to be a balance and integration between cognitive 
        learning and social emotional learning.
            (3) While not a new concept, the term ``social and 
        emotional education'' has recently become an important focal 
        point for many researchers, administrators, and teachers. The 
        term ``social and emotional learning'' means the process 
        through which individuals acquire and effectively apply the 
        knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and 
        manage emotions, the ability to set and achieve positive goals, 
        feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain 
        positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
            (4) Research has shown that social and emotional learning 
        effectively boosts student academic success and fosters the 
        very skills that are being utilized in the workforce. Social 
        and emotional learning both increases protective factors for 
        helping children learn and thrive as well as reducing risks for 
        problems in both learning and behavior. These teachable skills 
        help children avoid risky behaviors such as aggression and 
        early drug and alcohol use and provide a springboard for being 
        a capable student, citizen, and worker.
            (5) Continued research is necessary to discover best 
        practices and prepare educators to integrate social-emotional 
        skills into the curriculum and school culture. In addition, we 
        need to support well-designed theoretical models and 
        implementation supports in social and emotional learning. 
        Social and emotional learning should be included as a central 
        component of our education system. Federal law needs to include 
        language that prioritizes social and emotional learning for 
        educators.

SEC. 3. DUTIES OF THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION RESEARCH.

    Section 133(a) of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 
U.S.C. 9533(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (10), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (11), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(11) carry out research initiatives regarding the impact 
        of social and emotional education.''.

SEC. 4. RESEARCH TOPICS OF THE COMMISSIONER FOR EDUCATION RESEARCH.

    Section 133(c)(2) of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 
U.S.C. 9533(c)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(L) Social and emotional skills and habits.''.

SEC. 5. COMPREHENSIVE CENTERS.

    Section 203(f)(1)(A)(ii) of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 
2002 (20 U.S.C. 9602(f)(1)(A)(ii)) is amended--
            (1) in subclause (II), by striking ``and'' at the end; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
                                    ``(IV) imparting social and 
                                emotional life learning (as defined in 
                                section 200(24) of the Higher Education 
                                Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1021)); and''.

SEC. 6. SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING.

    (a) Definitions.--Section 200 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1021) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (13), by inserting at the end the 
        following: ``, except that such term includes a requirement 
        that highly qualified teachers have preparation in the 
        understanding, use, and development of social and emotional 
        learning programming''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(24) Social and emotional learning.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `social and emotional 
                learning' means the processes through which students 
                acquire and effectively apply the following set of 
                interrelated competencies:
                            ``(i) Self-awareness and self-management 
                        skills to achieve academic and life success.
                            ``(ii) Social awareness and relationship 
                        skills to establish and maintain positive 
                        relationships.
                            ``(iii) Responsible decisionmaking skills 
                        and behavior in personal, school, and community 
                        contexts.
                    ``(B) Self-awareness.--The term `self-awareness' 
                means an individual's ability to accurately recognize--
                            ``(i) the individual's own feelings and 
                        thoughts; and
                            ``(ii) the influence of such feelings and 
                        thoughts on the individual's behaviors.
                    ``(C) Self-management.--The term `self-management' 
                means an individual's ability to--
                            ``(i) regulate the individual's own 
                        emotions, cognitions, and behaviors effectively 
                        in different situations; and
                            ``(ii) set and work toward personal and 
                        academic goals.
                    ``(D) Social awareness.--The term `social 
                awareness' means an individual's ability to--
                            ``(i) take the perspective of and empathize 
                        with individuals from diverse backgrounds and 
                        cultures; and
                            ``(ii) recognize family, school, and 
                        community resources and supports.
                    ``(E) Relationship skill.--The term `relationship 
                skill' means an individual's ability to establish and 
                maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with 
                individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures 
                through communicating clearly, listening actively, 
                cooperating, negotiating conflict constructively, and 
                seeking and offering help when needed.
                    ``(F) Responsible decisionmaking skills and 
                behavior.--The term `responsible decisionmaking skills 
                and behavior' means an individual's ability to make 
                constructive and respectful choices about personal 
                behavior and social interactions, based on 
                consideration of ethical standards, safety concerns, 
                the realistic evaluation of consequences that stem from 
                actions, and the well-being of self and others.
            ``(25) Social and emotional learning programming.--The term 
        `social and emotional learning programming' refers to 
        instruction, activities, and best practice initiatives that--
                    ``(A) integrate social and emotional learning with 
                academic achievement;
                    ``(B) provide systematic instruction whereby social 
                and emotional skills are taught, modeled, practiced, 
                and applied so that students use them as part of their 
                daily behavior;
                    ``(C) teach students to apply social and emotional 
                skills to prevent specific problem behaviors such as 
                substance use, violence, bullying, and school failure, 
                and to promote positive behaviors in class, school, and 
                community activities; and
                    ``(D) establish safe and caring learning 
                environments that foster student participation, 
                engagement, and connection to learning and school.''.
    (b) Teacher Quality Partnership Grants.--Section 202 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1022a) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) by striking the period at the end of paragraph 
                (7)(D) and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(8) a description of how the eligible partnership will 
        prepare prospective and new teachers and principals, if 
        applicable, to understand, use, and develop social and 
        emotional learning programming.'';
            (2) in subsection (e)(1)(C)--
                    (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of clause (iii);
                    (B) by striking the period at the end of clause 
                (iv) and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(v) preparation in understanding, using, 
                        and developing social and emotional learning 
                        programming.''; and
            (3) in subsection (f)(1)(C)--
                    (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of clause (ii);
                    (B) by striking the period at the end of clause 
                (iii) and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(iv) preparation in understanding, using, 
                        and developing social and emotional learning 
                        programming.''.
    (c) Augustus Hawkins Centers of Excellence.--Section 242(b)(1)(B) 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1033a(b)(1)(B)) is 
amended--
            (1) in clause (i), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) by striking the period at the end of clause (ii) and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(iii) promoting the understanding, use, 
                        and development of social and emotional 
                        learning programming.''.
    (d) Teach To Reach Grants.--Section 251(c)(1)(B) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1034(c)(1)(B)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of clause (iv); and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(vi) understanding, using, and developing 
                        social and emotional learning programming; 
                        and''.