Respected: Perspectives of Youth on High School &amp; Social and Emotional Learning. A Report for CASEL
Author: Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
Date: 2018-11-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Social Development,Emotional Development,High School Students,Student Attitudes,Interpersonal Competence,Bullying,College Readiness,Career Readiness,Educational Environment,Interpersonal Relationship,Safety,Academic Achievement,Adolescents,Young Adults,Racial Differences,Ethnicity,Socioeconomic Status,Geographic Location,Institutional Characteristics,Skill Development,At Risk Students,Barriers

The central message of this report is while current and recent high school students today generally respect their teachers and give their high schools favorable marks, most see a big missing piece in their education -- a lack of social and emotional skills development -- and most recent students feel unprepared for life after high school. Students, like teachers and administrators, see the benefits of attending schools that emphasize social and emotional learning (SEL), especially in terms of improving relationships, reducing bullying, and preparing them for postsecondary education, work, and life. Such schools are broadly appealing to students across backgrounds and from different types of schools. Encouragingly, students in schools with a strong commitment to social and emotional development report having better learning environments, feeling respected more, feeling safer, doing better academically, getting along well with others better, being better prepared for life, and being more likely to serve and give back to their communities than those students not in such schools. These and other findings are the result of a nationally representative survey of current (age 14-19) and recent (age 16-22) high school students, including in-depth interviews with students in schools with and without a strong focus on social and emotional learning. Listening to the perspectives of students completes a compelling picture that has included nationally representative surveys of pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade teachers and principals to assess the role and value of social and emotional learning in America's schools. The survey findings have three major themes: (1) Students and young adults from strong SEL schools report a more positive social climate and learning environment, doing better academically, and being better prepared for life than those in weak SEL schools; (2) Schools that emphasize social and emotional skill development are broadly appealing to students across background, race, ethnicity, income, geography, and type of school attended and students see the benefits of such schools, but fewer than half believe their high schools are doing a good job of helping them develop SEL skills; and Students -- particularly some of the most vulnerable -- cite social and emotional problems as significant barriers to learning, doing their best, and fulfilling their potential. Throughout the report, perspectives of current and recent high school students are shared, providing a clearer picture of how they view their high schools, what their challenges are, and how their schools could be improved to unleash more of their potential. Findings related to the perspectives of students from different backgrounds are also presented in an effort to promote an equitable approach to understanding students' experiences in high school. Finally, what research says about the integration of social, emotional, and academic development is highlighted and recommendations are provided on how to advance the strategic and systemic use of youth voice and SEL in schools to promote student success in school, work and civic life. [This report was written with Jennifer L. DePaoli, Matthew N. Atwell, John M. Bridgeland &amp; Timothy P. Shriver.]