Promoting social-emotional learning in school

Abstract

A key challenge for twenty-first century schools involves serving socio-culturally diverse students with varied abilities and motivations for learning (Payton, Weissberg, Durlak, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2008; Learning First Alliance, 2001). Unfortunately, many students lack social-emotional competencies and become less connected to school as they progress from primary to institutions of higher learning, and this lack of connection negatively affects their academic performance, behavior, and health (Blum & Libbey, 2004).