SEL Programs at the Middle and High School Level: A Practical Guide for Schools and Districts

Adolescence is an especially important time for youth to develop social and emotional (SEL) skills. However, intentional and focused efforts to build students’ SEL skills are less prevalent at the middle and high school level. What’s more, the SEL programs that do exist for this age group vary in approach, skill focus, teaching strategies, and implementation supports, making it difficult and confusing for schools to select programming that meets their needs. During this webinar, Stephanie Jones will share why SEL matters for adolescents’ learning and well-being, explain the specific factors that make SEL effective for this age range, and share considerations and best practices for equitable and trauma-informed SEL that benefit all students and promote safe and inclusive learning environments. She’ll also introduce her new guide, “Navigating SEL from the Inside Out,” which examines 18 programs at the middle and high school level—breaking down their skill focus, strategies, and program components.

About the Presenter

Stephanie M. Jones is the Gerald S. Lesser Professor of Child Development and Education in the Harvard Graduate School of Education at Harvard University. Her research, anchored in prevention science, focuses on the effects of poverty and exposure to violence on children and youth’s social, emotional, and behavioral development. Over the last ten years her work has focused on evaluation research addressing the impact of preschool and elementary focused social-emotional learning interventions on behavioral and academic outcomes and classroom practices; as well as new curriculum development, implementation, and testing.