Building learning communities through social and emotional learning: navigating. the rough seas of implementation.

Educators have come to recognize the importance of their efforts in building students' social and emotional skills. However, the creation of lasting programming often fails to keep pace with educators' best intentions. In this article, the authors suggest guidelines for ways in which school counselors can be involved in implementing sustained social and emotional learning interventions in a manner that is consistent with the values and goals of such programs.

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A growing body of research and practice in the area of social and emotional learning (SEL) reflects the importance of various interpersonal and intrapersonal skills as essential for success in school and life (e.g., Elias et al., 1997). These include communication skills, proactive skills, productivity, collaborative problem solving, self-reflectivity, and emotional self-awareness and self-regulation. School personnel are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of SEL approaches for their schools. As school counselors are increasingly called upon to provide leadership in areas such as violence prevention (D'Andrea, 2004), to address the social and emotional needs of students in a proactive manner (e.g., Thompson, 2002), and to incorporate the ideas of SEL into their practice (Pellitteri, Stern, Shelton, & Ackerman, in press), they need to consider how to best establish lasting and consistent SEL programming. Accomplishing this requires methods that enhance a sense of community in schools and that model important SEL skills and values. In this article, we draw from the literature, our work in the field, and the experiences of schools that have achieved long-lasting programming (Elias & Kamarinos, 2003) to make recommendations for how school counselors can help establish sustained SEL programming.

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING, EDUCATION, AND IMPLEMENTATION: A BRIEF OVERVIEW

Socially and emotionally competent classrooms and schools are at the core of effective learning and can be conceived as a prerequisite for the achievement of state standards (Kress, Norris, Schoenholz, Elias, & Seigle, 2004). When translated into the classroom, social and emotional learning broadens the framework of education and addresses the complex interplay of emotions and cognition in learning, remembering, and understanding. Learning is a process closely linked to students' social and emotional needs, as well as the context of their learning environment (Brandt, 2003). Research has demonstrated that emotions drive attention, learning, and memory (LeDoux, 2000). Students distracted or overcome by emotions that interfere with learning may find it difficult to accomplish simple academic tasks such as following directions (Zins et al., 1998).

SEL strengthens students' preparedness for learning and promotes the development of prosocial attitudes and behavior that mediate school performance (Elias, 2003; Zins, Weissberg, Wang, & Walberg, 2004). A meta-analysis of educational research over the past 50 years (Wang, Haertel, & Walberg, 1993) revealed that social and emotional competencies--including students' metacognitive processes (e.g., planning), prosocial behaviors, effort and perseverance, and classroom management and climate-exert substantial influence on student learning. SEL factors are essential components of a positive, lasting, educational experience and are necessary for the achievement of state curriculum standards (Kress et al., 2004).

Emerging research underscores SEL's impact on motivational, behavioral, and performance outcomes (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, 2003). A number of SEL program evaluations have found that outcomes are related both directly and indirectly to school success (Zins et al., 2004). SEL program outcomes include improvements related to the development of positive relationships between students and teachers, attachment to school, student attitudes and motivation, and decreased nonattendance/dropouts (e.g., Elias, Gara, Schuyler, Branden-Muller, & Sayette, 1991; Felner et al., 2001; Hawkins, Guo, Hill, c Battin-Pearson, & Abbott, 2001). Ben-Avie et al. (2003) found a relationship between indexes of ' social and emotional skill and achievement in science and math.

A COMMUNITY-ENHANCING APPROACH TO STRENGTHENING PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

Looking at the SEL skills enumerated above--communication skills, proactive skills, productivity, collaborative problem solving, self-reflectivity, and emotional self-awareness and self-regulation--we see that these same skills are also the building blocks of connected, caring learning communities. Indeed, we have found that schools succeed in ensuring stable, enduring SEL implementation when they are able to come together as a learning community. Reflecting on our work with such schools, we realize that a focus on the process--not just the content--of programming is essential. Further, such a focus is consistent with the implementation approach of the ASCA National Model[R], which emphasizes the importance of bringing together multiple voices into the dialogue of program planning, execution, and evaluation (American School Counselor Association, 2005). Such an effort requires a school counselor to engage--together with colleagues from a variety of constituencies within a setting--in a serious, thoughtful, committed implementation approach that is itself rooted in the spirit and goals of social-emotional learning.

Building an SEL-focused learning community itself needs to take place in a community-enhancing way. Though this statement seems self-evident, in reality it flies in the face of pressures for fast results, to "just do it," and runs counter to "quick-fix" calls for immediate remedies. Failure to take this advice seriously is an all-too-common impediment to community building and program implementation. In fact, research indicates that SEL efforts often fall short due to inconsistent implementation efforts (e.g., Gager & Elias, 1997). School personnel are frequently unprepared for implementation, and administrators are challenged in sustaining the long-term effort required to create enduring, comprehensive programming.

Rushing to put things in place, taking shortcuts that exclude people, and implementing by decree or memo might seem expedient, but in reality this makes the desired outcome of any community-building effort unlikely to be reached. For a school to "leave no child behind" requires that no professionals are left behind. Genuine outcomes require a coordinated approach, not isolated programs, and accomplishing this calls for team efforts, not isolated, individual efforts. The real message is that children themselves become a community of learners when the learners around them mobilize to become a community with the goal of developing children's skills. School counselors must ensure that these principles play out in the practice of program development. To help in this, we present four guidelines that school counselors working with school leaders can follow to bring about a community-building way of developing children's skills for character and community participation. These guidelines help ensure not only enduring programming, but also that implementation efforts are exemplars of those values you wish your community to exhibit.

Guideline 1: Take the Emotional Temperature Often

One of the techniques that we have found helpful in consulting with educational leaders throughout the implementation process is the Feelings Walking Tour (Novick, Kress, & Elias, 2002). This visualization exercise asks participants to (a) imagine themselves as they walk through a school building on an average school day; (b) attend to the emotions experienced at each point along the way; and (c) articulate where they feel proud, anxious, depressed, and so forth.

Clarifying the emotional landscape in this way enables the discussion of the social and emotional climate of the school community. An interesting follow-up is to repeat this exercise with various constituencies in the school--the implementation team, the faculty, and the students. The school counselor can help the school leader understand the outcomes of this activity: What might it mean that the cafeteria is a place of anxiety among students? What if the pride the leader feels observing cooperative groups in a classroom is matched by unease experienced by the teacher leading such groups? This activity can be repeated at various points in time as implementation unfolds.

Emotional temperature taking, like each of the guidelines, has benefits both in terms of creating lasting programming and of exemplifying positive values that facilitate connection and community (as summarized in Table 1). An activity such as the Feelings Walking Tour can be a "needs assessment"--a way for school counselors and leaders to get to know the constituents' views of the strengths and weaknesses of the school, and whether their assessment matches that of others. It also can serve as an alert to those individuals or areas within the school that may serve as sources of strength and support, or as barriers and roadblocks, as the implementation journey proceeds. Beyond this, such an activity lets the various constituencies know that their emotional experiences are taken seriously, and that their sense of the school as a community will be a guiding factor in future programming. More generally, it shows that emotional self-awareness and empathy are valued and seen as integral in moving ahead in building a school community.

Guideline 2: Create a Problem-Solving Mindset

An activity such as the Feelings Walking Tour is an important part of a larger strategy for program implementation that can be conceptualized as being built upon a problem-solving, action-research mindset. The steps in such a process (see Table 2) parallel those used in a variety of organizational settings and the ASCA National Model's "Steps in Implementation" (ASCA, 2005, pp. 69-71).

Actions in program planning lay the groundwork that will be the basis of ongoing implementation efforts. The problem-solving work done ahead of launching the program (as well as on an ongoing basis) will determine the success and longevity of the program. In essence, the school counselor is working with the school leader in charting the seas ahead--both easily visible smooth patches as well as sudden areas of choppy water.

Adopting a problem-solving approach allows the counselor to assist in the formulation of answers to some key questions: How will the program be introduced? What roles need to be created or modified in order to make the program work? What evidence will there be as to the progress and outcome of the program? What mechanisms are in place to modify, the program based on experiences? These questions, all emerging from the steps in Table 2, are best considered before a program is initiated so they can be integrated into the ongoing strategy for implementation.

A problem-solving approach allows the flexibility to proactively address difficulties and to reframe potential roadblocks as opportunities to learn and improve the process. Such an orientation is important to creating lasting programming in ever-changing environments. (For example, the principal who finds that each year brings significant staff turnover, new central office mandates, and/or budget cuts needs to plan for these things up front.) Further, it exemplifies the expectations for members of your community to approach problems and difficulties with goal-oriented optimism leading to concerns being addressed proactively; systematically, and respectfully (Table 1).

Guideline 3: Collaborate Relentlessly

Educators and school counselors want students and staff members to work together productively in groups, to take into account multiple perspectives before making a decision, and to consider the impact of their decisions on other people. In other words, we want them to function as a learning community. However, we often find the leaders with whom we consult making many unilateral decisions that are then "passed on" to staff. Effective and efficient leadership does require this to happen occasionally. However, staff members are looking for indicators of the extent to which they are trusted, their input is valued, and their concerns are recognized. School counselors must ensure that staff members have a meaningful say in how the program is run; that the anxiety, apprehension, and misgivings that teachers may have related to a new program are addressed; and that the wealth of experiences they may have with similar initiatives is acknowledged. In setting out a rationale and vision for the program to school staff, the focus should favor the "carrot" (e.g., "Picture what your class would look like if the students treated each other, and you, with respect") over the "stick" (e.g., "Your adherence to the program will be a big part of your next staff evaluation").

Relentless collaboration might involve a school counselor putting together a committee of representatives of various constituencies (e.g., teachers, parents, students, community leaders) to help guide the program. In most successful SEL efforts, schools at least have staff committees--similar to the type of advisory councils discussed in the ASCA National Model (2005, pp. 47-48)--to coordinate various aspects of programs and their related connection to other parts of the school. This committee can be active in any and all of the steps outlined in Table 2. Subcommittees can be formed to take the lead in various steps in the process.

Taking a collaborative stance models certain values and behaviors likely to contribute to a climate of caring that in turn contributes to a sense of trust among school staff and between them and other constituents, a respect for different points of view, and a commitment to respectful dialogue around issues of concern (Table 1). Further, it helps in planning proactively regarding rough spots in the seas ahead. Collaboration allows input from those who might be better at spotting the occasional iceberg, and it creates a format and climate in which diverse opinions can be expressed. This is especially important to program success. Collaboration is a hallmark of the ASCA National Model (2005), which states that "school counselors work with all stakeholders ... to develop and implement responsive educational programs that support the identified needs of every student" (p. 25).

Guideline 4: Build and Share Expertise

The final guideline involves the way that educational leaders model openness and the need for guidance and support, especially during difficult times. The collaborative stance we have described helps meet the need for input and suggestions, and problem solving is an inherent aspect of our implementation model. However, taking a comprehensive, systematic, planful approach to programming is in many ways a more challenging (but ultimately more rewarding) endeavor than the often-used "implement first, ask questions later, if ever" approach. On the lengthy and strenuous journey of implementation, an experienced and supportive traveling companion is almost always a necessity. It is helpful for a school counselor to assist school leaders in developing, prior to their embarking on an SEL implementation journey, a mentoring relationship with a colleague who has experience with such programming. This person can share what he or she has learned from experience and serve as a sounding board for ideas. Further, the school counselor should follow the same advice and work with a mentor who has experience consulting around issues of implementing SEL programs.

In looking for support and mentoring, the leader and the counselor are demonstrating to school constituents the importance placed on not "going it alone," on seeking guidance and support when needed. Seeking a mentor also shows respect for the difficulty and importance of the journey you are undertaking. Finally, this guideline is consistent with the ASCA National Model's (2005) recommendation that "school counselors are involved regularly in updating and sharing their professional knowledge and skills" (p. 43).

CONCLUSION

Our recommendations allow for the modeling of proactive problem solving and community building. Such a strategy does not mean that progress will be simple or quick. In fact, a comprehensive approach to programming is in many ways more difficult than an approach that focuses on bringing programs into a school without a collaborative process or staff" coordination. There will no doubt be many pressures to follow the latter plan. Board members might want to see quick action. Some teachers may wonder why it takes programs so long to get started, or why they have to be infused into so many aspects of schooling. Drawing from the lessons of enduring, successful SEL implementation efforts, the school counselor should assist the leader in communicating his or her vision for the program, and also for how change will come about. Using the process we describe, which is consistent with the ASCA National Model's (2005) approach to implementation, allows schools to integrate SEL into their climate, create a learning community; and put academics into its proper context. When we prepare students for the tests of life, and not a life of tests, we will truly leave very few children, or professionals, behind.

References

American School Counselor Association. (2005). The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Author.

Ben-Avie, M., Haynes, N. M., White, J., Ensign, J., Steinfeld, T. R., Sartin, L. D., et al. (2003).Youth development and student learning in math and science. In N. M. Haynes, M. Ben-Avie, & J. Ensign (Eds.), How social and emotional learning add up (pp. 9-35). New York: Teachers College Press.

Brandt, R. (2003). How new knowledge about the brain applies to social and emotional learning. In M. J. Elias, H. A. Arnold, & C. S. Hussey (Eds.), EQ + IQ = best leadership practices for caring and successful schools (pp. 57-70). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. (2003). Safe and sound: An educational leader's guide to evidence-based social and emotional learning programs. Retrieved October 1, 2002, from http://www.casel.org

D'Andrea, M. (2004). Comprehensive school-based violence prevention training: A developmental-ecological training model. Journal of Counseling and Development, 82, 277-286.

Elias, M. J. (2003). Academic and social-emotional learning (Educational Practices Series No. 11). Geneva, Switzerland: International Academy of Education and International Bureau of Education.

Elias, M. J., Gara, M. A., Schuyler, T. F., Branden-Muller, L. R., & Sayette, M. A. (1991).The promotion of social competence: Longitudinal study of a preventive school-based p rag ram. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 61, 409-417.

Elias, M. J., & Kamarinos, P. (2003, August). Sustainability of school-based preventive social-emotional programs: A model site study. Presentation at the meeting of the American Psychological Association, Toronto, Canada.

Elias, M. J., Zins, J., Weissberg, R., Frey, K. S., Greenberg, M.T., Haynes, N. M., et al. (1997). Promoting social and emotional learning: Guidelines for educators. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Felner, R. D., Favazza, A., Shim, M., Brand, S., Gu, K., & Noonan, N. (2001). Whole school improvement and restructuring as prevention and promotion: Lessons from STEP and the Project on High Performance Learning Communities. Journal of School Psychology, 39, 177-202.

Gager, P. J., & Elias, M. J. (1997). Implementing prevention programs in high-risk environments: Application of the resiliency paradigm. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 67, 363-373.

Hawkins, J. D., Guo, J., Hill, K. G., Battin-Pearson, S., & Abbott, R. D. (2001). Long-term effects of the Seattle social development intervention on school bonding trajectories. Applied Developmental Science, 5, 225-236.

Kress, J. S., Norris, J. A., Schoenholz, D. A., Elias, M. J., & Seigle, R (2004). Bringing together educational standards and social and emotional learning: Making the case for educators. American Journal of Education, 111, 68-89.

LeDoux, J. E. (2000). Emotion circuits in the brain. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 23, 155-184.

Novick, B., Kress, J. S., & Elias, M. J. (2002). Building learning communities with character: How to integrate academic, social, and emotional learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Pellitteri, J., Stern, R., Shelton, C., & Ackerman, B. (in press). Emotionally intelligent school counseling. Mahwah, N J: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Thompson, R. A. (2002). School counseling: Best practices for working in the schools (2nd ed.). New York: Brunner--Routledge.

Wang, M. C., Haertel, G. D., & Walberg, H. J. (1993). Toward a knowledge base for school learning. Review of Educational Research, 63, 249-294.

Zins, J. E., Elias, M. J., Weissberg, R. P., Greenberg, M.T., Haynes, N. M., Frey, K. S., et al. (1998). Enhancing learning through social and emotional education. Think: The Journal of Critical and Creative Thinking, 9, 18-20.

Zins, J. E., Weissberg, R. P., Wang, M. C., & Walberg, H. J. (Eds.). (2004). Building school success through social and emotional learning. New York: Teachers College Press.

Jeffrey S. Kress is an assistant professor with the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education, Jewish Theological Seminary, New York. E-mail: [e-mail]

Maurice J. Elias is a professor in the Psychology Department at Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ.

Table 1. Guidelines for a Community-Enhancing Approach to Programming

                                                Values That
                        Advantages              Facilitate Connection
Guideline               for Programming         and Community

1. Take the emotional   Provides needs          Emotional
temperature often       assessment              self-awareness

                        Early alert for         Empathy
                        future roadblocks

2. Create a             Addresses problems      Self-reflection,
problem-solving         proactively             ongoing learning,
mindset                                         and self-improvement
                        Reframes roadblocks
                        as learning             Optimism and positive
                        experiences             goal orientation

                        Facilitates working     Systematic,
                        through of              respectful,
                        difficulties            thoughtful approach
                                                to decision making

3. Collaborate          Allows multiple         Positive, assertive
relentlessly            sources of input        communication
                        and ideas
                                                Respect for
                        Brings in potentially   differences
                        disenfranchised
                        voices who might        Need for
                        otherwise become        interpersonal
                        negative voices         dialogue and support

4. Build and share      Support for leader      Importance of seeking
expertise               as implementation       mentoring and social
                        unfolds                 support

                        Additional source of
                        ideas and suggestions

Table 2. A Problem-Solving-Based Strategy for Program Implementation

Step                               Description
Get Started by assessing your      Does your setting value teamwork
setting's readiness for change     and risk taking, or individual
                                   effort and routine? Answers to
                                   questions such as this can give
                                   a preview or what lies ahead.

Recognized emotions as guides      As you go through your school
to problem solving                 days, when do you experience
                                   pride pride? Frustration? This
                                   can provide clues as to areas in
                                   need to change.

Examine the current situation      How might relationships within
to identify problems and           your school contribute to the
strenghts                          negative emotions you experience
                                   at work? What are your school's
                                   strengths and points of pride?

Focus the change process by        What problems and strengths may
setting goals                      be interrelated? What is most
                                   important to your various
                                   constitutents?

Consider a variety of options      What options exists? How can you
to achieve your goals              best create a situation to
                                   research this?

Consider consequences and          For each options, what are the
envision prossible outcomes        potential outcomes, both positive
                                   and negative, that can results?
                                   How might outcomes differ for
                                   different constitutents (e.g.,
                                   students, parents)?

Choose a solution that is goal     Given the potential consequences,
oriented or goal driven            which option best fits the goals
                                   you set?

Planfully anticipate details       What are some first steps that you
and challenges                     can take in your plan? What roles
                                   would need to be created or
                                   modified to support the initiative?

Assess progress, obtain            How will you track the progress
feedback, and make needed          and outcomes of your initiative?
modifications                      How will this be integrated into
                                   ongoing programming?

Note: Adapted from Novick, Kress, & Elias (2002), p. 8, with
permission to the authors.