Districtwide SEL Essentials for Superintendents

A Toolkit to Support District Leadership in Systemic Implementation of Social and Emotional Learning

More than two decades of research have shown that social and emotional learning (SEL) is integral to high-quality education. Study after study have demonstrated the broad, positive impacts of SEL for both students and adults. Recognizing this impact, principals, teachers, parents, students and business leaders have demanded SEL in schools.

Superintendents are critical to answering this demand. Through policy, strategy, and the way they shape district culture, superintendents have the power to inspire, motivate, and lead a vision of transformational social, emotional and academic education.

To implement SEL effectively and systemically, the superintendent sets the tone, priority, and structures that enable all stakeholders to contribute meaningfully to the implementation of SEL.

By “systemic,” we mean SEL occurs throughout the education system. More than a single program or add-on, SEL is an approach that impacts all students and adults and takes place in all schools, classrooms, and settings where students and adults interact.

In our shared goal of providing SEL for all students, CASEL and AASA, the School Superintendents Association, have partnered to create this superintendent’s SEL toolkit to guide and support leadership in building a districtwide SEL movement. Understanding the intense demands superintendents face, we have designed and curated resources to provide the most essential guidance and tools for the superintendent’s crucial role in SEL implementation.