School-Level Leadership Reflection Checklist & Resources for SEL Practices
As school leaders, you may feel confident that your building has “pretty good” social-emotional learning (SEL) practices in place. That said, how do you know if those efforts truly reach every student, every day?
The systems reflection checklist below is designed to help you and your leadership team take a clear-eyed look at how SEL is integrated across classrooms, common spaces, policies, and partnerships.
By reflecting on opportunities including dedicated instructional time, adult modeling, alignment with Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports, and communication with families, community partners, and advisory groups, you can identify both strengths to celebrate and gaps to address.
Consider using these questions to guide discussion with your team, prioritize next steps, and shape concrete goals for improving SEL within your school improvement plan.
SEL Systems Reflection Checklist
Do your teachers have time dedicated in their daily schedule to provide explicit instruction in SEL?
Is the language used and the concepts taught in your SEL program reinforced in multiple settings outside the classroom (including non-teaching staff, on the playground, in the hallways, at lunch)?
Are adults modeling SEL throughout the school and are those concepts reinforced in staff meetings?
Are administrators managing the school in a way that fosters adults’ SEL?
Do you have a clear set of expectations/look-fors for SEL instruction that you use for classroom observations and teacher feedback?
Are Tier 2 and Tier 3 and special education services aligned with SEL instruction that takes place in the classroom?
Do all your policies and practices at the school level support SEL (e.g., how concerns are addressed, conflict management, discipline guidelines)
Do you, as an administrator, communicate regularly with families about SEL?
Are family members actively engaged in practices at the school that support SEL (e.g., serve on or lead SEL-related committees, participate in SEL events, etc.)?
Do you, as an administrator, communicate regularly with community partners and community agencies providing services in the school related to SEL for students and families?
Do you communicate regularly with your school board, PTSA and other building advisory committees about SEL?
Do you have a SMARTIE goal for SEL as part of your build improvement plan and data to consistently track its effectiveness?
Actionable Steps
If you were unable to check off all of the items above – no worries, you are not alone.
You and your team can use the SEL systems reflection checklist as a guide to develop goals for the improvement of your SEL program.
Education Week suggests 5 ways school leaders can support Social Emotional Learning (SEL) right away:
Provide more thorough professional development for SEL and clearer expectations on how to handle various behaviors and challenges.
Consider hiring more counselors, social workers, or mental health professionals
Support your teachers’ social-emotional needs as well as the students
Offer ways for teachers to give input
Establish school-wide support for student behavior