Five Practical Reasons We Need Universal SEL Screening

Social and emotional skills are key indicators of healthy growth—so much so that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest developmental checklists include 20 new social and emotional milestones—and that’s just from birth through age 5 (Zubler et al., 2022). Decades of research have shown that strong social and emotional skills predict success in school, at work, and in personal relationships across a lifetime.   

With so much riding on this complex set of abilities, should students be screened for social and emotional competence as a matter of routine, just as they are for vision and hearing? For many experts, the answer is an emphatic “yes.” Here’s why.  

First, a look at what constitutes social and emotional competence. 

 The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) includes five broad competencies in its social and emotional learning (SEL) framework:  

• self-awareness;
• self-management; 
• social awareness;  
• relationship skills; and 
• responsible decision-making. 

These broad categories encompass many specific skills, including:  

• thinking critically; 
• managing emotions; 
• solving problems;  
• setting goals; 
• acting with integrity; 
• showing empathy; and 
• standing up for the rights of others (CASEL, 2022). 

These capabilities usually begin to develop at home. But for most students, school is the workshop where they’re honed. That’s why so many experts recommend social and emotional learning in the classroom.  

What’s the case for universal screening?  

Evidence suggests that the best place to begin a structured, intentional SEL program is with a reliable assessment. Here’s a summary of the benefits. 

Screening identifies students who may need SEL support for academic success.   

Having strong social and emotional skills is associated with higher academic achievement (Franco et al., 2017; Kim et al., 2021). Schoolwide assessments can help educators, families, and students celebrate strengths. They can also indicate where supports are needed—before unproductive patterns lead to academic delays. In short, screening counteracts the wait-to-fail model.  

It’s also a first step toward addressing mental health and well-being.  

Many studies have linked social and emotional skills to well-being. One example: A long-term study tracked Canadian students from 5 years old through age 14. Roughly 40% of those students began school with social and emotional vulnerabilities linked to early-onset mental health conditions. Addressing social and emotional competence early reduces the risks of depression and anxiety later on (Thompson et al., 2019).  

Universal screening can help clinicians, school psychologists, and families understand which coping skills to strengthen. That’s especially important for students who have experienced adverse childhood events, trauma, and other risk factors. 

Screening is a chance to build authentic relationships with parents and families.   

The most effective, long-lasting SEL programs are those that view “students, families, and communities as co-creators” of the program (CASEL, 2021). Many screening tools rely on scales completed by parents. But data collection and data sharing are a tiny part of a much larger opportunity. Districts can engage parents in identifying 

• the most pressing areas of need; 
• approaches that feel safe and welcoming;  
• ways that cultural identities can be leveraged to build upon strengths; and  
• resources available in the community.  

As SEL initiatives produce results, parents can gauge success and offer feedback.  

It’s a moment to invite students to the table to change their learning environments.  

Screening is a first step to opening conversations with students about how they perceive school culture, as well as their own strengths, needs, and priorities. Studies have shown that when students are involved in data collection, data sharing, and decision-making, they build important competencies. They practice communicating. They use critical thinking skills as assistant researchers. They develop agency and self-efficacy. In short, they achieve some of the program’s aims by helping to shape the program (Halliday et al., 2019). 

Assessment reveals whether an SEL program is working.  

Screeners create a baseline. If you’ve chosen an assessment that’s sensitive to change, the results can show you whether your SEL program is achieving what you want it to achieve.   

Compare assessment data to other measures such as behavior referrals, suspensions, and academic performance, and you can see the effects of social and emotional learning. Narrow your focus, and SEL data can give you a clear sense of whether interventions are working for individual students (National Practitioner Advisory Group, 2019).  

So, how do you choose a screening tool?  

The best SEL assessments are evidence-based, rigorous, and targeted to the competencies you want to develop. Here are two to consider:  

• Behavior Intervention Monitoring and Assessment System, Second Edition (BIMAS-2) is a well-studied, change-sensitive measure of all five CASEL competencies.   
• Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale, Third Edition uses yes-no questions to create a complete picture of self-concept.   

Right now, WPS is partnering with Thomas Schanding PhD, Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia, to pilot the Social–Emotional Learning Skills Inventory Screener (SELSI), a universal screener that measures skills before and after interventions. It’s based on the CASEL five-competency framework.  

Getting Started 

SEL programs are underway in preschools in all 50 states and in K-12 school districts in 20 states. Researchers and stakeholders continue to talk about what works and what doesn’t. As the conversations continue, it’s important to keep sight of what research has already taught us: Learning to understand ourselves, interact with others, and make good decisions are competencies with lifelong impacts. Screening alone won’t equip every student with SEL skills. But it’s a very good place to start. 

Want to learn more about the power of SEL screening? Take a look at what our researchers say.   

Or talk to us about your school or district participating in the SELSI Screener pilot study.