Evidence-Based Practices for Assessing Students' Social and Emotional Well-Being. Brief No. 13

This brief is one in a series aimed at providing K-12 education decision makers and advocates with an evidence base to ground discussions about how to best serve students during and following the novel coronavirus pandemic. It addresses one central question: How can schools and districts monitor students' social and emotional well-being across the year? In order to answer this question, the brief breaks down the issue into two points: (1) Disruptions to students' mental and emotional health, social systems of support, and learning environments require a new focus on social and emotional well-being; and (2) Although the need to assess students' social and emotional well-being in a virtual environment is new, we can still draw from assessments that were developed and validated prior to the pandemic. Based on these points, the brief provides four strategies to consider and two strategies to avoid.