Social-Emotional Learning in K-12 Schools: Supporting Educators in Its Implementation

The 21st-century learner population is increasingly demonstrating numerous social and emotional trends, including addiction, suicidal ideation, anxiety and stress management, bullying, and crisis management. The team of scholarly practitioners observes these trends in their daily practices by the increase in requests for mental health support, counseling, psychological evaluations, referrals to the Committee on Special Education from families and school personnel, and violations of the school's code of conduct. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified these trends and continues to disrupt students' social, emotional, and academic lives. The impact may be minimal for some children, whereas COVID-19 will represent an adverse childhood experience for others. Exposure to trauma can result in significant long-term negative consequences (Minkos & Gelbar, 2020). Schools continue to address the growing social-emotional needs of students with available resources and funding. However, resources and funding differ across contexts, creating inequities and challenges for districts and schools to provide the necessary support for their student population. Through the examination of K-12 organizations, research suggests one of the most significant challenges schools are currently facing is that many administrators, teachers, and support staff feel they are not adequately equipped to manage these social-emotional behaviors (Superville, 2020). These ideas serve as the focal point for this research and contribute to future consideration of how schools can meet the needs of diverse populations of learners. Systematic implementation of social-emotional learning through teacher professional development may promote positive long-term effects throughout students' educational careers and lives. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]