Social Emotional Learning @ PHS

The Princeton High School District 500 learning community is strongly committed to developing safe and healthy environments where everyone thrives academically, socially, and emotionally. Social Emotional Learning (SEL) at PHS is focused on understanding ourselves and the world around us to encourage lifelong learning. SEL equips all community members with tools for success in their everyday lives.

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is defined as the process through which students enhance their ability to integrate thinking, feeling, and behaving to achieve important life tasks. Students competent in SEL are able to recognize and manage their emotions, establish healthy relationships, set positive goals, meet personal and social needs, and make responsible and ethical decisions.

SEL may appear in educational programs consistent with the District’s mission and the goals and benchmarks of the Illinois Learning Standards. The Illinois Learning Standards include three goals for students related to SEL:

  1. Develop self-awareness and self-management skills to achieve school and life success.
  2. Use social-awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive relationships.
  3. Demonstrate decision-making skills and responsible behaviors in personal, school, and community contexts.

SEL Competencies

Each of the statements aligns with the Collaborative for Academic, Social, & Emotional Learning (CASEL) 5 competencies. CASEL is a global organization that has been committed to evidence-based SEL to support all students’ learning and development for over two decades. More information about CASEL’s mission & vision can be found here. See the CASEL “wheel” below that highlights the 5 competencies.

 

● We believe developing Self-Awareness skills will allow us to identify/reflect on our strengths,
challenges, and personal identities.

● We believe developing Self-Management skills will allow us to cope, manage, & navigate our
emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in order to set and reach goals.

● We believe developing Social Awareness skills will allow opportunities to develop empathy to
recognize, understand, and appreciate others’ feelings and perspectives.

● We believe developing Relationship Skills within a diverse community will allow us opportunities
to connect and collaborate with others, establish meaningful friendships, and support one another.

● We believe developing Responsible Decision-Making skills will allow us to reflect on previous
experiences, understand actions and impact, and make choices to improve our community.

SEL AT HOME

The Princeton High School  learning community recognizes and celebrates partnerships between parents, administrators, teachers, and trusted community agencies. To that end, we provide the resources below for families who choose to promote social-emotional learning outside of school.

  • The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
    PHS District 500 SEL program is aligned with the evidence-based framework from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). CASEL’s framework provides a foundation for cultivating skills and learning environments that advance students’ academic achievement and development. 
  • Illinois Social and Emotional Learning Standards
    The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) adopted the social-emotional learning standards in 2003. They were developed in partnership with Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership and CASEL.
  • Parent Tool Kit
    CASEL explains the role of families in promoting social-emotional learning and provides tools and resources to support parents and guardians.

APERTURE EDUCATION DESSA SEL ASSESSMENT

 Princeton High School District 500 prioritizes making data-informed decisions to support students in every aspect of their learning experience. In collaboration with Aperture Education, PHS teachers will utilize a teacher perception DESSA assessment that will support the design of social-emotional practices to best support student needs. 

 

The results from the assessment data will provide invaluable insights on how we can improve and adapt our teaching to better meet students’ needs. Teacher responses are not made public to ensure student privacy, and will only be utilized by school staff to support our students. Additionally, Aperture Education practices meet all student data-privacy requirements.

 

Aperture Education was selected because of their alignment to the CASEL framework for social emotional learning. This framework is evidence-based and helps cultivate skills that advance student learning and development. The framework is organized around five competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, responsible decision-making, and relationship skills.

 

For more information, please visit the Aperture Education.com

A Parent’s Resource Guide to Social and Emotional Learning
Edutopia provides a curated list of resources for parents and families relating to fostering social-emotional learning and skill development.