Social Emotional Behavioral Competencies

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21st century living requires skills beyond reading, writing and math. In order to be successful at work, school and life, people need to be able to collaborate, problem solve, self-regulate, take the perspective others and so much more. The good news is that the research shows all of these skills can be taught and cultivated.

Social, emotional and behavioral competencies refer to all of the knowledge, skills, attitudes and actions that promote positive human development and interaction.

Procedures and Expectation 

School procedures and expectations prioritize developing social, emotional and behavioral competencies.  

Culture of Social, Emotional
and Behavioral Learning

The culture of the school promotes social, emotional and behavioral learning. 

Positive Behavior Support Practices 

Adults use positive behavior support practices. 

Skill-Building for Educators

Schools provide social, emotional, and behavioral skill-building opportunities for educators. 

Explicit Social, Emotional
and Behavioral Instruction

Social, emotional and behavioral skills are explicitly taught to students. 

• What procedures and expectations are in place to support SEB competencies for all- students, staff, and caregivers?
• What are the SEB expectations at your school?  How are those identified and determined?  Who is involved in those decisions?
• What procedures does your school have that are explicitly SEB focused? How do procedures around SEB have a preventative and universal focus? How are procedures delivered/implemented to students and to staff?
• How does everyone participate, advocate and support SEB policies and procedures?
• How do you discuss the impact of bias on your school-wide policies and procedures? 
• How is advancing SEB skills made an expectation for the whole school? What shared language is used around SEBC at school?

Mindsets

• Staff believe procedures and expectations guide behavior.
• Staff are aware of biases which might influence procedures and expectations around SEB competencies. 
• Staff are aware of the dangers of implicit bias within school-wide policies and procedures.
• Staff believe that SEB competencies can be taught, learned and shaped.
• Staff understand that punishment is not effective at creating long-term behavioral change. 
• School leadership views issues of SEB competencies with a universal, prevention-focused lens.

Skills and Practices

• Restorative practices are integrated throughout disciplinary procedures.  
• Teachers develop shared agreements with students around expected behavior in classes.  
• Staff discuss issues of SEB competencies with a skill-focused, strengths-based approach.
• Essential behavioral expectations are consistent across the school.
• Expectations are identified using collaborative, diverse, team approach that includes students, staff and families.
• Parents and caregivers are included in the decision-making process regarding culturally responsive conversations, discipline processes, and the development of SEB competencies at the school level. 
• Staff regularly have explicit conversations about possible impacts of bias on development and implementation of procedures, expectations and school practices.  

• How does the climate and culture of the school support and cultivate SEB competencies for all?
• How do your staff teach SEB skills? When? Where? Are these skills taught continuously, or only when a crisis emerges? 
• How is discipline handled in your school/district? In what ways do discipline practices foster the development of SEB competencies and meet the various social and emotional needs of students and staff?
• How are staff encouraged to show/model their authentic selves & experiences?
• How do staff talk about student performance?  How do staff discuss individual students' SEB skills? 
• How do staff know what are developmentally appropriate SEB skills for their students?  What supports are in place for staff as they support youth skill development?
• In what ways does school leadership treat the staff the way staff are expected to treat the students?

Mindsets

• All staff believe that advancing SEB competencies is part of role of the school.  
• Staff believe that learning includes mistakes and failure.
• Staff believe that school is a place to practice.
• Staff are curious about the behavior of others and believe it is important to learn more about the function of others' behavior. 
• Staff understand how SEB competency building is clearly connected with trauma-responsive, culturally-responsive, and restorative practices.
• School staff and families understand how SEB competencies relate to academic performance.
• Staff understand that it is important to model SEB competencies with students which includes showing emotions and modeling emotional regulation.
• Staff understand that SEB skill development is individualized.

Skills and Practices

• Staff set aside time in the day for SEB learning, such as morning meeting, homeroom, restorative circles, etc.  
• Staff integrate instruction around SEB competencies during all academic subjects.
• Staff receive ongoing training around social emotional skill development.
• Discussions of individual or aggregate student performance includes discussion of student SEB competencies.
• All students are discussed in terms of their SEB competencies, not just those with behavioral challenges.
• Staff show and model SEB skills by being authentic and transparent with their students.
• School leadership show and model SEB skills when interacting with staff.

• How do adults in the school community support student behavioral skills?
• What positive behavior supports are implemented schoolwide?
• How do educators measure, recognize and celebrate student progress and growth related to SEB competencies? 
• How do educators get help (mentoring, training, etc.) with using effective positive behavior support practices in their individual classrooms? 

Mindsets

• Staff believe that reinforcement is more effective than punishment.
• Staff believe that behavior can be taught.
• Staff understand that all behavior is communication. Behavior often communicates an underlying unmet need.
• Staff understand that maladaptive behavior is often the result of students lacking the skills to behave appropriately ("can't do vs. won't do" mindset). 

Skills and Practices

• Staff provide, teach, and reinforce clear explicit expectations with students.
• Staff use, teach, and reinforce predictable routines.
• Staff create classroom environments that support positive behavior, including but not limited to developing consistent routines, providing redirections in private conversations with students, using proximity to address behavior.
• Staff carefully supervise and engage all students.
• Staff provide positive reinforcement for expected behavior.
• Staff use redirection and corrective feedback for unwanted behavior.
• Staff utilize more positive reinforcement than correction (e.g.: 4:1 praise: correction ratios). 
• Professional development is regularly offered to staff regarding positive behavior supports, including but not limited to formal and informal trainings, access to refresher materials, mentoring/coaching.
• Staff use restorative discipline practices.
• Staff collaborate to solve problems.

• How are social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) competencies taught to all staff?
• How is embodiment/modeling by adults an explicit focus of your SEB competencies teachings?
• What curriculum/materials/models/frameworks are being used to support SEB competencies for staff?
• How does staff learn about the impact of trauma on SEB competencies for both youth and adults? 
• In what ways do staff incorporate culturally responsive, equity-centered practices into your instruction of SEB competencies?
• How are staff taught to support the SEB competencies of all students?
• How are staff taught to build and support SEB competencies for individual students?

Mindsets

• Staff believe that you can still build skills as an adult.
• Staff believe that relationship skills need continued awareness, work, fine-tuning, growth, etc. 
• Staff are willing to examine their own skills and learn new skills.

Skills and Practices

• Teachers receive training on how to explicitly teach SEB skills during whole group instruction (Tier 1).
• Some staff receive training on how to explicitly teach SEB skills during small group instruction (Tier 2). 
• Staff receive explicit training on SEB skills for themselves.
• Throughout the school day, staff explicitly model/embody SEB competencies in a variety of ways.  (Examples: metacognition around their self-regulation process, transparency around their own emotional state and modeling of self-regulation, modeling use of effective problem solving strategies, etc.) 
• Staff receive opportunities for practice and feedback on their own SEB skills.
• Staff receive training on trauma-responsive instruction, including how trauma might impact an individual’s SEB competencies.
• Staff receive training on being culturally responsive with regard to SEB competencies.
• Staff receive training on how to support SEB competencies in individual students, through coaching, mentoring, collaborative problem solving, etc.

• How are SEB competencies taught to all students? Does your school have a set of SEB skills for students?
• What curriculum/materials/models/frameworks are being used for SEB competencies for students? What is the scope and sequence?  What skills are covered, and how do they align with your school expectations? 
• How do staff promote SEB competencies beyond the SEL curriculum?  In what ways do staff support SEB competencies through daily interactions with youth? 
• In what ways are you incorporating culturally responsive, equity-centered practices into your instruction of SEB skills? 
• How are opportunities for individual practice embedded into the school day? How are opportunities to practice SEB competencies appropriately scaffolded for students age, ability, etc.?
• If universal interventions around SEB competencies are not meeting the needs of an individual student, what other supports (Tier 2, Tier 3) are available at school?

Mindsets

• Staff believe that social, emotional and behavioral skills can be taught/learned ; they are not just innate.
• Staff believe that SEB skills are important enough to be taught, practiced and prioritized.
• Staff believe that SEB skills require explicit instruction rather than implied structures, expectations, or rules.
• Staff believe that social, emotional, and behavioral skills are all interconnected; you can't teach one without the others.
• Staff believe that prevention work matters; it is important to teach these skills before we see a deficit.

Skills and Practices

• Staff integrate instruction around SEB competencies during all academics.
• Staff also receive SEB competencies specific curricula, including training on its effective implementation.  
• Staff interact with students individually and promote SEB skills through coaching, mentoring, collaborative problem solving, etc.
• Students have opportunities to practice and receive feedback on their SEBC competencies throughout the school day (examples: group work, think-pair-share, practicing self-regulation strategies as a class, restorative circles, morning meetings, mediation, etc.).
• More intensive individual mental health, behavioral supports and social instruction are available for students within the school setting.