The November 2017 convening of the National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development, and the accompanying school visits in Tacoma, Washington yielded several insights into the ways in which a clear vision, intentional relationships, and supportive environments play a critical role in students’ social, emotional, and academic development. Some themes, such as the need for a shared language and the need for schools and communities to work in partnership, further confirmed takeaways from previous Commission meetings; other points, including the role of data for continuous improvement, were new areas of consideration for the Commission’s final recommendations.
The Commission’s key takeaways include:
- A community-wide approach to supporting social, emotional, and academic development requires clear vision, a common language, and strong leadership.
- Relationships are at the core of supporting students’ social, emotional, and academic development, and this holds true at both the individual level and community level.
- Social, emotional, and academic development is about fixing the environment, not the student.
- Prioritizing a communitywide approach to supporting students’ social, emotional, and academic development requires identifying and understanding the data and metrics that inform the conditions of continuous improvement.
- Social, emotional, and academic development encompasses a range of approaches.
To learn more read the full document on the key takeaways.
