Measuring & Assessing SEL

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Why it works

Schools increasingly want to know whether their SEL efforts are working, and measuring SEL, through observation, surveys, student self-report, and climate data, can inform improvement. But the research and guidance are emphatic about the cautions: SEL measurement should be used for improving practice, not grading students on their character, and not for high-stakes accountability or comparing students, which distorts and harms. Used carefully, for the right purposes, measurement strengthens SEL; misused, it undermines it.

The research: Research and guidance on SEL measurement (CASEL; measurement cautions).

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

The core activity: plan to measure SEL wisely

Teams leave with an improvement-focused, low-stakes SEL measurement plan.

Clarify the purpose, improving practice, not grading or high stakes.
Choose appropriate, low-stakes measures (observation, self-report, climate data).
Plan how you use the data to improve SEL practice.
Guard against misuse (grading students, high-stakes comparison).

Measure to improve, never to gradeSEL measurement helps when it informs improving practice and climate, and harms when used to grade or rank students. Keep it low-stakes and improvement-focused.

Facilitator notes

Measure for improvement, not grading.
Use appropriate low-stakes measures, and guard against high-stakes misuse.
Focus on practice and climate.

Grading or high-stakes SEL data backfiresGrading students on SEL or using the data for accountability distorts it and harms students. Measure to improve practice, low-stakes, never to judge individuals.

Adapt it

Elementary and secondary: the same cautions.
Leaders: use for program improvement.
All settings: improvement-focused, low-stakes, ethical.

Participant handout

One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

K12 Academics · Professional Learning

Measuring SEL: improve, never grade

For the right purposes: low-stakes measures used to improve practice and climate, never to grade or rank students.

The purpose (improving practice, not grading):
The appropriate, low-stakes measures:
How I use the data to improve SEL:
How I guard against misuse:
What I will never do with SEL data:

Make it stick

Improve, never grade:

Measure to improve.
Keep it low-stakes.
Bring an improvement from SEL data to the team.

Common questions

Should I grade students on their SEL?

No. Grading children on their social-emotional skills or character is inappropriate and distorting. Measure SEL to improve practice, not to grade or rank students.

How do I measure SEL, then?

Through observation, student self-report surveys, and school climate data, used to understand and improve your SEL practice and environment, not to judge individual students.

What's the main pitfall?

Using SEL data for high stakes, grades, accountability, comparing students, which distorts the measures and harms students. Keep it low-stakes and improvement-focused.