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Family-school partnerships nurture student SEL

By Lorilei Swanson, Julia Beaty and Laurann Gallitto Patel
Categories: Collaboration, Reaching all students, Social & emotional learning
August 2021
The need for social and emotional learning (SEL) has increased since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unprecedented school closings have led to social isolation, illness, and economic hardship — exacerbating anxiety — and reopening plans continue to cause uncertainty and stress. These factors heighten the urgency to equip educators and school leaders to support the development of student SEL. SEL experts around the country have responded to the crisis by giving educators and school counselors resources, tool kits, guides, and professional learning to support student SEL. Federal and state governments have responded by providing COVID-19 relief funding specifically tied to supporting student SEL. But, too often, a key piece is missing: To sufficiently nurture their students’ SEL, educators must partner with families. Parents and

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References

Albright, M.I., Weissberg, R.P., & Dusenbury, L.A. (2011). School-family partnership strategies to enhance children’s social, emotional, and academic growth. National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention, Education Development Center Inc.

Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). (2019). Strategies for establishing school-family partnerships in support of SEL. schoolguide.casel.org/resource/strategies-for-establishing-school-family-partnerships-in-support-of-sel/

Cotton, K. & Wikelund, R.K. (1989). Parent involvement in education. Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. educationnorthwest.org/resources/parent-involvement-education

The Education Trust. (2020, August). Social, emotional, and academic development through an equity lens. edtrust.org/social-emotional-and-academic-development-through-an-equity-lens/

Henderson, A.T. & Mapp, K.L. (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family, and community connections on student achievement. SEDL.

Mapp, K.L. & Kuttner, P.J. (2019). The dual capacity-building framework for family-school partnerships (Version 2). www.dualcapacity.org/

Schafer, L. (2018). Family engagement and SEL. Usable Knowledge. www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/18/07/family-engagement-and-sel


Lorilei Swanson
+ posts

Lorilei Swanson (swansol@mailbox.sc.edu) is the upstate regional family engagement liaison.

Julia Beaty
+ posts

Julia Beaty (beaty2@mailbox.sc.edu) is the upper central regional family engagement liaison.

Laurann Gallitto Patel
+ posts

Laurann Gallitto Patel (gallittl@mailbox.sc.edu) is the midlands regional family engagement liaison at the Carolina Family Engagement Center.


Categories: Collaboration, Reaching all students, Social & emotional learning

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