Outcomes and Education Funding: The Social Emotional Learning Programs for PK-12

Abstract

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This paper discusses impacts and outcomes of education funding levels.?The author chooses a funding issue of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) program support.?The author describes, analyzes, and provides reflective feedback regarding SEL funding and the correlation of outcomes for PK-12 students.?Also, the author offers detailed information about improved funding concerning SEL program supports that will lead to better outcomes for the issue he chose.?Finally, the author leads his arguments by referring to peer-reviewed and scholarly articles that support his position.

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Keywords: social emotional learning, PK-12 funding levels, human capital, impact outcomes

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Introduction

???????????What is a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) program??The author asks this follow-up question to the readers: “How do you define SEL in one succinct sentence?”?Take a glimpse of these five phrases: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making (CASEL, 2020).?Do these phrases sound familiar??Let us read along and find out the what, why, how, and who is responsible for implementing the SEL program supports for our PK-12 education students.

???????????The author categorizes this paper into four parts. Part one entails the correlation between school funding and outcomes for students.?Part two describes and analyzes the topic of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) that supports the well-being of PK-12 students.?Part three provides a detailed analysis of how SEL program funding levels impact outcomes.?Part four describes an embedded synthesis of theory and practice of how improved funding might lead to better results for the SEL program support for PK-12 students.?Finally, a reflective summary is provided to capture this imperative issue in PK-12 education.

Part One: Correlation between school funding and outcomes for students

?????????????The correlation between school funding and outcomes for students is apparent.?In a research finding, Baker (2012), as cited by Baker et al. (2016), state their argument this way: “To be blunt, money does matter.?Schools and districts with more money clearly have greater ability to provide higher-quality, broader, and deeper educational opportunities to the children they serve” (p. 2).?In a similar study, the correlation and the inequality in district funding and outcomes affected the majority of migrant and urban students (Ostrander, 2015).?Thus, it is crucial to take a deeper dive into this issue. ?

???????????Payne and Biddle (1999) assert that poor school funding and the outcomes for students and whose families are low-income have devastating mathematics achievement results.?In a comparable study, Hartman (n.d.), as cited by Verstegen and King (1998), speak candidly to whether high spending is equated to a quality education.?These authors mention a startling comparison with funding and outcomes in this way: “They employed their resources to finance lower class sizes, more teachers with greater experience and higher educational levels, higher teacher salaries and more administrative and support personnel.?These districts also had higher student achievement” (p. 248).?Undoubtedly, the correlation between school funding and outcomes for students is astounding.

Part Two: The issue and background of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) supports

???????????As can be inferred from part one, there is undeniably a correlation between school funding and outcomes for students.?SEL, which stands for social-emotional learning, involves diverse emotions, feelings, and how to manage them effectively and efficiently from within self to connecting to others (Dymnicki et al., 2013).?Zins and Elias (2007) provide a vibrant background and development of SEL by comparing students who pass the tests in school versus those who pass the tests of life; these authors declare “… are finding that social-emotional competence and academic achievement are interwoven and that integrated, coordinated instruction in both areas maximizes students’ potential to succeed in school and throughout their lives” (p. 233).

???????????Durlak et al. (2011) studied the meta-analysis of the social-emotional impacts via school-based universal interventions with 270,034 student participants from Kinder through 12 grade; the results shows that “SEL participants demonstrated significantly improved social and emotional skills, attitudes, behavior, and academic performance that reflected an 11‐percentile‐point gain in achievement” (p. 405).?Another interesting finding by Jones and Bouffard (2012) is that SEL programs with targeted strategies to incorporate with teacher’s daily routines in the teaching and learning of other subject matters will provide low-cost and efficient use of SEL approaches and framework of skills for students to achieve and learn better.?

???????????In a similar research study, Owings and Kaplan (2020) found that emotional and social health concerns are the leading long-term stressors that will harm children.?These authors continued to stress this statement: “As a result, income-poor parents are more than twice as likely as non-poor parents to report their child has ‘definite to severe’ emotional, behavioral, or social problems …” (pp. 213-214).?Now that we know the issue and background of an SEL program, it is time to analyze and evaluate how SEL funding levels impact outcomes.

Part Three: How SEL program funding levels impact outcomes!

???????????The social-emotional learning program has been popularized throughout the country; hence, school leaders have to think and creatively apply prioritized funding to create an efficient SEL program in a cost-effective method, as a school-based approach (Hunter et al., 2018).?According to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2017), state and local education agencies (LEAs) can fund the SEL program as long as a district and building principals can define what whole-child development and individual students success look like (Gayl, 2017).?In a similar research study, Grant et al., (2017) aptly mention, “ESSA supports SEL through several different funding streams” (p. 8).?

???????????The three ESSA funding streams that may support the SEL program are these: 1. Title I; 2. Title II, recruiting highly qualified teachers, school leaders, and building principals; and 3. Title IV, 21st-century schools from which funding includes academic and nonacademic supports (Grant et al., 2017).?Hence, Devaney and Moroney (2015) suggest, “Linking schools and afterschool through Social Emotional Learning” (p. 1) activities that will benefit students' overall educational development.?Similarly, Wallace and Palmer (2018) claimed that youth would be more likely to develop social and emotional skills if a certified and qualified educator teaches afterschool programs related to SEL activities.

???????????The author is a practicing principal.?From his perspective and experience, SEL funding is undeniably complex; however, in a school district where he is employed, district and schools are required to submit a 90-day plan that provides detailed plans for each student’s whole-child development based upon the ESSA law.?Thus, SEL funding makes it simple.?As such, the impact and outcomes of an SEL program, as evidenced by the research studies, are these: Wrabel et al. (2018) state that “A growing body of research indicates that social and emotional competencies, such as collaboration and self-management, have important roles in students’ success, both in and out of school” (p. 1).?Next, Gayl (2018) mentions identified benefits such as students’ improved classroom behavior, increased reading and math achievement, and higher graduation rates (p. 17).?Subsequently, Bridgeland’s et al. (2013) research survey found that “classroom teachers believe social and emotional learning helps students achieve in school and life” (p. 1).?Positively, SEL funding impacts the outcome both inside and outside of the school.

Part Four: Theory to practice of SEL program and outcomes

???????????In this part, the author will bridge theory to authentic practice.?As a school principal himself, he implemented an SEL program in his school from Kinder-5th grades of the school year 2019-2020.?The process and execution are three-fold.?First, a core leadership team (CLT) was engaged in a conversation to change the schoolwide master schedule to include SEL mini-classes.?Since the school’s mascot is a Lynx, the CLT agreed to name the SEL as “CAT,” which stands for Consultative Advisory Time from 7:45 AM – 8:15 AM on Mondays-Thursdays.?As the author reflects now, he is pleased that he included the CLT team in his decision-making.?As a result, principal-CLT-teachers-staff were in sync with the SEL program to transform the school’s culture to provide the highest academic and social needs of the students.?

???????????Second, the SEL program funding is flexible.?From the principal’s funding support, they are encouragement, hiring, and recruiting highly qualified teachers based upon the guidance of the Title I, Title II, and Title IV, part B.?Thirdly, the impacts and outcomes of the SEL program in the author's school is immensely successful.?For example, office behavior referrals have been cut to half as compared to the school year 2018-2019 of Quarters (Q) 1, 2, and 3.?Likewise, the attendance outcome is 3% higher than the previous year of 2018-2019 across Q1, 2, and 3.

Reflective Summary

???????????As the author continually reflected upon the contents of this paper, it is critical to reiterate these guiding questions: “What is the SEL program?” “Are you able to succinctly describe SEL in one sentence?” “Can you name one of the five components of SEL?” The correlation between Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), school funding and outcomes for students is exceptionally high.?It is imperative to note that Humphrey et al. (2020) offer this statement: “SEL has become a dominant orthodoxy in school systems in the United States and around the world” (p. 1).

???????????Overall, the impacts of any SEL program and the outcomes outweigh the costs.?In particular, SEL is a program that will develop students' intrinsic and extrinsic motivations (Walker et al., 2006) to include interpersonal relationships, collaborations, and teamwork.?For the upcoming school year 2020-2021, the author and his school will be in Year 2 of the SEL, CAT (Consultative Advisory Time), with slight modifications because of the COVID-19 pandemic.?The author wishes to offer this quote from Isaacson (n.d.): “We know from human history and the latest learning science that success comes from the combination of academic knowledge and the ability to work with others.?We need public education to reflect this.”

References

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Bridgeland, J., Bruce, M., & Hariharan, A. (2013). The Missing Piece: A National Teacher Survey on How Social and Emotional Learning Can Empower Children and Transform Schools. A Report for CASEL.?Civic Enterprises.

CASEL, (2020). Retrieved from https://www.casel.org.

Devaney, E., & Moroney, D. (2015). Linking Schools and Afterschool through Social and Emotional Learning. Beyond the Bell: Research to Practice in the Afterschool and Expanded Learning Field.?American Institutes for Research.

Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta‐analysis of school‐based universal interventions.?Child development,?82(1), 405-432.

Dymnicki, A., Sambolt, M., & Kidron, Y. (2013). Improving college and career readiness by incorporating social and emotional learning.?College and Career Readiness and Success Center.

Grant, S., Hamilton, L. S., Wrabel, S. L., Gomez, C. J., Whitaker, A. A., Leschitz, J. T., ... & Harris, M. (2017). How the Every Student Succeeds Act can support social and emotional learning.

Gayl, C. L. (2017). How state planning for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) can promote student academic, social, and emotional learning: An examination of five key strategies. CASEL Brief.?Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning.

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