Social and Emotional Learning

March 16, 2021

'No one is sure what to expect': Schools, colleges add more counseling services to address student mental health

Schools and colleges are preparing for a rush of student mental health needs as campuses reopen for in-person instruction.

Carolyn Jones

February 19, 2021

Veteran teachers surveyed worry about Covid’s long-term harm on California students

In the first of a series capturing teachers' experiences, most express alarm over the pandemic's impact on learning and mental health.

John Fensterwald

December 9, 2020

School ‘wellness centers’ could be an answer to soaring mental health needs in California

Schools should join with health agencies and nonprofits to provide mental and physical health services for families, state commission says.

Carolyn Jones

May 8, 2020

Forge emotional connections with students before pursuing lessons online

Students' basic needs for love and belonging must be met before getting back to meaningful academic learning.

Elizabeth Mee

October 29, 2019

In-school suspensions the answer to school discipline? Not necessarily, experts say

Counseling and tutoring should be embedded in school discipline programs, experts said.

Carolyn Jones

October 28, 2019

The value of social and emotional learning; Q&A with Tim Shriver

The longtime leader in the field says social and emotional practices help reach disconnected students and give purpose to learning.

John Fensterwald

June 5, 2019

There’s value but also limitations to students’ grading their own interpersonal skills, study finds

California districts should use insights from surveys of students' habits of mind but not rate schools by the results, a PACE research project concludes.

John Fensterwald

April 3, 2019

California schools find success building student confidence and campus culture

School officials are increasingly focused on students’ social and emotional learning.

Julie Patel Liss

February 12, 2019

Acclaimed restorative justice program on the chopping block in Oakland Unified

Students and advocates are loudly protesting a plan to significantly cut staff from the popular initiative, which emphasizes alternatives to punitive discipline approaches like suspension and expulsion.

David Washburn

January 15, 2019

Trauma in Paradise: A California school system focuses on mental health after devastating fire

As students and educators in and around the town of Paradise begin a new semester, just two months since the deadliest wildfire in California history, they are carrying with them levels of trauma that will certainly impact their ability to learn and teach, experts say.

David Washburn

July 31, 2018

Q&A: Making playgrounds fully accessible for all kids

Olenka Villarreal is the founder and executive director of Magical Bridge Foundation, which creates inclusive playgrounds that everyone can use, including young people with disabilities.

Erin Brownfield

May 16, 2018

The art of engagement: classroom management now matters more in teacher training

The current era of discipline reform in California is putting greater emphasis on an aspect of teaching that has long gotten the short shrift in teacher credentialing programs.

David Washburn

May 15, 2018

Resources often don't match rhetoric for restorative justice in California schools

While awareness of restorative justice is high among school officials statewide, budgets for programs remain tiny in most school districts.

David Washburn

April 3, 2018

California districts to take part in groundbreaking school safety study

Researchers will spend five years studying California schools in order to get a better picture of how they can become places where people feel safer and more connected.

David Washburn

March 22, 2018

With increased focus on students' social and emotional skills, teachers turn to class pets to help lead the way

In some schools, class pets do more than help children learn about animals. They are also being integrated into teachers' efforts to help young students learn social and emotional skills, such as self-awareness, responsibility and empathy.

Ashley Hopkinson