Social Emotional Learning
September 6, 2023
Click or tap the image below to see the video, or follow this link: Family Engagement: Strengthening Family Involvement to Improve Outcomes for Children
Families are your students' first teachers. Social Emotional Learning should begin by engaging with and learning about students’ families. Through supportive relationships, families model and practice SEL with their children. By partnering with families, schools build an understanding of the SEL needs and priorities for their students. Families may help identify goals for their children, share cultural practices that may be used as assets in developing SEL, and they can continue to support the social emotional development of their children.
Families should be included in identifying and partnering in ongoing SEL initiatives. Schools can create opportunities for families and communities to learn more about SEL and even develop their own skills. The Washington SEL Implementation Brief for Parents and Families shares ways to involve families in SEL, as well as CASEL's SEL with Families and Caregivers page. Creating climate surveys to understand how students and families think and feel about the school can identify areas in which schools can strengthen to create a supportive environment that further supports SEL development and student engagement.
For additional Washington state resources on this topic, visit the following: Office of Education Ombuds Family and Community Engagement, UW Family Leadership Design Collaborative, and UW Equitable Parent–School Collaboration.
The next SEL Advisory Committee meeting is Tuesday, September 26, 9:00AM–12:00PM. The meeting will be held via Zoom (link attached).
We encourage the public to attend and provide time for public comment. You may also share public comment to the SEL Advisory Committee at any time by using the comment link on the SEL website.
More information is available on the SEL Advisory Committee webpage. If you have questions, please email tammy.bolen@k12.wa.us.
Want to make a difference in Social Emotional Learning in Washington?
The SEL Advisory Committee is accepting applications for new members to fill vacant seats. We would love for you to apply if you have the following:
- A passion for helping our students and for social emotional learning
- You have the time and capacity to fill the position for a year (The Advisory Committee’s 2023–2024 schedule is in the application.)
If you apply for a seat that is currently filled, we are happy to hold applications to fill future vacancies. Our current vacancies are:
- One representative from a nonprofit organization with expertise in developing social-emotional curricula
- One representative from a coalition of youth-serving organizations working together to improve outcomes for young people
- Two Tribal representative members who have experience working in and with schools—one member from east of the crest of the Cascade mountains; and one member from west of the crest of the Cascade mountains (Tribal approval required)
- One representative from a foundation that supports social emotional learning
For more information on the SEL Advisory Committee, please visit our web page. If you have any questions, please contact diane.stead@k12.wa.us.
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Resources from the 2023 Washington SEL Network Exchange
The SEL Network Exchange brought together educators from across Washington state to share valuable insights, exchange resources, and discuss future directions and sustainability of SEL implementation. The in-person event held at Highline Community College included activities and presentations by the American Institutes for Research (AIR), Education Northwest, SEL Advisory Committee members, demonstration site participants, community partners, and OSPI staff.
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Participants engaged in numerous activities, including a Peer Exchange session where they engaged in collaborative discussions with experts about SEL Implementation practices and challenges. The summary report includes additional information and the collection of resources shared during this successful event. Explore the links below to learn more!
SEL Network Exchange PowerPoint
SEL Network Exchange Summary and Resources
(above: Panelists from Richland, North Thurston, and Renton school districts)
(above right: Educator Prep Team: Leiani Sherwin, Caryn Park, Debbie Tully, Jisu Ryu)
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Watch the Webinar Recording: Engaging Students, Families, & Communities in SEL
 Our March 2023 webinar perfectly matches this month's theme of Family Engagement Best Practices. Attendees learned how to authentically engage students, families, and community partners in SEL. Participants explored best practices for authentic engagement in supporting SEL efforts and heard from a panel of experts. The panel discussion was followed by a Q&A segment where panelists answered questions from participants. Throughout the session, participants were encouraged to reflect on their own role in building a system of support for SEL engagement and consider the specific needs of their students, families, and community partners. Participants left with concrete strategies to meaningfully engage students, families, and community partners in supporting SEL efforts. Click the image above to watch the webinar recording or follow this link: SEL Professional Learning Network Webinar: Engaging Students, Families, and Communities.
Requesting Input: PLN Future Topics and Point of Contact Update
The OSPI SEL Team is seeking input to inform the topics for the upcoming school year's professional learning opportunities provided through the SEL Professional Learning Network. Please take this survey to help us determine topic areas that are of interest to you and will provide support throughout the SEL Implementation journey in your district. You will be added to our points of contact distribution list by providing your name and email address. Please contact debra.parker@k12.wa.us or (360) 972-4074 with questions.
 The most crucial contribution to a child's success in school and in life is to support their education. Research demonstrates that parental attitudes and ideas about education, independent of household income or level of education, can have a significant impact on children's academic success. The ideal family-school involvement strategy goes beyond information sharing and frequent newsletters and email blasts. Instead, family-school involvement is an ongoing partnership that includes open communication that honors family voice, mutual understanding, the development of trust, and fostering culturally responsive family partnerships. When it's effective, family-school engagement welcomes community relationships and input, bringing in community-based organizations, families, caregivers, and school teams that all share a commitment to ensuring that students have the best experiences and outcomes possible. We’re bringing you Dr. Trise Moore, the President & Senior Consultant for The Family Outreach & Engagement Network to talk about the advice she shares with schools to craft authentic connections to families. We’ll also have practitioners with us to talk about their experiences in the Auburn and Highline School Districts. Free Clock Hours are available.
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
10:00–11:30am
Presenters include:
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Trise Moore, President & Senior Consultant, The Family Outreach & Engagement Network
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Dixie Grunenfelder, Executive Director, Student Engagement & Support, OSPI
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Francesca Matias, Youth Engagement Administrative Program Supervisor, OSPI
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Isaiah Johnson, Executive Director of Equity & Family Engagement, Auburn School District
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Lolita O’Donnell, Director of Family & Community Partnerships, Highline School District
Click the image above to register or visit the Zoom Registration page to sign up for the webinar series. To review previous sessions, visit the Graduation Equity Webinar page.
OSPI and UW Forefront Suicide Prevention (Forefront) are collaborating to learn more about mental health supports for elementary-age students. Recognizing diverse needs across the state, they are seeking valuable input from elementary school staff. Participating in the survey will help provide insight into existing supports and barriers to accessing mental health services. If you’re interested in providing information about your experiences, please take the survey by October 20th, 2023. If you have questions, please contact kerry.bloomquist@k12.wa.us or christian.stark@k12.wa.us.
Take the Survey Here: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7350261/ES-Suicide-Prevention-Needs-Assessment-Survey
From June to November 2023, American Institutes for Research is inviting students, educators, parents, and community members to share their stories about K–12 education in their communities since the onset of the COVID–19 pandemic. For more information, visit the COVID-19 and Equity in Education (CEE) Initiative website.
Effective September 1, 2023, OSPI is changing the current website address from k12.wa.us to ospi.k12.wa.us. This change is required for improved security.
Please make sure to update your bookmarks, links, and saved pages to reflect this change, as redirects will only be in place for a period of 6 months. Rest assured, all the content and functionality you've come to rely on will remain intact at the new URL.
All OSPI email addresses will remain unchanged. If you encounter any issues or have any questions about this URL change, please reach out to OSPI’s support team at webteam@k12.wa.us. We're here to assist you and ensure a seamless transition.
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The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is seeking to support three regional partnerships in Washington State that support high school to postsecondary transitions, with a focus on serving students of color, and students from low-income and rural communities. Deadline for applications is Friday, September 22, 2023. More information is available on the Gates Foundation website.
Based on positive feedback and requests, OSPI is pleased to again offer online training on the Lifelines Comprehensive Trilogy®, led by national experts, Underwood & Associates.
Each of the three sections of the trilogy will be offered on two separate dates. Please keep in mind that each session is approximately six hours and registrants should plan to attend for the full day. Please register for the following dates in the pdEnroller system. Clock hours are available.
Schools that send at least one staff member to each portion (prevention, intervention, and postvention) of the Lifelines Trilogy and commit to implementing the program will receive access to the full online Lifelines Comprehensive Trilogy® curriculum on-demand for three years (while supplies last). OSPI is offering this important training opportunity through Washington’s Student Support and Academic Enrichment (Title IV, Part A) program. If you have questions, please contact kerry.bloomquist@k12.wa.us or christian.stark@k12.wa.us.
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The Unique Role of PE Teachers and Coaches in Student Wellness Webinar
Tuesday, October 10, 2023
3:00–4:30PM
This training will highlight the unique characteristics of that important role in student wellness, especially when students are at risk for behaviors that compromise their personal safety. It will provide PE teachers and coaches with a conversational framework for interacting with students when they see something that concerns them, giving them another skill to add to their instructional toolkit! Register for this training through pdEnroller.
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