Onward

An increasingly polarized socio-political climate is diminishing the public's confidence in the research evidence and, in some cases, producing misinformation – or false evidence- as well as disinformation – or intentionally false evidence.

To the background of an ongoing youth mental health crisis, and in the midst of a transition in power at the federal level, a renewed energy to reshape public K-12 education, and an SEL field that is expanding while under a political microscope, understanding how SEL evidence is being disseminated, accessed, received, and used is imperative. This study explored whether and how SEL stakeholders understand, access, and use evidence to inform SEL-related decisions across professions, including K-12 educators, school administrators, and district personnel as well as policymakers, families, and SEL researchers and advocates.

Key findings suggest that:

• SEL research evidence lacks accessibility for policymakers, educational leaders, and practitioners

• the evidence that is available is limited in how it can be translated to and used in practice

• SEL evidence does not speak for itself, and is widely open to interpretation, within the field, across stakeholders, and by the media

Evolving opportunities for stakeholders to access and have the opportunity to use and benefit from SEL evidence is a critical area for growth in this current sociopolitical climate. We are excited to launch ImprovingStudentOutcomes.org this summer, with our partners at AIR and with support from the Institute of Education Sciences, to provide empirical evidence directly into the hands of decision-makers nationwide. Subscribe for updates at ImprovingStudentOutcomes.org.