Today we are going to take a closer look at the importance of Social-Emotional Learning screeners in today’s education settings. Over the last few years, the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the way we view education. The shutdown of the nation’s schools and subsequent changes to remote education have sharpened the lens we use to view students’ social and emotional well-being. Students bring more than their backpacks and books to school these days; they carry life influences, including behavioral issues, family dynamics, health concerns, learning profiles, abilities, and interests, that potentially impact students’ mental health.
Educators must prioritize supporting students’ social and emotional health and the best way to do this is with Social-Emotional Learning screeners and high-quality SEL support.
Consequences of Mental Health Problems
Research suggests that 20% of students will develop a mental health problem of significance between the ages of 4 and 18. While the severity levels will vary, approximately 70% of those students who should receive mental health services will not.
When students’ mental health requirements are unaddressed, the results include attendance issues, behavior problems, special education referrals, criminal activity, poor academic performance, dropping out, school violence, substance abuse, and suicide ideation. While some of these may seem like “mature” issues, mental health struggles can develop at any age, as early as infancy, so the earlier they are addressed in the school setting, the better.
The Need for Cooperative Support
Families can provide the first layer of support for the mental health needs of children. However, the added stress of the world creates the necessity for partnerships between families and schools to provide a positive environment for students’ mental health. Because of the significant amount of time students spend in the educational setting each day, schools should reinforce mental health strengths while supporting more critical mental health disorders. The biggest challenge for most schools lies in the lack of information and resources needed to implement behavioral health services as a comprehensive school-wide strategy.
The large percentage of students with behavioral and mental health issues and the gaps in the proper identification of students with heightened needs highlight the necessity to revamp current school policies. After the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in 2012, the governing educational body in Connecticut recommended regular screening of each student in a particular social, district, or grade for social/emotional or mental health concerns.
Several organizations, including the 2002 U.S. The President’s Commission on Excellence in Special Education, the National Association of School Psychologists, and other respected publications, have advocated for school-based universal screener use. Research shows screeners increase a school’s ability to identify students with internalized social and emotional issues who may otherwise go under the radar.
Benefits of Universal Social-Emotional Learning Screeners
SEL screening is much different from other assessments given in schools, which have historically used universal screeners only to pinpoint academic needs. Universal Social-Emotional Learning screeners accomplish the following:
- Provides information for designing SEL services
- Identifies children at risk for negative outcomes
- Identifies children with needs for targeted interventions
- Identifies students’ strengths
- Identifies students’ existing and potential risk factors
- Evaluates the effectiveness of SEL curriculum
The use of a universal Social-Emotional Learning screeners is a proactive approach to pinpoint needs before they become apparent through negative behaviors. Visit WPS to learn more about the use of universal Social-Emotional Learning screeners.
Sources
Ready, Set, Go, Review: Screening for Behavioral Health Risk in Schools (samhsa.gov)
The case for universal mental health screening in schools – Counseling Today
