Category
Social-Emotional Learning or Character Development
Category
Social-Emotional Learning or Character Development
State law requires districts to integrate social-emotional learning or character education into the school curriculum.
Revised Code of Washington 28A.300.477 Social-emotional learning committee.
(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the social-emotional learning committee is created to promote and expand social-emotional learning. Social-emotional learning will help students build awareness and skills in managing emotions, setting goals, establishing relationships, and making responsible decisions that support success in school and life.
(2) At a minimum, the committee shall:
- (a) Develop and implement a statewide framework for social-emotional learning that is trauma-informed, culturally sustaining, and developmentally appropriate;
- (b) Review and update as needed the Standard and benchmarks for social-emotional learning and the developmental indicators for grades kindergarten through twelve and confirm they are evidence-based;
- (c) Align the Standard and benchmarks for social-emotional learning with other relevant Standard and guidelines including the health and physical education K-12 learning Standard and the early learning and development guidelines;
- (d) Advise the office of the superintendent of public instruction’s duty under RCW 28A.300.478;
- (e) Identify best practices or guidance for schools implementing the Standard, benchmarks, and developmental indicators for social-emotional learning;
- (f) Identify professional development opportunities for teachers and educational staff and review, update, and align as needed the social-emotional learning online education module;
- (g) Consider systems for collecting data about social-emotional learning and monitoring implementation efforts;
- (h) Identify strategies to improve coordination between early learning, K-12 education, youth-serving community partners and culturally-based providers, and higher education regarding social-emotional learning; and
- (i) Engage with stakeholders and seek feedback.
(10) Beginning June 1, 2021, and annually thereafter, the committee shall provide a progress report, in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, to the governor and appropriate committees of the legislature. The report must include accomplishments, state-level data regarding implementation of social-emotional learning, identification of systemic barriers or policy changes necessary to promote and expand social-emotional learning, and recommendations.
Revised Code of Washington 28A.300.478 Social-emotional learning Standard and benchmarks.
(1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall review the recommendations of the social-emotional learning work group convened as directed in the 2017 omnibus appropriations act and the recommendations of the social-emotional learning committee created in RCW 28A.300.47728A.300.477. The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall adopt social-emotional learning Standard and benchmarks by January 1, 2020, and revise the social-emotional learning Standard and benchmarks as appropriate.
(2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall align the programs it oversees with the Standard for social-emotional learning and integrate the Standard where appropriate.
Revised Code of Washington 28A.410.270 Washington professional educator Standard board — Performance Standard — Certification levels — Teacher effectiveness evaluations — Requirements for professional certificate and residency teaching certificate — Demonstration of educator preparation programs’ outcomes.
(c) By January 1, 2020, in order to ensure that teachers can recognize signs of emotional or behavioral distress in students and appropriately refer students for assistance and support, the Washington professional educator Standard board shall incorporate along the entire continuum the social-emotional learning Standard and benchmarks recommended by the social-emotional learning benchmarks work group in its October 1, 2016, final report titled, “addressing social emotional learning in Washington’s K-12 public schools.” In incorporating the social-emotional learning Standard and benchmarks, the Washington professional educator Standard board must include related competencies, such as trauma-informed practices, consideration of adverse childhood experiences, mental health literacy, antibullying strategies, and culturally sustaining practices.
Revised Code of Washington 28A.415.440 Professional learning days — Social-emotional learning.
Beginning in the 2020-21 school year, and every other school year thereafter, school districts must use one of the professional learning days funded under RCW 28A.150.415 to train school district staff on one or more of the following topics: Social-emotional learning, trauma-informed practices, using the model plan developed under RCW 28A.320.1271 related to recognition and response to emotional or behavioral distress, consideration of adverse childhood experiences, mental health literacy, antibullying strategies, and culturally sustaining practices.
Revised Code of Washington 28A.415.445 Training in children’s mental health topics — Required use of one professional learning day every other year.
Beginning in the 2020-21 school year, and every other school year thereafter, school districts must use one of the professional learning days funded under RCW 28A.150.415 to train school district staff in one or more of the following topics: Social-emotional learning, trauma-informed practices, using the model plan developed under RCW 28A.320.1271 related to recognition and response to emotional or behavioral distress, consideration of adverse childhood experiences, mental health literacy, antibullying strategies, or culturally sustaining practices.