Subject to appropriation, the board shall establish a comprehensive interdisciplinary health education and human service discretionary grant program. Funds for this program may be appropriated from the Health Protection Fund established by section two T of chapter twenty–nine. Comprehensive interdisciplinary health education and human service programs shall include, but not be limited to, planning and coordination activities, curriculum development, in–service training components for all school staff, in–service education, instruction, school counseling services, health service delivery, promotion of knowledge of child development and appropriate care, effective parenting skills for parents and adolescents, and parent education services which will promote improved home based learning, the prevention of substance abuse, tobacco use, family violence, child abuse and neglect, teenage pregnancy and eating disorders, AIDS and suicide, and promote sound health practices including nutritional health and emotional development, improved school counseling services, early intervention services for high risk students, peer counseling and education, incentives for participation by students of both sexes, and increased coordination between schools, parents and existing community services, especially for those students most in need. As the primary educators of their children, parents shall play a substantial role in the design, development and implementation of programs and curriculum.

Instruction in health education shall include, but shall not be limited to, consumer health, ecology, community health, body structure and function safety, nutrition, fitness and body dynamics, dental health, emotional and character development, promotion of self–esteem skills, AIDS/HIV prevention education in accordance with policies or regulations of the board, and training in the administration of first aid, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

(a) As used in this section the term “safe and supportive schools” shall mean schools that foster a safe, positive, healthy and inclusive whole-school learning environment that: (i) enables students to develop positive relationships with adults and peers, regulate their emotions and behavior, achieve academic and non-academic success in school and maintain physical and psychological health and well-being; and (ii) integrates services and aligns initiatives that promote students’ behavioral health, including social and emotional learning, bullying prevention, trauma sensitivity, dropout prevention, truancy reduction, children’s mental health, foster care and homeless youth education, inclusion of students with disabilities, positive behavioral approaches that reduce suspensions and expulsions and other similar initiatives.

This tool describes some of the key criteria to measure social-emotional learning.

Short review of SEL guidebook