The Key To A Better Future For Students May Be Social-Emotional Growth, Not Standardized Test Scores
At Forbes.com, I take a look at a new study about the importance of social-emotional development.
Social-Emotional Learning has become yet another point of contention for education activists on the right, who accuse it of being “Trojan horse” for critical race theory. But research suggests that having schools work on social and emotional development is important for future student success.
A study from the UChicago Consortium of School Research looked at how high school climate and organizational context affect student development and achievement in both the short and long run. The study, authored by researchers from the consortium and Northwestern University (Shanette C. Porter, C. Kirabo Jackson, Sebastian Kiguel, and John Q. Easton), looked at Chicago high schools using measures of success beyond simple Big Standardized Test scores.
Some of the study’s reported findings:
Effective high schools—those that fostered multiple dimensions of student growth—improved students’ short- and long-run trajectories.
In other words, if a school starts focusing on factors beyond getting students ready to get a high score on the state test, students benefit. If the school focuses on students social-emotional development, students benefit. This broader focus increases the chance of graduating and of enrolling in college within two years.
Social-emotional development is tied to healthy adjustment and positive identity formation. This is where some opponents see a problem; for instance, some believe that a positive identity cannot be formed by students who are LGBTQ. Or, as one parent put it, “not everyone deserves respect, empathy, honesty, kindness etc. from my children.”