Does Social-Emotional Learning Really Work? Educators Had a Lot to Say
The emphasis on teaching social-emotional learning continues to expand across K-12 schools, especially at the high school level. That is the case even though there has been significant pushback against such programs, also known as SEL, in several states and many communities across the country.
Eighty-three percent of principals reported in 2024 that their schools use an SEL curriculum or program, up from 73 percent in the 2021-22 school year, and 46 percent in 2017-18, according to a nationally representative survey by RAND and the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, or CASEL.
Social-emotional learning—which aims to teach students soft skills such as empathy, managing emotions, and setting goals—aims to help kids develop the life skills they need to succeed academically and socially and be better prepared for college and the workforce. But critics say its inclusion in the curriculum de-emphasizes academic learning and often promotes a politically liberal agenda that does not align with the beliefs of many parents and educators.