By Betsy Hill and Roger Stark
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) has become an increasingly prominent topic in education. To better understand how schools and educators approach SEL, we conducted a targeted survey and summarized the findings below. Our goal is to share practical insights about current practices, perceived priorities, and gaps educators identify in SEL implementation.
We collected 131 survey responses before the date of this report. Invitations were distributed via email and social media to educators, administrators, and parents. Respondents work with a wide range of student ages, reinforcing that SEL skills are considered relevant across grade levels and educational settings.
Interest and involvement in SEL among respondents was high, which aligns with expectations given the survey outreach. More than three-quarters of participants (77%) reported that they either follow a formal SEL curriculum (22%) or regularly incorporate SEL activities without a formal curriculum (55%).
Among those using a formal SEL curriculum, about half reported using a curriculum they developed themselves (48%), while the other half use a published program (52%).
Respondents evaluated a set list of 12 topics for inclusion in an SEL program and, if applicable, indicated which of those topics their program currently addresses. The table below summarizes how each topic ranked for importance and how often it is included in programs.
| Topic | Topic is Important Ranking | Topic is Important Percentage | Topic is Addressed Ranking | Topic is Addressed Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Relationship management | 1 | 85% | 7 | 66% |
| Decision-making skills | 2 | 84% | 3 | 77% |
| Self-management | 3 | 84% | 1 | 79% |
| Social awareness | 4 | 84% | 2 | 79% |
| Self-awareness | 5 | 83% | 4 | 77% |
| Personal responsibility | 6 | 82% | 5 | 74% |
| Self-confidence | 7 | 73% | 6 | 68% |
| Empathy | 8 | 73% | 9 | 55% |
| Setting goals | 9 | 73% | 8 | 65% |
| Resilience | 10 | 67% | 10 | 43% |
| Conflict management | 11 | 61% | 11 | 40% |
| Flexibility / Adaptability | 12 | 59% | 13 | 32% |
| Integrity / Trustworthiness | 13 | 55% | 12 | 36% |
| Leadership | 14 | 43% | 14 | 27% |
Note: All respondents were asked which topics they consider important for an SEL program. Only respondents who reported having an SEL program were asked which of these topics their program actually addresses.
Key trends emerged from the responses. Nearly every topic—except leadership—was rated important by a majority of respondents. Six topics were considered important by more than 80% of participants, and three additional topics exceeded 70% importance. This indicates substantial consensus about core SEL skills.
- Several of the top-ranked items focus on self-management: self-management, self-awareness, personal responsibility, self-confidence, and goal setting. Other leading priorities emphasize interpersonal skills: relationship management, social awareness, and empathy. Decision-making also ranks highly and bridges both personal and social domains.
- Across every topic, a larger share of respondents labeled it as important than the share whose programs currently address it. This gap suggests many programs may not fully align with educator priorities. For high-priority topics the gap is smaller (around a 10% difference), but relationship management—the top-rated skill for importance—shows a notable 23% gap between importance and inclusion in programs. Empathy shows a similar gap, which could indicate challenges in teaching interpersonal skills within existing program structures.
- Less highly ranked topics typically exhibit larger discrepancies between perceived importance and program coverage. This pattern may indicate that educators prioritize the most important skills when designing or choosing SEL programs, or that awareness of program content shapes perceptions of importance.
- Flexibility and adaptability show the largest shortfall: although valued by many, these skills are addressed in fewer than one-third of reported programs. Workplace demand for adaptability is high, but it is possible that educators view flexibility and resilience as outcomes of broader cognitive development rather than discrete lesson-plan topics. Developing these skills may require different instructional approaches—such as targeted cognitive training—than those used in typical classroom SEL lessons.
- When asked to suggest additional SEL topics, no respondents offered alternatives, which reinforces the comprehensiveness of the 12-item list used in the survey.
On program effectiveness (asked only of respondents with SEL activities or curricula), feedback was positive: 64% rated their efforts as somewhat effective and 36% rated them very effective. However, these judgments appear to rely primarily on informal evaluation. Only 12% of all respondents (22% of those with programs) reported using a formal SEL assessment tool to measure outcomes.
We appreciate everyone who contributed time to this survey and hope these findings help educators, administrators, and policymakers refine SEL priorities and implementation strategies. For questions about this summary or the survey methods, contact Betsy Hill at [email protected].
About the authors
Betsy Hill is President of BrainWare Learning Company, which applies neuroscience to build learning capacity and support student success. An experienced educator, she has worked with experts in neuroscience and education, served on the board of trustees at Chicago State University, and teaches strategic thinking in the MBA program at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. Betsy holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and an MBA from Northwestern University and is co-author of the book, “Your Child Learns Differently, Now What?”
Roger Stark is Co-founder and CEO of BrainWare Learning Company. Over the past decade he has led efforts to make cognitive literacy training and assessment more accessible. Roger guided development of BrainWare SAFARI, a comprehensive online cognitive training tool, and co-authored “Your Child Learns Differently, Now What?”