Arizona Department of Education’s Website Features “Navigating SEL from the Inside Out” Guide for School Leaders and Administrators; includes “educational equity” and “equitable SEL”

The Arizona Department of Education’s website features a variety of social-emotional learning or SEL resources for students, parents, and administrators.  

The “Navigating SEL from the Inside Out” guide was created by Harvard’s Ecological Approaches to Social Emotional Learning (EASEL) Laboratory, that “explores the effects of high-quality social-emotional interventions on the development and achievement of children, youth, teachers, parents, and communities. “

The 158-page guide focuses on topics ranging from “Educational Equity” to “Equitable SEL.”

The guide features a chapter called “Achieving Equitable SEL,” which it defines as “SEL that affirms diverse identities; incorporates student cultural values, practices, and assets; fosters positive identity development; promotes student agency and voice; and acknowledges and addresses persistent environmental stressors such as racism, transphobia, homophobia, and classism.”

The chapter describes “Educational Equity,” as “the intentional counter to inequality, institutionalized privilege, prejudice, and systemic deficits in the education system and the simultaneous promotion of conditions that support the wellbeing of students who experience inequity and injustice.” 

The guide continues, “Equity-oriented practice involves addressing the biases, practices, and structures that prevent students from succeeding to create more equitable learning environments where all students feel valued, have access to the learning resources and support they need to be successful, and can take ownership of their learning. Greater equity improves opportunities and outcomes for all children.”

The guide advises that implementing “equitable SEL” should be drawn from “social-justice-oriented” SEL, which involves “improving conditions” – sometimes referred to as “activism.”

Teachers are encouraged to target “white children” for adopting “anti-racism”.

The Wallace Foundation, located in New York, New York, funded the guide. Their mission is “to foster equity and improvements in learning and enrichment for young people, and in the arts for everyone.​​”

The Arizona Department of Education is located in Phoenix, Arizona, and is led by Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman.

Learn more about social-emotional learning here.