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Purposes and Definitions of Social and Emotional Learning Assessment
Purpose of Assessment in Education
“The primary goal of classroom assessment, whether for formative, interim, or summative
purposes, is to support student learning.”
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W
hen educators are purposeful in implementing evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programs
and practices, research has demonstrated that a variety of school and student outcomes improve such as school
climate, behavior and engagement
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. To better understand how district, school, and classroom practices support
the social and emotional development of all students, it is important to assess both SEL practices and outcomes.
In this guide, we discuss the purpose of SEL assessment as well as the types of SEL assessment such as outcome
and process-based assessments.
The primary reason to assess SEL should be to inform practice, with an intentional focus on 1) understanding
students’ development of social and emotional competencies and 2) improving SEL-related instruction and
programming. Use this assessment guide in combination with the SEL District Implementation and Professional
Development Guidance and the SEL Competencies and Benchmarks, which we developed to help educators
support students in developing the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors they need to be successful as
students and adults. SEL competencies are important for student success in school, work and life,
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so it is critical
that educators weave these competencies into the curriculum with the goal of being more intentional in
addressing the needs of the whole child
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. Similar to other formative assessments in educational settings, SEL
assessments are intended to inform decision-making at the classroom, school and school district levels. In other
words, you can use assessments of social and emotional knowledge, skills and abilities to understand the
development of individual students and you can aggregate the resulting data at the classroom, school and
district level for continuous improvement, research and evaluation. Assessment of SEL is best used for formative
purposes such as information gathering and communication, not for summative or high-stakes decisions such as
student placement and disciplinary referrals.
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Klinger, D.A., McDivitt, P.R., Howard, B.B., Munoz, M.A., Rogers, W.T., & Wylie, E.C. (2015). The Classroom Assessment
Standards for PreK-12 Teachers. Kindle Direct Press.
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Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’
social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405–
432.; Thapa, A., Cohen, J., Guffey, S., & Higgins-D’Alessandro, A. (2013). A review of school climate research. Review of
educational research, 83(3), 357-385.
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Jones, D. E., Greenberg, M., & Crowley, M. (2015). Early social-emotional functioning and public health: The relationship
between kindergarten social competence and future wellness. American Journal of Public Health, 105, 2283–2290.
Retrieved from; Taylor, E. D., Oberle, E., Durlak, J. A., & Weissberg, R. P. (2017). Promoting positive youth development
through school-based social and emotional learning interventions: A meta-analysis of follow-up effects. Child Development,
88(4), 1156–1171.
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Yoder, N. (2014). Teaching the whole child: Instructional practices that support social-emotional learning in three teacher
evaluation frameworks. Washington, DC: Center on Great Teachers and Leaders.