Oakland, California
Number of Students: 37,075
Number of Schools: 118
In 2015, Oakland Unified School District created the Department of Academic, Social and Emotional Learning. The creation of this office deepened the districts commitment to social emotional learning, which they began prioritizing in 2011. A framework was developed identifying PreK to Adult SEL standards. In order to build the five core SEL competencies, OUSD believes in integrating direct SEL instruction, teaching practices that support social and emotional school development, integrating SEL skills into the core academic curriculum, and developing school-wide strategies and structure that support SEL. At particular “learning hub schools” there is an SEL point person and leadership team prioritizing SEL. Teachers and staff participate in both formal and informal SEL professional learning and and students receive explicit SEL instruction through one of three evidence-based SEL programs: Caring School Community, Expeditionary Learning and Engaging Schools. OUSD is also a member of the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) Collaborating Districts Initiative. OUSD hope to take school-wide SEL support models district wide for the 2018-2019 school year.
Learn more about OUSD’s social emotional learning initiatives here.