Social and emotional learning (SEL) addresses the critical need for students to develop social and emotional competence in order to achieve success in their relationships, academics, work and life. The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) defines these competencies as:

• Self-awareness: Recognizing one’s emotions and values as well as one’s strengths and limitations
• Self-management: Managing emotions and behaviors to achieve one’s goal
• Social awareness: Showing and understanding empathy for others
• Relationship skills: Forming positive relationships, working in teams, dealing effectively with conflict
• Responsible decision-making: Making ethical, constructive choices about personal and social behavior

Schools that help students and staff develop greater social and emotional competence see increases in students’ positive behavior, reductions in negative behavior (including violence, truancy and bullying) and higher levels of teaching and work satisfaction for staff.  

In addition, effective SEL implementation is shown to raise students’ standardized achievement test scores by 10-17 percentile points.

Open Circle’s 22 years of experience and unique approach make it a leading SEL program. What makes it unique?  A commitment to quality, an adherence to best practices, strong innovation, and a research-validated  track record.

Open Circle Offers:

• Both Skill-Building and Community-Building
  Open Circle focuses on both key elements of SEL:
  • providing explicit skills instruction for social and emotional learning
  • creating safe, caring and cooperative learning environments
• S.A.F.E. Curriculum
  The Open Circle Curriculum meets CASEL’s “S.A.F.E.” standard:
  
  • Sequenced – with 34 sequential, spiraling, grade-differentiated lessons plus 38 supplemental lessons that help teachers tailor learning to each class’ specific needs
  • Active –with engaging, fun learning tools such as role-plays, facilitated dialogue and community-building activities
  • Focused – with dedicated time for SEL at 15-minute Open Circle meetings twice per week
  • Explicit – with specific social and emotional skills targeted across all five SEL competencies
• Whole-School Approach
  Open Circle’s unique, whole-school approach includes training for all members of your school community because research and our experience has told us that cultivating a positive climate requires a shared, universal approach across your school.
• Extensive Professional Development
  Open Circle prides itself on providing high-quality professional development that respects the specific needs of adult learners. Our teacher training program includes four days of training and additional in-school consulting visits, all spaced across the school year to enable a cycle of learning, practice and reflection.
• Sustainability
  Open Circle was one of the first programs to address the challenge of sustaining SEL use and growth in schools. Through our Sustainability Program, we help schools form multi-departmental teams to develop and launch a customized plan to broaden, deepen and sustain SEL in their school.
• Research-Based and Nationally-Recognized Programming
  You can fund Open Circle through state and federal grants because it is a research-based program with clear evidence of effectiveness:
  • Listed in the U.S. Department of Education’s Expert Panel guidebook of “Exemplary and Promising Safe, Disciplined, and Drug-Free Schools Programs”
  • Named by CASEL as one of only 22 “Select” programs with a comprehensive  approach to SEL, documented positive impact, and high quality professional development offerings

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