Supporting Social-Emotional Learning, Health, & Safety: Key Initiatives
Coordinated by the Center for Educational Options/Office of Student and Family Support
4.1.17 WORKING DRAFT
GOAL
Promote systems and strategies that foster safe, positive, healthy,
culturally-competent, and inclusive learning environments that
address students’ varied needs and improve educational outcomes for all.
AREAS OF FOCUS
To achieve this goal, the Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) will engage in
initiatives designed to strengthen:
1. School climate and culture;
2. Social and emotional learning competencies;
3. Health, wellness, and safety; and
4. Family engagement
KEY DRIVER
The Commonwealth’s Safe and
Supportive Schools Commission plays a
key role in this work. Established by the
Legislature in 2014, the Commission’s
responsibilities include recommending
ways to improve the Safe and Supportive
Schools Framework and advising ESE on
the feasibility of statewide
implementation.
EXAMPLES OF ESE INITIATIVES ADVANCING EACH FOCUS AREA:
1. SCHOOL CULTURE AND CLIMATE
 Safe and Supportive Schools Grants: Helping schools take stock and improve school culture
ESE is working with approximately 33 schools in 18 districts to pilot the Behavioral Health and Public Schools
(BHPS) Self-Assessment Tool to identify current strengths and gaps in their programs, initiatives, and policies and
develop and implement school and district action plans to promote safe and supportive learning environments.
 Rethinking Discipline Initiative: Reducing the overuse of suspensions and expulsions
ESE is facilitating a professional learning network with and collecting action plans from approximately three
dozen schools and districts, with a focus on reducing the overuse of long-term suspensions and expulsions, and
the disproportionate use of suspensions and expulsions for students with disabilities and for students of color.
 Systems for Student Success Initiative: Developing systems to meet all students’ holistic needs
ESE is providing grant funding, targeted assistance, and networking opportunities to nine districts to identify and
develop a plan, modeled after the successful Wraparound Zone Initiative, to systematically address students’
barriers to learning.
 Low Income Education Access Project (LEAP):* Addressing inequities in special education
The LEAP project addresses the disproportionate identification and placement of low-income students for
special education services in approximately 15 districts by assessing local special education practices and
developing responsive interventions.
Select Additional and Upcoming Initiatives
 Anti-bullying Law implementation (BPIP, etc.)
 Urban Leaders Network for School Culture
and Student Support
 State Student Advisory Council (SSAC)
 School Culture and Climate Surveys
 PBIS Academy and Massachusetts Focus
Academy (MFA) Courses
 Priority Partners for School Turnaround
2. SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING COMPETENCIES
 CASEL – Collaborating States Initiative: Integrating SEL into policy and practice
Massachusetts was selected to participate in the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional
Learning (CASEL) initiative to help support statewide implementation of social and emotional learning.
: included in Turnaround Strategic Plan
: included in Educator Development Strategic Plan
: included in Standards, Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Strategic Plan
 State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP):* Promoting positive behavior supports in early childhood
ESE has developed a State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) to improve outcomes for students with
disabilities by supporting a cohort of approximately 18 districts in implementing an evidence-based,
tiered intervention known as the Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants
and Young Children.
 Initiatives to Support Inclusive Practice: Sharing resources to promote evidence-based inclusive practice1
The Educator Effectiveness Guidebook for Inclusive Practice has been distributed to approximately 1,000
principals through the Ambassadors for Equitable and Inclusive Practice project and over 3,000
educators and administrators registered for ESE’s Foundations for Inclusive Practice online courses.
Select Additional and Upcoming Initiatives
 Massachusetts Standards for Preschool and Kindergarten (SEL/Approaches to Play and Learning)
 Massachusetts Plan for Equitable Access to Excellent Educators
 Social and Emotional Learning Playbook
 Expanded Learning Time (ELT) and Out-of-School Time (OST) Grants
3. HEALTH, WELLNESS, AND SAFETY
 Substance Use and Abuse Prevention and Recovery: Sharing guidance on effective policies
ESE has developed and shared guidance about effective district and school policies on substance use
prevention to help school districts and charter schools to create and submit their substance use
prevention and education policies to ESE which is required by the Legislature.
 Community Eligibility Program (CEP) & Mass Breakfast Challenge:** Expanding access to school meals
ESE’s Office for Food and Nutrition Programs continues outreach, training, and technical assistance to
increase the number of eligible schools and districts participating in CEP which allows districts in highpoverty areas to offer free school breakfast and lunch to all students at no cost. Through the School
Breakfast Challenge, Massachusetts schools can commit to statewide goals for increasing student
participation in school breakfast programs.
Select Additional and Upcoming Initiatives
 Recovery High Schools
 Emergency management planning support
 Youth risk behavior surveys and comprehensive sexual health education, with CDC and DPH
4. FAMILY ENGAGEMENT
 Many of the above initiatives incorporate family engagement as a key component, such as: Systems for
Student Success Initiative, Urban Leaders Network for School Culture and Climate, LEAP, and ELT/OST
Grants.
 Family Literacy Programs: providing literacy strategies and support for families
ESE provides resources for parents and family members that build foundational skills and boost their
knowledge and confidence to support and advocate for the educational development of their children.
 Educational stability: ensuring children and youth who are homeless, in foster care, migrant, or in
military families have full access to a consistent public education
ESE provides technical assistance and guidance to school districts and families to ensure the enrollment,
attendance, and opportunity to succeed in school.
 ESE plans to expand its work around family engagement, including the promotion of the Family, School,
and Community Partnership Fundamentals, and increased resources available online.
1
Inclusive practice refers to the instructional and behavioral strategies that improve academic and social-emotional outcomes for all students, with and without
disabilities, in general education settings. Guidebook tools are based on the frameworks of Universal Design for Learning, Positive Behavioral Interventions and
Supports, and Social and Emotional Learning.
* Coordinated through Special Education Policy and Planning (SEPP)
** Coordinated through the Office for Food and Nutrition Programs