Comprehensively Mapping SEL/SS Measurement Activity and Potential Steps Forward

• In Event: Moving the Needle: Addressing challenges in SEL/SS measurement with an emphasis on local contexts

Proposal

The SEL/SS Measurement Taskforce, co-led by USAID and UNICEF, began its work in June 2022 and has since grown to become a large network of actors- with concerted efforts to identify organizations working in the Global South. The vision for the Taskforce is to: "Promote coordination and organization around the use and availability of assessment tools and approaches to measure SEL/SS, so all countries can mitigate challenges and effectively measure these skills to advance our collective learning.” An early visioning exercise of the group involved the brainstorming of long-term goals for the field and intermediary steps necessary to attain that vision. A subsequent survey of Taskforce membership and others working within the sector focused on priority needs within the sector. Responses combined with feedback from convenings of the Steering Committee and the Taskforce led to the development of a list of broad challenges:
Determining the purpose of SEL/SS measurement and aligning that purpose with an appropriate SEL/SS measurement tool
Developing or adapting SEL/SS measurement tools to the local context
Establishing evidence of SEL/SS impact on learning outcomes or other related outcomes
Identifying appropriate guidance around SEL/SS measurement
Socializing or generating buy-in around the value of SEL/SS

In an effort to further understand these broad challenges and move towards their resolution, the Taskforce launched a second more comprehensive survey with the purpose of further documenting ongoing work by current projects, programs and initiatives focused on SEL/SS measurement. The key research question the survey addressed is: What are the specific challenges that actors working in SEL/SS measurement face and how are they addressing these challenges? The menu of challenges shared as survey items grew from the list of broad challenges above to include 15 more nuanced challenges that were also grounded in the literature. Over 40 respondents completed the survey, representing a variety of organization types, regional areas of intervention, target levels of education systems and ages of beneficiaries.

Results indicate that individuals working in the SEL/SS measurement field face a wide variety of challenges, with each of the 15 challenges being identified by at least one organization as something they were facing in the measurement of SEL/SS. Participants most commonly endorsed challenges around contextually or culturally relevant assessment tools, linking measurement tools with measurement purposes, and socialization on the benefits of SEL/SS. A majority of participants also indicated that they are addressing at least some of these challenges in their work. Strategies for addressing challenges included: engaging local stakeholders in the development of measures as well as in the implementation of those measures, creating new assessment tools, developing guidance and decision trees around defining SEL/SS competencies and selecting appropriate measures, and raising awareness around the benefits of SEL/SS.

In addition to survey responses, the Taskforce engaged members and other interested parties in activities to identify action steps. Action steps were coalescing at the time of proposal submission.

Authors

• Kristen L Bub, University of Georgia

• Karla Sarr, EnCompass LLC