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

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

Social and emotional skills have become polarizing topics of late while literally they refer to “a set of cognitive, social, and emotional competencies that children, youth, and adults learn through explicit, active, focused, sequenced instruction that allows them to understand and manage their emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.” Social and emotional learning (SEL), the development of social and emotional skills within the context of formal or non-formal education programming, strives to equip children and young people with the education and skills necessary to be productive members of society. Along with soft skills (SS), a “broad set of skills, behaviors, and personal qualities that enable people to effectively navigate their environment, relate well with others, perform well, and achieve their goals” , SEL can provide children and young people with tools that can increase their voice and their resilience, allowing them to interact with others and their environment with agency. As they contribute to self-esteem and positive decision making, social and emotional and soft skills also have the potential to support young people as they protest against injustice and inequity. Because these skills are culturally and contextually grounded, application may also feature protest against neo-colonial and hegemonic forces in favor of more local expressions.


The varied and contextual nature of SEL and soft skills development also make measurement of SEL and soft skills acquisition inherently complex. While efforts to measure reading and math learning outcomes globally have become increasingly codified through instruments like EGRA, EGMA, ASER and processes like policy linking, measurement of SEL/SS continues to be highly debated and context dependent. A contributing factor to this complexity is also how learning among practitioners, academic institutions and donors is not always documented and shared. To address this specific barrier, an interagency Taskforce of over 180 individuals and 70 organizations working specifically on SEL/SS measurement formed in 2022 to elevate the importance of SEL/SS measurement and bring coordination to the field. The Taskforce embarked on a series of efforts to understand and articulate the challenges that the SEL/SS measurement field faces. A keystone effort of the Taskforce was a mapping activity to locate challenges related to measurement efforts, efforts to address them, and gaps that exist. The effort culminated in the co-creation of action steps to be able to move the needle forward in overcoming enduring barriers.


This panel offers a mixed-methods perspective on the results of that effort and specifically reports on challenges confronting the field of SEL and SS measurement and potential associated action steps. Challenges centered primarily around the development of contextually appropriate, reliable, and valid assessment tools for diverse settings and developmental stages. Other frequently cited challenges included the engagement of local and national stakeholders in adopting and prioritizing SEL/SS and the lack of a common language around SEL/SS competencies. Results also surfaced gaps in measurement efforts and challenges that remain largely unaddressed.

The panel begins with an overview of the Taskforce and the findings from the SEL/SS Activity and Gap analysis survey. Three case studies then follow, each focusing on a specific measurement initiative, their challenges and opportunities for moving the needle. The first of these case studies describes how a team of local experts responded to shifts in the East African education system in an act of protest to take up the call for integrating 21st-century skills with emphasis on life skills. This presentation will examine the challenges of contextualization and how contextualization can be a tool for empowerment. The second case presents another act of resistance: a participatory process alongside the Ministry of Education in Rwanda to develop a contextualized national SEL framework and an evidence-based locally led SEL intervention. The third and final case is of an initiative to develop decision trees and guidance materials to overcome the major challenge of matching tools with context.

Sub Unit

• General Pool

Organizer

• Karla Sarr, EnCompass LLC

Chair

• Julia Finder Johna, United States Agency for International Development USAID

Individual Presentations

• Comprehensively Mapping SEL/SS Measurement Activity and Potential Steps Forward - Kristen L Bub, University of Georgia; Karla Sarr, EnCompass LLC

• Ground-up approach: The power of contextualization in enhancing appropriateness and relevance of 21st-century measurement tools - Mauro Giacomazzi, Luigi Giussani Institute of Higher Education; John Mugo, Zizi Afrique Foundation; Purity Ngina, Zizi Afrique Foundation

• A locally led SEL Assessment: Linking global tools with local understandings to build a national social-emotional learning assessment in Rwanda - Elyssa A Skeirik, FHI 360

• Rooting SEL/PSS measurement in purpose: How decision trees address the fit-for-context challenge - Sonja H Anderson, INEE

Discussant

• Matthew Jukes, RTI International