“Social and emotional learning is not a luxury in our schools, it is essential,” according to US Representative Tim Ryan (D-OH). “The overwhelming level of information and pressure coming at our children is unlike any time in our country’s history. The Academic, Social and Emotional Learning Act of 2011, HR2437, will help give them the tools they need to swim in the tumultuous waters of the 21st century.”  These “tools” include skills in core areas of social and emotional competency: self-motivation, conflict management, situational analysis, negotiation, stress management, goal-setting, and emotional recognition.

A growing body of research provides the rationale for this new legislation.  The findings of a meta-analysis of 213 studies published in Child Development demonstrate that evidence-based initiatives designed to promote academic, social, and emotional learning improve academic achievement scores (by 11 percentile points, on average), social-emotional skills, connection to school, and positive social behavior, while significantly reducing emotional distress and problem behaviors. In addition, social and emotional learning initiatives have been found to be most effective when taught by classroom teachers.

Arne Lim, a Math teacher and one of the original Teacher Advisors (TA) at Paly passionately agrees.  “We want every student to graduate having been known by an adult on campus,” Lim says.  He adds that the philosophy underlying his work as a TA comes from the concept of “Mattering,” defined by Dr. Andrea Dixon Rayle as “The need to matter, to feel significant to others, to be needed, wanted, and valued, which is integral to healthy social and emotional development.” (2006) Lim adds that the TA/Guidance interactions have also improved dramatically this year due to PiE dollars, “We now have one counselor dedicated to each grade level, so it has streamlined the process of knowing who to contact for a student who may need extra academic, social, or emotional support.” 

Guidance Counselor Susan Shultz says Paly is currently strategizing methods to further improve student-adult connections at school.  “These connections are at the heart of our TA program,” Shultz adds.  “Something we’re grappling with now is how to carve out more time for TAs to meet with students individually.”  Weekly advisory meetings with TAs support the concept of “School Connectedness,” defined by a Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report as a student belief that adults in the school care about their learning, as well as about them as individuals.  This presence of a caring adult relationship is increasingly recognized as a vital component of successful schools.

Monica Espinoza, Guidance Counselor and Coordinator of the College Pathways Project and MAP (Mentoring for Access & Persistence) Program at Gunn knows firsthand how important it is for students to have a strong adult relationship guiding them through the high school years.  Some 100 underrepresented students participate in the Pathways Project, which focuses on college awareness and readiness.  Each month, the students meet to hear a presentation from a college recruiter or corporate leader.  The group does two college field trips per year, and has also been invited to tour local Silicon Valley companies.  “I believe in these students 100% and that’s key for any change to happen,” Espinoza says.  “You have to believe in them, and you have to put the resources in place to support them.”  Without both of those components, we can talk a lot about it, but there won’t be much action behind it."

With PiE dollars, Gunn has increased counseling staff time.  This allows students more opportunities to deepen their ongoing connection to adults on campus, and Gunn counselors can follow their students throughout their high school career.  Myesha Compton, another Gunn counselor, said, “One of the best things about my job is working with students as they grow from freshman through senior year.  When they come to Gunn, many students don’t have any idea what they want to do after high school.  By the time they graduate, they’ve chosen a path to follow and I’ve been able to help them achieve their next step.  I really love watching them grow and discover themselves.”  Compton and Espinoza are two of the seven Gunn counselors supporting students throughout their years at Gunn.  For Espinoza, the proof of this critical adult-student connection comes during graduation celebrations, when her students share how grateful they are for her support.  “One student came to me with tears in her eyes,” Espinoza remembers, “and said, ‘without you, I wouldn’t have been able to navigate this road to college.’ For me, those moments are individual reminders that these connections matter.”