[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 158 (Monday, September 14, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5575-S5576]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 691--EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS 
  THAT FACILITATE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING DURING AND BEYOND THE 
                           COVID-19 PANDEMIC

  Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Hassan, and Mr. King) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 691

       Whereas a positive school culture is important for 
     students, teachers, and staff to feel safe, valued, engaged, 
     included, and respected;
       Whereas students face intense academic and social pressures 
     in school, including stress, bullying, and social isolation;
       Whereas students face increasing anxiety as the COVID-19 
     pandemic continues, as a result of--
       (1) social distancing requirements and increasing social 
     isolation;
       (2) fear of illness for themselves and peers;
       (3) uncertainty of the future for themselves and schooling; 
     and
       (4) financial insecurity that results in hunger or stress 
     at home;
       Whereas, when these concerns or childhood trauma are not 
     addressed appropriately, anxiety, depression, social 
     withdrawal, disruptive behavior, drug and alcohol abuse, and 
     violence can result;
       Whereas skills developed through social and emotional 
     learning equip young people to handle the challenges they 
     face and help them succeed not just as students, but as 
     healthy and caring adults, productive workers, and engaged 
     citizens;
       Whereas social and emotional learning is defined as the 
     process through which children and adults acquire and 
     effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills 
     associated with social and emotional competency, including 
     the ability to--
       (1) identify, understand, and manage emotions;
       (2) set and achieve positive goals;
       (3) feel and show empathy for others;
       (4) establish and maintain positive relationships; and
       (5) make responsible decisions;
       Whereas social and emotional learning programs can be 
     effectively integrated into schools through classroom 
     instruction, both in-person and virtually, and other 
     schoolwide activities that--
       (1) provide instruction for school leaders, educators, and 
     staff on social and emotional learning, so they can both 
     model these skills for students and benefit from them 
     personally and professionally;
       (2) integrate social and emotional learning through family 
     engagement and in the school curriculum, through instruction 
     and, in some cases, playful learning;
       (3) provide systematic instruction in which skills are 
     taught, modeled, practiced, and applied in daily behavior; 
     and
       (4) establish safe and caring learning environments that 
     foster student participation, engagement, and connection to 
     their school community;
       Whereas social and emotional skills are both teachable and 
     measurable, and evidence-based social and emotional learning 
     programs have already been successfully implemented in 
     schools across the country for students in preschool through 
     high school;
       Whereas students exposed to social and emotional learning 
     programs have improved academic outcomes, including greater 
     motivation to learn and commitment to school, increased time 
     devoted to schoolwork and mastery of subject matter, and 
     improved attendance, graduation rates, grades, and test 
     scores;
       Whereas these positive outcomes increase in students who 
     are involved in social and emotional learning programs by an 
     average of 11 percentage points over students who are not 
     involved in such programs;
       Whereas social and emotional learning programs can mitigate 
     the impact of childhood trauma and also result in reduced 
     problem behavior, improved health outcomes, a lower rate of 
     violent delinquency, and a lower rate of heavy alcohol use;
       Whereas programs that increase student connectedness and 
     raise awareness about social isolation have been shown to 
     reduce bullying and improve school climate; and
       Whereas social and emotional learning programs help young 
     people appreciate the importance of developing and sustaining 
     positive interpersonal relationships and inclusive 
     communities: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the goals of evidence-based social and 
     emotional learning programs;
       (2) encourages schools and communities to implement 
     programs to facilitate social and emotional learning in both 
     in-person curriculum and virtual curriculum; and
       (3) encourages schools to conduct regular in-person and 
     virtual training of their staff to ensure social and 
     emotional learning programs can evolve, grow, and build 
     capacity as needed.

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