This engaging report presents findings from a US survey of teachers conducted in December of 2012, commissioned by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). Focus groups, surveys and phone interviews were conducted with 605 public school teachers that teach preschool through twelfth grade across the United States. The findings presented in this report focus on three themes: (1) Teachers Understand, Value, and Endorse Social and Emotional Learning for All Students (i.e., teachers’ perspectives on the benefits and use of SEL in schools); (2) Teachers Believe Social and Emotional Learning Helps Students Achieve in School and Life (i.e., key goals and challenges identified by teachers, that SEL addresses), and (3) Teachers Identify Key Accelerators for Social and Emotional Learning.

This report also provides evidence from other SEL research alongside findings from this survey, and suggestions for the advancement of SEL in schools are presented in the “Paths Forward” section later in the report.

Civic Enterprises, Bridgeland, J., Bruce, M., & Hariharan, (2013). The Missing Piece: A National Teacher Survey on How Social and Emotional Learning Can Empower Children and Transform Schools. Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. Chicago: Author.