Table Of ContentAssessing Competencies for Social and
Emotional Learning
Assessing Competencies for Social and Emotional Learning explores the conceptualization,
development, and application of assessments of competencies and contextual factors
related to social and emotional learning (SEL). As programs designed to teach students
social and emotional competencies are being adopted at an ever‐increasing rate, new
measurements are needed to understand their impact on student attitudes, behaviors,
and academic performance. This book integrates standards of fairness, reliability, and
validity, and lessons learned from personality and attitude assessment to facilitate the
principled development and use of SEL assessments. Education professionals, assessment
developers, and researchers will be better prepared to systematically develop and evaluate
measures of social and emotional competencies.
Jeremy Burrus is Senior Director of the Center for Social, Emotional, and Academic
Learning at ACT, Inc.
Samuel H. Rikoon is a Research Scientist in the Center for Research on Validity, Equity,
and Fairness in Learning and Assessment at Educational Testing Service.
Meghan W. Brenneman is a social-emotional learning expert and currently works as a
Research Manager at a social technology company.
Assessing Competencies for Social
and Emotional Learning
Conceptualization, Development, and
Applications
Edited by
Jeremy Burrus, Samuel H. Rikoon, and
Meghan W. Brenneman
Cover image: ©Getty Images/Orbon Alija
First published 2023
by Routledge
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© 2023 selection and editorial matter, Jeremy Burrus, Samuel H. Rikoon, and
Meghan W. Brenneman; individual chapters, the contributors
The right of Jeremy Burrus, Samuel H. Rikoon, and Meghan W. Brenneman to be
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individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Burrus, Jeremy, editor. | Rikoon, Samuel H., editor. | Brenneman,
Meghan W., editor.
Title: Assessing competencies for social and emotional learning :
conceptualization, development, and applications / edited by Jeremy
Burrus, Samuel H. Rikoon, and Meghan W. Brenneman.
Description: New York, NY : Routledge, 2022. | Includes bibliographical
references and index. | Summary: “Assessing Competencies for Social and
Emotional Learning explores the conceptualization, development, and
application of assessments of competencies and contextual factors
related to social and emotional learning (SEL). As programs designed to
teach students social and emotional competencies are being adopted at an
ever-increasing rate, new measurements are needed to understand their
impact on student attitudes, behaviors, and academic performance. This
book integrates standards of fairness, reliability, and validity, and
lessons learned from personality and attitude assessment to facilitate
the principled development and use of SEL assessments. Education
professionals, assessment developers, and researchers will be better
prepared to systematically develop and evaluate measures of social and
emotional competencies”-- Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021060010 (print) | LCCN 2021060011 (ebook) | ISBN
9780367608620 (hardback) | ISBN 9780367517427 (paperback) | ISBN
9781003102243 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Affective education. | Affective education--Evaluation. |
Educational evaluation. | School children--Mental health. | School
environment.
Classification: LCC LB1072 .A77 2022 (print) | LCC LB1072 (ebook) | DDC
370.15/34--dc23/eng/20220106
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021060010
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021060011
ISBN: 978-0-367-60862-0 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-367-51742-7 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-10224-3 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003102243
Typeset in Baskerville
by SPi Technologies India Pvt Ltd (Straive)
This volume is dedicated to the memory of Roger Weissberg, a pioneer
and leader in the field whose contributions cannot be overstated.
We also dedicate it to educators across the world, who have demonstrated
extraordinary resilience and perseverance in their profession throughout
the challenges of the past two years.
Contents
List of Contributors ix
Foreword by Laura S. Hamilton xvi
1 Introducing Assessing Competencies for Social and Emotional
Learning: Conceptualization, Development, and Applications 1
JEREMY BURRUS, MEGHAN W. BRENNEMAN, AND SAMUEL H. RIKOON
PART 1
Conceptualization 7
2 An Integrative Perspective on SEL Frameworks 9
ALEX CASILLAS, BRENT ROBERTS, AND STEPHANIE JONES
3 A Developmental Framework for SEL Assessment: Context,
Culture, and Equity 28
REBECCA J. BULOTSKY-SHEARER, PILAR ALAMOS, JENNA FUTTERER, AND JHONELLE BAILEY
4 Developing a Validity Argument for Social and Emotional Learning
Assessments: Consideration of Uses and Evidence 43
KRISTA MATTERN AND KATE E. WALTON
5 Standards for SEL Assessment 57
MICHAEL C. RODRIGUEZ
PART II
Development 77
6 Principled and Practical Approaches to Developing SEL Assessments 79
JAMES C. DIPERNA, PUI-WA LEI, CHRISTOPHER J. ANTHONY, AND STEPHEN N. ELLIOTT
7 Self-report and Observer Ratings: Item Types, Measurement
Challenges, and Techniques of Scoring 99
RICARDO PRIMI, NELSON HAUCK-FILHO, AND FELIPE VALENTINI
viii Contents
8 Novel Technology-Based SEL Assessments 117
NICOLE M. RUSSO-PONSARAN, ASHLEY KARLS, AND CLARK MCKOWN
9 When Actions Speak Louder than Words: Stealth Assessment of Social
and Emotional Skills 135
KRISTIN STOEFFLER, YIGAL ROSEN, AND JASON WAY
10 Connecting Measurement and Action: Reporting Results in the SEL
Context 151
APRIL L. ZENISKY
PART III
Application 167
11 Assessment of Social and Emotional Learning for Admissions and
Selection 169
PHOEBE HESSEN, SAMUEL D. LEE, AND NATHAN R. KUNCEL
12 Multi-Informant Formative and Summative Assessments of SEL Skill
Development 189
STEPHEN N. ELLIOTT, CHRISTOPHER J. ANTHONY, PUI-WA LEI, AND JAMES C. DIPERNA
13 School Climate Assessments: Measuring the Conditions that Support
Students’ Social and Emotional Competencies 210
JULIETTE BERG, ANNE DIFFENDERFFER, AND DAVID OSHER
14 Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Skills Cannot Thrive on Shaky
Foundations: Preventing and Detecting Mental Health Problems in
School-Based Programs 227
SUNIYA S. LUTHAR AND NICOLE ZILLMER
15 Social and Emotional Learning Assessment: Building a Rigorous
Foundation in Support of an Innovative, Equitable Future 242
SAMUEL H. RIKOON, MEGHAN W. BRENNEMAN, AND JEREMY BURRUS
Index 249
List of Contributors
Pilar Alamos, PhD, is a postdoctoral scholar at the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching
and Learning (CASTL) within the University of Virginia’s School of Education and
Human Development. Her work focuses on understanding how and why teacher-child
relationships support young children’s emotional development, how to improve con-
flictual teacher-child relationships, and whether relationships are resources for teach-
ers themselves.
Christopher J. Anthony, PhD, is the B.O. Smith Endowed Assistant Professor in Education
in the School of Special Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies
in the College of Education at the University of Florida. His research focuses broadly
on improving the assessment of positive student competencies, especially academic
enablers (skills, attitudes, and behaviors that promote academic learning) and social
and emotional learning (SEL). He is a lead author on the Social Skills Improvement
System (SSIS) SEL Brief Scales and the Academic Competence Evaluation Scales –
Brief and is currently developing several other measures of students’ social, emotional,
and academic well-being.
Jhonelle Bailey, MS, is a doctoral student in developmental psychology at the University
of Miami. Her research focuses on the social and emotional development of children
living in underprivileged communities and how that relates to their school readiness
skills. Jhonelle is interested in continuing to work in collaboration with the communi-
ties and forming partnerships with teachers and families. She hopes to understand
how skills developed in the home context influence children’s learning behaviors and
academic outcomes once they enter preschool.
Juliette Berg, PhD, is a senior researcher at the American Institutes for Research (AIR).
She focuses on how research, practice, and policy help create the conditions and
opportunities for young people to develop strong social, emotional, behavioral, and
academic skills. Dr. Berg has contributed to large-scale randomized control trials, quasi-
experimental studies, literature syntheses, and measure development efforts to inform
improvements in youth learning environments and social, emotional, behavioral, and
academic outcomes. She has expertise in research design, measure development, pro-
gram evaluation, implementation science, and advanced quantitative methods.
Meghan W. Brenneman (she/her/hers) is an experienced researcher focusing on social
and emotional learning measurement for children and adults. Her work has been
funded by the Lumina Foundation, the Department of Education, and the Department
of Defense. Her work has been documented in more than 20 publications and she
has presented at more than 50 conferences. She earned her EdD and MSEd in edu-
cation at the University of Pennsylvania and holds bachelors’ degrees in elementary
