Our SEL Improves Academic Performance

A recent study from Yale University, published in the peer-reviewed journal Review of Educational Research, revealed powerful evidence about the academic impact of Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Researchers found that students in 1st–12th grade who participated in school-based SEL programs showed significantly higher achievement in both literacy and math, with improved standardized test scores and GPAs. 

The study confirmed what many educators already know: when students are equipped with emotional intelligence and social skills, they’re better prepared to thrive academically and personally.

Your student’s SEL is woven into the fabric of daily learning from Pre-K through Middle School. Our school counselors deliver evidence-based SEL instruction aligned with national standards, using programs like Zones of Regulation in early grades and Second Step through 8th grade. These lessons build foundational skills in self-awareness, empathy, decision-making, and relationship-building.

• Lower School: Students learn to regulate emotions, build friendships, and develop executive functioning skills.
   
• Middle School: Lessons deepen with units on Mindsets & Goals, Developing a Positive Sense of Self, Managing Relationships, and Social Conflict.
   
• High School: Counselors and teachers reinforce coping strategies, stress management, and self-advocacy—skills that support students as they take on academic and personal challenges.

For detailed information about our Country Day SEL programs, click here.