Iowa Dept. of Education Releases New Social-Emotional Learning Competencies; Implementation to Begin Next School Year

The Iowa Department of Education (DE) has released Iowa’s Social-Emotional Learning Competencies, which are organized around the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) 5 Core Competencies: 

• Self-awareness 
• Self-management 
• Social awareness 
• Relationship skills 
• Responsible decision-making

The release of the competencies is a soft launch, meaning the DE is not currently implementing a comprehensive communication plan, or a roll-out plan--they are simply making the competencies available. The DE will continue to garner feedback throughout this year, developing supports for scaling through C4K (Collaborating for Iowa’s Kids).  

The real push from a statewide perspective to support implementation will begin during the 2020-21 school year. For additional resources, you may also visit the DE’s School Climate Transformation Grant webpage. 


If you have questions or need additional information, contact Jadie Boens, Director of Special Programs, at ext. 14512.