Social Emotional Learning Post- Covid-19 and Office Referrals: An Exploratory Case Study

Date of Award

Spring 2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership (EdD)

Committee Chair

Eliot Jackson

Committee Member

Linda Locke

Committee Member

Crissie Jameson

Abstract

Students faced many challenges during the onset of COVID-19 across the country, including isolation in their learning from not being able to be in the classroom with their peers. Although we are four years post- pandemic, a survey found more than 80% of public schools reported “stunted behavioral and socioemotional development” in their students because of the COVID-19 pandemic (De Leon, 2022). Public school leaders have seen an impact from the pandemic on students’ socio-emotional and behavioral development and have seen increased incidents of classroom disruptions from negative behaviors in the classroom (56 percent) (National Center for Education Statistics, 2022). The purpose of this case study is to see how teachers have implemented SEL post- pandemic and the strategies used to improve behavior in the classroom and reduce office referrals, since COVID-19. There were 17 participants from one urban school district in the Midwest that participated in interviews and 12 of those participants participated in a classroom observation. Hearing the experiences of educators from the last four school years on students’ SEL skills, looking at SEL competencies presently being taught in the classroom, along with office referral data from the last four school years provides results that will help guide educators as we move further away from the pandemic.

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