The burgeoning multidisciplinary field of social and emotional learning (SEL) now has a comprehensive and definitive handbook covering all aspects of research, practice, and policy. The prominent editors and contributors describe state-of-the-art intervention and prevention programs designed to build students' skills for managing emotions, showing concern for others, making responsible decisions, and forming positive relationships. Conceptual and scientific underpinnings of SEL are explored and its relationship to children's and adolescents' academic success and mental health examined. Issues in implementing and assessing SEL programs in diverse educational settings are analyzed in depth, including the roles of school- and district-level leadership, teacher training, and school-family partnerships.
About the Author: Joseph A. Durlak, PhD, is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Loyola University Chicago. He has been a member of the editorial boards of several professional publications, has written or coedited four books on prevention, and has a longstanding interest in the welfare of children and adolescents. Dr. Durlak's current work focuses on how to facilitate the implementation of evidence-based SEL and prevention programs in local communities and schools. He is a recipient of the Joseph E. Zins Award for Action Research in SEL from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL).

Celene E. Domitrovich, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Center for Child and Human Development at Georgetown University. She is also a Senior Research Scientist at the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) and has academic affiliations with The University of Illinois at Chicago, The Pennsylvania State University, and Johns Hopkins University. Her research and publications focus on the development of social and emotional competence in children, the role of teachers in children's acquisition of these skills, and how these skills are related to success in school. Dr. Domitrovich is the developer of the Preschool PATHS Curriculum. She has served on the board of the Society for Prevention Research and is a recipient of the Joseph E. Zins Award for Action Research in SEL from CASEL.

Roger P. Weissberg, PhD, is NoVo Foundation Endowed Chair in SEL and Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Education at The University of Illinois at Chicago. He is also Chief Knowledge Officer of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. Dr. Weissberg has authored numerous publications on preventive interventions with children. He has received awards including the Distinguished Contribution Award for Applications of Psychology to Education and Training from the American Psychological Association, the Distinguished Contribution to Theory and Research Award from the Society for Community Research and Action, and the Daring Dozen Award from the George Lucas Educational Foundation. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Education.

Thomas P. Gullotta, MA, MSW, is CEO of the Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut, Inc., and a member of the Departments of Psychology and Education at Eastern Connecticut State University. He is editor emeritus of the Journal of Primary Prevention and serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Early Adolescence, Journal of Adolescent Research, and Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation. He has published extensively on adolescents and primary prevention. Mr. Gullotta is a recipient of the Distinguished Contributions to Practice in Community Psychology Award from the Society for Community Research and Action, Division 27 of the American Psychological Association.