Understanding Your SEL Landscape

Across the globe, schools are striving to deepen SEL, belonging, and wellbeing.

For many leaders, a common challenge remains: How do we understand our current reality, and what should our next strategic steps be?

About the SEL Audit

The IFSEL Whole-Community SEL Audit provides schools with an expert, structured review of their SEL approach and culture. Grounded in IFSEL’s Whole-Community Approach to Equity-Rooted SEL (Haisman-Smith, 2025), the audit looks beyond individual programs and initiatives to explore how SEL is woven throughout the school.

Core Areas of Focus

  • SEL Instruction: Student SEL Skills and Mindsets
  • Educator Practices and Pedagogy across Programs
  • Alignment of School-Wide Systems with SEL Vision
  • Restorative Practices and Responsive Opportunities
  • Educator SEL and Wellbeing
  • Commitment to inclusive practice and belonging for all

Roadmap for Growth

Through surveys, data review, interviews, observations, and systems analysis, the audit identifies both strengths to celebrate and opportunities for growth. The result is a clear, practical roadmap for strengthening SEL, belonging, and wellbeing across the entire school community.

  1. A Whole-Community Snapshot of SEL, Wellbeing, and Belonging, drawn from multiple data sources (surveys, data, interviews, observations, and documents).
  2. Strengths to Celebrate: Highlighting existing practices, programs, and community assets that support SEL across the school.
  3. Key Growth Areas: Insightful analysis of opportunities for deeper alignment, consistency, and integration of SEL practices and systems.
  4. Priority Recommendations across dimensions: Student Instruction, Educator Practice, Systems Alignment, Caregiver Engagement, Restorative Practices, Leadership for SEL, and Educator Wellbeing.
  5. Strategic Roadmap: A set of phased, practical next steps to guide planning, professional development, and system-wide implementation.
  6. Tailored Guidance based on your school’s context, vision, and existing SEL goals - not a one-size-fits-all model.

Why Choose
IFSEL’s Audit?

  • Anchored in Practice: Builds from IFSEL’s widely used SELf Reflection Tool.
  • Evidence-Led: Grounded in IFSEL’s published Whole-Community SEL framework.
  • Representative: Engages the full school community — students, educators, leaders, and caregivers.
  • Practical: Provides a clear roadmap with actionable next steps.
  • Educator SEL and Wellbeing
  • Strategic: Positions SEL as the foundation for teaching, learning, belonging, and well-being.

Audit Options to Fit Your School’s Needs

Online Whole-Community SEL Audit

Gain deep insights without the need for travel. This option provides schools with a clear, research-based picture of their SEL landscape through:

  1. Whole-Community SELf Reflection Tool completed by a representative sample of students, educators, leaders, and parents/caregivers
  2. Online meetings with school leadership and community members to gather insights and perspectives
  3. Review of wellbeing and behavior data
  4. Review of key school documents (e.g., vision statements, advisory structures, professional learning plans)
  5. Expert analysis from IFSEL facilitators
  6. A written report outlining strengths, growth areas, and prioritized recommendations across five SEL dimensions
  7. Online debrief session with the leadership team, approximately two weeks after data collection

In-Person SEL Audit (2-Day School Visit)

For schools seeking the most comprehensive insight, the in-person audit builds on the full online process and adds the unmatched depth of on-site engagement. By being present in classrooms and across the community, IFSEL facilitators can capture the lived experiences, relationships, and daily practices. This richer perspective includes all elements of the Online Audit, plus:

  1. Classroom and advisory observations
  2. Student and educator focus groups
  3. Leadership and parent/caregiver interviews
  4. Whole-Community SELf Reflection Tool (completed in advance to shape site visit focus)
  5. A detailed written report to guide future strategy, professional learning, and system-wide change
  6. Online debrief session with the leadership team, approximately two weeks after the visit
I was engaged 100% of the time and guided by exceptional experts in the field of SEL.
Nichelle Dowell
Georgetown Day School
325 Sharon Park Dr., Suite 845
Menlo Park, CA 94025
USA