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Collaboration and Leadership

The seventh Standard of Effective Practice relies on six components to unpack collaboration and leadership through an asset-based mindset that honors the whole student. As educators develop this mindset, they will flexibly engage with all five SEL competencies. In particular, educators must rely on self-awareness skills centered in identity, social awareness skills centered in belonging, relationship skills centered in collaborative problem-solving, and responsible decision-making skills centered in curiosity.

Ideally, educators cultivate self-awareness, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making skills during their pre-service licensure programs and in-service practices, model and rely on those skills with colleagues, students, families, and community members in school and community settings, and utilize parallel grade-banded, benchmarked SEL competencies for students (SEL Framework: Five Competencies) in order to integrate evidence-based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) practices across all subject areas and in all settings. For Standard Seven: Collaboration and Leadership, we developed one learning goal for self-awareness, one goal for social awareness, two goals for relationship skills, and one goal for responsible decision-making, set measurable benchmarks, provided a learning target for each benchmark with space for noting evidence of the benchmark and to action plan, and identified resources from local and national partners.

The uniform reflection template for learning targets is located to the right on the main menu. This template along with aligned learning targets can be used for syllabi creation, tier 3 licensure via portfolio, and district professional learning about adult transformative SEL.

Self Awareness Centered in Identity
Identity is focal among self-awareness competencies and refers to how students (and adults) view themselves. Identity is multidimensional (e.g., race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, religion, values, interests, etc.), with each dimension having a level of importance and emotional tenor (positive/negative) that may change over time. These dimensions also intersect with each other (e.g., Latina teacher dedicated to a chronically under-resourced school, Indigenous transgender boy leading his school’s yearbook club). Having a healthy sense of identity is important developmentally across the lifespan because it buffers against negative or traumatic experiences (e.g., stereotype threat or discrimination) and contributes to positive academic, social, and emotional outcomes.
Learning Goal
Demonstrates awareness of personal rights and responsibilities.    
Standards Components
7EQuestion Practices that Adversely Impact Learning 
The teacher recognizes the responsibility to question normative school knowledge, conventional teaching and other professional practices, and beliefs and assumptions about diverse students, their families, and communities that adversely impact learning.
Resources
Integrated Support Systems
Benchmark
Advocate for the rights of self and others.
Learning Target
I can honor my responsibilities to advocate for the dignity of diverse students.
Social Awareness Centered in Belonging
Belonging is focal among social awareness competencies and connotes experiences of acceptance, respect, and inclusion within a group or community. It implies not only feeling recognized but also being fully involved in relationship-building and co-creating learning spaces.
Learning Goal
Demonstrates awareness and respect of groups and their cultures, languages, identities, traditions, values and histories.
Standards Components
7DIdentify Curriculum Gaps 
The teacher demonstrates the ability to identify gaps where the curriculum does not address multiple perspectives, cultures, and backgrounds, and understands how curriculum and instruction impacts students that are not part of the dominant culture.
Resources
Environments Filled With Safety and Belonging
Benchmark
Evaluate strategies for recognizing and opposing stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination among individuals, institutions and social structures.
Learning Target
I can acknowledge and take action against the dominant culture of schools and society that puts students from marginalized backgrounds at risk of stress, alienation, and disengagement.
Relationship Skills Centered in Collaborative Problem-Solving
Collaborative problem-solving is focal among relationship skills competencies and reflects a complex skill set in high demand in our increasingly multifaceted local, national, and global contexts. Collaborative problem-solving is defined as the capacity of an individual to effectively engage in a process whereby two or more people attempt to solve a problem by sharing the understanding and effort required to come to a solution and pooling their knowledge, skills, and efforts to reach that solution.
Learning Goal
Cultivates constructive relationships with others.
Standards Components
7ACulturally Affirming, Reciprocal Communication with Families 
The teacher understands the importance of engaging in culturally affirming, reciprocal communication with families about student development, learning, and performance.
Resources

Positive Developmental Relationships

Benchmark
Demonstrate ability to develop relationships that are effective, supportive, and can be stable over time.
Learning Target
I can model trusting and culturally affirming relationships with families.
Learning Goal
Demonstrate a range of communication and social skills to interact effectively.
Standards Components
7BCollaborate with Families 
The teacher knows how to collaborate with a culturally relevant and responsive lens with families to support student learning and secure appropriate services to meet the needs of students.
Resources

Positive Developmental Relationships

Benchmark
Create positive group dynamics to move group efforts forward.
Learning Target
I can model a culturally relevant and responsive lens with families to solve problems, engage in active listening, practice reciprocal vulnerability, and to advocate for student needs.
Learning Goal
Cultivates constructive relationships with others.
Standards Components
7FMultiple Leadership Models 
The teacher understands multiple leadership models for teachers; knows how to take on leadership roles at the school, district, state, and/or national level; and advocates for students, the school, the community, and the profession.
Resources

Building Educator Capacity and Expertise

Benchmark
Demonstrate capacity to provide leadership roles in cooperative learning.
Learning Target
I can demonstrate leadership among colleagues, with families, and students, and share my strategies and successes.
Responsible Decision-Making Centered in Curiosity
Curiosity is focal among responsible decision-making competencies and can animate critical self- and social analysis and action. Curiosity has both cognitive and affective elements that contribute to an enduring tendency to pursue knowledge and new experiences. As such, it appears to be essential to attention, engagement, and learning.
Learning Goal
Applies and evaluates decision-making skills to engage in a variety of situations.
Standards Components
7CSpecialist Collaboration 
The teacher plans collaboratively with professionals who have specialized expertise to design and jointly deliver, as appropriate, learning experiences to meet unique learning needs.
Resources

Environments Filled With Safety and Belonging

Benchmark
Identify and ask systematic questions that clarify various points of view and lead to the best solution.
Learning Target
I can model collaboration with and curiosity about other professionals’ experiences and points of view in order to meet learning needs.
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