Illegal SEL Data Collection
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is transforming education based on the principles of critical race theory ideology. An overview of SEL explains how the seemingly harmless competencies taught through SEL are designed to transform the attitudes, values, and worldview of children for social justice i.e., equity.
SEL claims to teach children skills which are traditionally accepted and valued such as; empathy, regulating emotions, and building relationships. However, the definitions of these words are subjective and SEL takes full advantage of many Americans' blind trust in the education system. SEL is used to indoctrinate children to view identities as oppressive or privileged, manage emotions to accept a new reality and build relationships by making decisions for the group instead of what is best for individual needs. SEL progression is based on assessing the need and acceptance of this thought reform system.
Schools measure SEL success by collecting data on each student which creates a psychological profile that is attached to their student identification number. The data is stored and monitored in dashboards which allows administrators and staff to track its progress by school district, school, grade, class, gender, race, or individual. This data is entered into statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDS) and follows the student as they change grades or even schools. The Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), the organization responsible for creating SEL, claims the skills they support are necessary to be employable in the workforce. The SEL data collection is creating a psychological profile for students to determine what areas they are good for.
Employable Profiles
In CASELs report, A DEVELOPMENTAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE INTEGRATION OF SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND CAREER AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT (March 2022), they state “To advance equity in this framework, those integrating SEL must strive to foster access to and dispel disparities within career and workforce development activities. To do this, structural barriers to equity such as stereotypes, implicit bias, and homophily (i.e., the universal tendency to look for and bond with people who are similar to oneself) should be addressed.” Additionally, “To advance excellence in this framework, those integrating SEL can utilize Personalized Career and Academic Planning (PCAP) to ensure customized integration of SEL into each student’s career and workforce development experience. PCAP, which is already required in most states, is a process that results in a document described as an “individualized learning plan” (ILPs) by the federal government.”
In 2019, the Department of Education and Institute of Education Sciences offered grant money for states to expand their existing SLDS and address either infrastructure, education choice or equity. The performance measures state “To evaluate the overall success of this program, the Department has established three performance measures that assess progress toward our strategic goal of ensuring that data are available to inform education decisions by supporting States' development and implementation of statewide longitudinal data systems. The Department measures: (1) The number of States that link K-12 data with early childhood data; (2) the number of States that link K-12 data with postsecondary data; and (3) the number of States that link K-12 and postsecondary data with workforce data.”
Methods of Collection
Schools decide what competencies they want to target in their data collection and choose ways to measure them. The data is collected through several highly subjective methods:
Self-report survey questionnaires and rating scales - CASEL recommends using RAND Education Assessment Finder where they offer more than 200 assessments of interpersonal, intrapersonal, and higher-order cognitive competencies. RAND places emphasis on interpreting results through the lens of equity and they reference a review of the book Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies: Teaching and Learning for Justice in a Changing World. This document states “Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies: Teaching and Learning for Justice in a Changing World aims to decentralize whiteness within the classroom without ignoring issues, but by reframing issues related to access and equity. It further critiques previously recognized and accepted asset pedagogies and attempts to reposition people and practices as resources and assets.”
Interviews - Questions are asked or statements are made that prompt interviewees to discuss or explore a prescribed set of topics or issues.
Observations and rating scales - A teacher, parent, or clinician, evaluates student behaviors using a rating scale or a structured observation protocol and observation rubric.
Performance-based assessments- Structured opportunities for students to engage in complex, real-world or simulated tasks such as gaming or behavior monitoring applications like ClassDojo and Class Craft.
Once the data is interpreted, it is used to make changes to SEL instruction in classrooms, creating psychological profiles of classrooms for instructional design, enhance implementation strategies, and make changes for equitable outcomes.
This mental health data mining of minors should be a major red flag to Americans concerned with massive government overreach. Also disturbing, the data collection methods can be an additional way to influence children through radical ideology. Research has shown asking questions can actually increase the behaviors which is alarming since the questions often deal with racial tension, gender ideology and sexual preferences. If you have a child in school you should check your state laws and if applicable, opt-out of all surveys. There is nothing good that comes from a government that is attaching mental health scores to individuals.
Contact me to learn how I can help arm your community in fighting this insidious anti-American SEL program.
