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K–12 Standards

Grades 6-8

Other Illinois Social Emotional Learning sets

Self-Awareness: Develop the ability to recognize and understand one’s own emotions, identities, biases, and values; reflect on how personal experiences, power, and privilege shape one’s attitudes and behaviors, and cultivate a sense of individual within social, cultural, and political contexts. Self-awareness enables young people to respond thoughtfully, affect change, cope with emotions, and motivate themselves to persevere when faced with personal, academic or work-related obstacles. 1

  • A

    Demonstrate awareness and understanding of one’s emotions and their influence upon behavior.1A

    1. 3

      Middle School (Grades 6-8)1A.3

      1. 1

        Identify the relationships between physiological changes, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.1A.3.1

      2. 2

        Identify how personal strengths, challenges, experiences, and identities influence choices and outcomes.1A.3.2

  • B

    Demonstrate awareness of personal and collective identity encompassing strengths, areas for growth, aspirations, and cultural and linguistic assets.1B

    1. 3

      Middle School (Grades 6-8)1B.3

      1. 1

        Identify and explore opportunities to develop personal strengths and assets and how they influence aspirations.1B.3.1

      2. 2

        Recognize how family, peers, school, and community culture enrich their identity development.1B.3.2

  • C

    Understand how external influences like culture, family, and community can deepen understanding of personal and academic goals.1C

    1. 3

      Middle School (Grades 6-8)1C.3

      1. 1

        Develop a long-term goal that aligns with personal and academic interests and identify external resources for support. 1C.3.1

      2. 2

        Identify and understand the attributes of safe peers at school or in the community.1C.3.2

Self-Management: Self-management includes abilities such as managing one's emotions, identifying and using stress management and self-care strategies, expressing emotions in healthy ways, exhibiting self-discipline and self-motivation, setting personal and collective goals, using planning and organizational skills, showing the courage to take initiative, demonstrating personal and collective agency, and cultivating resilience and overcoming adversity. Self-management empowers individuals to regulate their emotions and behavior, cope with stress and adversity, and build resilience, agency, and hope—ultimately leading to stronger relationships, improved mental health, academic and life success, and the ability to achieve personal and collective goals.2

  • A

    Manage one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in effective ways.2A

    1. 3

      Middle School (Grades 6-8)2A.3

      1. 1

        Demonstrate impulse control in constructive ways to handle conflict or disappointment.2A.3.1

      2. 2

        Balance responsibilities and manage time effectively to meet independently set goals.2A.3.2

  • B

    Demonstrate awareness of personal and collective identity encompassing strengths, areas for growth, aspirations, and cultural and linguistic assets.2B

    1. 3

      Middle School (Grades 6-8)2B.3

      1. 1

        Identify common stressors and describe healthy strategies to manage stress and anxiety.2B.3.1

      2. 2

        Adapt to challenges using effective coping strategies during complex personal and academic situations.2B.3.2

  • C

    Understand how external influences like culture, family, and community can deepen understanding of personal and academic goals.2C

    1. 3

      Middle School (Grades 6-8)2C.3

      1. 1

        Prioritize tasks and manage time effectively to support goal achievement.2C.3.1

      2. 2

        Recognize the connection between healthy habits and the ability to focus and achieve goals.2C.3.2

Social Awareness: Social Awareness is the ability to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those with diverse backgrounds, cultures, abilities, identities, contexts, and life experiences by recognizing perspectives, showing concern for others, and demonstrating mutual understanding in interpersonal interactions. Social awareness builds inclusive, safe learning environments and fosters empathy, compassion, and civic responsibility. It equips students to work effectively in diverse teams, strengthens relationships, reduces conflict, and enhances school culture, while preparing students to be culturally sensitive citizens in a global society. 3

  • A

    Recognize that others may have similar or different thoughts and feelings based upon their experiences, abilities, community, and cultural and social groups.3A

    1. 3

      Middle School (Grades 6-8)3A.3

      1. 1

        Explore ways to use culturally responsive practices to enrich an understanding of the world.3A.3.1

      2. 2

        Practice and adopt clear strategies for accepting and supporting similarities and differences between oneself and others.3A.3.2

  • B

    Demonstrate a range of skills to interact and communicate effectively with others in social and academic settings.3B

    1. 3

      Middle School (Grades 6-8)3B.3

      1. 1

        Engage in simple conversations with awareness of different communication styles.3B.3.1

      2. 2

        Interpret verbal and nonverbal cues to identify others’ emotions and respond with consideration even when perspectives differ. 3B.3.2

  • C

    Demonstrate awareness of other’s emotions, perspectives, backgrounds, identities, languages, abilities and cultures. 3C

    1. 3

      Middle School (Grades 6-8)3C.3

      1. 1

        Participate in activities, with adult support, that identify and challenge stereotypes or assumptions about people from different backgrounds or abilities.3C.3.1

      2. 2

        Engage with peers who have different backgrounds, identities, and abilities in an open dialogue.3C.3.2

Relationship Skills: The ability to establish, maintain, and restore healthy, rewarding connections with individuals and groups. This includes communicating clearly, listening actively, cooperating, resisting inappropriate social pressure, negotiating conflict constructively, and seeking or offering help when needed. Relationship skills are the foundation for success in school, work, and life. Supportive, nurturing relationships with others is essential to the healthy and holistic development of all young people. Whether it's collaborating on a group project, navigating a disagreement with a friend, or working in a diverse team as an adult, strong interpersonal skills are what make these interactions effective and meaningful.4

  • A

    Recognize, value, and affirm individual and group similarities and differences to build stronger relationships within communities.4A

    1. 3

      Middle School (Grades 6-8)4A.3

      1. 1

        Identify how others may be feeling by observing body language, tone of voice, and the situation.4A.3.1

      2. 2

        Recognize and acknowledge others' emotions and perspectives in various social situations. 4A.3.2

  • B

    Demonstrate effective communication and listening skills with individuals with diverse perspectives, cultures, languages, histories, identities, and abilities to build relationships.4B

    1. 3

      Middle School (Grades 6-8)4B.3

      1. 1

        Engage in conversations that reflect understanding of others’ viewpoints. 4B.3.1

      2. 2

        Engage in inclusive conversations and cooperative group interactions while avoiding distractions.4B.3.2

  • C

    Demonstrate an ability to prevent, manage, and resolve conflicts by interacting productively with others.4C

    1. 3

      Middle School (Grades 6-8)4C.3

      1. 1

        Identify the connections between behaviors and outcomes and understand that choices are influenced by potential consequences.4C.3.1

      2. 2

        Demonstrate consideration of others during conflict and seek adult assistance when needed.4C.3.2

Responsible Decision-Making: The ability to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across various situations. Demonstrate intentional decision-making skills and behaviors that consider social, emotional, and physical safety and well-being in personal, school, and community contexts. This includes the capacities to consider ethical standards and safety concerns, as well as to evaluate the benefits and consequences of various actions for personal, social, and collective well-being. Responsible decisionmaking is the foundation of an individual’s participation in community. Each person needs the ability to solve problems by defining issues and decisions to be made, generating multiple solutions, anticipating the outcomes of each solution, and having the ability to evaluate and learn from the outcomes of their decision making.5

  • A

    Actively engage in a process of questioning, investigating, and seeking understanding about a topic or problem to construct knowledge and problem solving.5A

    1. 3

      Middle School (Grades 6-8)5A.3

      1. 1

        Generate and pose open-ended questions to explore problems affecting different people, places, or systems.5A.3.1

      2. 2

        Investigate how identity, context, and perspective influence how problems are defined, experienced, and addressed.5A.3.2

  • B

    Consider multiple sources of information and diverse perspectives to make informed decisions about the potential impact on themselves and others. 5B

    1. 3

      Middle School (Grades 6-8)5B.3

      1. 1

        Consider how personal values, peer influence, and media shape decision making.5B.3.1

      2. 2

        Reflect on how decisions affect relationships, group dynamics, or community wellbeing.5B.3.2

  • C

    Demonstrate the ability to make thoughtful, safe, and inclusive decisions when making choices in academic, social, and digital environments. 5C

    1. 3

      Middle School (Grades 6-8)5C.3

      1. 1

        Demonstrate key aspects of digital citizenship, including empathy, digital wellbeing, and managing time spent online.5C.3.1

      2. 2

        Identify ways to make thoughtful, safe, and inclusive decisions in the future through self-reflection. 5C.3.2

Frequently asked questions

What grade levels do these standards cover?
Grade 6, Grade 7, and Grade 8

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