A practical guide for Arkansas educators and administrators on the state's G.U.I.D.E. for Life competencies, the free state-developed curriculum, Health and Safety Standards, and mental health professional development requirements.
Arkansas has done something distinctive with social-emotional learning: it built its own framework, gave it its own name, created a free curriculum written by Arkansas teachers, and embedded it in the state's vision for student-focused education. The result is the G.U.I.D.E. for Life, a set of five competencies that every Arkansas educator should know and that every Arkansas student should develop.[1]
The G.U.I.D.E. Acronym:
- G = Growth (Manage Yourself)
- U = Understanding (Know Yourself)
- I = Interaction (Build Relationships)
- D = Decisions (Make Responsible Choices)
- E = Empathy (Be Aware of Others)
CASEL recognizes the G.U.I.D.E. for Life as Arkansas's official “free standing competencies/standards” for social-emotional learning.[2] The framework is not a mandate. It is a statewide resource, supported by a dedicated DESE specialist, a free curriculum, and an annual G.U.I.D.E. for Life Week. Combined with required Health and Safety Standards that address social and emotional health and mandatory mental health professional development for all school staff, the framework creates clear expectations for social-emotional instruction in Arkansas elementary schools.
The G.U.I.D.E. for Life Framework
The G.U.I.D.E. Progression: Five Skills Building Toward Personal Success
G
Growth
Manage Yourself
U
Understanding
Know Yourself
I
Interaction
Build Relationships
D
Decisions
Choose Responsibly
E
Empathy
Aware of Others
Each skill builds on the last — you must manage yourself before you can build relationships with others
Five Skills for Personal Success
DESE describes the G.U.I.D.E. for Life as “5 Skills for Personal Success” that students need “to be successful at school, at home, on the job, and in the community.”[1][3]
| G.U.I.D.E. Skill | Description | CASEL |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | Manage Yourself: self-regulation, perseverance, mindfulness | Self-Management |
| Understanding | Know Yourself: self-awareness, recognizing strengths, critical thinking | Self-Awareness |
| Interaction | Build Relationships: respect, communication, conflict resolution | Relationship Skills |
| Decisions | Make Responsible Choices: ethical reasoning, responsible decision-making | Responsible Decision-Making |
| Empathy | Be Aware of Others: perspective-taking, empathy, understanding diversity | Social Awareness |
Part of the Lenses of Learning
The G.U.I.D.E. for Life is positioned within Arkansas's broader Lenses of Learning, DESE's innovative framework for reimagined academic standards.[4] This placement signals that social-emotional competencies are part of how Arkansas thinks about all student learning, not a separate initiative disconnected from academic instruction.
Dedicated State Support
DESE maintains a G.U.I.D.E. for Life Specialist within the Curriculum Support Services division who provides implementation support, professional development, and resources to schools and districts across the state.[1]
The G.U.I.D.E. for Life Curriculum
Free, Written by Arkansas Teachers
In July 2020, educators from across Arkansas representing multiple content area disciplines collaborated to create the G.U.I.D.E. for Life Curriculum.[3] The curriculum is free, publicly available, and designed specifically for Arkansas classrooms.
Grade-banded
Content organized for K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12
Unit-based
8-10 lessons per unit based on one of the five G.U.I.D.E. skills
Cross-curricular
Connections to other content areas for integration
Assessment-included
Pre- and post-assessments for each unit
Differentiated
Intervention and enrichment support built in
Teacher-focused
Teacher reflection and self-care components
Teacher Preparation Integration
The G.U.I.D.E. for Life competencies are referenced in Arkansas teacher preparation program competency documents across multiple disciplines.[5][6] New Arkansas teachers encounter the framework during their preparation, not for the first time when they arrive in a classroom.
Health and Safety Standards & Mental Health Requirements
Required Social-Emotional Content
Arkansas's Health and Safety Standards include the explicit expectation that “Students will promote physical, social, and emotional health for self and others.”[4] This is required instruction. The Health and Safety Standards provide the required floor. The G.U.I.D.E. for Life provides the framework for meeting it comprehensively.
Mental Health Professional Development
Arkansas has enacted multiple mental health professional development requirements:[7]
A.C.A. § 6-17-708/709
All certified and classified school staff must complete mental health awareness training prior to 2025-2026 and every five years thereafter.
A.C.A. § 6-18-2004
School counselors must receive youth mental health training by September 1, 2024, and every four years following.
A.C.A. § 6-17-709(a)(3)
Teen suicide awareness and prevention professional development is required every five years.
How to Build an Elementary Program Within Arkansas's Framework
Step 1: Choose Your Instructional Approach
Three Pathways Decision Guide
Do you want a free state-developed starting point?
Yes
Need additional resources?
No
A
G.U.I.D.E. only
Yes
C
Both combined
No
B
CASEL-aligned curriculum
Option A: Use the free G.U.I.D.E. for Life Curriculum developed by DESE with Arkansas educators.[3]
Option B: Use a CASEL-aligned SEL curriculum that addresses all five G.U.I.D.E. competencies.
Option C: Combine both, using the G.U.I.D.E. curriculum as a supplement alongside a structured SEL program with additional resources.
Step 2: Map to All Five G.U.I.D.E. Skills
A 40-week scope and sequence delivered through weekly lessons covers all five skills with the sustained instruction that produces genuine competency development.
Step 3: Address Health and Safety Standards
Document how your instruction covers the social and emotional health content within Arkansas's Health and Safety Standards.[4] A comprehensive SEL curriculum addresses this content as part of its core instruction.
Step 4: Support the Mental Health Training
Align your student-facing instruction with the mental health training your staff receives under the professional development requirements.[7] Share your scope and sequence with all staff so they understand the vocabulary and skills students are learning.
Step 5: Connect to School Safety
Social-emotional skills support school safety directly. Students who can manage themselves (Growth), know themselves (Understanding), build relationships with trusted adults (Interaction), make responsible choices (Decisions), and recognize when peers are struggling (Empathy) contribute to the safe school climate that prevents incidents.
Step 6: Embed in MTSS
Tier 1
Universal instruction delivered weekly to all students, addressing all five G.U.I.D.E. skills.
Tier 2
Targeted small-group support for students needing additional practice.
Tier 3
Individualized intervention for students with significant needs, including IEP-aligned goals.
Arkansas's Context
Rural Communities
Many Arkansas districts serve small, rural communities. Device-free, teacher-led programs with minimal prep requirements serve these settings effectively.
Growing Multilingual Population
Arkansas's Hispanic/Latino population has grown significantly, particularly in northwest Arkansas (Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale, Fayetteville). Bilingual English and Spanish curriculum supports equitable access.
Marshallese Community
Northwest Arkansas is home to the largest Marshallese population outside the Marshall Islands. This unique demographic adds linguistic and cultural diversity that culturally responsive social-emotional instruction should acknowledge.
Choosing a Curriculum for Arkansas Schools
Addresses all five G.U.I.D.E. skills
Growth, Understanding, Interaction, Decisions, and Empathy must all be covered. A CASEL-aligned curriculum meets this standard.
Covers Health and Safety Standards' social-emotional content
The required health standards include social and emotional health promotion at every grade level.
Provides grade-band differentiation
K-2 and 3-5 content should differ in complexity, consistent with the G.U.I.D.E. curriculum's grade-banded structure.
Offers a full-year scope and sequence
Sustained weekly instruction produces skill development that isolated lessons cannot.
Supports bilingual learners
Arkansas's growing multilingual population benefits from bilingual English and Spanish curriculum.
Works in rural settings
No device requirements, minimal prep, all materials included.
Connects to school safety
Social-emotional skills support the safe school environments Arkansas communities value.
Includes teacher wellbeing support
Programs that support adult social-emotional development alongside student instruction align with the G.U.I.D.E. curriculum's model.
What to Avoid
Ignoring the G.U.I.D.E. for Life framework
DESE has invested in developing, staffing, and promoting the G.U.I.D.E. for Life. Schools that implement social-emotional instruction without referencing or aligning with this state framework miss the institutional connection that strengthens their program's standing.
Treating the G.U.I.D.E. for Life curriculum as the only option
The state curriculum is a valuable free resource, but schools can supplement with or replace it using a comprehensive CASEL-aligned curriculum that provides additional resources the state curriculum does not include.
Separating social-emotional instruction from the Lenses of Learning
The G.U.I.D.E. for Life is part of Arkansas's broader Lenses of Learning framework. Social-emotional instruction that connects to academic content serves both the G.U.I.D.E. competencies and the state's vision for integrated education.
Overlooking the mental health PD requirements
All school staff must complete mental health awareness training. Aligning your student-facing instruction with the training adults receive creates a coherent, school-wide approach to social-emotional support.
Final Thoughts
Arkansas has taken a practical, distinctly Arkansas approach to social-emotional learning. The G.U.I.D.E. for Life framework translates five research-backed competencies into actionable skills with memorable names. The free curriculum gives every school a starting point. The dedicated DESE specialist provides ongoing support. The Health and Safety Standards create the required foundation. And the mental health professional development requirements ensure every adult in the building has awareness of student emotional wellbeing.
Arkansas built its own framework. Arkansas wrote its own curriculum. Arkansas staffed its own specialist. The infrastructure is there. The G.U.I.D.E. is in the name.
References
- Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. (n.d.). G.U.I.D.E. for Life. https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/special-projects/addressing-unfinished-learning/academic-playbook--guide-for-life
- CASEL. (2025). SEL policy at the state level: Arkansas. https://casel.org/systemic-implementation/sel-policy-at-the-state-level/
- G.U.I.D.E. for Life Curriculum. (2020). Written for Arkansas teachers by Arkansas teachers. https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/special-projects/addressing-unfinished-learning/academic-playbook--guide-for-life
- Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. (n.d.). Health and Safety and Physical Education Standards. https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/20201209134403_ADE_0119-001.HealthDocument.J.pdf
- Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2022). Competencies for early childhood education PreK. https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/Early_Childhood_PreK_Competencies_2022_final_endorsement_20220321144123.pdf
- Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2021). Competencies for teachers: Biology/Life Science. https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/Biology_LifeScience_Competencies_Final_2021_20210611163508.pdf
- Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2025). Mental health professional development guidance. https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/Mental_Health_Professional_Development_Guidance_LS.pdf
- Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students' social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405-432. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.x
- Cipriano, C., Strambler, M. J., Naples, L. H., et al. (2023). The state of evidence for social and emotional learning: A contemporary meta-analysis of universal school-based SEL interventions. Child Development, 94(5), 1181-1204. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13968
Five Skills for Personal Success
Be The Buffalo teaches Growth, Understanding, Interaction, Decisions, and Empathy through 40 weeks of K-5 curriculum aligned with the G.U.I.D.E. for Life competencies.
Interactive projector activities, original songs, character-driven stories, printable worksheets, and teacher guides. Bilingual English and Spanish. No student accounts. No devices. No prep.
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