Kentucky has taken a distinctive approach to social-emotional learning. The state has not adopted formal K-12 SEL academic standards. What it has done is publish a comprehensive, CASEL-endorsed SEL Implementation Guide created by all eight Regional Educational Cooperatives, embed social-emotional competencies into a legislatively mandated Multi-Tiered System of Supports, make “social, emotional and behavioral health” one of three core values in its comprehensive school counseling framework, and position SEL as central to the state's education vision under the “United We Learn” initiative.
“Kentucky's educators teach the whole child and social-emotional learning is critical to helping our students maximize their full potential.”
— Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman[1]
A 2022 statewide survey found that 77 percent of Kentucky districts are already implementing some form of SEL approach, and 69 percent report alignment with CASEL's five competencies. But the same survey revealed that 70 percent of respondents rate teacher comfort connecting SEL to the Kentucky Academic Standards as low.[1]
That gap between the infrastructure and the classroom is where structured curriculum makes the difference.
Kentucky SEL Adoption at a Glance
77%
of districts implementing SEL
69%
aligned with CASEL's five competencies
70%
rate teacher comfort with SEL as low
Source: 2022 Kentucky statewide SEL survey[1]
The Kentucky SEL Implementation Guide
What It Is
The Kentucky Social and Emotional Learning Implementation Guide is a comprehensive implementation tool developed by SEL specialists from all eight Regional Educational Cooperatives, supported by the Kentucky Department of Education, and created in close collaboration with CASEL. The guide uses CASEL's five-competency framework:[1]
Self-Awareness
Understanding one's own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior.
Self-Management
Managing emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively to achieve goals.
Social Awareness
Understanding the perspectives of and empathizing with others, including those from diverse backgrounds.
Relationship Skills
Establishing and maintaining healthy, supportive relationships.
Responsible Decision-Making
Making caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions.
Four Focus Areas
The guide organizes implementation around four focus areas, each with recommendations at the district, school, and classroom levels:[1]
Focus Area 1
Build Foundational Support and Plan
Establish integrated teams, define roles, create meeting structures, include SEL goals in strategic plan.
Focus Area 2
Strengthen Adult Competencies
Cultivate adults who engage in their own SEL, collaborate on strategies, and model SEL throughout the school.
Focus Area 3 ★
Promote SEL for Students
Explicit teaching using five CASEL competencies, daily SEL practices, evidence-based curriculum.
Focus Area 4
Reflect on Data
Collect, reflect on, and use implementation and outcome data to inform decisions and drive improvements.
Classroom-Level Recommendations
The guide's classroom-level recommendations for promoting SEL for students include:[1]
- •Teach SEL skills explicitly using the five CASEL competencies
- •Implement daily SEL practices (welcoming activities, engagement strategies, optimistic closures)
- •Utilize evidence-based curriculum
- •Foster a growth mindset
- •Build relationships intentionally with all students
- •Create calming spaces for emotional regulation
- •Implement community circles
- •Teach active listening, empathy, respect, and collaborative problem solving
The guide explicitly recommends that schools choose evidence-based SEL curriculum after determining their team, goals, and needs, and connecting those needs to CASEL's framework.[1]
Kentucky Academic Standards for Health Education
What the Standards Include
The Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) for Health Education direct schools and districts to address the physical, mental, emotional, and social dimensions of health while developing health knowledge, attitudes, and skills at an age-appropriate level. Comprehensive school health education includes:[2]
The health education standards are organized around eight standards that build across grade bands, including standards related to interpersonal communication, decision-making, goal setting, and self-management, all of which are directly social-emotional in content.[3]
How Health Education Connects to SEL
| KAS for Health Education Content | CASEL Competency |
|---|---|
| Mental and emotional health, self-concept | Self-Awareness |
| Stress management, self-control, goal setting | Self-Management |
| Empathy, understanding diverse perspectives | Social Awareness |
| Interpersonal communication, conflict resolution, healthy relationships | Relationship Skills |
| Decision-making, evaluating consequences | Responsible Decision-Making |
A CASEL-aligned curriculum addresses both the health education standards' social-emotional content and the SEL Implementation Guide's competency framework simultaneously.
KyMTSS: Kentucky's Multi-Tiered System of Supports
Legislative Foundation
Kentucky's Multi-Tiered System of Supports (KyMTSS) is legislatively mandated through multiple statutes including Senate Bill 9, KRS 158:305, KRS 158.840, KRS 158.6459, and 704 KAR 3:095. It is a multi-level prevention system designed to maximize student achievement and social and behavioral competencies through an integration of differentiated core instruction, assessment, and intervention.[4]
Social-Emotional as a Core Domain
“In an integrated MTSS, Tier 1 sets an intentional focus on academic, behavioral and social-emotional.”
— KyMTSS Implementation Guide, 2nd Edition[5]
The guide further notes that “academic, behavior and social-emotional supports too often are implemented in silos or parallel systems that work independently of each other” and that KyMTSS “promotes building one coherent, strategically combined system that interconnects domains.”[5]
Tier 3
Intensive individualized interventions
Tier 2
Targeted interventions for at-risk students
Tier 1 — Universal Instruction
Academic + Behavioral + Social-Emotional for ALL students
A school implementing KyMTSS without structured Tier 1 social-emotional instruction has a gap in its framework. A 40-week curriculum covering all five CASEL competencies serves as the Tier 1 social-emotional instruction that KyMTSS expects.
Comprehensive School Counseling
Three Core Values
Kentucky's comprehensive school counseling framework is built around three core values:[6]
College & Career Readiness
Opportunity & Access
Social, Emotional & Behavioral Health
A Kentucky school counselor is defined as “a certified mental health professional supporting all K-12 students in their social/emotional, academic and career development.” School counselors are leaders among the larger schoolwide team to ensure social-emotional development is addressed within MTSS.[6]
The Counselor-Classroom Connection
The SEL Implementation Guide and the school counseling framework both point toward the same conclusion: social-emotional instruction cannot live solely within counseling sessions. The guide's classroom-level recommendations call for daily SEL practices and evidence-based curriculum delivered by classroom teachers. The counselor provides targeted and specialized support. The classroom curriculum provides the universal instruction that reaches every student.
Senate Bill 1: Every Student Known Well
Kentucky's Senate Bill 1 established that “all students are known well by at least one adult in the school setting.” The SEL Implementation Guide connects this requirement to relationship building strategies including intentional time for relationship mapping, mentoring programs, and climate and culture surveys.[1]
Social-emotional instruction supports this mandate by building the communication and relationship skills that enable students to connect with trusted adults and by creating classroom environments where every student feels seen, valued, and supported.
Kentucky's Integrated Systems
The SEL Implementation Guide describes how multiple Kentucky initiatives fit together under the KyMTSS framework:[1]
PBIS serves as the behavioral component, improving social-emotional competence, academic success, and school climate.
Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) provides a comprehensive framework supporting health and well-being of students and staff.
Culture and Climate focuses on positive school cultures and safe environments.
Early Childhood Education builds the foundation for social-emotional development from birth through third grade.
College and Career Readiness integrates social-emotional skills as essential workforce preparation.
These are not separate programs. They are components of one integrated system. A structured SEL curriculum serves as the instructional vehicle that connects them.
How to Align Your Elementary Program With Kentucky's Framework
Step 1: Follow the Implementation Guide
The guide provides district, school, and classroom-level recommendations. At the classroom level, the primary action is to implement evidence-based SEL curriculum that addresses all five CASEL competencies. A comprehensive scope and sequence across 40 weeks provides the structured instruction the guide calls for.
Step 2: Address Health Education Standards
Document how your curriculum covers the mental and emotional health, interpersonal communication, decision-making, and self-management content within the KAS for Health Education at each elementary grade level.
Step 3: Build Your KyMTSS Tier 1
KyMTSS requires an integrated system. Your social-emotional curriculum is the Tier 1 instructional component. Document how it connects to your behavioral expectations and academic instruction to create the “one coherent, strategically combined system” the KyMTSS Implementation Guide describes.
Step 4: Coordinate With School Counseling
Align classroom-based instruction with the school counselor's comprehensive program. Social, emotional, and behavioral health is one of three core values. A shared scope and sequence ensures the classroom curriculum and counseling programming reinforce each other.
Step 5: Use Data for Continuous Improvement
Focus Area 4 of the Implementation Guide calls for structured, ongoing data collection and reflection. Document how your curriculum supports this through observable outcomes and use data to inform adjustments to your SEL programming.
Communicating With Kentucky Parents
Reference the State's Vision
Kentucky has positioned SEL as central to its educational vision: “Our United We Learn initiative recognizes that vibrant learning experiences for every student include social, emotional, and academic learning. Our program teaches the skills students need to manage emotions, build relationships, set goals, and make responsible decisions.”
Connect to Workforce Readiness
The SEL Implementation Guide explicitly connects social-emotional skills to workforce preparation: “Employers are clear that 21st century skills are essential for their future workforce, in many cases more important than technical skills.” Parents respond to the idea that their child's social-emotional skills directly support career readiness.[1]
Be Concrete
Describe what students learn: “Students learn to identify and manage their emotions, resolve disagreements peacefully, set and pursue goals, show empathy and kindness toward others, and make responsible decisions. These are the skills employers consistently identify as essential.”
Choosing a Curriculum for Kentucky Schools
When selecting social-emotional curriculum for your Kentucky elementary school, verify that the program:
Aligns with CASEL's five competencies. Kentucky's SEL Implementation Guide is built on the CASEL framework. A CASEL-aligned curriculum fits directly into the state's approach.
Addresses health education standards. Mental and emotional health, interpersonal communication, decision-making, and self-management are required content within the KAS for Health Education.
Functions as a KyMTSS Tier 1 component. The legislatively mandated MTSS expects integrated social-emotional instruction at Tier 1. Your curriculum serves that role.
Supports the comprehensive school counseling program. Your curriculum provides the classroom-based instruction that complements the counselor's targeted support.
Provides grade-band differentiation. Programs that provide distinct content for upper elementary match the developmental progression that health education standards build across grade levels.
Offers a full-year scope and sequence. The Implementation Guide calls for daily SEL practices. A program providing 40 weeks of sequenced instruction ensures consistent coverage.
Produces data for continuous improvement. Focus Area 4 of the Implementation Guide requires data-driven reflection. Your curriculum should generate observable outcomes.
Requires no devices or student accounts. Device-free, teacher-led programs eliminate data privacy concerns and preserve the shared classroom experience.
Supports bilingual learners. Bilingual curriculum in English and Spanish supports equitable access.
Requires minimal prep. The 2022 survey found that about half of districts provide only 1-3 hours of SEL professional development annually. Programs that provide ready-to-use weekly lessons make implementation realistic even with limited PD time.
What to Avoid
Assuming the Implementation Guide is optional because there are no formal SEL standards
Kentucky has not adopted K-12 SEL academic standards. But the SEL Implementation Guide was created by all eight Regional Cooperatives, endorsed by CASEL, supported by KDE, and quoted by the Lt. Governor. KyMTSS is legislatively mandated and explicitly includes social-emotional competencies. The school counseling framework names social-emotional health as a core value. The health education standards include social-emotional content. A school that waits for formal SEL standards before implementing structured instruction is treating the absence of one document type as permission to ignore the framework that multiple other documents create.
Running KyMTSS without a social-emotional Tier 1
The KyMTSS Implementation Guide warns against implementing academic, behavioral, and social-emotional supports “in silos or parallel systems.” A school with academic tiers and behavioral expectations but no structured social-emotional instruction has an incomplete system. The curriculum fills that gap.
Relying on professional development alone
The 2022 survey found 70 percent of respondents rate teacher comfort with SEL implementation as low. Professional development helps, but a teacher who receives 1-3 hours of SEL PD per year without a structured curriculum is being asked to build lessons from scratch on a topic they are not yet comfortable with. A ready-to-use weekly curriculum solves this by providing the instructional content so teachers can focus on delivery rather than design.
Treating SEL as a counseling-only responsibility
The Implementation Guide provides classroom-level recommendations precisely because SEL instruction cannot be delivered by the school counselor alone. Counselors provide essential targeted support. But the universal Tier 1 instruction that reaches every student every week must come from the classroom.
Final Thoughts
Kentucky has built comprehensive SEL infrastructure. The statewide Implementation Guide provides a detailed roadmap. KyMTSS is legislatively mandated and includes social-emotional development as a core domain. The school counseling framework names social-emotional health as a core value. The health education standards address mental and emotional health at every grade level. And 77 percent of districts are already implementing some form of SEL.
The gap is not in infrastructure. It is in the classroom, where 70 percent of respondents say teacher comfort with SEL is low. That gap is exactly what a structured, ready-to-use curriculum closes.
For Kentucky elementary schools, the path forward is practical: choose a program that aligns with CASEL's five competencies, addresses the health education standards, functions as a KyMTSS Tier 1 component, and provides the structured instruction that teachers need to implement SEL confidently and consistently.
The guide exists. The MTSS framework is mandated. The counseling model expects it. The employers demand it. The students need it. Start there.
References
- Kentucky Department of Education and Regional Educational Cooperatives. Kentucky Social and Emotional Learning Implementation Guide.
https://www.education.ky.gov/educational/compschcouns/Documents/Kentucky_Social_and_Emotional_Learning_Implementation_Guide.pdf - Kentucky Department of Education. Health Education and Physical Education: Curriculum Documents and Resources.
https://www.education.ky.gov/curriculum/conpro/plandcs/Pages/Practical-Living---Curriculum-Documents-and-Resources.aspx - Kentucky Department of Education. Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) for Health and Physical Education.
https://kystandards.org/home/ky-acad-standards/kas-he-pe/ - Kentucky Department of Education. Kentucky Multi-Tiered System of Supports (KyMTSS).
https://www.education.ky.gov/curriculum/standards/teachtools/Pages/KSI.aspx - Kentucky Department of Education. KyMTSS Implementation Guide, 2nd Edition.
https://www.education.ky.gov/curriculum/standards/teachtools/Documents/KyMTSS_Implementation_Guide.pdf - Kentucky Department of Education. Comprehensive School Counseling.
https://www.education.ky.gov/educational/compschcouns/Pages/default.aspx - Kentucky Department of Education. Social, Emotional and Behavioral Learning/Health.
https://www.education.ky.gov/school/sdfs/Pages/Social,-Emotional-and-Behavioral-Learning-Health.aspx - Kentucky Department of Education. Social/Emotional Learning Resources for School Counselors.
https://www.education.ky.gov/educational/compschcouns/Pages/sel_resources.aspx - Kentucky Department of Education. School-based Mental Health.
https://www.education.ky.gov/school/sdfs/Pages/School-based-Mental-Health.aspx - 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
Social-Emotional Learning for Kentucky Schools
Be The Buffalo aligns with CASEL's five competencies and Kentucky's SEL Implementation Guide. 40 weeks of K-5 curriculum covering self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
Interactive projector activities, original songs, stories, printable worksheets, and teacher guides. Bilingual English and Spanish. No student accounts. No devices. No prep. Built to serve as your KyMTSS Tier 1 social-emotional instruction.
Related Resources
SEL Curriculum for Elementary Schools
How to evaluate and choose a CASEL-aligned SEL curriculum for K-5 schools.
Best Character Education Curriculum
What to look for in a K-5 character education program that combines character traits with social-emotional skills.
Tennessee SEL Requirements
How Tennessee's Social and Personal Competencies framework and TN-FSS create expectations for SEL instruction.
West Virginia SEL Requirements
How West Virginia's Standards for Student Success and wellness education standards create SEL obligations.
Ohio SEL Requirements
What Ohio schools are expected to teach under the state's SEL framework and health education standards.
Indiana SEL Requirements
How Indiana's SEL competencies and health education standards create expectations for social-emotional instruction.