A practical guide for Mississippi educators and administrators on the state's adopted K-12 SEL standards, the MTSS framework for social-emotional and mental health support, and how to build an elementary program aligned with what Mississippi's State Board of Education has established.
In early 2021, the Mississippi Department of Education released something most people do not realize exists: the state's first ever K-12 Social and Emotional Learning Standards.[1]
The standards were developed before the pandemic, refined through public comment, and approved by the Mississippi State Board of Education. They are organized around five domains that align directly with the CASEL framework: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
Mississippi also connected these standards directly to academic success: “Developing SEL skills improves student capacity to engage in academic learning and prepares them to meet college and career readiness standards.”[1]
For Mississippi elementary schools, this means the state has adopted SEL standards, positioned them within the college and career readiness framework, integrated them with the MTSS behavioral support system, and provided implementation resources. The standards are not mandatory curriculum. They are the state's official framework for social-emotional instruction, and they carry State Board approval.
How Mississippi Positioned SEL
Unlike most states, Mississippi embedded SEL within its College and Career Readiness framework:
College & Career Readiness Standards
Mississippi's overarching framework for student success
Academic Standards
ELA, Math, Science
SEL Standards
5 domains, K-12
Health Standards
Physical, mental, emotional
Student Outcome
Academically prepared + socially-emotionally competent = college and career ready
Mississippi's K-12 SEL Standards
What MDE Developed
The Mississippi K-12 SEL Standards established social-emotional learning as a formal component of the state's educational framework. MDE described the standards as assisting “school staff with their respective roles in integrating social emotional learning into daily classroom and school experiences of students.”[1] The standards “establish social and emotional learning as a priority in education” and “support children beyond academics.”[1]
The Five Domains
Mississippi's SEL standards are organized into five domains aligned with CASEL's five competencies:[1][2]
Self-Awareness
Recognizing one's emotions, values, strengths, and challenges. Understanding how thoughts and feelings influence behavior.
Self-Management
Managing emotions and behaviors effectively. Setting goals, maintaining motivation, and persevering through challenges.
Social Awareness
Empathizing with others and understanding diverse perspectives. Recognizing social norms and identifying resources and supports.
Relationship Skills
Building healthy, supportive relationships. Communicating effectively, cooperating, resolving conflicts, and seeking help when needed.
Responsible Decision-Making
Making ethical and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions. Evaluating consequences and considering the wellbeing of self and others.
The College and Career Readiness Connection
Mississippi made a deliberate choice to position the SEL standards within the college and career readiness framework. The standards are listed on MDE's College and Career Readiness Standards page alongside academic content standards.[3]
The research consistently shows that students who develop social-emotional skills perform better academically, persist longer through challenges, and are better prepared for postsecondary success.[4][5]
MTSS for Social-Emotional Learning and Mental Health
The Tiered Support Framework
MDE has developed MTSS resources specifically for social-emotional learning and mental health:[7]
Self-Assessment for School Teams Worksheet
A tool for schools to evaluate current MTSS implementation for SEL and mental health.
Tiered Supports Inventory
A resource for mapping social-emotional supports across all three tiers.
Addressing Grief: Tips for Teachers and Administrators
Guidance connecting SEL to the specific emotional needs of students experiencing loss.
SEL-Aligned Behavioral Interventions
In January 2021, MDE's Intervention Services issued a competitive solicitation for evidence-based behavior interventions that would “align with the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies identified by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning and additional standards approved by the MS State Board of Education.”[8] This means MDE requires behavioral interventions for Tier II and Tier III to align with the state's adopted SEL standards.
The Mississippi Playbook: From Literacy to SEL
Mississippi proved that evidence-based, structured instruction produces dramatic gains. The same approach applies to SEL:
Literacy (proven)
- ✓ Evidence-based standards
- ✓ Structured curriculum
- ✓ Consistent implementation
- ✓ Progress monitoring
- ✓ National recognition
SEL (opportunity)
- ✓ State Board-approved standards
- ✓ CASEL-aligned curriculum
- ○ Weekly, sustained instruction
- ○ MTSS progress monitoring
- ○ Potential for same gains
✓ = in place ○ = next step — the infrastructure exists; implementation is the opportunity
How to Build an Elementary Program Within Mississippi's Framework
Step 1: Map to All Five SEL Domains
| MS SEL Domain | Elementary Focus | Curriculum Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Awareness | Emotional vocabulary, strengths, thoughts-feelings connection | Growth mindset, self-reflection |
| Self-Management | Emotional regulation, goal setting, self-control | Calming strategies, goal tracking, persistence |
| Social Awareness | Empathy, perspective-taking, diversity | Understanding others, cultural awareness, gratitude |
| Relationship Skills | Kindness, teamwork, conflict resolution | Cooperation, active listening, help-seeking |
| Responsible Decision-Making | Problem-solving, responsibility | Weighing consequences, safe choices, digital citizenship |
Step 2: Integrate With MTSS
Tier 1
Universal SEL instruction delivered weekly to all students, addressing all five domains.
Tier 2
Targeted small-group support. MDE requires Tier II behavioral interventions align with the SEL standards.[8]
Tier 3
Individualized intervention, including IEP-aligned SEL goals. Must also align with SEL competencies.
Step 3: Use MDE's Self-Assessment Tool
Complete MDE's Self-Assessment for School Teams Worksheet to evaluate your current MTSS implementation for SEL and mental health.[7] Starting with the self-assessment gives you a baseline against which to measure the impact of structured SEL instruction.
Step 4: Connect to College and Career Readiness
Document how your SEL instruction supports the college and career readiness outcomes Mississippi prioritizes. Students who can manage their emotions persist longer through academic challenges. Students who can work in teams collaborate more effectively.
Step 5: Connect to Health Education
Document how your instruction also addresses the mental and emotional health content within Mississippi's Health Education Standards. A comprehensive SEL curriculum covers both the SEL standards and health standards' social-emotional content.
Step 6: Connect to School Safety
Social-emotional skills support school safety directly. Students who can regulate emotions produce fewer behavioral incidents. Students who can resolve conflicts de-escalate situations.
Mississippi's Context
The Mississippi Miracle and a Culture of Improvement
Mississippi has demonstrated, through its dramatic gains in reading achievement, that the state can produce nationally significant educational improvements when it commits to evidence-based instruction and sustained implementation.[2] The same principles apply to SEL.
High-Need Communities
Mississippi has some of the highest childhood poverty rates in the nation. Research shows students from high-poverty backgrounds benefit disproportionately from structured SEL instruction.[4]
Rural Districts
Many Mississippi districts serve small, rural communities. Device-free, teacher-led programs with minimal prep requirements serve these settings effectively.
Diverse Student Population
Mississippi's student population is approximately 47% African American, 44% White, and growing in Hispanic/Latino representation. Bilingual English and Spanish curriculum supports equitable access for multilingual learners.
Choosing a Curriculum for Mississippi Schools
Addresses all five MS SEL domains
A CASEL-aligned curriculum provides direct alignment because Mississippi built its standards on the same framework.
Aligns with MTSS
Tier 1 curriculum should provide the foundation that Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions build on, using consistent language.
Provides grade-band differentiation
K-2 and 3-5 students need different vocabulary, complexity, and approaches.
Offers a full-year scope and sequence
Sustained weekly instruction produces skill development. Isolated lessons do not.
Supports the CCRS connection
Instruction that builds the social-emotional skills supporting academic achievement serves both SEL and CCRS.
Includes diverse characters and culturally responsive content
Mississippi's student population is among the most racially diverse in the country.
Works in rural and high-poverty settings
No device requirements, minimal prep, all materials included.
Produces observable outcomes
MTSS requires progress monitoring. Curriculum should generate observable behaviors you can track.
What to Avoid
Not knowing the standards exist
Mississippi's K-12 SEL standards were adopted in 2021, but awareness among educators varies. Schools that implement without knowing the state has standards miss the alignment that strengthens their program.
Treating SEL as separate from academic achievement
Mississippi positioned the SEL standards within CCRS for a reason. Schools that separate “academic time” from “SEL time” as competing priorities work against the integration MDE designed.
Implementing without MTSS alignment
MDE requires behavioral interventions to align with SEL competencies. Schools that implement Tier 1 disconnected from Tier 2 and Tier 3 create a fragmented system.
Assuming Mississippi schools cannot lead
Mississippi proved through its literacy gains that committed implementation produces dramatic results. The same potential exists for SEL. The standards are in place. The framework is built.
Final Thoughts
Mississippi has adopted K-12 SEL standards, positioned them within the college and career readiness framework, built MTSS resources for social-emotional and mental health support, and required that behavioral interventions align with the CASEL competencies the State Board approved.
The standards exist. The framework is built. The precedent for educational improvement is proven. Mississippi students deserve the same social-emotional skill development as students anywhere, and Mississippi has given schools the framework to provide it.
References
- Mississippi Department of Education. (2020). NEW: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Standards. https://msachieves.mdek12.org/new-social-and-emotional-learning-sel-standards/
- Mississippi First. (2023). Ensuring the effectiveness of social-emotional learning. https://www.mississippifirst.org/ensuring-the-effectiveness-of-social-emotional-learning/
- Mississippi Department of Education. (n.d.). Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards. https://mdek12.org/academiceducation/mississipp-college-and-career-readiness-standards/
- 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
- REACH MS. (n.d.). Social emotional learning (SEL). https://reachms.org/sel/
- Mississippi Department of Education. (n.d.). Mental health resources. https://mdek12.org/secondaryeducation/mental-health/
- Mississippi Department of Education. (2025). Services guidebook 2025-26. https://mdek12.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/59/2025/07/2025-26_MDE-Services-Guide_7.30.25.pdf
Meet Mississippi's SEL Standards
Be The Buffalo provides 40 weeks of CASEL-aligned K-5 SEL curriculum addressing all five Mississippi SEL domains. Supports college and career readiness through social-emotional skill development.
Interactive projector activities, original songs, stories, printable worksheets, and teacher guides. Bilingual English and Spanish. No student accounts. No devices. No prep. Built for the schools Mississippi students attend.
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