Virginia is one of a small number of states where the legislature explicitly directed the Department of Education to develop K-12 social-emotional learning standards. In 2020, the General Assembly passed House Bill 753, requiring the VDOE to establish a uniform definition of SEL and develop guidance standards for all public students in grades K-12. Those standards were completed and made available to school divisions in 2021.[1]
Virginia also revised its Health Education Standards of Learning in 2020 to intentionally include social-emotional skills, naming “Mental Wellness/Social and Emotional Skills” as a distinct topic area across all grade levels. The VDOE funds and leads the Virginia Tiered Systems of Supports (VTSS), which aligns academics, behavior, and social-emotional wellness into a single decision-making framework. And the Profile of a Virginia Graduate establishes the “5 C's” (critical thinking, creative thinking, communication, collaboration, and citizenship) as outcome expectations that are directly aligned with the SEL guidance standards.[2]
For Virginia elementary educators, the landscape is unusually clear: the state has a definition of SEL, published guidance standards, health education SOLs that include social-emotional content, and a tiered support framework that explicitly addresses social-emotional wellness. The question is not what the state expects. The question is how your school delivers it.
Virginia's SEL Framework: Four Layers of Expectation
Virginia's approach is layered — legislation, standards, outcomes, and implementation framework all point to the same skills:
Legislative Mandate
HB 753 — VDOE directed to develop K-12 SEL standards
SEL Guidance Standards
Five competencies with grade-banded indicators (2021)
Health Education SOLs
Mental Wellness/Social-Emotional Skills as named topic area
VTSS Framework
Social-emotional wellness as one of three aligned domains
Profile of a Virginia Graduate
5 C's depend on social-emotional competencies
Virginia's Five SEL Competencies
Virginia's SEL guidance standards are organized around five core competencies, each with grade-banded indicators:[3]
Self-Awareness
Understanding emotions, thoughts, values and their influence
Self-Management
Managing emotions and behaviors to achieve goals
Social Awareness
Understanding perspectives and empathizing with others
Relationship Skills
Establishing and maintaining healthy relationships
Decision Making
Making caring and constructive choices
Built on the CASEL framework — directly aligned with Virginia's Profile of a Graduate
Virginia's K-12 SEL Guidance Standards
HB 753: The Legislative Mandate
In 2020, the Virginia General Assembly passed House Bill 753, which required the VDOE to:[1]
- •Establish a uniform definition of social-emotional learning.
- •Develop guidance standards for social-emotional learning for all public students in grades K-12.
- •Make such standards available to each local school division no later than July 1, 2021.
- •Issue a report no later than November 1, 2021 on the resources needed to successfully support local school divisions with implementation.
This is legislation, not a policy recommendation. The General Assembly directed the VDOE to build SEL standards and distribute them to every division in the state.
Virginia's Definition of SEL
“The process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.”
— Virginia Department of Education[2]
This definition is based on CASEL's framework, adopted through a formal VDOE process involving an interdepartmental team and a Social Emotional Learning Advisory Committee composed of school-based personnel, community leaders, agency personnel, and parents.[3]
Guidance Standards vs. Standards of Learning
An important distinction: Virginia's SEL standards are “guidance standards,” not Standards of Learning (SOLs). This means they are not assessed through state testing and are not mandatory in the same way that math or reading SOLs are. School divisions may adopt them, adapt them to their local context, or use them as guidance for their own SEL programming.[3]
SEL Guidance Standards
- • Legislatively mandated development
- • Five CASEL-based competencies
- • Grade-banded indicators
- • Divisions may adopt or adapt
- • Not state-assessed
Health Education SOLs
- • Mandatory Standards of Learning
- • Include SEL as named topic area
- • Grade-specific objectives
- • Minimum expectations for instruction
- • Regulatory weight
Health Education Standards of Learning
The 2020 Revision
The 2020 Health Education Standards of Learning, adopted by the Virginia Board of Education, intentionally include social-emotional skills as a core component. The VDOE describes this revision as designed to build K-12 students' mental wellness skills, including emotional development, self-concept, and social competence.[2]
The Health Education SOLs are organized into three strands at each grade level:[4]
x.1
Essential Health Concepts
What students should understand
x.2
Healthy Decisions
How students apply knowledge
x.3
Advocacy & Promotion
How students promote health
Social-Emotional Content by Grade Level
The Health Education SOLs include “Mental Wellness/Social and Emotional Skills” as a named topic area:[4][5]
Kindergarten
Recognize that classroom rules are important for school (sharing, respecting others). Explain how classmates can support one another. Describe feelings that may result from hearing kind and unkind words and when experiencing problems.
Grade 1
Describe feelings that may result from hearing kind and unkind words. Understand that listening is important to solving problems between people. Recognize that everyone has different needs for personal space.
Grade 2
Use words to solve problems, showing responsibility and respect. Practice listening skills connected to mental wellness and social-emotional development.
Grades 3-5
Explain how self-control is a valuable tool in avoiding health risks. Classify stress as preventable or manageable. Identify common sources for feelings of grief or loss. Apply appropriate strategies for conflict resolution. Interpret facial expressions and posture to identify emotions and empathy. Recognize situations that might lead to violence.
How the SOLs and SEL Guidance Standards Connect
| Health Education SOL Topic | SEL Guidance Standard |
|---|---|
| Mental wellness, self-concept, emotional development | Self-Awareness |
| Self-control, stress management, coping strategies | Self-Management |
| Empathy, understanding perspectives, recognizing emotions in others | Social Awareness |
| Conflict resolution, communication, cooperation | Relationship Skills |
| Decision-making, consequences, healthy choices | Responsible Decision-Making |
A CASEL-aligned curriculum addresses both the Health Education SOLs and the SEL guidance standards simultaneously because they are built on the same competency framework.
The Profile of a Virginia Graduate
The Profile of a Virginia Graduate establishes the “5 C's” as expectations for what students should be able to do when they complete their education:[2]
Critical Thinking
Creative Thinking
Communication
Collaboration
Citizenship
The SEL guidance standards were intentionally aligned with the Profile of a Virginia Graduate. The 5 C's are not academic skills alone. Communication requires relationship skills. Collaboration requires social awareness and cooperation. Citizenship requires responsible decision-making. Critical and creative thinking require self-management and self-awareness. Social-emotional instruction at the elementary level builds the foundation for the 5 C's that the Profile expects at graduation.
Virginia Tiered Systems of Supports (VTSS)
The Virginia Tiered Systems of Supports (VTSS) is a VDOE-funded and led initiative that aligns academics, behavior, and social-emotional wellness into a single decision-making framework. VTSS provides school divisions with the opportunity to build their capacity to implement a multi-tiered framework that improves school climate and creates effective and supportive learning environments for all students.[6]
VTSS explicitly includes social-emotional wellness as one of its three domains, alongside academics and behavior. PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) serves as the behavioral component within the VTSS framework.[6]
Academics
Standards-based instruction, intervention, and enrichment
Behavior (PBIS)
Expectations, acknowledgment, consistent consequences
Social-Emotional
SEL instruction, mental wellness, relationship skills
Within VTSS, structured social-emotional instruction functions as Tier 1: universal support delivered to all students. A 40-week scope and sequence covering all five CASEL competencies serves as the Tier 1 social-emotional instruction that VTSS expects.
Bullying Prevention
Virginia law requires school boards to adopt policies and procedures to address bullying and harassment. The VDOE's revised Model Guidance for Positive and Preventive Code of Student Conduct integrates SEL practices into prevention and intervention as a means of reducing exclusionary discipline practices and removing disparity in the use of suspension and expulsion.[2]
This is notable: the VDOE explicitly connects SEL instruction to its discipline guidance. Schools that implement SEL are not just teaching social-emotional skills. They are following the state's recommended approach to student conduct, discipline, and school climate. Students who have been taught empathy, conflict resolution, self-control, and communication skills through structured instruction are less likely to engage in the behaviors that lead to disciplinary action.
How to Align Your Elementary Program With Virginia's Framework
Step 1: Map to the SEL Guidance Standards
Virginia has published K-12 SEL guidance standards organized around five competencies. Document how your curriculum addresses Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Decision Making at each elementary grade band. A CASEL-aligned curriculum maps directly to these competencies because the standards were built on the same framework.
Step 2: Address Health Education SOLs
The 2020 Health Education SOLs include Mental Wellness/Social and Emotional Skills as a named topic area. Unlike the SEL guidance standards, these are Standards of Learning. Document how your curriculum addresses the social-emotional content within the Health Education SOLs at each grade level. A comprehensive scope and sequence that covers all five CASEL competencies across 40 weeks addresses every social-emotional strand.
Step 3: Build Your VTSS Tier 1
If your school participates in VTSS, your social-emotional curriculum serves as the Tier 1 instructional component. Document how lessons connect to the behavioral expectations your PBIS framework promotes and how the curriculum supports the academic, behavioral, and social-emotional alignment VTSS requires.
Step 4: Connect to the Profile of a Virginia Graduate
The 5 C's are the outcome expectations. Social-emotional instruction builds the foundation. Document how your curriculum develops the communication, collaboration, citizenship, critical thinking, and creative thinking skills the Profile expects, starting at the elementary level.
Step 5: Support Positive and Preventive Discipline
The VDOE's Model Guidance integrates SEL into student conduct policy. Document how your social-emotional instruction reduces exclusionary discipline by teaching students the skills to manage their behavior, resolve conflicts, and contribute to a positive school climate.
Communicating With Virginia Parents
Reference the Legislative Mandate
Virginia's General Assembly directed the VDOE to develop SEL standards. When communicating with parents: “The Virginia General Assembly passed House Bill 753 requiring the Virginia Department of Education to develop social-emotional learning standards for all public students in grades K-12. Our school's program aligns with these standards and teaches students the skills they need to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally.”
Connect to the Profile of a Virginia Graduate
Parents understand that schools are preparing their children for the future. The Profile provides the language: “Virginia expects every graduate to demonstrate critical thinking, creative thinking, communication, collaboration, and citizenship. Our social-emotional program builds the foundation for these skills starting in elementary school.”
Acknowledge the Guidance Nature
Be transparent that the SEL guidance standards are guidance, not mandatory SOLs. This actually helps: “Virginia developed these standards through a legislative process and made them available to every school division. Our school has chosen to implement them because the skills they describe, managing emotions, building relationships, making responsible decisions, are skills every child needs.”
Choosing a Curriculum for Virginia Schools
- ✓Aligns with Virginia's SEL guidance standards. The five competencies should be addressed at developmentally appropriate levels across elementary grade bands.
- ✓Addresses Health Education SOLs. The Mental Wellness/Social and Emotional Skills topic area is a Standards of Learning requirement at every grade level.
- ✓Maps to CASEL competencies. Virginia's standards were built on the CASEL framework. A CASEL-aligned curriculum aligns directly.
- ✓Supports the Profile of a Virginia Graduate. The 5 C's should be visibly connected to the social-emotional skills your curriculum teaches.
- ✓Functions as a VTSS Tier 1 component. Your curriculum serves as universal social-emotional instruction within the framework.
- ✓Provides grade-band differentiation. Programs with distinct upper elementary content match the progressive complexity.
- ✓Offers a full-year scope and sequence. 40 weeks of sequenced instruction ensures consistent coverage.
- ✓Supports positive and preventive discipline. Teach emotional regulation, conflict resolution, and responsible decision-making.
- ✓Requires no devices or student accounts. Eliminates data privacy concerns.
- ✓Supports bilingual learners. Virginia serves a significant multilingual population.
- ✓Requires minimal prep. Ready-to-use weekly lessons ensure consistent implementation.
What to Avoid
Treating guidance standards as optional
The SEL guidance standards are guidance, not mandatory SOLs. But they were legislatively mandated to be developed and distributed. The Health Education SOLs that include social-emotional content are mandatory. The VTSS framework explicitly includes social-emotional wellness. And the Profile of a Virginia Graduate describes outcomes that depend on social-emotional skills. A division that opts not to implement SEL programming is choosing to ignore a legislative direction, SOL content, and the state's own tiered support framework.[8]
Confusing the guidance standards with the Health Education SOLs
These are two different documents with different levels of authority. The SEL guidance standards are guidance that divisions may adopt or adapt. The Health Education SOLs are Standards of Learning that represent minimum expectations for instruction. Both contain social-emotional content. Both should be addressed. But the SOLs carry regulatory weight that the guidance standards do not.
Implementing VTSS without a social-emotional Tier 1
VTSS aligns academics, behavior, and social-emotional wellness. A school that implements academic and behavioral tiers without structured social-emotional instruction has a three-legged stool with one leg missing.
Waiting for the guidance standards to become SOLs
The SEL guidance standards may or may not eventually become Standards of Learning. Schools that wait for that reclassification before investing in structured instruction are leaving students without the skills they need now. The Health Education SOLs already include social-emotional content. The Profile already expects the outcomes. The framework already exists.[9]
Final Thoughts
Virginia has done something most states have not: the General Assembly passed legislation directing the VDOE to develop K-12 SEL standards, and the VDOE delivered them. Those standards define five competencies, provide grade-banded indicators, and are aligned with the Profile of a Virginia Graduate. The 2020 Health Education SOLs intentionally include social-emotional skills as a named topic area. VTSS aligns academics, behavior, and social-emotional wellness into a single framework. And the VDOE's discipline guidance explicitly integrates SEL practices.
For Virginia elementary schools, the path forward is practical: choose a program that aligns with both the SEL guidance standards and the Health Education SOLs, functions as a Tier 1 VTSS component, builds toward the 5 C's of the Profile of a Virginia Graduate, and delivers structured social-emotional instruction to every student, every week, all year. Virginia has made its expectations clear. The question is execution.
References
- Virginia General Assembly. (2020). House Bill 753. Social-emotional learning; DOE to develop guidance standards. Chapter 339. https://legiscan.com/VA/text/HB753/2020
- Virginia Department of Education. Social Emotional Learning (SEL). https://vakids.org/posts/social-emotional-learning-for-children-youth-in-schools
- Virginia Department of Education. (2021). Virginia Social Emotional Learning Guidance Standards. https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2025/03/virginiaselguidancestandar.pdf
- Virginia Department of Education. (2020). Health Education Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools. https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/instruction/health-education
- Virginia Department of Education. (2020). Health Education Standards of Learning Curriculum Framework. https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/k-12-standards-instruction/health-education/standards-of-learning
- Virginia Department of Education. Virginia Tiered Systems of Supports (VTSS). https://www.doe.virginia.gov/programs-services/student-services/vulnerable-students-wellbeing-student-success/virginia-tiered-systems-of-supports-vtss
- Virginia Department of Education. Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework: Health Education. https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/k-12-standards-instruction/health-education/standards-of-learning
- 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 Virginia Schools
Be The Buffalo aligns with Virginia's SEL guidance standards, Health Education SOLs, and VTSS framework. 40 weeks of K-5 curriculum covering all five CASEL competencies: 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 Tier 1 social-emotional instruction.
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