Wyoming does not have K-12 social-emotional learning standards. What Wyoming does have is a set of Health and Safety content and performance standards that are required across all public schools and that define mental health as encompassing “wellness promotion; social, emotional, and behavioral health; and the ability to cope with life's challenges.”[1]
Wyoming's Mental Health Definition
“Mental health is not simply the absence of mental illness but also encompasses wellness promotion; social, emotional, and behavioral health; and the ability to cope with life's challenges.”[1]
Health and Safety is one of ten content areas the State Board of Education requires. The Board describes these standards as a “guarantee of what all students will receive multiple opportunities to learn and be assessed on within every Wyoming public school.”[2]
Health and Safety: A Required Content Area
“These standards present a ‘guarantee’ of what all students will receive multiple opportunities to learn and be assessed on within every Wyoming public school. Local districts and schools will ensure its curricula is aligned and consistent with these statewide expectations.”[2]
Health and Safety carries the same structural weight as Math, Science, ELA, and Social Studies. It is not optional.[2][3]
Social-Emotional Content by Grade Level
The health standards use “Suggested Health Topics” tags. Two are directly social-emotional:[1]
Mental & Emotional Health
Emotional identification, self-concept, stress management, coping skills, mental health awareness
Interpersonal Skills
Communication, conflict resolution, healthy relationships, cooperation, social interaction
Elementary Standards Progression
Identify emotions. Practice actions when upset. Name people to go to for help.
Link emotions to behaviors. Practice asking for help. Respond to unwanted situations.
Self-control of impulsive behavior. Recognize healthy vs. unhealthy behaviors.
Actions and consequences. Nonviolent conflict resolution. Respect for differences.
Self-assertion and peer resistance. Effective communication. Bullying impacts.
Emotions during changes. Communicate needs and feelings. Current actions → future choices.
| Wyoming Health Standard Content | CASEL Competency |
|---|---|
| Identifying emotions, self-concept, recognizing strengths | Self-Awareness |
| Self-control, stress management, goal setting | Self-Management |
| Understanding differences, empathy, perspectives | Social Awareness |
| Communication, conflict resolution, relationships | Relationship Skills |
| Decision-making, evaluating consequences, responsible choices | Responsible Decision-Making |
A CASEL-aligned curriculum addresses every ME and IPS standard in Wyoming's health education framework.
The 2024 Revised Health and Safety Standards
In July 2024, Governor Gordon approved revised Chapter 10 Rules on Standards, including the 2024 Wyoming Content and Performance Standards for Health and Safety. The name change from “Health Education” to “Health and Safety” reflects an expanded scope.[3][4]
For schools not yet aligned: the 2026-27 deadline creates a natural moment to evaluate and select instructional materials, including social-emotional curriculum.
The Jason Flatt Act
Staff Training Requirement
Every 4 years for all staff members
Initial year if prior training absent
One of the most substantial requirements of any state[5]
Student Protective Factors
Social-emotional instruction builds what the Jason Flatt Act training depends on:
- Self-awareness
- Emotional regulation
- Help-seeking behavior
- Communication with trusted adults
- Identifying when peers need support
A school that trains staff in suicide prevention without providing structured social-emotional instruction to students has built only the adult side of the prevention system.
Wyoming's Context
48
School districts
Many small & rural
~93K
Students served
Geographically dispersed
<600K
State population
Least populous state
Why Device-Free Matters in Wyoming
Many Wyoming schools serve communities with limited or unreliable internet connectivity. A curriculum requiring streaming, student devices, or cloud-based platforms will not work reliably. Device-free, teacher-led programs ensure students in the most remote communities receive the same quality instruction as students in Cheyenne or Casper.
How to Align Your Elementary Program
Address ME and IPS Standards
A comprehensive scope and sequence across 40 weeks addresses every ME and IPS standard at every elementary grade level.
Prepare for 2024 Standards Implementation
The revised Health and Safety standards take effect in 2026-27. Use this transition to evaluate and select curriculum that aligns with the updated content.
Complement the Jason Flatt Act Training
Document how your curriculum teaches emotional identification, self-regulation, communication with trusted adults, and help-seeking skills.
Support Bullying Prevention
VPB standards require prevention content. Document how your curriculum teaches empathy, conflict resolution, respect, and kindness.
Communicating With Wyoming Parents
Reference the Standards
“Health and Safety is one of ten content areas the Wyoming State Board of Education requires for all students. Mental and emotional health is a core part of these standards. Our program teaches students to identify and manage their emotions, build healthy relationships, resolve conflicts, and make responsible decisions.”
Connect to Community Values
“Our program teaches self-discipline, responsibility, perseverance, respect, and the ability to handle challenges. These are the character traits Wyoming families value and the skills the health standards address.”
Be Concrete
“Students learn to identify and manage their emotions, resolve disagreements peacefully, set and pursue goals, show empathy and kindness, demonstrate self-control, and make responsible decisions. These are practical skills every child needs.”
Choosing a Curriculum for Wyoming Schools
Addresses ME and IPS health standards. A CASEL-aligned curriculum covers both Mental and Emotional health and Interpersonal Skills content.
Aligns with the 2024 Health and Safety standards. The revised standards take effect in 2026-27. Choose curriculum that addresses the updated content.
Builds suicide prevention protective factors. Self-awareness, emotional regulation, help-seeking, and communication complement the Jason Flatt Act training staff receives.
Supports bullying prevention. Teaches empathy, conflict resolution, and respect.
Provides grade-band differentiation. Programs providing distinct content for each grade level match the standards' progressive structure.
Offers a full-year scope and sequence. 40 weeks of sequenced instruction ensures consistent coverage.
Requires no devices or student accounts. Device-free, teacher-led programs work in every Wyoming community regardless of connectivity. Critical for rural and remote schools.
Supports bilingual learners. Bilingual curriculum in English and Spanish supports equitable access.
Requires minimal prep. Wyoming's small districts have limited staffing. Ready-to-use weekly lessons are essential where prep time is scarce.
What to Avoid
Treating health standards as only physical health
The standards define mental health to include “social, emotional, and behavioral health.” ME and IPS content appears at every grade. A school focused only on nutrition, safety, and physical activity has gaps in a guaranteed content area.
Ignoring the 2024 standards transition
The revised standards take effect in 2026-27. Schools that do not evaluate programming against the revised standards will face alignment gaps when the implementation deadline arrives.
Training staff without teaching students protective skills
The Jason Flatt Act ensures adults can recognize warning signs. But recognition without student capacity is incomplete. Structured social-emotional instruction builds the student-side capacity adult training depends on.
Assuming small and rural means SEL does not apply
The health standards requiring social-emotional content apply to every Wyoming public school regardless of size or location. The challenges SEL addresses — managing emotions, resolving conflicts, building relationships — exist in every community.
Final Thoughts
Wyoming requires Health and Safety as one of ten guaranteed content areas. The standards define mental health to explicitly include “social, emotional, and behavioral health.” ME and IPS content appears at every elementary grade level. The Jason Flatt Act requires substantial suicide prevention training. And the 2024 revised standards take effect in 2026-27, creating an immediate need for curriculum alignment.
Wyoming has not created separate SEL standards. It has embedded social-emotional content in required health standards and defined mental health to include it. The effect is the same: social-emotional instruction is expected at every grade level as part of a guaranteed content area. The standards guarantee it. The definition includes it. The students need it.
References
- Wyoming Department of Education. 2021 Health Education WYCPS. edu.wyoming.gov (PDF)
- Wyoming State Board of Education. Standards. wyboardofeducation.org
- Wyoming Department of Education. Standards Review Timeline. edu.wyoming.gov
- Wyoming Department of Education. Fact Sheet for Newly Adopted Standards (January 2025). edu.wyoming.gov
- The Jason Foundation. Wyoming: Jason Flatt Act. jasonfoundation.com
- Wyoming Department of Education. Standards Documents Updated (October 2025). edu.wyoming.gov
- Wyoming Department of Education. Newly Adopted Standards Now Effective (August 2025). edu.wyoming.gov
- Durlak, J. A., et al. (2011). The impact of enhancing students' social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405-432. doi.org
- Cipriano, C., et al. (2023). The state of evidence for social and emotional learning. Child Development, 94(5), 1181-1204. doi.org
Social-Emotional Learning for Wyoming Schools
Be The Buffalo addresses the mental and emotional health and interpersonal skills content within Wyoming's required Health and Safety standards. 40 weeks of K-5 curriculum. Interactive projector activities, original songs, stories, printable worksheets, and teacher guides. Bilingual English and Spanish. No student accounts. No devices. No internet required. No prep. Built for every Wyoming community.
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