Indicator: Self-management
Definition
Students are able to regulate their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations.
RECOMMENDED METRIC(S)
Pre-K: See developmental progress: approaches to learning indicator
K–12: Percentage of students reporting a high level of self-management on surveys such as the CORE Districts SEL Survey self-management scale (grades 5–12) or Shift and Persist scale for children
Postsecondary and workforce: Percentage of individuals reporting a high level of self-management on surveys such as the Shift and Persist scale for teens and adults
Type(s) of Data Needed
SurveysWhy it matters
Stronger self-management skillsxi during childhood are predictive of numerous positive outcomes, including high school graduation, better physical health, more stable personal finances, decreased substance dependence, and lower chances of criminal offenses in adulthood, even after accounting for personal and family characteristics. Compared to other social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies (including self-efficacy and social awareness), self-management is most strongly related to multiple later academic outcomes, even after accounting for previous achievement. Studies from multiple large school districts find that Black and Latino students self-report lower self-management skills than White students. Research has also identified a negative correlation between self-management scores and the following student characteristics: families experiencing poverty, emerging multilingual learners, and students receiving special education services. However, studies show that students of all ages and backgrounds can be taught self-management skills.
xi These skills are commonly referred to as executive functioning and/or self-regulation skills in the early childhood sector and are discussed under the kindergarten readiness: approaches to learning indicator.
What to know about measurement
Several survey tools exist to measure this indicator and related constructs. We have identified and suggested some tools with an evidence base; however, other instruments may also be appropriate to measure this indicator. We acknowledge there is limited consensus on measuring social-emotional skills, given its relatively recent emergence in the field, and that the use of different instruments across contexts would reduce the comparability of this indicator. Institutions that do not already collect survey data may need to develop a new data management infrastructure.
Competencies like self-management can be measured in different ways, including individual self-reports, teacher or parent reports, and performance tasks, that can be more or less predictive of future outcomes, depending on the particular instruments used and skills being measured. Here we recommend approaches relying on validated self-reported surveys, which are more feasible to collect at scale. Although teacher reports of students’ social-emotional skills were found to be more predictive of student performance than student self-reports, CORE Districts made teacher reports optional, due in part to concerns about burden. Teacher reports of students’ social-emotional skills can also be more predictive of student outcomes than performance tasks, which are not always any more predictive than student self-reports. On the other hand, teacher reports may not be appropriate if the data are used for school accountability and, like grading practices, are subject to the rater’s implicit or explicit bias.
E-W Case Studies
Source frameworks
This indicator appeared in five source frameworks reviewed for this report. Our proposed definition and measure align with the CORE Districts definition of self-management. Broadly, we have opted to align with—and build on—their SEL indicators, given the evidence base for their predictive power and instrumentation.
References
The framework's recommendations are based on syntheses of existing research. Please see the framework report for a list of works cited.