A comprehensive suite of social-emotional learning pre-tests aligned with district CASEL standards. Includes teacher observation checklists for K-1, visual self-reports for grades 2-3, and scenario-based reflective assessments for grades 4-6 across all five CASEL domains.
Do they ask for help or coordinate movements nicely?
Social Awareness
Do they notice if a peer struggles to balance on the imaginary path?
Do they cooperate to hold the imaginary rope so everyone is included?
Do they encourage peers who seem shy about showing emotions?
Relationship Skills
Do they respect physical boundaries and give space during circle play?
Do they patiently take turns acting as the group Leader?
Do they share verbal positive compliments with friends?
Responsible Decision Making
Observe the group's simple choices. If they must choose which direction to go (e.g., *“Do we crawl under the cave or jump the stream?”*), does the student participate in a kind debate, compromise, and make a decision showing fairness?
Acton-Boxborough Regional School District Page 2 of 2
3 Proficient: Demonstrates body-calming with max 1 prompt.
2 Emerging: Needs 2+ reminders to calm body or sit/share.
1 Beginning: Refuses; disrupts cooperative groups or shuts down.
Weeks 1 - 5 progress & observation notes
Student Name
Base
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Student 1:
Student 2:
Student 3:
Student 4:
Acton-Boxborough SEL Framework Portfolio Page 3 of 10
10-Week Progress Portfolio
K-1 Session Tracking • Self-Management
Weeks 6-10
Goal Status Check: Track continuing behavioral adjustments. Observe physical calming latency, independence levels, and persistence markers.
Weeks 6 - 10 progress & observation notes
Student Name
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Student 1:
Student 2:
Student 3:
Student 4:
Acton-Boxborough SEL Framework Portfolio Page 4 of 10
10-Week Progress Portfolio
K-1 Session Tracking • Social Awareness
Weeks 1-5
Domain Goal (Social Awareness): Students will engage in CASEL: Social Awareness (K: Value differences, identify unfairness / Gr 1: Diverse perspectives) to display empathy. Goal: Achieve target score of 3+ during 75% of meetings.
Rubric Key:
4 Advanced: Independent caring actions, traces cultural backgrounds.
2 Emerging: Needs reminders to share or show caring circle behaviors.
1 Beginning: Exhibits unkind circle peer behavior; shows zero empathy.
Weeks 1 - 5 progress & observation notes
Student Name
Base
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Student 1:
Student 2:
Student 3:
Student 4:
Acton-Boxborough SEL Framework Portfolio Page 5 of 10
10-Week Progress Portfolio
K-1 Session Tracking • Social Awareness
Weeks 6-10
Goal Status Check: Track continuing behavioral adjustments. Note inclusive play indicators, empathy prompts required, and kindness vocabulary.
Weeks 6 - 10 progress & observation notes
Student Name
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Student 1:
Student 2:
Student 3:
Student 4:
Acton-Boxborough SEL Framework Portfolio Page 6 of 10
10-Week Progress Portfolio
K-1 Session Tracking • Relationship Skills
Weeks 1-5
Domain Goal (Relationship Skills): Students will engage in CASEL: Relationship Skills (K: Share, turn-take / Gr 1: Teamwork actions) to build constructive peer behaviors. Goal: Achieve target score of 3+ during 75% of meetings.
3 Proficient: Shares and takes turns with max 1 prompt.
2 Emerging: Struggles with sharing/sitting; needs frequent prompts.
1 Beginning: Refuses; physically pushes or disrupts group completely.
Weeks 1 - 5 progress & observation notes
Student Name
Base
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Student 1:
Student 2:
Student 3:
Student 4:
Acton-Boxborough SEL Framework Portfolio Page 7 of 10
10-Week Progress Portfolio
K-1 Session Tracking • Relationship Skills
Weeks 6-10
Goal Status Check: Track continuing behavioral adjustments. Look for cooperative circle roles, physical boundary maintenance, and compliment phrasing.
Weeks 6 - 10 progress & observation notes
Student Name
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Student 1:
Student 2:
Student 3:
Student 4:
Acton-Boxborough SEL Framework Portfolio Page 8 of 10
10-Week Progress Portfolio
K-1 Session Tracking • Responsible Decisions
Weeks 1-5
Domain Goal (Responsible Decisions): Students will engage in CASEL: Responsible Decision Making (K: Solve problems kindly / Gr 1: Impact of choices) to learn ethical play. Goal: Achieve target score of 3+ during 75% of meetings.
3 Proficient: Suggests kind problem solutions with 1 prompt.
2 Emerging: Needs reminders to choose kind choices or identify choices' impact.
1 Beginning: Rejects guidance; makes intentionally harmful choices.
Weeks 1 - 5 progress & observation notes
Student Name
Base
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Student 1:
Student 2:
Student 3:
Student 4:
Acton-Boxborough SEL Framework Portfolio Page 9 of 10
10-Week Progress Portfolio
K-1 Session Tracking • Responsible Decisions
Weeks 6-10
Goal Status Check: Track continuing behavioral adjustments. Look for kind compromises, conflict frequency variations, and classroom contribution marks.
Weeks 6 - 10 progress & observation notes
Student Name
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Student 1:
Student 2:
Student 3:
Student 4:
Acton-Boxborough SEL Framework Portfolio Page 10 of 10
Inside the box below, draw a picture of you showing kindness or working hard on something at school!
My Draw Space
Acton-Boxborough SEL Baseline Page 3 of 3
Domain 3: Social Awareness
Abilities to understand others' perspectives, empathize, and respect diversity.
Benchmark & "Can-Do" Standard
Not Yet (1)
Sometimes (2)
Always (3)
Gr 1-2: Diverse Perspectives Discusses differences respectfully and recognizes that peers feel differently.
Gr 3-4: Empathy & Equity Understands that fair does not mean equal; curious about other backgrounds.
Gr 1-2: Demonstrating Care Shows active gratitude/caring actions and can state why kindness is important.
Gr 3-4: Valuing Others Demonstrates and values recognizing thoughts and feelings of peers.
Acton-Boxborough Regional School District Page 2 of 4
SEL baseline • domains 4 & 5
Educator Copy
Domain 4: Relationship Skills
Abilities to establish supportive relationships and navigate social conflicts constructively.
Benchmark & "Can-Do" Standard
Not Yet (1)
Sometimes (2)
Always (3)
Gr 1-2: Non-Verbal Cues Demonstrates listening and identifies facial/body cues indicating how others feel.
Gr 3-4: Adaptive Communication Expected communication; adapts behaviors to verbal/non-verbal cues of others.
Gr 1-2: Teamwork Actions Acts as a helpful teammate/group contributor, adapting to collaborative goals.
Gr 3-4: Collaborative Roles Identifies different roles in a group and works to achieve common group goals.
Gr 1-4: Resolving Conflicts Resolves small peer conflicts independently; advocates when treated unfairly.
Domain 5: Responsible Decision Making
Abilities to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions.
Benchmark & "Can-Do" Standard
Not Yet (1)
Sometimes (2)
Always (3)
Gr 1-2: Impact of Choices Describes how personal behavior/choices affect the feelings or safety of others.
Gr 3-4: Ethical Decisions Considers feelings and rights of self and others in decision-making processes.
Gr 1-2: Personal Agency Explicitly recognizes and states that they have a choice in how they respond.
Gr 3-4: Predicting Outcomes Recognizes and evaluates that personal choices result in different outcomes.
Acton-Boxborough Regional School District Page 3 of 4
SEL Diagnostic Dashboard & Pacing
Aggregate scoring and development planning baseline
Competency Summary Profile
Self-Awareness /15 pts
Self-Management /12 pts
Social Awareness /12 pts
Relationship Skills /15 pts
Responsible Decisions /12 pts
Not Yet
Sometimes
Always
Immediate Support Level
Tier 3 (Intensive)
Mostly "Not Yet" responses across multiple domains.
Tier 2 (Targeted)
Frequent "Sometimes" responses; struggling in specific standards.
Tier 1 (Universal)
Consistent "Always" with isolated growth needs.
Observational Field Notes & Action Plan
Handwrite Observations Here
Acton-Boxborough Regional School District Page 4 of 4
Do they manage discomfort if someone "takes" their intended story idea?
Do they accept adult support or peer prompts gracefully?
Social Awareness
Do they adapt the story to stay fair and kind to other characters?
Do they validate and build upon their peer's ideas in the story?
Do they show appreciation (nodding, smiling) to teammate additions?
Relationship Skills
Do they show active listening postures in the circle?
Do they adapt to verbal and non-verbal cues of peers?
Do they support partners during the Mirror game by pacing movements fairly?
Responsible Decision Making
In the story, when the characters hit a problem, does the student propose a kind and fair way to solve the story's conflict? Do they recognize that their story additions must align logically and respectfully with what others established?
Acton-Boxborough Regional School District Page 2 of 2
Weeks 1-5
Domain Goal (Self-Management): Students will engage in CASEL: Self-Management (G1-2: Coping strategies / G3-4: Stress coping, plan & persevere) to manage stress. Goal: Achieve target score of 3+ during 75% of meetings.
Rubric Key:
4 Advanced: Independent calming, designs & follows steps to persevere.
3 Proficient: Applies coping strategy with max 1 prompt.
2 Emerging: Needs 2+ reminders to calm body or focus on tasks.
1 Beginning: Refuses; disrupts cooperative groups or shuts down.
Weeks 1 - 5 progress & observation notes
Student Name
Base
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Student 1:
Student 2:
Student 3:
Student 4:
Acton-Boxborough SEL Framework Portfolio Page 3 of 10
10-Week Progress Portfolio
Grades 2-3 Session Tracking • Self-Management
Weeks 6-10
Goal Status Check: Track continuing behavioral adjustments. Observe physical calming latency, independence levels, and persistence markers.
Weeks 6 - 10 progress & observation notes
Student Name
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Student 1:
Student 2:
Student 3:
Student 4:
Acton-Boxborough SEL Framework Portfolio Page 4 of 10
10-Week Progress Portfolio
Grades 2-3 Session Tracking • Social Awareness
Weeks 1-5
Domain Goal (Social Awareness): Students will engage in CASEL: Social Awareness (G1-2: Diverse perspectives / G3-4: Empathy, Valuing thoughts) to build peer validation. Goal: Achieve target score of 3+ during 75% of meetings.
3 Proficient: Values others' thoughts and feelings with 1 prompt.
2 Emerging: Struggles to notice peer needs; needs frequent prompts.
1 Beginning: Dismissive or exclusive peer behaviors; zero empathy.
Weeks 1 - 5 progress & observation notes
Student Name
Base
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Student 1:
Student 2:
Student 3:
Student 4:
Acton-Boxborough SEL Framework Portfolio Page 5 of 10
10-Week Progress Portfolio
Grades 2-3 Session Tracking • Social Awareness
Weeks 6-10
Goal Status Check: Track continuing behavioral adjustments. Note inclusive play indicators, empathy prompts required, and kindness vocabulary.
Weeks 6 - 10 progress & observation notes
Student Name
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Student 1:
Student 2:
Student 3:
Student 4:
Acton-Boxborough SEL Framework Portfolio Page 6 of 10
10-Week Progress Portfolio
Grades 2-3 Session Tracking • Relationship Skills
Weeks 1-5
Domain Goal (Relationship Skills): Students will engage in CASEL: Relationship Skills (G1-2: Teamwork, non-verbal cues / G3-4: Collaborative roles) to build friendships. Goal: Achieve target score of 3+ during 75% of meetings.
Rubric Key:
4 Advanced: Manages group roles, active support, win-win conflict resolutions.
3 Proficient: Contributes with 1 prompt; decodes peer non-verbal cues.
2 Emerging: Struggles with team sharing/listening; needs reminders.
1 Beginning: Disruptive; rejects circle sharing or violates space boundaries.
Weeks 1 - 5 progress & observation notes
Student Name
Base
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Student 1:
Student 2:
Student 3:
Student 4:
Acton-Boxborough SEL Framework Portfolio Page 7 of 10
10-Week Progress Portfolio
Grades 2-3 Session Tracking • Relationship Skills
Weeks 6-10
Goal Status Check: Track continuing behavioral adjustments. Look for cooperative circle roles, physical boundary maintenance, and compliment phrasing.
Weeks 6 - 10 progress & observation notes
Student Name
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Student 1:
Student 2:
Student 3:
Student 4:
Acton-Boxborough SEL Framework Portfolio Page 8 of 10
Domain Goal (Responsible Decisions): Students will engage in CASEL: Responsible Decision Making (G1-2: Choice agency, kind impact / G3-4: Outcomes) to think ethically. Goal: Achieve target score of 3+ during 75% of meetings.
Goal Status Check: Track continuing behavioral adjustments. Look for kind compromises, conflict frequency variations, and classroom contribution marks.
Weeks 6 - 10 progress & observation notes
Student Name
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Student 1:
Student 2:
Student 3:
Student 4:
Acton-Boxborough SEL Framework Portfolio Page 10 of 10
How would you respond to this situation to resolve the conflict constructively?
District CASEL Alignment Program Page 2 of 3
Part 3: Responsible Decisions & Growth
Part 3 of 3
Responsible Decision Making
Competency Statement
Not Yet
Sometimes
Always
I weigh the feelings, rights, and perspectives of other people when making personal choices.
I can easily predict and evaluate the multiple different outcomes of my choices.
I ask questions, collect facts, and identify what is under my influence before making goals.
Reflective Scenario 2: Setbacks
"You spent a week preparing for a challenging math assessment. When you receive it back, your score is much lower than you expected, and you feel extremely frustrated and want to give up on the next unit."
How can you use a growth mindset and proactive steps to overcome this challenge?
District CASEL Alignment Program Page 3 of 3
Domain 3: Social Awareness
Abilities to understand others' perspectives, empathize, and respect diversity.
Benchmark & "Can-Do" Standard
Not Yet (1)
Sometimes (2)
Always (3)
Gr 3-4: Diverse Cultures Understands equity (fair is not equal); curious about traditions and beliefs.
Gr 5-6: Perspective Empathy Describes and genuinely empathizes with others' thoughts, emotions, and realities.
Gr 3-4: Valuing Thoughts Recognizes and values the thoughts, choices, and boundaries of peers.
Gr 5-6: Challenging Stereotypes Recognizes and actively challenges stereotypes around them to build inclusion.
Acton-Boxborough Regional School District Page 2 of 4
SEL baseline • domains 4 & 5
Educator Copy
Domain 4: Relationship Skills
Abilities to establish supportive relationships and navigate social conflicts constructively.
Benchmark & "Can-Do" Standard
Not Yet (1)
Sometimes (2)
Always (3)
Gr 3-4: Adaptive Communication Adapts behavior appropriately based on peers' verbal/non-verbal social cues.
Gr 5-6: Active Listening Uses active listening and attends to multiple varying perspectives of peers.
Gr 3-4: Team Roles Understands role contributions and works collaboratively to meet a common group goal.
Gr 5-6: Healthy Relationships Applies positive feedback and healthy boundaries to build friendships.
Gr 5-6: Conflict & Peer Pressure Resolves complex peer conflict and resists negative peer pressure.
Domain 5: Responsible Decision Making
Abilities to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions.
Benchmark & "Can-Do" Standard
Not Yet (1)
Sometimes (2)
Always (3)
Gr 3-4: Considering Others Considers the feelings, rights, and opinions of others when making decisions.
Gr 5-6: Problem Solving Facts Asks clarifying questions and gathers actual evidence to solve social problems.
Gr 3-4: Predicting Outcomes Recognizes and evaluates that personal choices result in different outcomes.
Gr 5-6: Multiple Perspectives Identifies multiple outcomes of a choice and respects other points of view.
Acton-Boxborough Regional School District Page 3 of 4
SEL Diagnostic Dashboard & Pacing
Aggregate scoring and development planning baseline
Competency Summary Profile
Self-Awareness /15 pts
Self-Management /12 pts
Social Awareness /12 pts
Relationship Skills /15 pts
Responsible Decisions /12 pts
Not Yet
Sometimes
Always
Immediate Support Level
Tier 3 (Intensive)
Mostly "Not Yet" responses across multiple domains.
Tier 2 (Targeted)
Frequent "Sometimes" responses; struggling in specific standards.
Tier 1 (Universal)
Consistent "Always" with isolated growth needs.
Observational Field Notes & Action Plan
Handwrite Observations Here
Acton-Boxborough Regional School District Page 4 of 4
Do they help structure the group's timeline (self-motivation)?
Social Awareness
Do they express empathy for other students' viewpoints?
Do they recognize and challenge exclusive behaviors (stereotyping)?
Do they acknowledge different cultural needs or preferences?
Relationship Skills
Do they listen actively to varying rules proposed by others?
Do they use constructive feedback rather than criticism?
Do they help resolve group splits or standoffs respectfully?
Responsible Decision Making
Observe the laws they decide to write. Do they consider ethical standards and safety? Do they analyze the potential outcomes of their food and water sharing plans? Does the student propose democratic or highly equitable options?
Acton-Boxborough Regional School District Page 2 of 2
Weeks 1-5
Domain Goal (Self-Management): Students will engage in CASEL: Self-Management (G3-4: Coping, persevere / G5-6: Uncomfortable emotions, courage) to apply coping plans. Goal: Achieve target score of 3+ during 75% of meetings.
Rubric Key:
4 Advanced: Designs complex coping schedules, models resilience under pressure.
3 Proficient: Maps and uses coping plan to solve stress with max 1 prompt.
2 Emerging: Struggles to plan coping steps; needs constant prompts during tasks.
1 Beginning: Rejects coping plans; displays severe outbursts or shuts down.
Weeks 1 - 5 progress & observation notes
Student Name
Base
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Student 1:
Student 2:
Student 3:
Student 4:
Acton-Boxborough SEL Framework Portfolio Page 3 of 10
10-Week Progress Portfolio
Grades 4-6 Session Tracking • Self-Management
Weeks 6-10
Goal Status Check: Track continuing behavioral adjustments. Observe physical calming latency, independence levels, and persistence markers.
Weeks 6 - 10 progress & observation notes
Student Name
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Student 1:
Student 2:
Student 3:
Student 4:
Acton-Boxborough SEL Framework Portfolio Page 4 of 10
10-Week Progress Portfolio
Grades 4-6 Session Tracking • Social Awareness
Weeks 1-5
Domain Goal (Social Awareness): Students will engage in CASEL: Social Awareness (G3-4: Empathy & equity / G5-6: Perspective empathy, stereotype challenge) to build inclusion. Goal: Achieve target score of 3+ during 75% of meetings.
Rubric Key:
4 Advanced: Actively challenges exclusive circles, demonstrates deep empathy.
3 Proficient: Understands other viewpoints with max 1 prompt.
2 Emerging: Struggles to notice peer perspectives; needs reminders.
1 Beginning: Models stereotype usage or exclusion; shows absolute apathy.
Weeks 1 - 5 progress & observation notes
Student Name
Base
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Student 1:
Student 2:
Student 3:
Student 4:
Acton-Boxborough SEL Framework Portfolio Page 5 of 10
10-Week Progress Portfolio
Grades 4-6 Session Tracking • Social Awareness
Weeks 6-10
Goal Status Check: Track continuing behavioral adjustments. Note inclusive play indicators, empathy prompts required, and kindness vocabulary.
Weeks 6 - 10 progress & observation notes
Student Name
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Student 1:
Student 2:
Student 3:
Student 4:
Acton-Boxborough SEL Framework Portfolio Page 6 of 10
10-Week Progress Portfolio
Grades 4-6 Session Tracking • Relationship Skills
Weeks 1-5
Domain Goal (Relationship Skills): Students will engage in CASEL: Relationship Skills (G3-4: Team communication / G5-6: Feedback, conflict) to manage peer groups. Goal: Achieve target score of 3+ during 75% of meetings.
Domain Goal (Responsible Decisions): Students will engage in CASEL: Responsible Decision Making (G3-4: Ethical decisions / G5-6: Multiple outcome choices) to think ethically. Goal: Achieve target score of 3+ during 75% of meetings.
Goal Status Check: Track continuing behavioral adjustments. Look for kind compromises, conflict frequency variations, and classroom contribution marks.
Weeks 6 - 10 progress & observation notes
Student Name
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Student 1:
Student 2:
Student 3:
Student 4:
Acton-Boxborough SEL Framework Portfolio Page 10 of 10
