As students’ social-emotional needs increased—especially during the shift to remote and hybrid learning—Indian Prairie CUSD 204 needed a way to strengthen SEL instruction without overwhelming teachers. The district already had an SEL initiative in place but lacked consistent, accessible resources to support implementation across schools.

By integrating the Newsela SEL Collection into existing literacy instruction, Indian Prairie leveraged a familiar, trusted platform to embed SEL competencies seamlessly into daily lessons while maintaining instructional consistency.

Outcome Summary

• Expanded SEL instruction through seamless integration into literacy lessons.
• Increased teacher buy-in using a trusted, familiar instructional platform.
• Improved student engagement with authentic, discussion-driven content.
• Supported districtwide consistency through accessible digital resources.

Who Should Use This Resource

This resource is designed for:

• District leaders overseeing SEL initiatives
• Curriculum and student support teams
• Administrators balancing instructional priorities
• Educators embedding SEL into core instruction