Educational Leader Reports of Statewide Change in Conditions for SEL Implementation over 1 Year of CalHOPE Student Support

This study examines changes in the conditions for social and emotional learning (SEL) implementation in California over the 2023-2024 school year, following approximately 3.5 years of CalHOPE Student Support. Grounded in the SHIFT-SEL model, CalHOPE aims to build statewide SEL infrastructure through a nested implementation support system, with County Offices of Education (COEs) positioned as key intermediaries. Educational leaders (507 in Fall 2023 and 386 in Spring 2024) reported on their well-being, workplace climate, and SEL implementation conditions. This study builds on prior work by including county, district, and school site SEL leaders in the analysis, enabling a broader examination of change across multiple levels of the education system. Cross-sectional comparisons showed that COE leaders reported more favorable conditions than district and school leaders, particularly in the extent of the supports they provided. Longitudinal analyses revealed small but significant improvements among district/school leaders in well-being, implementation supports, leadership capacities, and SEL structures and routines, while conditions at the COE level remained favorable. These findings suggest progress in infrastructure for SEL implementation support statewide and illustrate the potential of regional intermediaries for scaling prevention practice.