Social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies like self-efficacy and conscientiousness can be predictive of long-term academic achievement. But they can also be difficult to measure.

In a new study led by NWEA’s James Soland, researchers investigated whether assessment metadata – the way students approach tests and surveys – can provide useful SEL data to schools and educators.

Soland joins CPRE research specialist Tesla DuBois to discuss his findings, their implications, and the promise and limitations of student metadata in general.

Featured Article: Soland, James, Gema Zamarro, Albert Cheng, and Collin Hitt. “Identifying Naturally Occurring Direct Assessments of Social-Emotional Competencies: The Promise and Limitations of Survey and Assessment Disengagement Metadata.” Educational Researcher, (July 2019).