Nurturing the development of emotional intelligence and social skills has been widely embraced as an important and even essential aspect of the “whole child” approach to education. A growing body of research from human development, the learning sciences and neurosciences affirms the importance of ensuring learning environments and instruction promote social-emotional and cognitive development to achieve literacy goals. This session will spotlight the how the integration of social and emotional learning (SEL) principles into science-based literacy instruction can accelerate academic growth. Attendees will glean insights from research experts on the data-driven influence of SEL and will hear from policy and practice experts who are aiming to use SEL as a strategy to close educational opportunity gaps in classrooms across the country. This conversation will kick-off a CGLR mini-series of webinars that will explore diverse perspectives on SEL and its implications for state education policies.