RULER is an evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning (SEL), developed at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. RULER is an acronym for the five skills of emotional intelligence:

Recognizing emotions in oneself and others

Understanding the causes and consequences of emotions

Labelling emotions with a nuanced vocabulary

Expressing emotions in accordance with cultural norms and social context

Regulating emotions with helpful strategies

Andover Public Schools trained our educators on RULER during the 2023-2024 school year. RULER was rolled out to elementary and middle school students in 2024-2025, and to preschool and high school students in 2025-2026.