When looking at your social-emotional behavioral skills program implementation plan at-large, do you have a plan for social-emotional progress monitoring? Monitoring tools play an important role in understanding how students apply the skills a curriculum teaches them.  The insights from progress monitoring provide valuable information to educators and district leaders. Educators can understand what parts of instruction work from the individual student and classroom levels. Grade level and district-wide, district leaders can understand trends in instruction, skill gaps, and ways to promote ..read more

Social-emotional assessments for students give districts data to inform universal support and targeted interventions. Understanding the differences between the types of assessments will equip school leaders with the right information to make the right decision for them.  DESSA Assessments The DESSA Assessments support a whole child environment through the encouragement of implementing social-emotional behavioral programs with fidelity. Within the DESSA System as a whole, educators can access universal screeners, assessments, and instructional strategies. Educators can take advantage of on ..read more

An Updated DESSA Coming Back-to-School 2024 Key Takeaways More accurately identify student needs: The updated DESSA will be the only assessment with post-COVID norms for the most relevant insights Save hours of teacher time: The updated DESSA takes less than 5 minutes to administer with only 40 items and the same gold-standard of validity and reliability Most updated normative sample for a social-emotional assessment and screener  More closely aligned with current social-emotional frameworks and state standards  Faster data analysis with streamlined competencies  Con ..read more

How measuring program curriculum through assessment supports the mental well-being of students Do you ensure your well-being programs take a comprehensive approach to understanding how students feel and act? How do you make sure program elements are not only engaging, but also impactful? Although supporting the mental well-being of students requires a multi-faceted approach, it does not have to be complex. Equip educators with tools that work together seamlessly so that they can help students make meaningful progress in the pursuit of their academic and behavior goals to positively contribute ..read more

Student well-being remains at the top of educators' list of concerns. Yet, many schools that rely solely on climate surveys to inform their social-emotional and behavioral learning programs don't have the information they need. When comparing climate surveys to social-emotional assessments, there are key areas where climate surveys fall short of enabling a whole child system of support. As with academics, focusing on social-emotional skill development standards ensures accountability and helps educators plan, implement, and assess student learning. Before selecting a social-emotional skill mea ..read more

Educators, we know last year was tough. You are truly rock stars for getting your students (and yourselves) through a difficult year. This year will likely bring about new challenges and obstacles, and we know for many stress levels will remain high. When not addressed, stress can lead to harmful health concerns like anxiety and depression, reduced attention, impaired self-regulation, and decreased learning readiness. It can also lead to negative well-being factors, such as sleep and eating disorders. Extended exposure to toxic stress also can have lasting mental and physical health effects. B ..read more

Social and emotional learning (SEL) and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) go hand in hand. Developing social and emotional skills in youth has shown to be effective at improving academic outcomes for all students – from the valedictorian to the student most at-risk of dropping out. There are many ways SEL can support your school’s MTSS framework. These tips and specific strategies will ensure all students receive the supports they need to achieve success. Tier I (All students) Research consistently shows that all students can benefit from SEL screening and programming ― even stu ..read more

What causes bullying in schools? Research suggests that teens bully when they have insufficient self-confidence, social acceptance, respect, and/or feelings of insecurity. Schools continuously work to reduce bullying, but unfortunately there are no fast or easy solutions. In the spirit of Bullying Prevention Month, learn more about why students resort to bullying and how social-emotional skills can help. What Social-Emotional Skills Can Offer Social-emotional skills can dramatically reduce bullying by teaching the skills, attitudes and behaviors that students who bully are typically deficient ..read more

October is National Bullying Prevention Month and a time to bring awareness to bullying and its harmful effects. Everyone is affected by bullying. Students who bully others are more likely to demonstrate violent or criminal behavior and abuse drugs and alcohol. Victims of bullying can experience depression, loneliness, and anxiety — all of which can last into adulthood. Even students who witness bullying have been shown to suffer higher rates of drug and alcohol use, mental health problems, and school absences. Additionally, bullying negatively affects the academic performance of all students ..read more

Many forms of violence occur in schools every day — school shootings, bullying, gang violence, and fights are all too common. A number of factors contribute to these violent acts, including mental health issues, dysfunctional environments at home or in the community, bullying, or lack of strong social and emotional skills. Our children deserve to be safe at school. The primary responsibility of every district, school, and educator is to ensure students are able to learn in safe and caring environments. To achieve this, experts stress utilizing a multi-faceted approach that includes: Implement ..read more