Make Social and Emotional Learning a Top Priority
December 8, 2021
As many classrooms across America have seen, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on students’ well-being has escalated the need for social-emotional and behavioral intervention support. Much of the need for critical Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) resulted from the lack of traditional learning environments and minimal socialization during the height of pandemic learning, often leaving students vulnerable.
With financial support through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Funds, districts have access to funding to address SEL, and research* tells us SEL and mental health are now emerging as a high-priority among many schools.
As we previously touched on, SEL reflects the critical role of positive relationships and emotional connections in the learning process and helps students develop a range of skills they need for school and life. Children’s ability to regulate their emotions and skillfully manage social interactions is critical to their healthy development and future success. SEL is the process through which children and adults develop and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to understand, manage emotions, and set and achieve positive goals. SEL also helps students feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. But how can you best utilize your SEL resources consistently and effectively weaving them into your classroom schedules?
We know assessments are an essential aspect of effective instruction and student learning. It’s turning out that SEL is no different.
A survey and data-driven approach to SEL has many out-of-the-box benefits for districtwide MTSS implementations. Specifically, these surveys can help schools and districts communicate SEL as a priority. With time and resources limited, surveying and reporting SEL sends a great message that promoting students’ SEL competencies is a top priority.
Also, using surveys throughout the year as formative check-in with students helps teachers improve their SEL instruction and implementation. SEL Survey’s can help teachers and leaders find strengths and weaknesses in student group populations and then quickly address or capitalize on them.
Here at Classworks, we think systemic SEL is a crucial lever for supporting equity in schools because of its emphasis on improving learning environments using its strength-based approach. SEL competency surveys can be a critical part of this systemic approach. It helps to reveal discrepancies in the degree to which teachers and leaders are supporting students’ needs.
With SEL in mind, Classworks proudly introduces a Social-Emotional Skills Survey (SESS) to help you identify students who need support. We believe that a whole-child view is crucial for helping students achieve college and career success. By including social-emotional and positive behavioral intervention supports as part of a comprehensive MTSS framework, school districts give every student the best possible opportunity for success. We want to make that as easy as possible by combining all the resources you need in one easy-to-use program.
To learn more about this exciting new feature, watch “Assessing Students’ Needs with the Classworks SEL Competency Survey,” from our recent Fall Summit, highlighted above.
Classworks, which qualifies for ESSER funding, is one program that meets all of your needs. For more information about how to maximize your tiered-intervention strategies, contact us here, or reach out using the live-chat button on the bottom right of your screen.
Additional Resource: Transforming MTSS Fall Summit: Our Top Five Biggest Takeaways'
*The Biggest Problem Areas That Districts Are Seeing in Student ‘Learning Loss’, EdWeek Market Brief
