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“Why Social-Emotional Learning

Assessment & Curriculum Go Hand-in-

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Why Social Emotional Learning

Assessment & Curriculum

Go Hand-in-Hand

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Kamilah

Drummond-

ForresterProgram Manager,

Open Circle

Marc KirschBusiness Development

Manager- SEL

Apperson

Today’s Speakers

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John VerreInterim Director for

Student Services,

Sudbury Public

Schools

Kimberly SwainAsst. Superintendent of

Schools for Teaching

and Learning,

Sudbury Public Schools

Today’s Speakers

Betsy GramsWellness Coordinator,

Sudbury Public Schools

The DESSA Comprehensive System:Assessing and Promoting

Social and Emotional Strengths

Marc Kirsch, Business Development Manager –

Apperson

What I Would Like to Cover

• How assessment improves SEL practice

• Introduce the DESSA Comprehensive System

• Introduce Apperson’s EvoSEL platform

• Answer any questions you might have

By focusing on the Whole Child,

Apperson’s K-12 assessment

solutions promote the entire

student’s development and well-

being… academic, emotional and

social.

Mission is to promote social and

emotional development, foster

resilience, and build skills for school

and life success in all children birth

through school-age, as well as to

promote the resilience of the adults

who care for them.

CASEL Meta-analysis (213 studies 270,000 K-12 students)

9% improvement in attitudes about self, others, andschool

23% improvement in social and emotional skills

9% improvement in classroom behavior

11% improvement in achievement test scores

9% decrease in conduct problems, such as classroommisbehavior and aggression

10% decrease in emotional distress, such as anxietyand depression

(Durlak, Weissberg et al. 2011)

SEL Core Competencies

Manage emotions

and behaviors to

achieve one’s

goals

Show

understanding

and empathy for

others

Form positive relationships, work in teams, deal

effectively with conflict

Make ethical,

constructive choices

about personal and

social behavior

Recognize one’s emotions

and values as well as

one’s strengths and

limitations

DESSA Scales• Social Emotional Composite (SEC)

• Eight Scales:-Self Awareness -Self-Management-Social-Awareness -Relationship Skills-Goal-Directed Behavior-Personal Responsibility-Decision Making -Optimistic Thinking

Key Points About Essential Skills

1) They are skills that can be taught

2) There are good evidence-based curricula and

established pedagogy to teach these skills

3) They can and should be incorporated into

school and out-of-school-time programs

4) They can be measured

5) They promote achievement, free up

instructional/program time and reduce

behavioral concerns

Group Chat

How can Assessment Improve SEL Practice?

How Can SEL Assessment Improve Practice?

• High-quality assessment can:• Enhance awareness of each student’s unique SEL

strengths and needs

• Guide instruction to address the needs that actually exist

• Enable teachers and staff to honor, maintain, and

leverage student strengths

• Assist in developing rapport with parents and students

• Identify meaningful strengths for IEPs

• Inform program quality improvement

3 Rs of Quality

Assessment

Rigorous

Reasonable

Relevant

Components of the DESSA Comprehensive System

• The DESSA-mini, 8-item, strength-based behavior rating scale, available in

4 equivalent versions is useful for universal screening and progress

monitoring.

• Mini form takes an average of 30 seconds to complete

• Provides a Social-Emotional Total Score

• The DESSA, a 72-item assessment is used to better understand the unique

strengths and needs of students.

• Great tool to use as a Pre/Post outcomes measure!

• Provides scores at the competency level and total

• Implement strategies to improve outcomes

• Strategies feature samples from the Open Circle curricula

The Devereux Student Strengths Assessment, (DESSA), is a standardized, strength-based measure of SEL competencies. Assess SEL skills related to school and life success. The online platform features the DESSA (72 item) along with the DESSA-mini (8 items on 4 equivalent forms for screening and progress monitoring).

Our intervention strategies now include SEL Foundational Practices that cover topics that support SEL, like Peer Coaching and Academic Integration along with competency-based activities from the DESSA authors and leading SEL curricula providers like Open Circle.

Some of the Many Value Propositions

• Document the need for SEL programs by benchmarking vs national norms• Better understand the unique strengths and needs of students• Common lens (community engagement)• Produce individual, classroom and site profiles to inform planning • Serve as an outcome measure • Support implementation of SEL programs• Guide program improvement at various levels

Thank You!Contact Information:

Marc Kirsch

Business Development Manager

Apperson

Marc.Kirsch@Apperson.com

www.Apperson.com/sel

The DESSA and DESSA-mini are published by

Apperson, Inc.

For more information or to purchase, please contact

EvoSEL Customer Service and Sales Information:

clientservices@apperson.com

Hours: 5am-2pm PT

Call: 800.438.0162

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Program Goals

Skill

Development

Learning

Environment

Whole-School Approach

Guiding Principles

1. Importance of relationships to cognitive and social growth

2. Importance of teaching social and emotional learning skills

3. Importance of adults as models

Open Circle Meetings

• Twice a week

• 15 minutes

• Circle of chairs

Curriculum

Sequenced, spiraling lessons

Active learning tools

(role-plays, games)

Focused time for SEL

(15 minutes twice/week)

Explicit social and emotional

skill development

Open Circle Curriculum:Beginning Together

Getting to Know Each Other

Appreciating Difference

Non-Negotiable Rules

Nonverbal Signals

Reflection

Open Circle Curriculum:Managing Ourselves

Being Calm

Listening

Recognizing & Naming Feelings

Body Language

Getting Calm When You Feel Upset

Positive Self-Talk

Open Circle Curriculum:Strengthening Relationships

Giving & Receiving Compliments

Including One Another

Cooperating

Speaking Up

Expressing Angry Feelings

Open Circle Curriculum:How to Sort Problems

Dangerous & Destructive Behaviors

Annoying Behavior

Teasing

Bullying Behavior

Bystander and Ally Behavior

Recognizing Discrimination

Open Circle Curriculum:Problem Solving

Literature Connections

Professional Development

Build school/district capacity with train-the-trainer model, peer coaches and SEL leadership teams

Teacher Practices

Wait/Think Time

Lesson Pacing

Tone of Voice

Body Language

Empathic Listening

Turn and Talk

Whole-Group Responses

Non-Judgmental Response

Reflection

Managing Self

Modeling

Dialog Facilitation

Coaching Problem-Solving

Group Development

Integrating SEL throughout

the School Day

Evidence-Based Outcomes

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Sources:

Taylor, C. A., Liang, B., Tracy, A. J., Williams, L. M., & Seigle, P. (2002). Gender Differences in Middle School Adjustment, Physical Fighting, and

Social Skills: Evaluation of a Social Competency Program. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 23(2), 259–72.

Hennessey, B. A. (2007). Promoting Social Competence in School-Aged Children: The Effects of the Open Circle Program. Journal of School

Psychology, 45, 349-360.

Reduces

problem

behaviors

Improves

social

skills

Supports Tiered Framework

Open Circle’s primary use is

universal social and emotional

skill- and community-building

Educators and counselors use Open

Circle assessments, lessons, literature,

and extension activities with

targeted groups and individuals

TIER 1

Universal

TIER 2

Targeted

TIER 3Indicated

New in 2015

Curriculum update• Integration of mindfulness

practices and activities

• Enhanced cultural

responsiveness

• Enhanced reflection and

assessment tools

NEW curriculum kit• Posters, bookmarks, chime,

timer and more!

NEW family overview kit

Thank You!

www.open-circle.org

info@open-circle.org

(781) 283-3277

1. Strategic Initiative: Convene district-wide team to

examine data and identify areas of

social/emotional/behavioral need impacting school

safety or access to education.

2. Strategic Initiative: Develop a system-wide Tiered System

of Support (TSS) to meet social/emotional/behavioral

needs of all students.

DISTRICT GOALS & STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

WHY SHOULD WE USE THE DESSA?

• SPS current practices and systems are lacking a

universal screening for SEL, as well as a consistent

approach for progress monitoring SEL

• This tool can help us determine when students move

between tiers

• Aligned to Open Circle and Second Step SEL

programming

• Opportunity to work collaboratively with Open Circle and

Apperson with a universal screening tool

WHY SHOULD WE USE THE DESSA?

• Identify social-emotional strengths, and needs for

interventions and services

• Enhance teacher practice with unique interpretation

tools

• Measure outcomes of social-emotional learning

programs, and alignment with SEL standards at the

child, class, school, and district level

IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE- YEAR 1

IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE- YEAR 2

September October/November November January–May May/June

Training:

· Grades1&4

· NewTeachersinGradesK&3

· M.S.Teams(1/3ofGrades6,7&8th)

UniversalScreening:

· GradesK,1,3&4

· M.S.Teams(2/3ofstudentsinGrades6,7&8th)

· AllstudentsinTier2or3

BenchmarkingMeetings:

· Elementary&MiddleSchoolTeams

ProgressMonitoring:

· Allgradesinvolved

EOYScreening:

· Elementary&MiddleSchool

Teams

IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE- YEAR 3

Thank you!