Measuring Social-Emotional Growth
Social-emotional learning (SEL) in an umbrella term that encompasses intrapersonal competencies such as self-efficacy, self-regulation, and perseverance as well as interpersonal competencies such as conflict management, assertiveness, and empathy. As with academic learning, it is important to measure growth over time. This set of nine topical videos is designed to support educators in developing a schoolwide or districtwide data system focused on social-emotional learning. This downloadable reflection tool can support your SEL team to focus discussion on critical concepts addressed across the videos and to determine concrete next steps. By completing the reflection and sending it you researchcollab@ku.edu, you will earn a certificate for 9 hours of continuing education credits (CEUs).
CONSIDERATIONS FOR AN SEL DATA SYSTEM
Chris Perry of Cultivate Education describes a SEL data system as systematically measuring social-emotional skill development, the quality of social-emotional instruction, and the factors that create environments conducive to social-emotional development (i.e., school climate and culture).
As you watch the video, reflect on these questions:
- Social-Emotional Skills/Competencies: Which intrapersonal and interpersonal competencies do students learn at your school? How do you already measure students' development of these skills?
- Social-Emotional Instruction: Across your school, how well have you taught the skills and competencies that you said we were going to teach?
- School Climate and Culture: Is the school environment conducive to developing students' social emotional skills?
CONTEXTUALIZING SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL GROWTH WITHIN THE KANSANS CAN INTEGRATED LEARNING PROCESS
The Kansans Can Integrated Learning Process includes connections to the State Board of Education outcomes and the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation foundational structures. As Myron Melton from the Kansas State Department of Education describes, “social-emotional learning is foundational to all learning.”
As you watch the video, reflect on this question:
- How does social-emotional learning support students’ success and align with state and district priorities?
MEASURING STUDENTS’ BEHAVIOR/SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL RISK FACTORS
As Dr. Beth Clavenna-Deane describes, "Mental health risk factors can exhibit at any time. Screeners provide early indicators that a student may need additional support."
As you watch the video, reflect on this question:
- How can social-emotional screening data be used within your SEL data system to inform instruction and interventions? Remember that risk screeners are not designed to measure a student’s development of intrapersonal and interpersonal skills.
MEASURING STUDENTS’ KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT AT TIER I
Dr. Amy Gaumer Erickson, co-developer of the College and Career Competency Framework, explains that “we need to measure what we teach and monitor each student’s progress in learning and applying intrapersonal and interpersonal skills.” These skills can be measured through self-report questionnaires, knowledge assessments, performance-based observations, and/or performance-based reflections. Examples of these measures are available at https://www.cccstudent.org/.
As you watch the video, reflect on these questions:
- Do the measures incorporated in your SEL curriculum monitor knowledge gains, skill development, and generalization of intrapersonal and interpersonal competencies?
- Could performance-based assessments or observations become common measures used by all educators in your school?
- How might you share these data with students and their families?
GATHERING FEEDBACK FROM FAMILIES TO INFORM SEL
Jane Groff from the Kansas Parent Information Resource Center describes numerous ideas for engaging families in social-emotional learning. Gathering feedback from families is an important aspect of an SEL data system. More information about the Family Engagement Survey–2 is available at www.districttools.org.
As you watch the video, reflect on these questions:
- How might you partner with families to support students’ development of intrapersonal and interpersonal skills?
- How will the feedback from families inform your efforts to create a school climate that promotes students’ social and emotional development?
MONITORING STUDENT PROGRESS WITHIN TIER 2 AND TIER 3 BEHAVIOR/SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL INTERVENTIONS
Dr. Beth Clavenna-Deane describes seven ways to monitor students’ progress in behavior and social-emotional interventions. As Susan Schiffelbein, a Kansas MTSS and Alignment State Trainer, reminds us, “Whenever possible, involve students in the intervention conversation and incorporate students’ strength data, perhaps from performance-based measures. Building on strengths creates a positive trajectory for students.” Additional resources are available in the Kansas MTSS BSEL Repository and Intervention Central.
As you watch the video, reflect on these questions:
- Thinking about your school’s current process for monitoring progress within interventions, have you considered options for classroom-based interventions?
- How could progress-monitoring data be analyzed across time to inform decision making for the individual student as well as your SEL system as a whole?
USING KANSAS COMMUNITIES THAT CARE DATA TO TARGET PROTECTIVE AND RISK FACTORS
Christina Mann, a Kansas MTSS and Alignment State Trainer, describes how the Kansas Communities that Care data can support a district in determining strengths and hot spots related to protective and risk factors. Additional resources include an example Climate Types Report.
As you watch the video, reflect on this question:
- Think about how your school assesses school climate and culture. How do you use these data to improve schoolwide implementation of social-emotional, mental health, and trauma-informed practices?
DESIGNING A DISTRICTWIDE SEL DATA SYSTEM
Diane Elliot, the SEL Facilitator for Garden City USD 457, describes how her school district developed and implemented a pre-kindergarten through 12th grade SEL plan.
As you watch the video, reflect on these questions:
- What stakeholders should you involve?
- What practices need to be in place?
- What are the ongoing methods to monitor (1) the environmental factors that produce a school climate that is conducive for learning intrapersonal and interpersonal skills, (2) the quality of social-emotional instruction and guided practice of social-emotional skills, and (3) the knowledge and skill development of each student?
MONITORING FIDELITY AS PART OF YOUR SEL DATA SYSTEM
Chris Perry of Cultivate Education provides examples for monitoring implementation fidelity. Along with monitoring fidelity, it is important to provide coaching to enhance educators’ skills and practices. The goal is to continually improve and sustain practices that promote students’ development of intrapersonal and interpersonal competencies.
As you watch the video, reflect on these questions:
- How does your school monitor the implementation of practices that create an empowering school climate?
- How do you know that the SEL curriculum is being taught as intended and that students are practicing the skills?