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My Lessons Learned Working with a Diverse Set of School Leaders Deeply Committed to Taking a Data-Informed Approach to Whole Child Development

By: DJ Cervantes Since 2016, Transforming Education has worked closely with NewSchools Venture Fund to collaborate with a growing portfolio of innovative school leaders across the nation. This collaboration supports the efforts of these schools in expanding the definition of student success by integrating an intentional and data-informed focus on the mindsets, habits, and skills needed for success in college, career, and life as well as the positive school environment conditions that promote them. Collectively, it is our belief that when these skills and conditions are coupled with strong academic outcomes, students are better positioned to graduate from high school prepared and inspired to lead a good life full of opportunity, connections, choices, and meaning. A core element in this pursuit […]

It’s About Time

October 23, 2019 Inform

By: James DiPerna, Pennsylvania State University; Christopher Anthony, University of Florida; Stephen Elliott, Arizona State University As SEL assessment developers working with schools across the country, we begin with two observations about SEL assessment. First, initiating and scaling up a systematic approach to SEL assessment is challenging. Although teachers and administrators openly acknowledge the importance of promoting social-emotional learning, they often (and understandably) express hesitation toward implementing SEL initiatives due to concerns regarding time. In our experience, teachers worry that devoting time to SEL will take time away from students learning the academic skills emphasized on state tests. To further complicate matters, many teachers already express being overwhelmed by the amount of academic assessments they are asked to administer, interpret, and […]

SEL Field Notes | October 18

October 18, 2019 SEL Field Notes

This newsletter is curated by the American Institutes for Research and CASEL for the MeasuringSEL Collaborator Network and aims to keep you engaged with news, research, and resources relevant to measurement and data in the field of social and emotional learning. Please let us know what you are reading, doing and seeing in the field that’s worth sharing. Tell us about it here! Measurement in Practice American Institutes for Research: Are you ready to assess social and emotional learning and development? (2019 Edition) Helping youth develop social and emotional competencies can put them on the road to success – not only in school but also in their lives. It is crucial to have strong connections for learning to enable […]

SEL and Project-Based Learning

October 16, 2019 Inform

By: Amy Hoffmaster, Citizen Schools For nearly 25 years, Citizen Schools has built partnerships with schools, communities and industry mentors to bring real-world project-based learning to middle school students to close opportunity and achievement gaps. Building on our evidence-based afterschool programming, Citizen Schools has developed a new model, Catalyst, to provide science teachers in 6th – 9th grade with the curricular tools and additional supports necessary to integrate high-quality project-based learning experiences for students that include exposure to STEM professionals from their local communities. Catalyst pairs educators with trained STEM industry experts who volunteer in their classrooms and support teachers in leading high quality, hands-on learning experiences. These projects help adolescents develop the skills, mindsets, and networks they need to thrive […]

Realizing the Promise of Adolescence

October 9, 2019 Inform

By: Nancy E. Hill, Harvard University A recent report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, The Promise of Adolescence: Realizing Opportunity for All Youth, calls for a re-thinking and re-framing of adolescence. For too long, adolescence has been viewed as a period of risk and vulnerability, rather than one of discovery, innovation, and opportunity. Thanks to recent advances in neuroscience and medical imaging, we now understand that adolescence is a dynamic period of brain development, second only to infancy in terms of the speed and extent of change, and a profoundly important time for growth and learning. These changes show that the adolescent brain is particularly responsive to the developmental needs associated with this […]

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