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As schools receive an influx of dollars for COVID-19 recovery efforts, the topic of social-emotional learning has taken center stage. With the pandemic exposing gaps in the monitoring and assessment of students’ social-emotional health, schools are being encouraged to implement programs to better serve students and promote enhanced mental well-being. However, with an abundance of […]

A 2021 article published by Ashley Cullins of Conscious Discipline titled “Using ESSER Funds for SEL Initiatives” brings to light the importance of maintaining a focus on social-emotional learning (SEL) as our students and schools recover from traumatic personal and academic impacts of COVID-19. The analysis also cites support from the National Education Association (NEA) […]

by Kevin Brown Stephen Elliott, Pui-Wa Lei, Christopher Anthony, and James DiPerna of SSIS CoLab conducted a research study regarding the benefits of concurrent screening of social emotional learning (SEL) skills and emotional behavior concerns (EBC). They were able to identify a more accurate, holistic understanding of a child’s social emotional well-being enabled through the […]

By Kevin Brown Social-Emotional Development and Student Outcomes Longstanding debate has taken place over what should be considered appropriate qualifiers of a “good” high school. Districts flaunt their proficiency levels, schools display the various ribbons and accolades they receive, and parents seek to find the largest offerings of AP, Honors, and IB courses. However, based […]

By Kevin Brown With school – and COVID-19 – well under way for the Fall 2020 academic semester, the country has seen school districts take a variety of measures ranging from a “business-as-usual” approach to a strictly online experience. Much of the nation’s focus has been on how to get students back into the classrooms, […]

By Kevin Brown COVID-19 & Virtual Learning: What Challenges Did Teachers Face? In a Wall Street Journal article titled “The Results Are In For Remote Learning: It Didn’t Work”, an in-depth review of the successes, failures, and challenges of distance learning is provided. A key theme of the article is the role that technology played in […]

By Grace Shelton @Grace C Shelton It has become increasingly apparent that school leadership is the driving force of positive change in schools. Our previous posts on leadership focus on the importance of great principals. If principals and effective leadership are so important, what are some ways school leaders can ensure their success? What makes […]

By Grace Shelton @GraceCShelton In continuing our series on technology use in schools, I thought it important to examine a more recent work of research that tied together technology use and personalized learning. The original impetus behind the addition of technology in schools was that it would allow for more individualized learning for students, therefore […]

By Grace Shelton @GraceCShelton Student perception surveys (SPSs) can be used in evaluations of instructors. They are important for a variety of reasons, all of which have been outlined in our latest series on survey usage in state evaluation systems. Students know their teachers best and spend the most amount of time observing them. Research […]

By Grace Shelton @GraceCShelton   The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) recently released the first report in a series of three on tracking states’ teacher policies. This particular report focused on evaluation policies for teachers and principals. This report is particularly important in that it places all 50 states and the District of Columbia […]