Often, when reviewing resources, programs, or assessments, we might come across terms like “evidence-based” or “research-based.” These terms each tell us something about the resources that they describe and the evidence supporting them. Understanding each term’s meaning can help us make informed decisions when selecting and implementing resources.So what do these terms mean, exactly? Typically, [...]
We all know the saying: What’s assessed gets addressed. Social and emotional learning (SEL) assessments are important because they provide insight into why a student is struggling — information that traditional measures alone, such as attendance and behavior incident reports, don’t provide. But data alone doesn’t automatically create improvement. Take action on your SEL [...]
Research shows that we all have implicit biases. Neuroscientists have found that our brains tend to quickly categorize others as a way to identify threats. These categorizations are often based on institutional race or gender stereotypes that we have been exposed to from a young age. Different than stereotypes or racism, implicit bias is [...]
“Rater bias” is present when a significant amount of variation in an assessment’s scores can be attributed to factors related to the person completing the assessment, rather than factors related to the skills being assessed. For example, consider a teacher-completed assessment of students’ SEL skills. If all male teachers tend to rate students as exhibiting [...]
