The DESSA was initially developed in the mid-2000s with roots in resilience theory. Centered on the belief that understanding the strengths of every student is crucial to proactively building positive behavioral skills that ensure lifelong success and wellbeing. In 2017, Aperture Education was formed as an independent joint venture between the Devereux Center for Resilient Children and Apperson, a publisher and survey provider, to develop a digital platform that leveraged the full power of the DESSA. In 2022, Aperture Education was acquired by Riverside Insights, a trusted leader in educational assessments. In 2024, we’re continuing this evolution by changing the name of our digital platform from the Aperture System to the DESSA System. This is an exciting change for us, a return to our core focus of helping educators deliver high-quality instruction guided by accurate, reliable, and actionable behavioral data.
As you learn about the DESSA System, we recommend reviewing the “How We Help” section of this website to learn more about how we support districts with MTSS programs, cultivating student resilience and wellbeing, addressing the root causes of chronic absenteeism, improving college and career readiness, and more.
Don’t forget to browse the “Resources” section as well, here you’ll find inspiring success stories from our partner districts, strategic outcomes-focused webinars with expert panelists, helpful parent resources, funding guidance, and blog posts covering the latest DESSA research, news, and product updates.
Interested in learning more about our journey to becoming the most trusted provider of evidence-based social, emotional, and behavioral data and supports? View our full historic timeline in the “About Us” section.
To access 130+ peer-reviewed articles, studies, and conference presentations, please check out the new “Research” section of the website. Here you can learn more about the foundational research and development process that leads to our suite of standardized, norm-referenced, psychometrically sound screeners and assessments.
While the roots of our strength-based approach to measuring and supporting student behavioral strengths haven’t changed, our suite of screeners, assessments, trainings, and interventions has expanded in recent years. With the DESSA System you have everything you need to develop foundational student skills at your fingertips.
The DESSA System consists of DESSA Screeners and Assessments that accurately identify the appropriate tier of social, emotional, and behavioral support for each student and provide targeted competency-specific data to inform tailored instructional planning. Once students’ skills have been measured, educators have access to DESSA Strategies and Interventions with over 600 lessons to develop DESSA-aligned strengths. With automated data-driven instructional recommendations, educators save time analyzing data and selecting the most high-impact lessons to implement in the classroom, in small groups, and for individualized interventions. Members of the DESSA Implementation Support team provide expert guidance, district-wide training, secure data management, and personalized strategic advice to ensure your DESSA program launches successfully and can be sustained while keeping student and staff wellbeing at the center.
