When investing in any social and emotional learning (SEL) program, educators need to be sure they are implementing a program that will drive results. Quality data is an important part of this process. With data, educators can make informed program decisions, adjust instruction to meet the needs of students, and measure program outcomes.
Did you know the DESSA aligns with many SEL programs, including Second Step? In fact, the DESSA is a tool customized specifically for Second Step that gives educators the insight they need to make the most of their Second Step implementation.
How Can the DESSA Support My Second Step Program?
The DESSA can help answer three central questions:
Which students need SEL support and what specific social and emotional areas need improvement?
The DESSA can be administered at the start of your Second Step program to get baseline data on where your students are in their social and emotional development, which students need additional support, and which specific areas to focus on. Use this information to tailor the program to meet the specific needs of your school.
How do I know if students are improving?
Like academic programs, you shouldn’t wait until the end of the school year to measure whether students have learned the social and emotional skills taught in the Second Step curriculum. A recommended approach is to measure progress along the way to determine if students are improving their social-emotional competence and which areas may still need support. Collect and use DESSA data to make adjustments to instruction and make sure students are supported.
Is the program working?
Results are the bottom line — you need to know if your Second Step implementation is improving student outcomes. The SSE DESSA provides tangible data on the effectiveness of the Second Step program in your school and its impact on student performance. The DESSA also can be used to measure SEL goals and compare data year-over-year to determine long-term impact.
The DESSA was created in collaboration with the Committee for Children to provide the critical data you need to inform practice, monitor progress, and measure outcomes of your Second Step implementation. This data will help you strengthen your Second Step program to better meet the needs of your students and maximize program impact.
Contact us through the form below to learn more about how the DESSA works with Second Step to create a comprehensive SEL program that will drive academic success.