Do know if your Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum is effective? How do you determine if it is helping students build the necessary skills to become successful? Fortunately, program evaluation is a helpful practice that provides answers to these questions. Let’s take a look at how a program evaluation can work using the DESSA.
Program evaluation begins with a needs assessment survey to acquire baseline data on students’ social and emotional skills before program implementation occurs. Educators most often use the DESSA at the start of the year to identify students’ strengths and areas that may need improvement. The Aperture system’s data analysis and reporting helps educators know which areas of instruction to prioritize and focus on throughout the coming school year.
Quick mini-probes of the DESSA can also be administered throughout the year to determine if students are showing measurable growth. Educators can document progress as students develop their social and emotional skills and modify instructional strategies if students are not making the expected gains. The data and reporting the DESSA supplies support many different educational models, including MTSS, RTI, PBIS, and Gifted and Talented.
At the end of the SEL program, educators use the DESSA to evaluate students once again. This post-test data provides insight into whether an SEL intervention led to the expected improvements in students’ social and emotional skills. Aperture’s robust reporting makes it easy to run reports on an individual student or on a class, school, or an entire district. This data helps educators determine if their program is moving the needle toward ensuring that all students are building the social and emotional competencies they need to be successful. The data can also be used to inform decisions about program quality improvement, such as professional development opportunities for staff.
Effective SEL instruction is essential for students’ success, and quality SEL assessments such as the DESSA can be used to ensure schools are developing and supporting the social and emotional skills of all students. The Aperture system supports program evaluation and helps you determine if your SEL program is effective. To learn more, fill out the form below to contact our team today.