Social Emotional Learning Pilot- Aurora Public Schools

1. Social Emotional Learning Pilot- Aurora Public Schools Jessica O’Muireadaigh, Special Education Consultant-APS Shannon Kishel, School Psychologist- APS smkishel@aps.k12.co.us Adria Young, School Social Worker- APS alyoung@aps.k12.co.us

2. Why address social-emotional learning? • Research shows that when you have high-quality social emotional learning programs, it improves kids' pro-social behavior; it reduces their conduct problems; it promotes academic engagement, connection to teachers, academic achievement; and an improved ability to function in schools. • Up to one in five American youngsters — about 7 million to 12 million, have mental health disorders, and only 21 percent receive treatment. • Quality SEL instruction in which students learn to process, integrate, and selectively apply skills can result in positive outcomes including: • promotion of mental wellness and prevention of mental health issues; • school connectedness; • reduction in student absenteeism and reduction in suspensions; • improved academic outcomes

3. Adoption of Standards: Illinois State Standards • The standards describe the content and skills for students in grades K - 12 for social and emotional learning. Each standard includes five benchmark levels that describe what students should know and be able to do in early elementary (grades K - 3), late elementary (grades 4 - 5), middle/junior high (grades 6-8), early high school (grades 9-10), and late high school (grades 11-12). • Sample standard - Develop self-awareness and self-management skills to achieve school and life success. --> Identify and manage one's emotions and behavior. • Describe how various situations make you feel. • Describe your physical responses to strong emotions. • Recognize that feelings change throughout the day. • Demonstrate patience in a variety of situations. • Demonstrate a range of emotions through facial expressions and body language. • Practice self talk to calm yourself.

4. Why Screen for Behavioral Difficulties? • Indicators of problem behaviors are evident in preschoolers and elementary age students • Students showing internalizing behavior are missed with other approaches • Early intervention matters • Schools are the only place we have universal access • Recommended by the President’s New Freedom Commission and Special Education Task Force, Surgeon General, Safe Schools/Healthy Students as evidenced-based practice NH CEBIS [Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders PowerPoint Slides]

5. Aren’t ODRs Sufficient as a Screen? • Office discipline referrals typically involve acting out, noncompliance, and disruption, which are known as externalizing types of behaviors • Thus, students with less disruptive, more internalizing behavior problems such as extreme shyness, withdrawal, and depression, who are equally in need of supports and intervention, are often not identified NH CEBIS [Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders PowerPoint Slides]

6. A Systematic Screening Process for Behavioral Difficulties • Use a multistage, multigated screening process to identify students at-risk for developing ongoing behavior concerns that takes into consideration teacher judgments and uses national norms to assess the level of risk • At each stage, the level of risk is determined • Those with an elevated risk who may require additional assessment or services continue to the next stage • Those who don’t have an elevated risk “exit” the system NH CEBIS [Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders PowerPoint Slides]

7. Multiple Gate Screening • Stage 1 involves teacher nomination and rank ordering of students along two dimensions of behavior – internalizing and externalizing. • Stage 2 requires that teachers complete the BASC-2 Behavioral Emotional Screening System for their top three students in each dimension of behavior. • Students whose extremely elevated scores exceed the established cut off receive interventions.

8. SSBD Stage One: Externalizing • Externalizing refers to all behavior problems that are directed outwardly, but the student, toward the external social environment. • Externalizing behavior problems usually involve behavioral excesses (i.e., too much behavior) and are considered inappropriate by teachers and personnel. • Examples include: displaying aggression towards objects or persons, defying the teachers, being out of seat, not complying with teacher instructions, arguing, having tantrums, being hyperactive, and disturbing others.

9. Externalizing Dimensions

10. SSBD Stage One: Internalizing • Internalizing refers to all behavior problems that are directed inwardly (i.e., away from the external social environment) and that represent problems with self. Internalizing behaviors are often self-imposed and frequently involve behavioral deficits and patterns of social avoidance. • Examples include: having low or restricted activity levels, not talking with other children, timid and/or unassertive, avoiding or withdrawing from social situations, acting in a fearful manner, and being unresponsive to social initiations by others.

11. Internalizing Dimensions

12. Stage 2: Administration of the Behavior and Emotional Screening System (BASC-2) • Administer the BASC-2 BESS Teacher Form Level Child/Adolescent (K-12) to the top 3 internalizing and externalizing students per classroom. • 27 Questions – 5-10 minutes • Each item rated Never, Sometimes, Often, and Almost Always • Rater must be familiar with student – Daily contact for 6 weeks. • Mark every item with best estimate.

13. Three Tiered System of Intervention in Social Emotional Pilot Schools • Tier 1 (Universal): Caring School Communities • Tier 2 (Targeted): I Can Problem Solve and Social Skills Improvement System • Tier 3 (Individual): Skillstreaming

14. Caring School Communities • All students participate as part of a universal intervention including multiple classroom lessons a week led by teachers • Nationally recognized, research-based curriculum strengthens students’ connectedness to school • Classroom meetings give students a voice • Cross-age buddies program creates caring relationships between older and younger students • Homeside activities teach students about the experiences and perspectives of other families and cultures • Schoolwide activities link students, parents, the school, and the community-at-large

15. I Can Problem Solve (ICPS)- Tier 2 Intervention • Social skills building program for children Preschool-Intermediate Elementary Grades. • A total of 59 lessons, each with an easy-to-follow script, guide children’s learning of essential ICPS vocabulary and concepts and problem-solving skills (alternative solutions, consequences, solution-consequence pairs). • Lessons speak to children on their own level, using games, stories, puppets, illustrations, and role-plays. • This curriculum has an underlying goal of teaching children HOW to think, not WHAT to think.

16. ICPS Benefits • Building students’ self-confidence • Building listening skills • Increasing empathy for others (sharing and caring) • Building independence • Students learn how to generate solutions to real life social situations • Students learn how to engage in positive social interactions among peers

17. Social Skills Improvement System: Tier 2 • In depth social skills intervention for 20 key social skills including: • Communication • Cooperation • Assertion • Responsibility • Empathy • Engagement • Self-control

18. Skillstreaming: Tier 3 • Evidence-based strategy to teach children social skills for those who display aggression, withdrawal, or other problem behaviors • Sixty explicit skills taught using modeling, role-playing, performance feedback, and generalization. • Examples include skills for making friends, dealing with feelings, alternatives to aggression, dealing with stress, and surviving the classroom.

19. How will we recognize success? • Adaptive and Maladaptive Behavior Index was given before the Tier 2 interventions took place. It was again given the last week of the intervention. • Success goals were set for students to increase their scores by 5 points by the end of the intervention.

20. Adaptive Behavior Index

21. Initial Outcomes • After only 10-15 weeks of intervention, around 50% of students showed significant behavioral improvement based on pre and post assessments. • Multiple students expressed feeling a connection to others (students and teachers) • Teachers commented on the benefit of groups for students. • Wraparound process is being developed for the 2013-2014 school year.

22. Learning how to become emotionally literate is one of the best investments that human beings can make for themselves, their children, and the future. -Ayman Sawaf