The Needham Experience: A District’s Commitment to Social and Emotional Learning

1. The Needham Experience:A District’s Commitment to Social and Emotional Learning Tricia S. Jones, Ph.D. Dept. of Psychological Studies Temple University, Philadelphia, PA Tel/fax/e-mail: 215-204-7261/6013/tsjones@temple.edu

2. Contact Information • The process discussed in this presentation have been under the leadership of: • Rachel Poliner, educational consultant (rpoliner@earthlink.net) • George Johnson, Director of Student Development and Program Evaluation, Needham Public Schools (George_Johnson@needham.k12.ma.us). • For more information please contact them.

3. Needham School DistrictComprehensive SEL Plan • Stage 1: Initial inquiry, building buy-in, identifying learning outcomes • We started with a task force. • We also collected survey information about current programming. • Obvious questions arose. • What are the learning goals we are striving for? • How are the many identified efforts connected to each other? • What are the programs accomplishing? • What could and should we be doing? • Social and emotional skill development became one of Needham’s three district-wide goals. Simultaneously, community focus groups intended to find out what people valued in a good school system.

4. Needham School DistrictComprehensive SEL Plan • Our learning from Stage 1 included the following. • It is crucial to have strong administrative support to give an SEL effort credibility and set high expectations. • Any SEL effort will have to be carried out by people at all levels; therefore, building buy-in at all levels is essential. • Setting a district-wide goal sets the stage for accountability.

5. Needham School DistrictComprehensive SEL Plan • Stage 2: Sorting out the puzzle, establishing vocabulary, building a framework • Hired a consultant who specializes in social and emotional learning and school change • We encouraged people to think beyond the prior identified “programs” and consider their classroom practices, such as cooperative learning and class meetings, that are essential for developing the classroom climate in which SEL skills can be taught and learned. • Very importantly, several organizing structures were already established, including clusters at the middle school and block schedules at the high school. • As might be expected, we had sacred cows, programs or people not allowed to be criticized, questioned or even discussed.

6. Needham School DistrictComprehensive SEL Plan • Some of our learnings from Stage 2: • A consultant can bring skills and experience, but not institutional power. An initiative will be taken seriously if the person or office sponsoring the consultant has respect and lends clout, and when there is a public show of authorization. • Building trust happens one on one and in small groups. • Making quality decisions requires honesty and frankness. • It is up to school leaders to set learning goals; children’s time is not to be offered to all who want an audience.

7. Needham School DistrictComprehensive SEL Plan • Stage 3: Implementation • Focused on four core questions • What does it take to help students become self-aware, self-managed, and self-directed constructive participants in relationships, teams and communities? • What would that effort look like in elementary, middle and high schools and what will help make the experience reasonably fluid K-12? • When schools have already implemented various curricula and practices, how can they be sorted out and brought into a cohesive plan in a way that is not divisive and honors past efforts? • How could our plan be shaped to fit schools with very different cultures, needs and leadership styles? • Each school had a team engaged in shaping a plan, implementing and assessing. • A course encouraged ownership by engaging the teachers and counselors in thoughtful planning, and by encouraging collegial best practice presentations.

8. Needham School DistrictComprehensive SEL Plan • Several learnings from Stage 3: • An effective SEL effort is beyond curriculum. It will include a layering of direct instruction and coaching, application, modeling, and practice, practice, practice. • If teachers are to provide an environment for children that models social and emotional competencies, they must be in one. • Someone has to hold the big picture and juggle the pieces. While that role can start with a consultant, others have to step in over time. Building planning teams of administrators, teachers and counselors spreads leadership. • A district-wide SEL effort must be tailored for grade levels and schools; appropriate programming will depend on many factors ranging from school size to principal’s style to faculty skill and interest.

9. Needham School DistrictComprehensive SEL Plan • Stage 4: Assessment and evaluation • Tools are being designed to keep our focus on long-term skill development across the district, while being used in ways that inform each teacher’s efforts and each school’s plan. • Stage 4 will include learning how to best use the evaluation tools to reshape our efforts as we go.

10. Needham School DistrictComprehensive SEL Plan • Our learnings from Stage 4 include: • An effective SEL program cannot be put into place without sustained effort and focus. • Our efforts need to expand beyond the schools and more directly involve parents and the community. • Some efforts produce immediate results. However, it will take longer to see significant changes in some behaviors. • Take a long view; keep a long view. • Only when programming is consistent, comprehensive and integrated will it be effective.

11. SEL Competencies K-2 • Self-Awareness & Self-Management Skills • Identifies feelings that most people experience • Labels positive and negative emotions in others • Recognizes and resists inappropriate behaviors (impulse control) • Learns several self-management skills, including self-calming, verbalizing rather than enacting anger, verbalizing frustration and/or sadness, and displaying patience • Decision-Making Skills • Identifies a problem situation • Generates several possible solutions to a problem situation • Demonstrates thinking out loud, asking questions • Recognizes risky behavior and verbalizes when it's appropriate

12. SEL Competencies K-2 • Social & Interpersonal Skills • Begins to be aware that there are multiple points of view (cognitive and empathetic) • Generates alternatives for interpersonal interaction • Resolves conflict without fighting • Shows the ability to be a member of a group including cooperating, negotiating, being considerate and helpful • Initiates interactions with others • Identifies situations in which it is appropriate to seek help and to demonstrate help-seeking skills • Verbalizes that his or her needs and wishes matter • Can read and send basic non-verbal cues for positive social interaction

13. SEL Competencies 3-5 • Self-Awareness & Self-Management Skills • Identifies observed emotions in self and others • Identifies strategies for coping with strong emotions • Communicates rudimentary refusal skills • Accepts failure or frustration and continues effort • Discontinues emotional expression that seems to upset others • Decision-Making Skills • Sets goals • Anticipates consequences • Thinks through problem situations to overcome obstacles • Identifies risky behavior and health-destructive choices • Follows through on commitments

14. SEL Competencies 3-5 • Social & Interpersonal Skills • Demonstrates perspective-taking skills • Negotiates disputes, de-escalating conflicts • Shows the ability to be a member of a group including negotiating, encouraging others and assuming different roles • Demonstrates skills for making friends • Listens carefully • Identifies if peers influence choices and consequences of that influence • Knows assertiveness skills and can/will use them when needed • Admits mistakes and apologizes when appropriate • Demonstrates competencies for dealing with challenging social interactions, such as gossip and teasing

15. SEL Competencies 6-8 • Self-Awareness & Self-Management Skills • Identifies and reflects on feelings • Recognizes stressful situations • Identifies coping strategies that are self-enhancing and other-enhancing, and strategies that are self- and other-destructive • Identifies own strengths and weaknesses and sets appropriate and realistic goals • Identifies his or her own values and how they are similar or different from others in practice • Decision-Making Skills • Describes the steps in a decision-making model and applies it to a new situation • Demonstrates the ability to analyze various options • Shows understanding of positive and negative aspects of conflict • Demonstrates planning skills • Begins to formulate constructive responses to risky situations

16. SEL Competencies 6-8 • Social & Interpersonal Skills • Identifies strategies to accurately assess the motivations (positive and negative) of others • Demonstrates strategies for negotiating a mutually acceptable outcome with another person • Understands group dynamics and group participation • Identifies the feelings of others and can communicate that awareness to the other • Recognizes and models characteristics necessary to make lasting and intimate friendships • Recognizes and shows appreciation for differences in others • Constructs an I-message, knows when to use it • Recognizes negative peer pressure and uses appropriate refusal skills • Recognizes situations where help is needed and seeks it • Develops and demonstrates leadership skills

17. SEL Competencies 9 -12 • Self-Awareness & Self-Management Skills • Understands and expresses personal needs • Analyzes situations to separate one’s own needs and feelings from peers and adults • Seeks information to develop one’s own values and perspective • Independently initiates and manages tasks, inquiries, and responsibilities • Shows awareness of and ability to manage emotions resulting from negative and positive consequences • Shows willingness to incorporate negative and positive consequences in future action • Develops realistic plans and goals for self-improvement based on self-evaluation

18. SEL Competencies 9 -12 • Decision-Making Skills • Analyzes options using criteria of desirability and probability of outcome • Identifies and verbalizes one’s goals and values • Makes decisions reflecting personal values • Demonstrates creativity and flexibility in decision-making, esp. in response to obstacles • Develops realistic implementation plans • Accepts responsibility for one’s decisions • Identifies the consequences of one’s decisions on other individuals and groups • Takes care of one’s self, recognizing consequences of risky behaviors

19. SEL Competencies 9 -12 • Social & Interpersonal Skills • Identifies strategies to assess others’ perspectives • Analyzes their own motivation in relation to others, reflects and considers adjusting • Negotiates problem situations effectively • Assumes various roles in a group situation • Identifies and manages emotions to enhance constructive interaction and to build relationships • Demonstrates abilities to form and maintain lasting and intimate friendships • Understands and demonstrates responsible behavior in (peer) group settings • Uses refusal skills comfortably • Helps others recognize consequences of risky behaviors • Helps others negotiate problem situations • Helps others assume various roles in groups • Helps others engage in perspective-taking