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StrongResilientNYC

NYCDOE SEL Assessment + Intervention Professional Learning

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Initiative Goal

Every school will implement social-emotional learning (SEL) assessments as a means to check-in with students and provide data-driven tiered intervention services by spring 2022.

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2021-2022

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Support for all Stakeholders
Adult SEL resources and supports Family and Community Wellness Collective Expansion of Youth-Adult Partnership Trauma-Informed Care

Tiered Supports
Expanding Restorative Practices Hiring 500 Social Workers and 36 BCO Social Workers Expansion of Community Schools Implementing SEL screeners citywide

Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education
Advancing culturally responsive pedagogy through Social-Emotional Academic Integration

Equity-driven Social-Emotional and Mental Wellness

Script:

So we just looked at where we’ve been - let’s go deeper into where we are now and how we are taking the work even further.
Before we discuss the DESSA screener in particular, we want to start by situating the SEL screener work in the context of the DOE's broader strategy for equity-driven social-emotional learning and mental wellness in the 2021-2022 school year. At a systems level, the DOE is focused on 3 core components for social-emotional and mental wellness.
First- all social emotional work must be grounded in a culturally responsive and sustaining environment. The DOE is doing this through the advancement of SEL-Academic Integration and other strategies.
Second- there needs to be support for all stakeholders. This means supports directly for students but also resources to build adult SEL skills, expansion of opportunities for family support and partnership, and elevating student voice.
Lastly- the work is done through a tiered model, which means that SEL and wellness supports are available for every student and then targeted and intensive supports are layered on top for students who need more.
As we will learn together, the SEL Assessment helps activate a tiered support model. It provides the information that we need to build on young people's strengths and make sure they are connected to the right supports.

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Process for 2021 - 2022

Use Teaming Processes to Analyze Data and Identify Strengths/Needs

Assess Outcomes to Determine Next Steps

Administer Universal SEL Screening Tool for Students

Engage in Ongoing Progress Monitoring

Implement Interventions Based on Data

Conduct Prework to Prepare for Homecoming and Support Adult SEL

Engage in Relationship and Community Strengthening Activities

Script:

So let’s talk more about how we will accomplish our goal and the process
The work of implementing SEL assessments, also called SEL screeners, and leveraging those assessments to inform a multi-tiered system of SEL support falls into three broad categories: pre-implementation, implementation, and post-implementation. Pre-implementation refers to the steps taken BEFORE administering the assessment. This is the homecoming experience we seek to create for all students - where we welcome students and families back, invest in community and relationship building, and get to know students well so that when we administer the assessment, we do so with meaningful knowledge of the young person.
The next phase is implementation. During this phase, the staff who knows the student best is completing the screener and then screening data is analyzed through school teams. We will discuss more about that process soon.
The third phase is post-implementation, when we're assessing the outcome of any interventions that were implemented as a result of screener data, monitoring student progress, and determining next steps at the student and school level.
(Read first 3 items- orange, yellow and green)
(After read green, say) This step will be accomplished using the Aperture System and the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment- the DESSA
(Read next two items)
(After top blue “implement…” box say) This step will be supported through the Urban Assembly Resilient Scholars portal Matrix where a school’s SEL Implementation Leads who are 2-4 staff per school certified through a longer professional learning series, and school teams, like a Crisis Team, will organize school activities around SEL so your school can make the best MTSS decisions possible. This includes using screener data to strengthen the foundational support and core instruction provided to all students AND identifying students who may benefit from individual and group support. Schools will also have access to a resource hub, which will help them organize your interventions to ensure a multi-tiered system of support.
(read rest of items)
Now let’s go through some of the partners who will be supporting us in this work

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Today’s

Objectives + Agenda

Objectives:

Participants will understand the key aspects of the StrongResilientNYC Initiative.
Participants will familiarize themselves with the foundations of social-emotional learning.
Participants will familiarize themselves with the principles of strength-based assessments and the DESSA instrument.

Agenda:

Goals

Context

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

SEL Assessment: What + How

Wrap-Up

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What is Social Emotional Learning (SEL)?

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions (CASEL, 2020)

How does this definition align to what you thought SEL was?
What in this definition feels most relevant to this school year?

‘If not promoted from a culturally sustaining approach, SEL programs in schools may inadvertently be used to control versus empower, deter versus develop, and ultimately undermine our students’ cultural grounding” (Eakins, Adams, & Falaise, 2021).

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Importance and Practicality of Strength-Based Assessment

Script:

SEL assessments are how we determine if our young people are developing some of the skills elevated by the SEL definition we just discussed. The data-driven, tiered action we then take is what most excites us about this initiative.
Traditionally, schools have screened students for social, emotional, and behavioral- SEB- concerns. And not always through observation.
This approach can be effective in identifying students who are beginning to exhibit behavioral problems such as aggression and impulsivity, or emotional difficulties such as anxiety and withdrawal, leading to further assessment and intervention. However, SEB screening does have significant limitations; it is reactive and consistent with a “downstream approach” in which interventions are delivered after the challenging behaviors have begun to emerge.
The goal of SEB screening is often to reduce or eliminate behavioral concerns, not necessarily to promote student well-being.
Strength-based screening, which this initiative employs, of social and emotional competence can shift this paradigm to one that is proactive, upstream, and supportive of social and emotional learning (SEL), mental health promotion and prevention efforts. This aligns to the work we’ve been doing in NYC and the type of outcomes we discussed earlier in the professional learning

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Advantages of Strength-Based Assessment

Script:

A strengths-based assessment also directs educators’ attention to the assets of their students and communicates that students’ strengths are important
And because of this increased attention on who our students are and what they have to offer, strengths based assessments promote relationships, a key to transformative and culturally competent SEL
And the research backs this up- according to Jagers et al., 2018 a teacher’s attention to their students’ strengths as reflected in strength-based assessment is a better basis for forming a positive relationship with the student, which is essential for transformative SEL
A reminder that this and all references in our professional learning can be found in the Resource Hub for those that want to know more.
So it’s time to reflect. (Read question twice)

In your experience, what is the power in viewing students through a strength-based lens?

Press pause to reflect and we’ll see you shortly. (wait 3 seconds)
Let’s move forward and discuss the specific tools we chose that align to the value of strength-based assessments.

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Why DESSA?

CASEL identified and evaluated 73 screening instruments to determine whether or not to recommend them for school-wide assessment (sound psychometric properties, suitable for program evaluation, readily available for schools to access and obtain information on, and not designed to assess specific programs)

Of the 73 instruments reviewed, 10 met the criteria for inclusion in their summary report.

Of those 10, only 1 (DESSA) was a purely strengths-based assessment.

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DESSA Assessments – Key Facts

CASEL-aligned
Standardized
Norm referenced
Behavior rating scale
Strength-based
Completed by educators
Covers both intrapersonal strengths and interpersonal strengths

Script:

Let’s dig deeper. Once again, the DESSA stands for Devereux Student Strengths Assessment.
(click) Our StrongResilientNYC initiative will primarily use 2 instruments: DESSA 40 for K-8 and DESSA HSE for 9-12.
These tools are:
(click) CASEL-aligned. The CASEL competencies serve as the foundation for the DESSA as you can see from this wheel which highlights the alignment. The CASEL 5 competencies of self awareness, self management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making, form the core dimensions of the DESSA. In addition, the DESSA specifies three more competencies derived from the CASEL 5: Optimistic Thinking rooted in Self Awareness, Personal Responsibility rooted in Responsible Decision Making, and Goal-Directed Behavior rooted in self management. These 3 competencies offer more precision for practitioners to support students’ social emotional development.
(click) Standardized – established procedures for administering, scoring and interpreting.
(click) Norm-referenced – scores are based on a national sample of students so that your students social and emotional competence can be compared or benchmarked to other students.
(click) Behavior Rating Scale – One of the most common forms of assessment used in education. Adults can complete based on their observations of the students.
(click and read)
(click) Most uniquely, they are Strength-Based – DESSA items are positively worded, desirable behaviors. There are no negative behaviors on the DESSA.
(click and read)
(click and read)

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DESSA 40 + DESSA HSE

Assesses students’ social emotional competence
Drives targeted SEL instruction and intervention
Yields individual score for each scale
Yields social-emotional composite (SEC) score
Up to 5 minutes to rate each student
The DESSA 40 is 40-item and DESSA HSE is 43-item
Utilized for progress monitoring

Script:

There are two versions of the DESSA we’ll use for our initiative - the DESSA 40 for K-8 and the DESSA HSE for 9-12.
(read first two bullets)
A feature of the assessment to note is that it was designed and normed with the idea that an educator would complete the rating for a student
The assessment is all done online after at least 4 weeks of interaction and observation of the student. This was determined to be an appropriate amount of time to know a student well enough to rate them during the standardization sample.
(read rest of bullets)
So we will administer the DESSA at least twice per student this year to progress monitor and refine MTSS, and we will provide more opportunities to assess and gauge growth for those needing more Tier 2 and 3 interventions assigned as a result of the DESSA data.
I want to be really clear that the DESSA is not a diagnostic or clinical instrument. You do not need training as a counselor or social worker to administer the assessment and the information from the assessment is absolutely not used for diagnoses, special education referrals, or anything evaluative. Although schools can choose to use the SEL assessment information as part of IEP goal setting or other support plans, the assessment data is not used to make special education referrals or any other diagnoses.
In situations where a student's assessment indicates areas of need, the rating teacher will refer that student to a school crisis team, pupil personnel team or other teaming structure that supports students with greater needs. As part of THAT team is where adults may do more clinical assessment or information gathering to match students to interventions.
And for more information on differences between the competencies, go to the additional resources section of the hub

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DESSA Assessment

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SEL Screener School Key Actions

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Engage in Ongoing Progress Monitoring

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Implement cycles of progress monitoring
Adapt intervention plans based on student response and needs
Use learnings from this phase to refine school MTSS model

Assess Outcomes to Determine Next Steps

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Assess post-intervention data and evidence of student growth
Use data to evaluate effectiveness of current interventions
Determine next steps to better support students

Implement Interventions Based on Data

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Analyze screening data to inform universal instructional practices
Implement interventions for Tier 2/3 students
Engage families in student follow up and support

Use Teaming Processes to Analyze Data and Identify Strengths/Needs

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Analyze screening data and identify students who many benefit from Tier 2/3 support
Engage in teaming processes to gather additional data to diagnose individualized strengths/needs of Tier 2/3 students
Make intervention plan for Tier 2/3 students

Administer Universal SEL Screening Tool for Students

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Identify SEL screening raters for groups of students
Ensure SEL screening raters attend required training
Administer 1st SEL screening tool within the timeline provided for your cohort

Script:

Though we won’t go into the specifics on this slide, we wanted to give you some tangible specifics and to let you know that the support is there for when you begin implementing.
Just at a high level, your involvement is mostly at that first step in green. The ability of your school to accomplish all other steps is predicated on your solid and timely ratings.
You will also be involved when it’s time to reflect with students on their data. The type of reflection done by students will be determined by grade-level and SEL Implementation Leads will support you with resources to implement this key action.
Like I said, we aren't going to read through every item here but wanted to reference it so that you know it exists as a resource if you want to know more about some of the concrete steps associated with each phase of the work.

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How to Prepare to Rate

Familiarize yourself with the DESSA questions
Practice with colleagues
Be intentional with observations
Be strategic
Think broadly
Stick to the facts
Plan rating time

Script:

So we said that your focus will be on rating and one of the best ways to prepare to rate effectively is to train to do so. That’s what this familiarization professional learning will accomplish alongside professional learning your SEL Implementation Leads and Admin invite you to.
Let’s review some tips for you to internalize before you complete any DESSA ratings on students.
So the best way to ensure you rate students fairly and similarly is to follow these key tips
(click)- Familiarize yourself with the DESSA questions. The more you know about the assessment, the easier your intentional observation will be and the more accurately you will be able to complete your rating.
(Click) Practice w/ colleagues. For instance- you can rate a common celebrity, public figure or student together to build alignment
(click)- Be intentional with observations. Doing this helps you to get to know your students better, puts on a positive lens to look for strength-based behaviors, helps you to understand more about social and emotional competence, enables you to be less biased when observing your students, and encourages you to create opportunities for students to demonstrate social-emotional skills.
(click)- Be strategic. Think about activities that provide you a chance to see specific skills, and ways to provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate specific skills. Remember, to observe intentionally and from a strengths-based lens, do not complete observations during a time when you know the student is atypically struggling or exhibiting maladaptive behaviors.
(click)- Think broadly and try not to overthink or over analyze when rating. Ask yourselves simple questions like this:

What can students do on their own?
How often do they do it?

(click)- Stick to the facts. You will base your rating on the last 4 weeks with the student, not an interpretation or what you “heard” about the student. Remember an intentional observation and accurate rating will be more unbiased if based only on what you view during the observation period
(click)- Plan rating time. Make sure to plan the time you will actually rate. Your school will support you with this process but try to choose a time when you’re unhurried and feeling relaxed. Also, remember do not plan a rating when you know the student is having a challenging time and typically exhibits undesirable behaviors.

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DEMO TIME

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Single-Sign-On

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Navigation Bar

Script:

Once you’re in the Aperture System the navigation bar can take you anywhere throughout the Aperture System.
(click) The Dashboard takes you to the main landing page and contains most relevant data.
(click) The Rating tab is where users will complete your student ratings.
(click) The Data and Insights tab is where you can run reports and see more details about student ratings.
(click) The growth strategies tab will take you to foundational practices, intervention strategies, and lesson plans for each of the Aperture 8 competencies.
(click) The search bar can be used to search for individual students and will bring you to that student’s individual student report.
(Click) The question mark is the support portal link where you will go to get more resources, though your SEL Implementation Leads are your first line of support
(Click) Lastly, the cog contains basic info and the ability to log-out.

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Dashboard

Understand the status of implementation and ratings
Quickly see results
Interact with results to view them in different ways
Tabs at the top to jump to different parts of the system

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Ratings

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Reporting

Real-time results
Interactive, filterable charts
CSV + Printable reports

Individual student
Classroom
Groups
School

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My Students Report

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Individual Student Report

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Individual Rating Report

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MTSS Alignment

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Link

Script:

So we know that was a lot on the technical side of our work, but we want to ensure you feel more confident than when this professional learning started to rate students.
We want to anchor this section in our larger context, which brings us to our multi-tiered system of supports
The data that will be generated by your ratings will help to tell us what students need, from which we will develop our MTSS with robust supports for all students (tier 1) and supplemental Tier 2 and 3 support as needed.
So what does that mean at Tier 1? Tier 1 refers to core academic instruction or foundational supports available to all students. So while the DESSA can identify students who may need additional Tier 2 or 3 support, it is also a tool tos strengthen the foundational support offered to all students. By analyzing your student’s performance on the DESSA, you can proactively plan for how to integrate skill building opportunities into Math, ELA, History, and so on. You can do that work yourself as a classroom teacher, or in teacher teams or grade teams by looking at the different student, class, and grade level reports. The SEL implementation leads at your school will have more information on how to do that and resources to support.
You thoughtfully rating students will provide your SEL Implementation Leads, Teams like the Crisis Team, support staff and you with a more complete picture of how best to support our students.