Current research indicates that social and emotional learning is critical to students’ academic, social, personal, and professional success and encompasses skills students need both in school and beyond in life. (Durlak et al., 2011). Connecticut K–12 Social and Emotional Learning Executive Summary

Additionally, a systemic, schoolwide approach to SEL:

• Improves the school environment, which results in better social and academic outcomes for students. An evaluation of CASEL’s Collaborating District Initiative (CDI)—a multiyear, systemic SEL initiative in multiple school districts—showed a variety of positive outcomes both for the school as a whole (improved climate and increased attendance) and for students (academic performance, social and emotional competence, and fewer disciplinary referrals) (CASEL, 2017).
• Helps schools coordinate diverse services and programs (Elias et al., 2015; Oberle et al., 2016). Schools typically tackle many in-school and out-of-school programs aimed at prevention (e.g., substance abuse prevention, bullying prevention) and promoting student achievement and well-being. When fragmented, this kind of programming demoralizes staff and impairs student learning (Elias et al., 2015). Systemic SEL provides a framework to coordinate existing programs into one initiative with a common infrastructure, vision, and language (Meyers et al., 2018).
• Ensures students experience SEL in a consistent and coherent way. Students learn and apply social and emotional competencies more rapidly and effectively when the messages they receive across settings are aligned and mutually reinforcing. A systemic approach to SEL brings all of the developmental agents in a student’s life together to teach, learn from, and communicate with one another.
• Promotes cultural responsiveness through authentic partnerships with families and community partners, who play key roles in supporting students’ academic, social, and emotional development (Chartock, 2010; Delgado-Gaitan & Trueba, 1991; Hollins, 1996).

 

 

Note:  The DESSA-mini ratings only provide Social-Emotional Total score. When a student is identified in the “Needs Instruction” range on the DESSA-mini the full DESSA is immediately administered and provides a score for each of the 8 skill competency areas. These skill competency areas are aligned to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). These skills areas make it easier for educators to define and measure where students have strengths and where they have a need for instruction, or an opportunity to grow. It also provides a framework for specific social and emotional strategy development, so educators and students can work together to target a specific skill or set of skills to work on.

In depth look at skill competenecies:

The DESSA subscales, or competencies, are based on the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning's (CASEL) Integrated Framework to promote intrapersonal, interpersonal, and cognitive competence. As shown in the circle below, the CASEL Framework includes five core competencies: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social-Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision Making. The scores will indicate if the student is demonstrating skills that are within the Strength, Typical, or Need of Instruction range. Raters can use this information to guide instruction to support their students’ specific social-emotional needs.

The DESSA aligns to, but expands upon, the CASEL Framework by including eight subscales:

Self-Awareness

Self-Awareness is divided into two distinct constructs on the DESSA. Self-Awareness is a student’s realistic understanding of their strengths and limitations and consistent desire for self-improvement. It is also how we view our emotions, and in turn, how we interact with the world around us. Optimistic Thinking specifically refers to having a sense of optimism and hope for the future, speaking positively about oneself and others, and belief in the ability to attain future goals. We highlight Optimistic Thinking as its own competency due to this characteristic being a key aspect of resilience.

 

Self-Management

Self-Management is also divided into two distinct constructs on the DESSA. Self-Management is our ability to regulate our emotions and behaviors, and is a crucial steppingstone to developing relationships in school and work, in addition to developing adaptability when things don’t go the way we want or expect them to. Goal-Directed Behavior takes that concept one step further as the ability to plan our actions, complete tasks, and persist as we strive for the things we want to achieve.

 

Social-Awareness

Another key competency is Social-Awareness, or an individual’s capacity to interact with others in a way that shows respect for their ideas and behaviors and uses cooperation and tolerance in social situations.

 

Relationship Skills

Relationship Skills refer to an individual’s consistent performance of socially acceptable actions that promote and maintain positive connections with others. This includes offering help and exhibiting kindness to others.

 

Responsible Decision-Making

Responsible Decision Making is divided into two specific constructs on the DESSA. Decision-Making is the approach taken to problem-solving and includes learning from others and previous experience, using values to guide action and accepting responsibility for decisions. Personal Responsibility is the tendency to be careful and reliable, in addition to contributing to group efforts. These capacities, like the other competency areas, develop with us as we mature and grow.

For K-8 students, teachers rate their students.  Ideally, teacher raters should have worked with a student closely for at least four weeks prior to completing a DESSA form(s) on the student. Teachers (Educators) can only view results for their students, building administrators, school psychologists, social workers, and school counselors (Site Leaders) can view all students in their respective buildings, program administrators (District level) can view all students in the district. K-8 teachers (educators) administer/rate their students. High School student rate themselves using a self-report format.

The High School DESSA utilizes a self-report format, so students rate themselves. Teachers (Educators) can only view students on their classroom roster. Site Leaders (building administrators, school psychologists, social workers, and school counselors) can view all students in their school building/site. District program administrators (District level leadership) can view all students in the district.

Scores on the DESSA-mini and DESSA assessments are reported in the following ranges:

• Strength range: T-score of 60 and above
• Typical range: T-score of 41 to 59
• Need for Instruction range: T-score of 40 or below

The shorter assessments (DESSA-minis) will provide a single Social-Emotional Total (SET) T-score. The longer assessments (DESSA and DESSA-High School Edition) will provide T-scores in the eight SEL competencies as well as a Social-Emotional Composite (SEC) T-Score.

Interpreting Scores

T-Scores

Each DESSA T-scores is a standard score set to have a mean of 50 and standard deviation of 10. Like the percentile scores, T-scores are based on the ratings received by the children in the standardization sample. In contrast to percentile scores, however, DESSA T-scores have the same meaning throughout their range. T-scores should always be used when reporting the DESSA results and when comparing scores earned on the various scales.

Percentile Scores 

DESSA raw scores are converted to percentile scores using the appropriate norms tables. Percentile scores compare the child’s behavior to that of other children who have been rated using the DESSA. The percentile score indicates the percentage of child in the standardization sample who earned the same or lower raw score.

Scale Description

High scores (T-scores of 60 and above) are referred to as strengths. This range of scores is indicated by gray shading on the Individual Student Profile. T-scores that fall between 41 and 59 inclusive are described as typical. Low scores (T-scores of 40 and below) are described as a need for instruction. This range of scores is indicated by red shading on the Individual Student Profile. Children with scores in this range can be considered at risk for exhibiting or developing social-emotional problems. On each scale, approximately 16% of the children in the standardization sample received scores in the need for instruction range. It is recommended that a plan be developed and implemented to assist the children in developing these important skills

T - Score	Descriptor	Approach to supporting student’s SEL skills
60 and above	Strength	The term “Strength” indicates that your student has a well-developed set of social-emotional skills.  Classroom SEL strategies will be used to continue to sustain SEL skills.
41-59	Typical	The term “Typical” indicates that your student is showing expected social-emotional skills. Classroom SEL strategies will be used to continue to sustain and promote SEL skills.
40 and below	Need for Instruction	The term “Need for Instruction” indicates that the student has not YET acquired some SEL competencies. “Need for Instruction” should not be viewed as deficits, but rather areas that the student may need additional support and instruction. We, as partners with you, will work to help your student improve in these competency areas. The full DESSA, which will pinpoint specific areas of need, will be administered with results available in a separate score report.  Typically, most students’ skill needs can be met in the general education setting.

Confidentiality is maintained based on the user role permissions. Each user role has specific permissions to ensure that student data is protected. The educator (student’s teacher) only has access to their class roster for the year. The site leaders (building administrators, school counselors, school psychologists, social workers) have permission to see the student data within the site/school building only. The program administrator (district administrators) have access to see ALL student information in the Aperture System.

Implementing the DESSA System includes:

- BEGINNING OF YEAR RATINGS -

Universal Screening

K-8
After working with students in-person for at least four weeks, educators will complete a DESSA-mini rating on all students. A Social-Emotional Total score will be reported to describe each student’s overall social-emotional competence in one of three categories:

• Strength range: T-score of 60 and above
• Typical range: T-score of 41 to 59
• Need for Instruction range: T-score of 40 or below

High School

 High School students complete a self-report and receive scores for each of the 8 skill areas and receive scores in one of the three categories below for each skill:

 

• Strength range: T-score of 60 and above
• Typical range: T-score of 41 to 59
• Need for Instruction range: T-score of 40 or below

Conditional Assignments

K-8 Educators will complete a full DESSA immediately on students whose score on the DESSA-mini were in the Need for Instruction range. The following scores will be reported for each of the 8 skill areas:

1. Social-Emotional Composite (total score)
2. Self-Awareness
3. Self-Management
4. Social-Awareness
5. Relationship Skills
6. Goal-Directed Behavior
7. Personal Responsibility
8. Decision-Making
9. Optimistic Thinking

• • Strength range: T-score of 60 and above
  • Typical range: T-score of 41 to 59
  • Need for Instruction range: T-score of 40 or below

 SEL INSTRUCTION -

Instructional materials may be found in the DESSA System in the STRATEGIES tab. Educators may use these materials to provide instruction in Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) to develop students' social-emotional competence. Using the results of progress monitoring tools, educators can update their instructional plans and continue to provide targeted and universal SEL instruction.

GROWTH STRATEGIES	FOUNDATIONAL PRACTICES
What are Growth Strategies?	Instructional lessons that are used with DESSA data to provide SEL instruction
What are Foundational Practices?	Instructional lessons designed to create a culture and climate for Social and Emotional Learning; practices integrate several SEL competencies
Audience: Universal (Whole Group), Small Group, Individual, Home-Based	Audience: Universal (Whole Group)

- Mid-YEAR RATINGS -

K-8 and High School

The same processes and procedures from the beginning of the year assessment are utilized.

- END OF YEAR RATINGS -

For students who were in the Typical or Strength range, an alternate form of DESSA-mini can be used to evaluate change in social-emotional competence across the year.

For students who were in the Need for Instruction range, a follow-up DESSA can be used to evaluate change in both overall social-emotional competence and in the 8 social-emotional competencies across the year.

The District can save ALL ratings from year to year by exporting and downloading the information into Infinite Campus.

At the beginning of the school year, parents will receive information prior to the first administration. At that time parents can chose to opt out by requesting to opt out in writing and submitting the written request to the principal of their child’s school. Individual student reports will be available to parents via Infinite Campus (IC) student backpack by January 2023.

It is important for parents to keep in mind when reviewing your student’s score(s), to focus on the child’s strengths, if any are apparent. Both the DESSA and the DESSA-mini are strength-based assessments, meaning that all the behaviors measured on the assessments are positive behaviors children engage in. It is important to remember any areas identified as “Need of Instruction” should not be viewed as deficits, but rather areas that the student may need additional support and instruction. Above all, the purpose of the DESSA is not to categorize or label children but to identify their strengths and needs so that parents and teachers can work together to help the child acquire social and emotional skills that are essential to success in school and life.

The DESSA and the DESSA-mini are measures of social-emotional competence of children in kindergarten through 8th grade. DESSA (HSE) are measures of social-emotional competence for children 9-12th grade. The primary difference between the two measures is that the DESSA-mini is designed to be a screener of social-emotional competence. A screener allows for a quick and efficient snapshot of student’s overall social-emotional competence. As such, it can serve as a baseline needs assessment tool to determine how many students within a population might need social-emotional instruction. Additionally, the DESSA-mini can be used as a repeated measure for use in ongoing evaluation of improvements (progress monitoring) in overall social and emotional competence, as well as serve as an overall outcome measure for social and emotional learning program impact.

The full DESSA is designed to be a more detailed assessment of social-emotional competencies, providing more specific information about the strengths and needs of children across eight social-emotional skill competency domains. The full DESSA provides information that can directly lead to individualized instruction for children identified as needing additional instruction across the eight domains. Like the DESSA-mini, the DESSA can also be used to examine changes in social-emotional competence over time and as an overall outcome measure for social and emotional learning programs.

At the high school level, students will complete a self-report therefore high school teachers will not rate their students.

At the middle school level, this is an ongoing question. Ultimately, it is up to the school administrators to choose which educators should complete the ratings. They key criterion is that the rater should be the individual who knows the student well.

Yes, families who do not want their student to be a part of the DESSA universal screener and subsequent full DESSA, when required, can chose to opt out by requesting to opt out in writing and submitting the written request to their child’s school.

MindUp is a researched-based classroom program that utilizes principles from neuroscience, positive psychology, mindful awareness, and Social Emotional Learning (SEL). The aim of MindUp is to help students focus their attention, improve self-regulation skills, build resilience to stress, and develop a positive mindset in school and in life by teaching students about their brains and introducing them to mindful breathing.  MindUp creates a positive classroom environment and builds focus, resilience, and compassion in students, enabling them to better regulate emotions in the face of social and academic challenges.

MindUp Video

Second Step is a research-based program, which utilizes classroom-based social skills lessons for students in elementary through middle school (ages 4–14 years). It is designed to increase children’s social competence and other protective factors. The program builds on cognitive behavioral intervention models integrated with social learning theory, empathy research, and social information-processing research. It is intended to teach children to identify and understand their own and others’ emotions, choose positive goals, and successfully manage emotional reactions .

Second Step Video

Restorative practices focus on resolving conflict and healing harm. Restorative justice seeks the root cause behind individual and group behaviors instead of treating the behavior as an isolated symptom or judging students as good or bad based on isolated incidents. These practices assume that all students are worthy and deserving (a fundamental assumption), that behavior is learned, and that a specific incident is an extension of some other issue needing resolution.

National Education Association- Information on Restorative Practices

A responsive classroom is a student-centered and evidence-based approach to teaching and classroom management.

This approach focuses on:

• Engaging academics
• Positive community
• Effective classroom management
• Awareness development

Responsive Classroom

The Zones of Regulation is a proactive, skills-based approach program to facilitate students’ understanding of emotions and how to regulate emotions. The program is a used as a tool to help kids identify, address, and use strategies to effectively understand and communicate their emotions, and develop problem-solving skills.

Zones of Regulation