To understand what actions are taking place across sectors to shift adult practices and to increase student success skills including youth engagement, motivation, and social emotional learning, we conducted an online survey of the Road Map Region in November 2017. Sixty-two people responded to the survey, representing a diverse array of sectors, age groups served, and each of the Road Map school district areas. We will be preparing a more in-depth landscape report that incorporates the survey results. Check out a few highlights that are informing our developing strategy to support the region!
We asked people what they were most excited about in their district, organization, or community in relation to social emotional learning. The three topics that were mentioned most often are:
- Intentional implementation/integration of social emotional learning in youth environments
- Training and professional development, on topics including equity and restorative justice
- Network of supports for students that includes collaborations with community partners
When asked to describe the top needs in their region related to social emotional learning, the most common responses revealed an opportunity for our region to build on some of the existing assets identified above. The greatest regional needs emerging from the survey are:
- Professional development/training for adults who work with youth on topics such as the intersection of trauma and SEL, SEL goal-setting and supporting students to each goals, cultural awareness, curriculum, ACEs, strategies that can be used in various settings, and working with secondary students
- Capacity-building support beyond training, such as more time for planning and implementation, materials, additional staffing, and system-wide supports
- Connection, collaboration, and alignment between all of the different efforts, departments, initiatives, and sectors related to this work
We asked respondents what data they use in their setting to understand social emotional needs and strengths of young people and adults, and how they use the data. While only a few people described how they were using data, and many different types of data were referenced, a youth perception survey was the data source most commonly described. This is a tool both school districts and youth-serving programs can use to learn more about students’ perceptions and beliefs about their own social-emotional competencies and their experience of their school or program.
We look forward to sharing more details of our landscape scan as we join you for cross-sector conversations in our local Road Map school districts in the coming months and engaging with you to identify the bright spots, needs, and opportunities that are unique to your local community. If you didn’t fill out the survey and are interested in joining us in future conversations, please e-mail Mona Grife at mgrife@ydekc.org.