Bells are ringing in the YDEKC office! We are excited to report that our Social and Emotional Learning Landscape Scan of the Road Map region is complete. The scan report is now published (including an executive summary) and summarizes what systems and structures are in place that support whole child outcomes across the whole day in each of the seven school districts. The scan process included a survey of participants from YDEKC’s 2017 SEL Symposium (62 respondents), key informant interviews with district and community leaders (16 individuals), reviews of national and local reports, and insights from SEL-related cross sector convenings in the Road Map region (9 meetings). These efforts produced a better understanding of what social and emotional skill development entails and what structures and systems are needed to cultivate SEL in youth. The scan report includes themes from across the region, examples of SEL-related efforts, and recommendations for strengthening whole child, whole day efforts.
We intend for the landscape scan to be used by YDEKC, school districts, community partners, and funders to identify opportunities for cross-sector collaboration, alignment, and learning to support whole child outcomes. Specifically, YDEKC intends to cultivate a SEL Action Team to help shape the vision for the Road Map Project and define YDEKC’s role and priorities moving forward in the SEL Landscape. YDEKC also intends to continue to build relationships with the seven school districts in the Road Map region to work toward internal alignment and/or school-CBO alignment on SEL-related efforts. In October, YDEKC will be condensing the regional scan into individual district level reports that includes more district specific details as a launch pad for more conversation and collaboration on whole child, whole day efforts.
In general, we hope that readers of this scan will initiate conversations about how the themes outlined in the scan and whole day, whole child attributes are or are not manifest at their school or youth program sites. We also hope readers bring these recommendations forward to their own stakeholders and decision makers to explore how they can advance SEL efforts within their own areas of work, and that they will share with us how the scan has been, or could be useful.
Here are a few questions to reflect on after reading the scan:
- How do you talk about social and emotional learning in your work? Who could you align your messaging with?
- What departments, colleagues, partners, and efforts could be better aligned to support the whole child across the whole day?
- What are opportunities to increase professional development and capacity support for educators and leaders to strengthen their own SEL skills and the practices to create learning environments that foster SEL in youth?
- How can you integrate explicit SEL efforts into your existing partnerships with families, community-based organizations and schools?
- What processes or measures are already in place that could be leveraged to improve SEL-related practices at your site, district, or region?
To share your feedback, to be involved in the SEL Action team, request a presentation on the scan, or to request to be included on the mailing list for YDEKC’s quarterly SEL Newsletter, please contact Mona Grife, mgrife@ydekc.org or visit YDEKC’s website at www.ydekc.org