Leveraging and Securing Data for Education

Using data to make more informed decisions can help drive digital transformation in schools and colleges. However, this is only possible if institutions use data safely and responsibly. This interactive ebook offers advice to help school and college leaders achieve true digital transformation by effectively leveraging and securing data for education. This site is jointly…

Weaving SEL into curriculum doesn’t have to be hard

As an educator and curriculum content creator, I’m always seeking to develop lessons that offer students opportunities to express complex emotions and share personal experiences. Inspiring self-expression and building a safe communal space begin with authentically exploring social-emotional learning (SEL) content. Students are always navigating developmentally appropriate mental health and emotional-regulation growth, but today’s students…

4 steps to a successful SEL implementation

After several years of using a homegrown social emotional learning (SEL) approach, our district decided it was time for a more official curriculum that would support our middle and high school students’ mental health, academic achievement, and overall well-being. With about 840 students in grades 8-12, we’d already developed a homeroom/advisory period meant to create…

Using Federal Grants to Hire Personnel

Using federal funding sources like Title I, IDEA, and ESSER to hire more reading and math coaches, counselors, school psychologists, tutors, and other support staff is a key strategy for meeting students’ academic and social-emotional learning needs. However, when school systems use federal funding for personnel expenses, they must have a plan for when the…

Student well-being is critical–here’s how to support it

Student well-being has a direct impact on student motivation, engagement, and learning. In short, their social and emotional well-being has a long-term impact. It is absolutely critical that educators learn to support student well-being. Skills such as self-awareness and self-management are also critical for effective collaboration and learning. And when school leaders support overall student…

3 keys to supporting students during a mental health crisis

A January 2022 study published in JAMA Pediatrics confirmed what many educators, administrators, and support staff already knew: School closures, disrupted learning, and a pandemic year have coalesced to create an alarming mental health crisis among teenagers. The study found that up to 60 percent of students are experiencing “strong distress,” including anxiety and depression….