| By: Kim Gulbrandson Everyone Has a Role to Play in Preventing Bullying: Part 2 of 2 Bullying has always existed, although it has not always been consistently and actively addressed in the school setting. Recent research has shown that bullying prevention efforts that build a positive school climate and invite disapproval of bullying can result in many positive outcomes, such as increased positive bystander behavior, decreased support for bullying, increased willingness to intervene in bullying, increased willingness to support bullied students, and increased reporting of bullying.Read More
| By: Committee for Children SEL Builds a Stronger Workforce On September 14 Committee for Children and CASEL co-sponsored a Congressional briefing, The Importance of Employability Skills: How and Why Educators Should Teach These Skills. The briefing was supported by the Career and Technical Education Caucus and attended by over 60 people including three members of Congress—Rep. Tim Ryan, D-OH, Rep. Susan Davis, D-CA and Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-WI, co-chair of the Caucus.Read More
| By: Kim Gulbrandson 5 Big Ideas for Back-to-School, Courtesy of the Second Step Program Ready…Set…Go! It’s that time of year again. Pull those Second Step kits off the shelf and get ready to roll because the way you initially approach implementation sets the stage for continued success. Implementation is an ongoing process that needs to be considered up front and then planned for and supported regularly if it is to be sustained (Leadbeater, Gladstone, & Sukhawathanakul, 2015). Take a look at these ways to gear up and get your Second Step program implementation off to a good start. Read More
| By: Kim Gulbrandson Understanding and Inspiring a Growth Mindset—4 Ways to Get Started A new school year is about to begin. As you revisit your goals and plans for the year, imagine cultivating these characteristics in your students: They are equipped to deal with challenges when faced with difficult work. They believe in their capabilities and in their capacity to improve. They seek challenging learning opportunities and view them as opportunities to learn. They thrive on obstacles and rise to the challenge when things get difficult. They believe they have control over their present and future. It sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Read More
| By: Kim Gulbrandson Prevent Risky Behaviors and Promote Good Decision Making Who wouldn't want 42 percent less physical aggression and 20 percent less bullying in middle schools? Teaching the Second Step middle school program can result in improvements like these and more. But don't just take our word for it. In this post, blogger Kim Gulbrandson explores the third-party endorsements, research, and approach to the program that make it so effective and worth a look! Read More
| By: Committee for Children Safe Children Thriving in a Peaceful World: The Committee for Children Story Maurice J. Elias, director of Rutgers University’s Social-Emotional Learning Lab and longtime proponent of social-emotional learning and supporter of Committee for Children, describes his thoughts on CFC’s impact on the community at large. Read More
| By: Committee for Children Everything You Need to Know About ESSA: Part 1 of 3 The bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which replaces the outdated No Child Left Behind Act, includes flexible funding that can be used for SEL and prevention programs. However, the flexibility given to each state could put some programs at risk. This first blog post in a series of three explains key provisions in the bill and how it impacts our work. Read More
| By: Kim Gulbrandson Ten Things District Leaders Can Do This Year to Plan for Student Success So you're a district leader, and you're convinced: SEL should be part of our strategic plan. Now what? Blogger Kim Gulbrandson concludes her three-part series with 10 tips you can start using today to plan for social skills instruction across your district. Read More
| By: Shauna McBride Talking to Children About Terrorism How can parents and those who regularly interact with children best communicate about terrorism and other violent tragedies? Committee for Children, creator of the Second Step social-emotional learning program, has compiled resources to assist with and help navigate these tough conversations. Read More
| By: Kim Gulbrandson How and Why Social Skills Instruction Fits With Your Strategic Plan Blogger Kim Gulbrandson posts the second part in a series of three on why SEL is needed and how to incorporate it within strategic plans. To achieve outcomes like “graduate every student,” and “ensure all students are college- and career-ready,” districts must teach students specific skills, give them opportunities to practice those skills, and reinforce through ongoing social-emotional skills instruction. Read More