Teachers and out-of-school staff now have proven methods to enrich their SEL climate and instruction

Charlotte, N.C. – Sept. 29, 2015 – Research indicates that social and emotional learning (SEL) programs can have a positive impact on student achievement. Now, Apperson is adding to the intervention strategies available in its SEL assessment system Evo Social & Emotional (Evo SEL) to support educators as they address the specific social-emotional skills gaps identified in the assessment.

“We introduced Evo Social & Emotional in 2014 to give educators a way to understand their students’ social and emotional skills as part of our mission to assess the ‘whole student’,” said Bill Apperson, chairman of the board of Apperson. “With the addition of these powerful new intervention strategies, educators using Evo Social & Emotional will have practical, actionable strategies to help their students improve these essential life skills.”

Apperson is offering a “Three for Free” package for educators who are interested in learning more about Evo SEL Intervention Strategies. The offer includes:

A free intervention strategy so educators can try it out. This free strategy will help students at all age levels (Primary, Intermediate, and Middle) develop social awareness skills. Educators can learn more and sign up at http://info.apperson.com/strategies.

Evo SEL is based on the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA), a standardized, strength-based measure of social-emotional competencies of children in kindergarten through the 8th grade. It provides an online platform for administering the complete DESSA and the universal screener, the DESSA Mini. Once teachers assess a student to identify strengths and needs, they can access a variety of intervention strategies to bolster the student’s social-emotional skills.

Evo SEL Intervention Strategies are available in three strands or groupings. Strand 1 consists of research-informed strategies developed to accompany the DESSA assessment. Strand 2 presents strategies selected from some of the very best SEL programs and curricula, including Second Step, The 4Rs, Caring School Community, Open Circle and Engaging Schools. Strand 3 presents the Foundational Practices that promote a culture that fosters SEL. These resources introduce strategies to build and sustain an SEL-based climate all year long. The nine Foundational Practices (e.g. Routines and Rituals, Fixed and Growth Mindset, Peer Coaching and Student Voice) provide fertile soil in which SEL skills are developed and then integrated within academic content lessons.

The strategies are organized by grade level—Primary, Intermediate, and Middle—and can be used with an entire class, in small-group settings, individually, and at home. The strategies align with the theory of resilience developed by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL).

Among the organizations already using Apperson’s Evo SEL Intervention Strategies is the  YMCA of the USA. Researchers found that after one year, students in the original pilot improved their social-emotional skills by 70 percent, which in turn correlated to greater academic achievement. Because of this, the YMCA is expanding its after-school pilot program focusing on building social-emotional skills to close the achievement gap for low-income children.

“Assessing children’s social-emotional skills is an important first step in ensuring they are prepared for success in school and beyond,” said Apperson. “After assessing these skills, schools and youth service programs need to use that data to provide concrete strategies to help children strengthen these skills. Apperson’s new Intervention Strategies help meet this critical need.”