By LAURA HAMMACK, guest columnist

In my last column, I introduced a recent initiative deployed by the Indiana Department of Education to advance social, emotional and behavioral wellness for students across the state through intentionally teaching social-emotional learning competencies in our classrooms.

Defining this work is difficult; however, researchers of the work at an organization called the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) offer the most widely accepted definition. They offer: “Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.”

Today, through incredible advances in educational neuroscience research, we know that increasing student skills in self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making translates into increased academic and “life ready” success.

Interestingly, a lot of the strategies that are deployed to support this work are quite simple, but require frequent and ongoing attention. Our schools are working to realize a comprehensive deployment of social-emotional learning competencies through the following district initiatives:

K-8 social-emotional learning curriculum. Currently, educators in grades K-8 are being trained in the deployment of the “Second Step” social-emotional learning curriculum. This curriculum has been shown to promote school success and self-regulation and increase a sense of safety and support through the development of a culture of connectedness. Additionally, this evidenced-based program has been shown to decrease problem behaviors. All of our K-4 schools have been trained on using this curriculum and it is currently being deployed. Currently, we are training Brown County Intermediate School, with Brown County Junior High School to follow.

Grade 9 social-emotional learning curriculum. For the first time ever, all ninth-graders are engaged in a program to develop personal, interpersonal and drug resistance skills through the Botvin LifeSkills Training program. Students develop personal self-management skills by developing strategies for making healthy decisions, reducing stress and managing anger. Communication skills are developed and they learning how to build healthy relationships. Additionally, students are taught to understand the consequences of substance abuse, risk-taking, and the influences of the media.

“Check and Connect” mentoring program. Check & Connect is an intervention used with students who show warning signs of disengagement with school and who are at risk of dropping out. A group of educators and community members were recently trained on this evidence-based model and they will be deployed as mentors for current ninth-grade students. The Check & Connect model establishes a trusting relationship between the student and their trained mentor who both advocates for and assists the students in solving problems and building skills.

School-based mental health services through Centerstone. Through an incredible partnership with our colleagues from Centerstone, therapists and family support specialists are embedded in the schools to deliver mental health services so students can achieve success at school. Services meet the needs of the individual students. We have interventions where students engage in 1:1 therapy sessions, small group sessions, and also receive direct support in the classroom. This model has significantly advanced access to care that has translated into increased student success in the classroom.

Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS). PBIS is an implementation framework for maximizing the selection and use of evidence-based prevention and intervention practices along a multi-tiered continuum that supports the academic, social, emotional and behavioral competence of all students. PBIS supports a multi-tiered intervention model where at the foundation is the mindset that we are responsible to intentionally teach the behaviors we want to see. This framework is the foundation for which we deploy the social-emotional learning competencies.

For us to realize the competencies established within our “graduate profile,” we must be intentional in the cultivation of these initiatives. We know that for students to learn, they must be socially and emotionally well. We see this work as a partnership with our families and look forward to engaging in conversations to advance connections between school and home. We are looking forward to learning and growing together in our development of citizens who are life ready.

Laura Hammack is superintendent of Brown County schools. She can be reached 812-988-6601 or [email protected].