Hi friends and welcome back. In this video, I'm going to talk a bit about the types of SEL programs and how they are distinguishable from one another. In this video, we are considering SEL programs and not individual practices aligned with SEL instruction. With a large number of SEL programs on the market, my hope is that this will enable you to wade through the waters and locate a program that is in line with the needs of your classroom, students and communities. So, let's dig in. One of the easiest ways that, I have found to begin to distinguish programs from one another and then evaluate them with respect to my current context and needs is through the use of four categories. These categories are drawn from research and writing completed by Jonathan Cohn in 2001 and Zins, Bloodworth, Weissberg and Walberg in 2007 and then my own research and practice. So, these four categories are Scope, Focus, Audience and the Pedagogical approach or as Jonathan Cohn refers to it the mode of infusion. The first category Scope, refers to the breadth of material covered in the curriculum. What is the range of material covered and how is it organized. The majority of the programs on the market adhere to the five competency framework that we discussed last week. As a reminder the five core competencies include Self-awareness, Self-management, Social awareness, Relationship skills and Responsible decision making. While most programs use the competencies as a framework, the ways in which they are organized and approached differs from program to program. For example, when you investigate a program, you might ask yourself if they approach the competencies or the skills they contain individually moving through them linearly or if multiple competencies are addressed in one lesson or activity. The second category, Focus, also refers to the material included in the program and is often discussed in conjunction with Scope. However, while the Scope, refers to the breadth or expanse of material covered in the program, the Focus, indicates whether the program has a central or core theme either within or in addition to the core competencies. For example, in addition to attending to the core competencies the Resolving Conflicts Creatively Program focuses on violence prevention while the Random Acts of Kindness foundation's curriculum places an explicit emphasis on, you guessed it, kindness. The third category, Audience, shifts our attention from what material is included in the program, to whom it is directed towards. SEL programs primarily serve three overlapping audiences in school settings. All children as part of the standard curriculum, then special needs students and finally adults working with students. Predominantly universal SEL programs that are included in the general curriculum for all students are designed to promote strengths. Well, SEL programs designed for use in special education programs predominantly focus on strengths in a manner that aligns with the learning needs of the audience. Additionally, some programs are developed for use with individual students who have demonstrated the need for targeted support in focal areas such as the reduction of aggressive or violent behaviors. Finally, SEL efforts can also serve the adults working with children both in the effort to better prepare teachers and educators to implement SEL programs with students and to introduce methods of self-care for teachers who work in a field that draws heavily on one's emotions as well as one's intellect as discussed by Dan and Randy in the first course of this mock. Finally, the fourth category, pedagogical approach or mode of infusion as Jonathan Cohn has discussed it, refers to how the program is integrated into the existing curriculum or school day. Cohn advocates viewing this as a spectrum. On one end of the spectrum are programs that are directed, detailed and serve as a standalone course of study. Somewhere along the middle of the spectrum there are programs that present a point of view about learning, development and discipline that can be integrated into all facets of school life through a variety of methods. And then at the other end of the spectrum are programs that provide ways of thinking about how we can promote social emotional capacities without a formal structure. Zins, Bloodworth, Weissberg and Walberg, in 2007, similarly outlined and labeled the three program types described by Cohn as specific social emotional learning curriculum, social emotional skills that can be infused into the regular academic curriculum and finally the development of a supportive learning environment. In addition to examining a program of interest in relation to these four categories there is one additional consideration that, I wanted to highlight and that is the cost of the program and the materials that are included with the cost. Most schools and classrooms have to work within a carefully allotted budget and it is important to consider this as you evaluate programs for use. While some program materials are made available at no cost via the program's website, some are quite expensive and may prove to be cost prohibitive in a particular circumstance or situation. It is also important to consider what it is, you are receiving in exchange for the cost. For example, research has shown that staff training is strongly correlated with the program's effectiveness. Is staff training included in the cost? And if so, who is it provided by? I hope this provides you with some initial tools for comparison as you start to consider what programs might be best suited for your purposes and context.
