Administrators must first articulate the question they need to answer or the problem they need to solve before collecting the best data for that purpose. Administrators should also have a plan in place to respond to the data. Who will review and analyze the data, and who will take responsibility for acting on it? Using continuous improvement systems, such as the Plan, Do, Study, Act/Adjust cycle, is one way to ensure that improvement efforts translate data into action.
Leverage the Power of Community to Support Students
We’ve seen communities come together in inspiring ways during the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools have worked closely with out-of-school time organizations, food banks and local nonprofits to get students and families needed support and nutrition. Communicating with OST providers, families and children will help school administrators coordinate SEL language and strategies. Administrators can also use these relationships to learn which approaches help or hinder children’s social-emotional and academic learning outside of school, and what more they can do to successfully support children’s well-being.
The work of supporting children’s SEL is not new, but remote learning challenges have forced administrators to revisit and reimagine how they can best lead this work. While turbulent, the events of 2020 have created opportunities for reflection and improvement. Administrators should learn from these opportunities and establish systems that place children’s well-being and SEL in the foreground — not just in the classroom, and not just today, but everywhere and always.
MORE ON EDTECH: How schools are taking SEL and mental health online.