Social and Emotional Learning and its Link to Sensing Probes

In a previous blog, I highlighted the implementation of sensing probes by the Department of Education and the data collection of a student's Social and Emotional Learning(SEL). SEL is currently being piloted in two school districts in Texas, Austin ISD and El Paso ISD. Please take time to read the progression of this transformation in education and click on the articles and websites to learn more.

In spending large amounts of time researching and educating myself about social and emotional learning, I realize this issue can be daunting and difficult to understand. Please feel free to email me with any questions you may have and I will be happy to help clarify the information.

I am confident as parents tackle this complicated topic and realize its negative impact, they will stand strong in defense of their children's hearts and minds.

Important events that led to the implementation of Social and Emotional Learning in all public schools:

The Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA) passed in 2015.
The Next Generation of Assessments and Accountability (NGAA) Commission was formed in Texas to help our schools align with the mandates from the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Texas Commissioner Mike Morath testified before the Next Generation of Assessments and Accountability (NGAA). In this two-minute clip, he explained how social and emotional skills (SEL) skills such as hard work (perseverance) and enthusiasm (tenacity) will be standardized, assessed and embedded in math and reading curriculum.
As part of the Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA), Social and Emotional Learning is currently being piloted in Austin ISD and El Paso ISD. This is being conducted in accordance with the United States Department of Education's document Promoting Grit, Tenacity and Perseverance, Critical Factors for Success in the 21st Century.
In March 2016 the American Institutes for Research (AIR) testified before the Texas Commission on Next Generation of Assessments and Accountability that the affective domain; values, feelings, attitudes and beliefs, is a mandatory element of the federal law. Bringing Social and Emotional Learning to the Forefront: What Happens When Districts Prioritize SEL? is an audio presentation given by AIR. Please listen at the 19:00 mark where they discuss infusing social emotional learning into math.

Psychological surveillance and psycho-informatics states, "In the US an influential report entitled ‘Promoting Grit, Tenacity and Perseverance’ was published in 2013 by the Department of Education, followed in 2015 by the Every Student Succeeds Act, a federal law requiring all states to collect information on at least one ‘non-cognitive’ or ‘non-academic’ aspect of learning." I recommend reading this excellent piece which provides specific examples.

In December 2016 HPISD Superintendent Dr. Trigg sent an email stating our district does not just focus on "the academic needs of our students, but their social and emotional needs as well."

SEL is embedded in the math and reading curriculum and assessed via computer adaptive testing such as the MAPS test.
To better understand how SEL is embedded into the curriculum please watch this 6 minute video.

This table from a training webinar for teachers and administrators shows how the MAPS test tracks and evaluates social emotional data, which is embedded in the curriculum, for each student. Based on a student's scores, that student is then labeled by category as a serious risk, moderate, low or some risk to high strength(See second photo.).

Teachers can access this assessment, detect the early warning signs for each student and follow through with appropriate interventions. NOTE: This data becomes part of the student's personally identifiable digital footprint.