As educational institutions continue to contend with the disruptions to learning caused by the pandemic, investing in social and emotional learning (SEL) has become essential to helping students lay a strong foundation for success. To this end, Aperture Education – the leading provider of research-based social emotional learning assessments for K-12 schools – has introduced two new solutions to its product suite, enabling schools to foster resilient school communities through a proactive, strength-based approach that accelerates learning.
Aperture Education’s new offerings – the Middle School Student Self-Report and the SEL Strategies and Interventions Package – are designed to help teachers and students alike to nurture social and emotional competencies. According to Vice President, Research & Development of Aperture Education, Evelyn Johnson, “Our new offerings are essential components for changing the trajectory of learning with a focus on students’ strengths while driving positive classroom environments and optimal learning outcomes.”
The Middle School Student Self-Report is a student-facing, web-based SEL platform that gives grades 6-12 students their assessment results and empowers them to take ownership of building their social and emotional strengths. Through the DESSA’s strength-based results, students can focus on developing their social and emotional skills through gamified self-directed goal setting. The 50 questions aligned with the five CASEL competencies take most students less than seven minutes to complete, and students receive instant feedback. Students can then engage in 18 research-based SEL Challenges that aid them in making better choices and enhancing social and emotional skills.
In addition, Aperture Education has also launched the SEL Strategies and Interventions Package to support busy teachers with recommendations for universal and targeted instructional practices that are directly aligned with students’ DESSA assessment results. This package provides teachers with four components: SEL Strategies, Targeted Intervention Programs, Data-driven Recommendations, and Strategies Tracking. This scalable offering provides each student with focused levels of support to amplify strengths and develop key growth areas academically, behaviorally, socially, and emotionally.
With Aperture Education’s suite of research-based assessments and solutions, educators are empowered to make strategic, data-driven decisions about SEL within their organizations and equip students with the tools they need to strengthen their social and emotional skills. As Johnson puts it, “Our platform empowers students and teachers with the appropriate steps for nurturing social and emotional competencies.”
