May 2022: SEL Newsletter

  • Tue, May 24 2022

Dear school leaders and educators,

Career Technical Education (CTE) provides students of all ages with the academic and technical skills, knowledge, and training necessary to succeed in future careers and become lifelong learners. CTE prepares these learners for the world of work by introducing them to workplace competencies and making academic content accessible to students by providing it in a hands-on context. In Arizona, we have the following vision and mission for the Arizona Department of Education and our CTE programs:

  • Our Vision: Equity for all students to achieve their full potential
  • Our Mission: The Arizona Department of Education advances equity and excellence for all students by serving school leaders, educators, and staff, collaborating with communities, and leading with data-driven best practices.

As we collaborate with business and industry, more and more employers say they are more interested in hiring employees who possess a strong sense of "soft skills," which we call our Arizona Professional Skills. The Arizona Professional Skills are taught as an integral part of all CTE programs. They are recognized by business and industry leaders as being the most critical knowledge and skills necessary to obtain the job, be successful in the job and advance in any career pathway. They result from 11 focus groups conducted around the state by the Arizona Department of Education's Career and Technical Skills Department and the Arizona CTE Quality Commission, which advocates for accountability and excellence in Career and Technical Education. The Arizona Professional Skills are:

  • Complex Communication
  • Collaboration
  • Thinking and Innovation
  • Professionalism
  • Initiative and Self-Direction
  • Intergenerational and Cross-Cultural Competence
  • Organizational Culture
  • Legal and Ethical Practices
  • Financial Practices

Even though CTE created these, all educators can easily weave the Arizona Professional Skills into any academic area. Many of you might already address these skills and not even realize it! We encourage all teachers, administrators, school counselors, and educators to review the Arizona Professional Skills and the ADE SEL Competencies crosswalk. 

When we combine our content areas with real-life learning and skills training, we are truly preparing all students to be ready for any post-high school plan they choose. 

Suggested websites and resources:

Opportunities 

An overview of training available to support SEL in your schools and classroom 

The PAX Good Behavior Game, offered by the PAXIS Institute, is an evidence-based universal preventive intervention applied by teachers in the classroom. This evidence-based practice consists of research-based strategies to improve children’s self-regulation. Teachers implement these strategies as part of their daily routines in carrying out everyday tasks.

Thanks to federal ESSER funding, the Arizona Department of Education used a portion of its set aside dollars to ensure that all Arizona educators and administrators can partake in PAX Good Behavior Game at no cost. Learn more about this free training opportunity.

Resources 

Below is a sample of the resources you can find on our SEL website to support academic, social, and emotional learning. 

For educators

Our Career and Technical Education and School Safety and Social Wellness teams created a crosswalk document to show the natural connection between the core social-emotional competencies and the Arizona CTE professional skills. 

Visit our SEL Competencies and Framework page to see our crosswalk documents. 

For school administrators and LEAs

Our School Safety and Social Wellness team created a Trauma-Responsive SEL crosswalk that looks at the intersection of SEL, trauma-responsive practices, including the Neurosequential model, and the principles of the Comprehensive Needs Assessment that all administrators fill out annually, in large part for funding purposes.

Visit our SEL Competencies and Framework page to see our crosswalk documents.

For students and families

An Edutopia guide on how parents and caregivers can encourage emotionally intelligent behavior in their children by incorporating social and emotional learning strategies. 

The More You Know

Understanding the academic impact of social and emotional learning

“The Pax Good Behavior Game (GBG) is a universal prevention program designed to increase academic engagement and decrease disruptive behavior in elementary school-age children. Teachers and other school personnel use interdependent group contingencies to improve students' behavior in the classroom. Previous research indicates the GBG is efficacious in reducing behavior problems; however, little research has examined its effects on academic achievement in real-world settings. In this study, the authors evaluated the PAX GBG, a commercially available version of the GBG, as it is typically administered in elementary schools. The authors examined standardized reading and mathematics scores across one academic year for 949 students enrolled in the GBG or comparison classrooms. Results showed significant but small effects of the GBG on reading and mathematics. Results were greatest for boys, children with lower achievement scores at baseline, and students from more economically disadvantaged school districts. School personnel may find the PAX GBG useful in improving children's behavior and academic skills.”

Weis R, Osborne KJ, & Dean EL. 2015. Effectiveness of a universal, interdependent group contingency program on children's academic achievement: A countywide evaluation. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 31, 199-218.

 

 

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