Needs Assessment for Choosing an SEL Program

Choosing an SEL program can feel like a daunting task! There are many choices out there. How do you know which one to choose?

Start by defining your needs. What does your school need? You will want a program designed for the grade levels you have in your building.

Define the topics that you would like covered in your building. You will also want a list of topics that your district does not want to be covered. This might be a deal-breaker for a program that you are considering.

Are you looking for a program that offers resources for special education? Do you need extra resources, or is a simple program sufficient for you?

Define how you want your lessons delivered. Do you want the lessons to be on paper for teachers to use? Would you prefer electronic lessons?

Develop an SEL Framework if you do not have one yet. You will want the SEL program you choose to fit within your SEL framework.

Dream BIG! What does your dream program look like? When thinking about your dream program, what does it offer your school? You might not be able to get exactly what you want, but you will never know if you don’t make a list. Look at your list and define which items are the most important to you.

Define your Resources

What resources do you have available for implementing SEL? A big resource is money. What is your budget? If your budget is small, do you have a way to raise the additional funds you need? Can you hold a fundraiser, or reach out to your PTO or education foundation?

How much time do you have? When will SEL be taught in your building? The amount of time will have an impact on the lessons that you need. You might be limited on the lessons you can choose if you only have 5 minutes. Ensure that you are looking at a program that provides 20-minute lessons instead of 40-minute lessons if you only have 20 minutes for SEL.

Who will be teaching your SEL program? Are you doing monthly SEL lessons in each classroom? Are your teachers teaching SEL lessons every week? This might dictate the program that you choose.

Choosing an SEL Program

There are tons of SEL programs out there. It can be hard to choose. Now that you have defined your needs and you know what resources you have available, it is time to start exploring!

Look up SEL programs and try their sample lessons. Check out The Mind Trek SEL Programs. They are available for grades 6-8 and include a special education program.

Once you have found the programs that fit your needs and resources, you will want to compare them. Define the pros and cons of each program.

Choosing an SEL program is a huge task, but you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to the other schools in your district. Make the decision together so that you are all on the same page. Students can have a comprehensive program that flows from grades K-12. You don’t have to pick the same program, but you will want programs that can flow together and fit within your framework.

Utilize your advisory council. They are there to help you, and this is a great opportunity! Share with your council your needs and resources. Next, show them the programs you have found. Allow them to look at them and get their feedback on each program. A Google Form would be a great way to generate feedback on each program. Ask your committee to share what they thought the strengths of each program were. Request that your committee shares the weaknesses they noticed in the programs. Last, ask them to rank the programs by their top choice.

SEL Unfiltered

Do you want to hear more? Check out the rest of our series on Creating and Implementing an SEL Program on our SEL Unfiltered podcast, wherever you stream your podcasts.

Check out other episodes in our Implementing an SEL Program, including The Benefits of SEL, Creating an Advisory Period, Creating an Advisory Council, Developing an SEL Framework, and Initial Implementation of an SEL Program.

Game of the Week

Every week on SEL Unfiltered, we like to bring you a game or activity. You can use the game with your students, in the classroom, or in a small group. This week Kaitlin and I played a quick round of Funny Friday.

Funny Friday is a simple activity you can use with students to start class. It can also be played as a brain break or to start groups.

Funny Friday is a simple question. They are random questions that make you want to ponder. Funny Friday are excellent conversation starters. The questions allow students to develop an answer and then present that answer to the class. There are not always correct answers, students can practice defending their answers.

This week Kaitlin and I had an interesting time debating the answers to two questions. Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii? If you blew a bubble in space, would it pop? Check out our Instagram page for more questions. They are posted every Friday.