Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Curricula - All Red Clay schools use SEL programs that are CASEL-approved. Some of the programs you’ll find in our schools include the following:

• Conscious Discipline - “Conscious Discipline is a whole-school solution for social and emotional learning, discipline, self-regulation and classroom management. Our strategies and structures transform school culture into a safe haven of cooperation, constructive problem solving and academic success.”

• Second Step - “Children need social-emotional skills to thrive both in the classroom and in life. Social-emotional learning (SEL) curricula teach children techniques to gain confidence, set goals, make better decisions, collaborate with others in work and play, and navigate the world more effectively.”

• Leader in Me - “Founded on the belief that everyone has the potential to lead, Leader in Me is a comprehensive PK–12 framework that nurtures student leadership, fosters a culture of trust, and boosts academic success. This proven approach empowers students, educators, and families with essential leadership and life skills, preparing them to excel.”

• School Connect - “School-Connect creates and distributes School-Connect: Optimizing the High School Experience, a program for boosting students' social, emotional and academic skills. School-Connect authors also offer professional development in how to implement the program and create supportive learning communities in middle and high schools and speak nationally on the importance of school connectedness to adolescents' personal growth and engagement in learning.” 

It’s recommended that all schools in Red Clay have the following:

• A social-emotional curriculum
• 3-5 positively stated behavior expectations
• A behavior matrix which explains what the behavior expectations look like across different environments in the school
• A Student Handbook
• Access to calm-down spaces throughout the building
• A student services team that varies based on buildings and can include school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, and other mental health clinicians
• Classroom Management Systems
• Acknowledgement System

The Delaware School Climate Surveys are designed to provide schools with a brief, useful measure of school climate.  The surveys assess a critical aspect of school climate – how students, teachers/staff, and parents perceive the school environment.  They measure perceptions of relationships among the school community members (e.g., teacher-student relationships, teacher-parent relationships, and student relationships), school safety, and fairness and clarity of rules and behavioral expectations. The surveys include a supplemental scale to measure positive and punitive disciplinary techniques and techniques targeting social-emotional competencies.

School Climate is linked to a wide range of academic, behavioral, and socio-emotional outcomes for students:

• Academic achievement
• Student academic, social, and personal attitudes and motives
• Attendance and school avoidance
• Behavior problems, delinquency, victimization
• Emotional well-being

We appreciate your participation each year!