BIS is committed to equipping students with the skills, knowledge and mindsets needed to handle strong emotions, to better understand and connect with peers and and to avoid or resolve serious conflicts. We are using the Second Step curriculum. Research has shown that when social emotional curriculum is a part of a students' education, academic achievement improves and it contributes to a positive classroom and school climate overall.
Each Fall, a universal screening of all of our students is conducted in which all teachers complete a brief survey (Devereux Student Strengths Assessment) on the students in their homeroom. A variety of Social Emotional Skills are included in this survey including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, decision making, optimistic thinking and relationship skills. Results from the survey help us to understand what students and what skills we need to focus our social emotional interventions on. Students who need additional support are identified and receive specialized instruction. We follow up each Spring to measure student progress and the effectiveness of our interventions.
