Rapides Parish School District Embraces UDL, SEL

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Success Stories Rapides Parish School District

Ann Nason Supervisor of Elementary Special Education, Rapides Parish School District

Goalbook has expanded its web-based platform, Toolkit, to include research-based resources that allow teachers to better address social emotional learning (SEL) in the classroom. With the new release, Goalbook continues its mission of empowering teachers to transform instruction for all students. A growing body of research underscores the importance of SEL in classrooms: a 2011 report published by The Society for Research in Child Development observed a marked improvement in academic achievement for students who participated in SEL programs. The nonprofit research and policy organization, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), states that social emotional learning has proven effective in urban, suburban and rural settings and across all age groups.

“Our teachers love the UDL strategy wizard — it helps them discover highly-effective, research-based strategies to enable achievement for our diverse student population.”

Goalbook’s Toolkit, which integrates instructional technology, academic research and ongoing professional development, allows teachers to easily incorporate SEL skill development within the context of their classrooms. All resources incorporate the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework for providing multiple means of access. “Goalbook makes it easy for teachers to include social emotional learning as a component of classroom instruction,” said Ann Nason, supervisor of Special Education at Rapides Parish School District in Louisiana. “Our teachers love the UDL strategy wizard — it helps them discover highly-effective, research-based strategies to enable achievement for our diverse student population.” SEL can have a deep impact for teachers in the classroom: effective strategies reduce behavioral problems, lower emotional stress for students, encourage students to make better decisions, and ultimately create and foster a better learning environment for all students. For example, if a learning objective is to foster social communication skills, one suggested strategy in the Toolkit is to have students participate in social role play, which research shows is an effective tool to teach empathy, increase language skills and support classroom etiquette. “Social emotional learning is no longer seen simply as an intervention for negative behavior, but an important set of capacities that are necessary for success in school and in life for all students,” said Daniel Jhin Yoo, co-founder of Goalbook. “SEL needs to be taught, developed, and integrated throughout the curriculum. Goalbook is excited to support educators in meaningful SEL instruction.”