How to Use Clymb’s Data
How Should You Use the Data and What Does It Mean?
Data can be used by individual instructors to check the temperature of their classrooms, track growth and recurring ‘struggles’ to proactively provide interventions, and inform SEL topics for whole group discussion or skill practice. Districts, schools, and youth organizations can use data to measure collective growth over time in specific SEL competencies to bolster grant-writing and inform budget resource allocation for SEL support programming, as well as the selection of targeted intervention. Data can also be used for teacher professional development and setting school-wide SEL goals.
What Does a Regression in the Data Mean?
First, review authentic utilization of the platform with the students to make sure they are using it appropriately. If that has been ruled out and there is still regression, there are likely other factors in the child’s environment that are affecting their progress, whether internal or external. This is the time to reach out to that student. What needs are not being met that could be preventing growth? Could this student need additional learning support? Is there a possibility of current or past trauma or high-stress, whether in the home or at school with peers? Remember, kids cannot learn or absorb information if they are in a state of crisis or high anxiety. It is strongly recommended that the teacher or school start the appropriate referral process after checking in on the student.
Should Stakeholders Be Worried If There Is Regression?
Not necessarily. Every child is different and regression in the data may not equate to a serious problem. Our data collection relies fully on student self-reporting and could fluctuate with how they are feeling at the time of assessment. And after all, this is part of what our platform is designed for! Teachers can use the data and mood alerts to help them flag when particular students may need additional support.
What Does Stagnation Mean?
Stagnation is not necessarily a negative. Some individuals need to spend extended time working through a particular area or skill. Respect the process as a journey that will be unique to every student. Meanwhile, note that a plateau could be an indication of a need for more targeted interventions from a professional. Check in with the student and start considering whether a referral to additional resources may or may not be helpful to them. Also keep in mind that the capacity for SEL learning and growth expands as kids get older. Some of the awareness and skills we’re asking them about may flourish a little later on as their brain develops.
What Does Growth Mean?
Data growth means your students are reporting an increase in their social and emotional skills, as well as the application of those skills! Based on the research surrounding our assessment scale, data growth in turn predicts increased school engagement and reduced behavior incidents.
An In-Depth Explanation of the Socio-Emotional Competency Data:
Social and emotional learning (SEL) strengthens a student’s ability to understand and manage emotions, thoughts, and behaviors to navigate daily tasks, challenges, and social interactions. It also helps individuals build self-awareness, as well as empathy and understanding of others’ emotions for positive relationship building and problem-solving. SEL is most commonly based on Casel’s framework of 5 Core SEL Competencies.
Our data is collected using an evidence-based scale called the D-SECS. It measures 4 different areas of Casel’s 5 Core Competencies: Responsible decision making, Relationship skills, self-management, and social awareness. Growth is determined by increased scores as a whole over time. The self-awareness competency area is intentionally excluded from the assessment scale as it would approach the line of clinical diagnostic assessment; however, our platform still builds students’ skills in this area!
Why is Data-Capture So Important And What Is The Takeaway?
Data capture is extremely important for managing an organization’s overall goals, funding and allocation of resources, and general instructional decision-making. It can also be helpful in predicting outcomes.
A study of the D-SECS scale we utilize revealed that students with increased scores in the assessed areas of social decision making, relationship skills, self-management, and social awareness are more likely to be engaged in school, have higher academic achievement and have fewer behavior incidents. This is consistent with previous research done on SEL outcomes. Furthermore, data analysis of the scale supports the validity of using D-SECS scores for predicting school engagement, achievement, and suspensions or expulsions.
It is also important to note that these correlations are slightly stronger for elementary compared to middle or high school students. This means it is best to start Socio-Emotional Learning support early on to maximize the benefits for the students.
What Is Clymb Designed To Do?
Clymb is designed to aid youth and educators in increasing socio-emotional skills and overall emotional well-being, resulting in growth over time. This growth can translate into calmer classrooms, happier teachers, and improved academic achievement. The curriculum provides students with the language and a means to reflect on, acknowledge, learn about, label, and mindfully interact with their own emotions. Imagine giving your students the tools to self-regulate and self-advocate to have their emotional needs met all at the click of a button. Through the use of our software, educators are also able to access data related to students reflections and growth in SEL areas. This data can then inform individual, classroom, school-wide, or district-wide practices to support students and provide the necessary resources and interventions to assist with their SEL growth. While the software data can be used to spark the referral process for therapeutic services, Clymb is not a mental health services substitute or diagnostic tool and should not be used as such.
