Getting Good at Doing Good

Today's students bring greater challenges than ever before, and schools are asked to prepare them for success in a complex world. Every district is making big steps and large investments to rise to this challenge, adding specialized staff and programs to meet students' social, emotional, and behavioral needs. But despite these efforts, few districts know for certain that these thoughtful programs and talented staff are having the intended impact.

For most districts, the next step in addressing students' social, emotional, and behavioral needs should be less focus on what to do and more focus on doing it well. Disciplined monitoring and measuring of your initiatives' effectiveness can turn their promise into a reality. This article shares a seven-step process for effectively measuring the impact of your school district's social, emotional, and behavioral efforts.