A Look at SEL in Action in Bedford - Secondary Level

SEL at the Middle School

During the middle school years students are developmentally transitioning to young adults with an increasing amount of independence and self-awareness, identity and importance of peers. SEL is key to helping them develop the skills necessary to solve problems, form positive learning habits, deal with peer pressure, and self-manage.

• Students and staff at John Glenn Middle School do their best each day to show the values of H.E.A.R.T. (Honor, Empathy, Acceptance, Responsibility, and Tenacity) as a part of the overall school community.

Honor: We act in a manner which displays respect and integrity

Empathy: We understand and reflect upon the feelings of others.

Acceptance: We accept all individuals and groups regardless or our differences.

Responsibility: We take responsibility for our own actions, the well-being of others, our environment, and our community.

Tenacity: We act with persistence, determination, and grit.

• Bedford has integrated SEL into the health curriculum. At times, the Health Department and Counseling Department partner for curriculum delivery.

• JGMS has a comprehensive advisory program. The Coalition for Essential Schools provides research about the positive impact of advisory programs on personal growth as well as academic success for the middle school student.

SEL at the High School

As students prepare for adulthood and leaving home, it is critical that they develop the skills to make good decisions, form positive relationships, and work collaboratively with others. Bedford's SEL work at the High School includes a number of components:

• Bedford's Health and Physical Education infuses SEL through skills-based instruction including the Teenage Health Teaching Modules that provide skill instruction related to a number of important adolescent issues including drugs, alcohol, and depression.

• Bedford High School is a Challenge Success school:
  "At Challenge Success, we believe that our society has become too focused on grades, test scores, and performance, leaving little time for kids to develop the necessary skills to become resilient, ethical, and motivated learners. We partner with schools, families, and communities to embrace a broad definition of success and to implement research-based strategies that promote student well-being and engagement with learning. After all, success is measured over the course of a lifetime, not at the end of a semester."

• Fall 2020 BHS implemented an advisory program. The Coalition for Essential Schools provides research about the positive impact of advisory programs on personal growth as well as academic success for the middle school student.

Bedford Student Behavior Data

To inform SEL efforts, Bedford monitors trends in risky behaviors using the CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS).