 What is Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)?
-Autumn Terlouw. Social Worker (MSW, LICSW) SEL stands for social-emotional learning. The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) defines this as: “The process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.” The five social-emotional learning competencies developed by CASEL are crucial to students’ learning and development.
Why is it important and how is SEL used at MELA? Social emotional learning has been shown to improve classroom success both academically and relationally. Studies show that social-emotional skills such as problem-solving, self-regulation, impulse control, and empathy help improve academics, reduce negative social behaviors like bullying, and create positive classroom climates. I believe that one thing that going through this pandemic has shown us is the importance of emotional understanding and mental health wellness. In a quote from Byron Sanders, CEO of Big Thought, he states, “By embedding SEL into explicit instruction, practice and curriculum, we can help our youth better navigate the difficult circumstances they’ll face throughout their lives. We can help them thrive, even in the midst of an unprecedented global pandemic.” At MELA, we have worked hard to build SEL into our instruction, even pre-COVID, because we believe in it’s importance. What does that look like at our school? We use a curriculum called Zones of Regulation. This framework looks to help kids build awareness of their feelings and utilize different strategies for regulation, prosocial skills, self care, and overall wellness. This is a systematic approach to teach regulation by categorizing all the different ways we feel and states of alertness we experience into four concrete colored zones. The framework is designed to help move students toward more independent regulation while also honoring and respecting each student and their unique self. We have also built SEL into 3 critical points of the school day . The beginning, middle, and end of the school day have small chunks of time dedicated to doing SEL check-ins. This can be mindfulness activities, social connectedness with peers and staff, emotional/mental health check-ins, etc. Finally, our school is trained in and practicing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). PBIS is an evidence-based three-tiered framework for improving and integrating all of the data, systems, and practices affecting student outcomes every day. It is a way to support everyone – especially students with disabilities – to create the kinds of schools where all students are successful. The implementation of PBIS in our school is manifested in the following ways:
At MELA we are mindful, empathetic, leaders, and accountable!  This week's blog post is written by Dr. Seth K. Thompson, Director of Outreach, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities . MELA is thrilled to have a partnership with the University to help train our teachers and offer experiences for our students in Inquiry-based Science Instruction. Read below to learn more!
Inquiry-based Science Experiences Promote Strong Science Identity -Dr. Seth K. Thompson, Director of Outreach, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities We need a generation of science-minded thinkers Many of the world’s most pressing issues have a scientific basis. From the rise of novel diseases to the collapse of ecosystems across the globe, science and society have never been more intimately connected. Existing barriers to equitable participation in science have limited our ability to train a diverse scientific workforce, a problem that has hindered our scientific innovation. Despite many national efforts, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) continue to be minoritized in many STEM fields because of numerous experienced barriers for participation and retention. To broaden participation in STEM fields, we must take new and innovative steps to empower and support students interested in STEM careers. Building science identity starts young Children make decisions concerning their career aspirations as early as middle school, and therefore engaging youth in the STEM disciplines is imperative to cultivating STEM career interest. Although a pivotal period of time, there are limited standards-aligned curriculum for young students, let alone culturally relevant and socio-politically grounded materials for elementary and middle school STEM that meet the needs of marginalized youth. Therefore, there is a pressing need to develop new learning opportunities that bring authentic science into the classroom in a way that all students can connect with. Inquiry-based programming is particularly promising on this front because it actively engages youth in the scientific process and empowers students to make meaning of their world through the lens of questioning, testing, and data-driven conclusions. By instilling these practices in young students, we can better prepare our students to make evidence-based decisions throughout their lives, regardless of the career path they ultimately choose to pursue. Innovation at MELA through strategic partnerships At MELA, we are exploring these innovative opportunities through a strategic partnership between MELA and the College of Biological Sciences. Our program consists of three key activities: i) sustained teacher professional development, ii) near-peer mentorship to enhance STEM identity and retention, iii) student-centered authentic inquiry-based discovery and learning about cutting-edge research. By building relationships between classroom teachers and university scientists, our partnership looks to inspire young students to embrace science as a framework for better understanding the world around them. Over the past three years, we have worked together to bring exciting new science experiences to MELA students. Whether it's organizing field trips to the College’s research field station, pairing students with scientist pen-pals, or working along students to study the impact of environmental pollution on the development of aquatic organisms, each of our partnership activities promotes student autonomy, critical thinking, and science-process skill development. By offering students these inquiry-based experiences, MELA is preparing their students to be actively engaged citizens with the skills and confidence to navigate and increasingly technical and scientifically informed world. How Do We Use Assessments Efficiently and Effectively at MELA?
-Ms. Lynsey Fleck, Instructional Coach The Purpose of Assessment There are several purposes for assessing, or testing, students. One is to understand the overall level of performance that a student is currently exhibiting: this helps teachers design instruction to meet each student where he/she currently is from a skills standpoint. Another is to understand where the specific student is performing in relation to grade-level expectations. This helps teachers understand how to pace instruction for optimal growth. A third purpose of assessment is to identify specific areas or skills where a student exhibits strength or potential for growth. This helps teachers design and deliver instruction that targets specific skills or content areas. Balance is Key When it comes to assessment, achieving a balance: between types, frequency, and settings, is critical. At MELA, our assessments are carefully balanced to minimize instructional interruptions and maximize growth and impact. Below you will find more information about the assessments that MELA uses. Individualized Goal-Setting With the support of an Instructional Coach, MELA teachers meet with students 1:1 to set goals in major academic areas. Goals are set with students and shared with families, as is progress toward those goals, which is measured bi-weekly or monthly. In addition, goals are adjusted and modified as needed based on student participation, progress, and growth. Monthly 1:1 Informal Running Records Each month, MELA teachers take informal running records of every student. This consists of having each student read with his/her teacher 1:1. As the student reads, the teacher listens and monitors student reading to determine strengths, areas for growth, and overall reading level. This information is then used to plan targeted small group instruction, ensuring that each student has access to the specific learning needed to continue progressing as a reader. Educational Software for Guiding Instruction (ESGI) Assessment This assessment, which is administered 1:1 to all PreK and Kindergarten students, gives teachers specific information regarding which reading and math readiness skills students have mastered and which they are still working on. The information from ESGI allows teachers to design and deliver instruction that helps students build off of their prior knowledge to acquire new skills. Fastbridge Assessment This nationally-normed assessment is taken by students several times each school year in the areas of reading and math. It is a comprehensive assessment that determines which grade-level standards students have mastered and which are still in progress. The data from this assessment helps teachers track student growth over time and provides vital information as to which standards and skills should be targeted during daily small group instruction. AVMR Screeners and Assessments When a student is identified as needing extra instruction in mathematics, he/she is given a brief 1:1 assessment to determine specifically which lagging skills, including number identification and sequences, place value, and others, are causing an obstacle to his/her growth towards math proficiency. Once these skills are identified, students receive specialized 1:1 and small group instruction to build these skills, opening up access to achieving grade level proficiency in math. Embedded Writing Assessments Student writing is scored according to grade-level rubrics, which are explicitly introduced and explained to students. Using rubrics to score student writing does two things. First, it makes what “good writing” looks like clear to students so they can understand what proficiency means and what they need to do in order to show they are proficient. Second, it allows teachers to target specific areas--spelling, ideas, etc.--for instruction when they meet with students in 1:1 writing conferences. Normalization of Assessment At MELA, we embed assessment into regular instructional routines as often as possible. This results in fewer instructional interruptions, increased normalcy and predictability of assessment for students, and a sense of safety and pride, rather than anxiety and avoidance, around test-taking. What Does Personalized Learning in Math Look Like?
-Ms. Lynsey Fleck, Instructional Coach Personalized Learning in Math In our last blog, we talked about what personalized learning is and what it looks like in ELA. This week we are spotlighting the personalized learning approach that MELA uses in math. Math instruction at MELA includes: Individualized Goal-Setting With the support of an Instructional Coach, teachers look at where each student is currently performing in each of the strands in math and use that information to set trimester growth goals. Goals are set with students and shared with families, as is progress toward those goals. In addition, goals are adjusted as needed each trimester based on student participation, progress, and growth. Small Group Instruction Small group instruction is the place where students work toward achieving their math goals at MELA. Teachers, with the support of an Instructional Coach, use student math data and observation to plan instruction for these groups. Small group math instruction happens for all MELA students every day to provide many opportunities to practice and apply skills. This results in increased rates of growth in mathematics for all students. Responsive, Rigorous Curriculum MELA’s math curriculum is consistent, rigorous, and responsive. Whole-group lessons are designed to explicitly model how to apply grade-level skills and to facilitate student participation and engagement with these skills. All lessons are closely aligned with grade-level standards, giving all students access to the knowledge necessary for achievement. In addition, whole-group lessons progressively build off of one another to help students make connections between what they already know and what they are learning. Small group instruction includes activities that provide access to these standards in different ways, allowing all students to actively engage with grade-level content, regardless of their individual level of mathematics understanding. In addition, curriculum and instruction at MELA are not fixed entities: they are constantly being reviewed, revised, and adjusted in response to student and teacher feedback and growth. This ongoing reflective process ensures that students receive relevant, purposeful instruction at all times. Add-Vantage Math Recovery (AVMR) Programming At MELA, all teachers are active participants in the AVMR training process. The strategies teachers learn in AVMR training are infused into small group instruction in order to help students recover and build lagging skills and increase their fluency and flexibility in using grade level skills. MELA students also have the opportunity to receive additional AVMR instruction from a Math Interventionist as needed in order to further strengthen their numeracy skills. Transparency of Success At MELA, we use personalized goal-setting, explicit instruction and modeling, and AVMR strategies and techniques to help students understand and access success in mathematics. When students know what they are working toward and receive the support and feedback necessary to achieve their goals, their confidence grows as much as their skills. Next Up: Assessment that Matters Assessments are only as good as the information they give us about how students have grown and what we should do next. Learn about how MELA uses assessment information to help inform and create instructional opportunities that allow students to reach their fullest potential. What Does Personalized Learning in English Language Arts (ELA) Look Like?
-Ms. Lynsey Fleck, Instructional Coach What Is Personalized Learning, and Why Does it Matter? There has been a lot of discussion about the importance of personalized learning in recent years. Students need to begin working on reading, writing, and other skills where they are currently performing, rather than where the standards or grade levels dictate, so they can build off of what they already know and continue growing their skills. In addition, students need different types of lessons, activities, and supports to match their specific strengths, challenges, and learning styles. In essence, personalized learning is an approach that infuses equity meaningfully into everyday instruction. Many schools focus on personalizing student learning through the use of technology, including iPads and Chromebooks, and programs that allow students to use their devices to practice specific skills that they are working on. At MELA, we look at personalized learning a bit more...personally. Individualized Goal-Setting At MELA, each student is looked at as an individual. With the support of an Instructional Coach, teachers look at where each student is currently performing in reading and use that information to set monthly growth goals. Goals are set with students and shared with families, as is progress toward those goals. In addition, goals are adjusted as needed each month based on student participation, progress, and growth. Small Group Instruction Small group instruction is the place where students work toward achieving their reading goals at MELA. Teachers, with the support of an instructional coach, use student reading data and observation to plan instruction for these groups. Small group reading instruction happens for all MELA students every day to provide many opportunities to practice and apply skills. This results in increased reading growth for all students. Responsive, Rigorous Curriculum MELA’s ELA curriculum is consistent, rigorous, and responsive. Whole-group lessons are designed to explicitly model how to apply grade-level skills and to facilitate student participation and engagement with these skills. All lessons are closely aligned with grade-level standards, giving all students access to the knowledge necessary for achievement. In addition, whole-group lessons progressively build off of one another to help students make connections between what they already know and what they are learning. Small group instruction includes activities that provide access to these standards in different ways, allowing all students to actively engage with grade-level content, regardless of their individual reading level or performance. In addition, curriculum and instruction at MELA are not fixed entities: they are constantly being reviewed, revised, and adjusted in response to student and teacher feedback and growth. This ongoing reflective process ensures that students receive relevant, purposeful instruction at all times. 1:1 Writing Conferences At MELA, teachers support and conference with students during writing at least one time per week. During these conferences, teachers provide support and feedback to students on what they are doing well and how they can continue to improve as writers. This individualized instruction not only builds strong teacher/student relationships; it also provides students with the targeted feedback and support they need to continue growing their writing skills. Transparency of Success At MELA, we use personalized goal-setting, explicit instruction and modeling, 1:1 conferencing, and individualized writing rubrics to help students understand what success in reading and writing looks like. When students know what is expected of them and receive the support and feedback necessary to achieve that success, their confidence grows as much as their skills. Next Up: Personalized Learning in Math Personalized learning isn’t just for ELA. Check out next blog to learn more about what this approach looks like in math!  School Built on Equity, Personalized Learning, and Fun! How These Ideals Align. -Ms. Danielle Fields, Executive Director Minnesota Excellence in Learning Academy (MELA) is committed to social justice and the elevation of access and achievement in underserved communities. We support each child in becoming an engaged and curious learner, a confident self-advocate, and a creative problem-solver by setting high expectations and nurturing a positive culture that honors diversity, and optimism. Most schools have a mission statement. What is important is that your child’s school does what they say they will. What does MELA’s mission look like in action? Read below to learn how we put our mission into practice. Equity Our school community cultivates, practices, and celebrates our values through teamwork and interpersonal relationships. Every child is equipped with the skills and knowledge to thrive in college, career, and life and will be able to adapt and succeed in new and unknown contexts. Culture We value and protect our positive culture built on optimism, meaningful relationships, transparency, and mutual accountability as we collaboratively serve our school community. The voices of our families matter to us. Parents are represented on our school board, staff and administration. We regularly survey our families and students to get their input on numerous areas of our school. Most importantly, our students see themselves as recognized and represented in their learning. We place a high priority on utilizing culturally relevant instruction. Our choice of instructional materials, topics, and books reflect our community’s diverse backgrounds. Wellness We nurture and strengthen the social, emotional, and physical well-being of each member of our school community and intentionally develop habits of success. We teach all students what it means to be Mindful, Empathetic, a Leader, and Accountable. In a few weeks, we will discuss some of the programs we use to teach wellness such as Mindfulness, Therapy Dogs, and Zones of Regulation. At MELA, we require students to wear uniforms. Numerous studies have shown that there are a lot of benefits to wearing school uniforms. A few of them include: creating a group identity, reducing the potential for bullying, decreasing peer pressure, saving families money, and improving focus. Social Justice We prioritize and engage in the work of equity and access, and boldly promote and protect the rights of others. At MELA, everyone benefits from our charter school. We are tuition-free and offer transportation from/to numerous communities. We have a highly qualified staff that supports learners who require special education or English language instruction, being sure to recognize and honor home cultures and languages in all we do. Roughly 20% of our staff are multilingual themselves, speaking the languages represented in our school such as Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and Arabic.  Personalized Learning: Equity in Action Personalized Learning enables students to be successful no matter if they are behind, at, or above grade level. MELA focuses on the growth of each individual student. We do this through benchmark testing and placing an emphasis on small group instruction. Through small-group instruction, we teach students at their frustration level so all students feel challenged and empowered to grow. Using ongoing assessments, we can predict the growth that students should be able to achieve in a school year. Teachers work with students to talk about what this data means to them, set personalized goals, and track progress so students can see themselves growing. Testing turns into celebrations and gives adults and students usable information. State assessments such as the MCA’s only focus on a snapshot of time. The work we do around student growth was highlighted by the Minnesota Association of Charter Schools in this video. In the next few weeks, our blog will highlight personalized learning in greater detail, explaining what it looks like in both ELA and Math. Fun! Minnesota Excellence in Learning Academy (MELA) has reimagined the integral role that community plays in fostering a genuine love of learning, from the first day of school. Our community is rooted in the synergy of families, students, teachers, and local partners; dedicated to co-creating a school where adults and students unite to educate, empower, and inspire each other on a personalized level. Together, we take action! Because students can see the results of their growth through personalized learning, learning automatically becomes fun. MELA is also proud of its original innovation of Passion Projects. We pair teachers’ talents and hobbies with student interests. On Wednesdays, students get to choose a passion project they are interested in. During the 21-22 school year, we are offering the following classes: Robotics/Maker Space, Dance, Spanish, Art, Gardening, Cooking Class, Science w/InSciEd Out (a partnership with the University of Minnesota), Amazon Future Engineer program, and Chess. Passion Projects bring learning to life! Students quickly understand the importance of being able to read, do math, and understand science as they apply it to either a future career or a skill they will be able to enjoy for the rest of their lives.  Resources:
Amazon Future Engineer. https://www.amazonfutureengineer.com/ Campbell, Emily. “Research Round-Up: Mindfulness in Schools.” Greater Good Magazine, Oct 10, 2013. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/ research_round_up_school_based_mindfulness _programs InSciEd Out. https://www.insciedout.org/ Makerspace for Education. http://www.makerspaceforeducation.com/makerspace.html Minnesota Legislature. “2010 Minnesota Statutes.” https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/2010/cite/122A.16 MN Association of Charter Schools. “2021 Innovation Award Winner - MN Excellence in Learning Academy.” YouTube. September 21, 2021. Mulvahill, Elizabeth. “Dogs in the Classroom Improve SEL, Cognitive, and Even Reading Skills.” We Are Teachers, October 25, 2019. https://www.weareteachers.com/dogs-in-the-classroom/ Zones of Regulation https://zonesofregulation.com/index.html  Charter School vs. Private School vs. Traditional School District. What’s the Difference? -Ms. Danielle Fields, Executive Director As we begin the 2021-22 school year, we thought this would be the perfect time to tell our story. The story of who we are! Our MELA family has worked intentionally to achieve many accomplishments since we began in 2015. Our students and staff have worked hard to achieve their success. During the most challenging year our nation has faced, we closed our students’ literacy achievement gap by 19% as measured by Running Records and DRAs. This academic year marks the 30th anniversary of the charter school movement. Did you know that Minnesota was the first state in the nation to have charter schools? Read more about it here. What is a Charter School? So what is a charter school, anyway? Since the definition differs from state to state, it can be a little confusing. This video does a great job explaining school choice options in MN: Your school choice guide in Minnesota Why Choose a Charter School? Enrolling your child in a public charter school is giving them the best of both worlds plus a little more.  Like many private schools, our charter school:
Like a traditional public school district, charter schools:
What’s unique about a charter school?:
We Gauge Our Success on Student Success During the COVID-19 pandemic, media has highlighted learning loss for students across the nation. One of our favorite aspects of being a charter school is the ability to create a responsive learning environment. MELA created a personalized curriculum for all of our students by utilizing research-based, culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and data-driven instructional strategies. We emphasize responsive, small group, and 1:1 literacy instruction. These efforts paid off. The results of 20-21 represent the hard work of our staff and students:
We are proud to share last year’s academic success. We hope the pandemic brings fewer curveballs, but we are ready for them if they come. This school year, we are excited to continue with this approach to literacy. Since it worked so well, we are applying the same method to mathematics instruction. Check back each Friday to learn more about what makes MELA so special. How is MELA different from other charter schools? Read our next post to discover why we value equity, personalized learning, and fun! References: Author Unknown. “Minnesota's Charter School Story”, https://www.mncharterschools.org/advocacy/mn-charter-school-story.php. Dickler, Jessica. “Virtual school resulted in ‘significant’ academic learning loss, study finds.” Personal Finance, CNBC, March 30 2021, https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/30/learning-loss-from-virtual-school-due-to-covid-is-significant-html. Minnesota Department of Education. “Charter Schools.”https://education.mn.gov/mde/dse/chart. School Choice Week. “Your school choice guide in Minnesota.” YouTube, Dec 8, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KHePstqXx8. |
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