Archive for June, 2011
CEC Helps Pre-Service Teachers Understand Social Emotional Wellness of Students Before they Enter the Profession
Friday, June 17th, 2011
In January, CEC was asked to partner with San Jose State University’s Connie L. Lurie College of Education Center for Reaching and Teaching the Whole Child (CRTWC). The mission of the CRTWC is to promote the essential role of social-emotional learning and its relationship to academic achievement in the pre K-12 schools. The 3-year project will include taking a look at the current assessment tools and curriculum used within the SJSU pre-service Multiple Subject teacher credential program and determining if and how social emotional learning (SEL) may be included. Currently, work is being done with the math curriculum to see how SEL is included in the current coursework.
Additional plans include developing course and assessment redesigns to include the social emotional dimension of learning into the pre-service curriculum, and sharing our work by holding a symposium for Northern California higher education institutions; presenting our work at education conferences; and publishing outcomes of the project.
There has been an increased awareness of the importance of understanding and addressing the social emotional needs of students, and how unmet needs can hinder academic achievement. This new work is critical in providing training to pre-service educators, who would have the advantage of entering the classroom well-equipped with the knowledge and skills to work with students with social-emotional needs and also to understand the connection between social-emotional learning and academic success.
Palo Verde Elementary School Students and Teachers Foster Social Emotional Wellness
Friday, June 17th, 2011
CEC is continuing our critical services at Palo Verde Elementary School this year, working with 4th and 5th grade teachers and approximately 150 students.
The focus of this project is to help teachers and parents understand how to encourage healthy social emotional wellbeing of students, and also to work directly with students at this key transitional age before entering middle school. Some of the topics discussed with students include:
Empathy, understanding your feelings, respect, decision making and peer pressure. Our highly skilled Resilience Program staff work directly with students, entering into open discussions about what it means to understand, be aware, and foster their own social emotional wellness. There have been discussions around possible expansion of this program to other schools in Palo Alto.
1,000,000 and Growing
Friday, June 17th, 2011
The Cleo Eulau Center continues to grow over the years and we forecast over a million dollar budget for fiscal year 2012.
We have added staff, including the Resilience Program Manager who is charged with the responsibility of creating content for workshops, partnerships, and trainings; conducting research relevant to resilience and social emotional wellness in education; and researching new partnerships for CEC that align with our strategic plan and goals. Additionally, this new position will work in our lab schools, conducting school support with educators and school staff.
CEC will increase the number of hours dedicated to evaluation to 4xs the current amount! In addition to evaluation of our programs, assessments and reporting, the evaluator will include a plan for CEC that includes the following measurements centered on student success: 1 – Are students showing academic progress? 2 – Do students show improvement on social/emotional wellbeing? 3 Are students improving their conflict resolution skills?
CEC will be expanding our physical space as well! By the end of June, we hope to be in a larger space to accommodate our growing staff. Other increases include a larger marketing budget to look at re-branding for the agency and adding on to the Development staff.