By Rich Larson
Reading, math and science remain central to a student’s education, but Northfield Public Schools is also putting increased emphasis on whether students feel connected, confident and capable of navigating relationships with others.
At Monday night’s Northfield School Board meeting, district officials reported that 89 percent of Northfield Middle School students last year rated themselves as having competent or advanced social skills. The measurement is part of the district’s broader effort to track students’ social and emotional development alongside academic progress.
Superintendent Dr. Tim Anderson said much of that information comes directly from students through self-reporting surveys. Rather than having teachers or other adults decide how students are doing socially and emotionally, students answer questions about their own experiences.
Those questions can include whether a student has at least one trusted adult at school, whether they feel a sense of belonging, and whether they believe they have the ability to influence their own circumstances.
Anderson said the district is updating its survey inventory this year to incorporate more research-based measurement tools, which could change how some of the data is collected and reported.
The effort is part of a broader approach throughout Northfield Schools. The district provides formal social-emotional learning instruction through the Second Step curriculum in preschool through eighth grade and uses screening tools to identify students experiencing social, emotional or behavioral difficulties.
At Northfield Middle School, counselors, a social worker and a school psychologist provide additional support, while programs such as the Will Program incorporate goal-setting and social-emotional skills into academic intervention.
The emphasis also reflects the district’s strategic plan, which calls for students to be both academically and socially prepared for life after graduation.
For Anderson, concepts such as belonging, personal agency and connections with trusted adults have become measurable parts of student success — reflecting an educational approach that considers how students function socially as well as how they perform academically.
Rich Larson is the owner and General Manager of KYMN Radio. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
