Program Overview

School-Connect®: Optimizing the High School Experience is a 40-lesson curriculum designed to improve high school students’ social, emotional, and academic skills and strengthen relationships among students and teachers.

The curriculum:

• Focuses on self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) identified these skill sets as fundamental to emotional intelligence and a positive school climate.

• Explores “essential questions.” Each lesson explores 2-3 essential questions that lead to enduring understandings and skill acquisition in students.

• Uses a variety of learning strategies. Lessons include think-pair-share, whole class discussion, small and large group activities, role plays and simulations, self-assessment tools, and reflective writing. Content information is delivered in mini lectures within a discussion format or through student inquiry and discovery.

• Is relevant to students’ lives. Most lessons include homework assignments that encourage real-life skills application. Many assignments involve family members in discussing topics that are important to students’ personal growth, academic success and involvement in school.

• Can be implemented in a variety of courses. The modules can be implemented in a one-semester course dedicated to the program (preferably a freshman seminar), in bi-weekly advisory meetings at different grade levels throughout the year, or integrated into English, social science, health, or leadership courses. Lesson extensions, such as Literature Links, and staff in-services help to promote integration across the academic curriculum.

• Is research-based. The curriculum draws on the most current research in positive youth development, prevention education, and academic learning. [See S-C Research-base]

• Addresses school standards. School-Connect meets many state and national standards for English-Language Arts, health, and counseling. [See S-C and Standards]
  
  
• Is easy to use. Each lesson contains a two-page section for teachers, an easy-to-use lesson outline, and masters for student handouts, which may be photo copied or printed from a CD-R that accompanies the curriculum. Handouts are also available in a student workbook, which can be purchased in bulk.

Table of Contents

In addition, each module has a culminating project based on the precepts of project-based learning, and includes a scoring rubric.

School-Connect plans additional modules specifically addressing employability skills, career preparation, and student leadership.

Sample Lessons

To view sample lessons, click on the links below. Feel free to try out these lessons in your class and school-wide.

MODULE 1: Creating a Supportive Learning Community
Lesson 1.8: Appreciating Diversity

MODULE 2: Developing Self-Awareness and Self-Management
Lesson 2.4: Managing Anger

MODULE 3: Building Academic Strengths
Lesson 3.6: Managing Multiple Priorities

MODULE 4: Resolving Conflicts and Making Decisions
Lesson 4.10: Apologizing and Forgiving

Standards-Based

School-Connect® is designed to support and enrich academic content. The curriculum’s Literature Links, Writing Windows, and culminating projects adhere to many states’ English-language Arts content standards in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Additionally, the lessons in study skills, healthy decision-making, communication skills, and goal-setting address many of the recommendations proposed by the American School Counselors Association and California’s Health Framework for Public Schools. While each state has different content standards and expectations, School-Connect: Meeting High School Standards provides an overview of how the program links with academic content.

Q & A's

[click here to go to the Q & A's section]