And QuaverReady is the Key
By Kristin Clark Taylor
Intentional in Illinois
Community Consolidated School District 59 (CCSD59), based in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, is fast emerging as one of the most innovative, forward-thinking school districts in the nation.
Though the district’s reach is wide—CCSD59 serves multiple municipalities and spans a geographic area of about 25 miles—its mission is laser-like in focus.
Ashley Roberston is the district’s Director of Social Emotional Learning and Support.
“Our mission is to prepare students to be successful in life,” she says, emphasizing that any definition of “success” must include academic and social-emotional growth as well.
Which SEL skills will help students become successful in life?
“Being kind to other humans,” she answers swiftly before launching into a thoughtful list of several other skills she considers both meaningful and measurable.
“Being empathetic and self-aware,” she continues.
“Learning how to make responsible decisions, how to handle conflict, how to navigate relationships, and how to disagree appropriately.”
These are only some of the skills that schools throughout CCSD59 are teaching in conjunction with academics.
You can hear the passion in her voice as she speaks.
Robertson is one of the original architects of the SEL roll-out into and throughout her district.
She describes those early exploratory days as a collaborative and highly intentional process.
“We had a group of educators that came together and went through a process of talking about what we wanted for SEL in our district,” she explains. “We reviewed different curricular options … and ultimately decided on Quaver.”
How did QuaverReady rise to the top of the list of contenders?
Chief among them, Robertson says, were Quaver’s flexibility, customizability, and careful adherence to state standards.
In the days and weeks leading up to the announcement of QuaverReady as the district’s SEL curriculum of choice, Robertson recalls “something interesting” happening: The news had already spread like wildfire!
“Even before we rolled it out,” she remembers, “word had already spread fast, and the enthusiasm was great!”
As it turns out, CCSD59 was equally intentional with the implementation of the curriculum.
“When I first started, we only had one SEL coach,” Roberston recalls, “but our community saw the value of the work we did, and our SEL team grew.”
And grow it did.
“Today,” Robertson says with more than a little pride, “we have on-staff SEL interventionists and coaches who are able to support, understand, and embrace the practice and principles of social emotional learning.”
According to Robertson, ensuring that teachers are comfortable and confident with QuaverReady’s platform ensures that the skills and lessons can be properly taught.
“Making it make sense to the teachers” is a top priority, she says.
QuaverReady Brings SEL to Life
Of the district’s efforts to teach SEL effectively, Robertson says, “QuaverReady plays a very important role in all of it.”
Roberston describes some of the ways QuaverReady brings SEL to life.
“Every day, we open with a circle and close with a circle,” she says, “and every Wednesday, we have one full hour dedicated to SEL.”
The benefits to the students are real, and the progress is measurable.
Robertson observes that when students explore SEL with QuaverReady, “there comes a sense of belonging, of wanting to be in school,” which improves grades and reduces absenteeism.
Another measurable benefit: As a direct result of having QuaverReady in the classroom, students are “more engaged, more willing to take risks, more willing to ask for help,” which builds confidence and strengthens connections.
When it comes to ensuring “success” in the fullest sense of the word, districts like CCSD59 are setting the standard by weaving the principles of SEL into the fabric of their entire community.
And they’re using QuaverReady as the golden thread.
To learn more about QuaverReady or to request a demo, visit QuaverEd.com/Ready.
Kristin Clark Taylor is an author and a journalist.
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