Recommended Usage of the DESSA System

Table of Contents

Overview

Beginning of Year Ratings

Social and Emotional Skill Instruction

Progress Monitoring

End of Year Ratings

Overview

Implementation of the DESSA System may vary, depending on your program's needs. This article outlines the recommended implementation of the DESSA System components. 

Beginning of Year Ratings

Universal Screening

After working with students in-person for at least four weeks, educators will complete a DESSA-mini rating (DESSA 2 mini for K-8 or DESSA-HSE mini for 9-12) on all students. A Social-Emotional Total (SET) score will be reported to describe each students’ overall social and emotional competence in one of three descriptive ranges:

• Strength range: T-score of 60 and above
• Typical range: T-score of 41 to 59
• Need for Instruction range: T-score of 40 or below

Conditional Assignments

Educators will complete a DESSA assessment (DESSA 2 or DESSA-HSE) on students whose score on the DESSA-mini was in the Need for Instruction range. The following scores will be reported:

• DESSA 2: Social-Emotional Composite (total score); Optimistic Thinking; Self-Awareness; Self-Management; Social Awareness; Relationship Skills; Responsible Decision Making.
• DESSA-HSE: Social-Emotional Composite (total score); Optimistic Thinking; Self-Awareness; Self-Management; Social Awareness; Relationship Skills; Goal-Directed Behavior; Personal Responsibility; Decision Making.

Social and Emotional Skill Instruction

Instructional materials are available in the DESSA System in the Strategies tab. Educators may use these materials to provide social and emotional skill instruction to develop students' social and emotional competence. Using the results of the DESSA-mini as a progress monitoring tool (see below), educators can update their instructional plans and continue to provide targeted and universal SEL instruction as needed.

FOUNDATIONAL PRACTICES	DESSA-ALIGNED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES	INTERVENTION PROGRAMS
What are Foundational Practices? Practices designed to create a positive culture and climate; practices integrate several social and emotional competencies.	What are Strategies? Instructional strategies that are aligned to the DESSA competencies and used to provide universal instruction.	What are the Intervention Programs? Multi-week programs designed for targeted small groups of students who need intensive competency building.
Audience: Universal (Whole Group)	Audience: Universal (Whole Group), Small Groups	Audience: Targeted (Small Groups)

Progress Monitoring

The DESSA-mini or the DESSA can be used throughout the school year to monitor student’s progress in acquiring social and emotional competence. This information can be used to help inform and adjust instruction. It is recommended that DESSA-mini and DESSA ratings are spaced by at least 60-90 days between administrations.

For students who were in the Typical or Strength range on the Universal Screening:
An alternate form of the DESSA-mini may be used to monitor students' progress in acquiring social-emotional competence. This is optional.

For students who were in the Need for Instruction range on the Universal Screening:
An alternate form of the DESSA-mini or the DESSA may be used to monitor students' progress and adjust targeted instruction as needed.

Continuation of Social and Emotional Instruction: Social and emotional instruction is continued for students at the universal and targeted levels.

End of Year Ratings

For students who were in the Typical or Strength range, an alternate form of DESSA-mini can be used to evaluate change (growth) in social and emotional competence across the year. 

For students who were in the Need for Instruction range, a follow-up DESSA can be used to evaluate change (growth) in both overall social and emotional competence and in the specific social and emotional competencies across the year.