We’ve made several updates to the Second Step Elementary digital program based on educator feedback and classroom needs. Our goal is simple: to help educators, leaders, and districts support the development of human skills in real classrooms—without adding stress, extra tools, or steep learning curves.
Every update this year is designed to remove barriers so it’s easier for you to make a difference. Below, you’ll find a summary of what’s new for the 2025–26 school year.
K–5 Program Updates
What updates are coming to Grade 4? We’ve refreshed all Grade 4 Unit 1 lessons to better align with student developmental needs and reflect updated instructional practices.
Why this matters: Educators can expect clearer, more relevant content that improves student engagement and helps students strengthen foundational human skills with confidence.
Are there any new lessons in Grade 5?
Yes. Grade 5 Unit 1 will feature entirely new lessons designed to help students transition into middle school by focusing on real-life challenges and emotional development.
Why this matters: These lessons support emotional intelligence and decision-making at a critical academic stage.
Will there be new videos for Grade 5?
Yes, we’re introducing a new Grade 5 video series featuring the characters Kana and Earl.
Why this matters: These videos bring core lesson concepts to life through relatable storytelling, improving comprehension and student connection.
Middle School Program Updates
What new lessons are being added to the middle school program?
- Grade 7 Unit 1 will include six new lessons on identity, emotion regulation, and relationship-building.
- Grade 8 Unit 1 will include six new lessons focused on responsibility and future planning.
- A set of three new introductory lessons will be available across all grades to help establish classroom expectations and foster inclusion.
Why this matters: These updates support student development through adolescence and help educators build stronger classroom climate from day one.
What supports are being added for educators?
- Thirty-three new educator-facing lesson plans, including new lesson plans for Unit 2, will be available to enhance structure and instructional support.
- Six new videos designed specifically for middle school students will help boost engagement through real-world scenarios and authentic student voices.
Why this matters: These resources make lesson delivery easier and more impactful while saving time and improving implementation fidelity.
K–8 Support Materials Updates
Are there updates to planning and support documents?
- Unit Plans will be revised to reflect the new content structure and improve skill progression.
- Scope and sequence documents will provide clearer vertical alignment and learning pathways.
- Lesson plans and student handouts will be refreshed for greater clarity and accessibility.
Why this matters: These updates make teaching easier and ensure instructional alignment across classrooms and grade levels.
How are family engagement materials being improved?
Family communications have been rewritten for clarity and are now easier to share.
Why this matters: These updates help caregivers stay connected and reinforce learning beyond the classroom.
Implementation Enhancements
This year, we’ve focused on giving leaders tools that build buy-in with staff and increase staff capacity to teach Second Step lessons, which lead to higher program fidelity, ultimately driving better outcomes for your students.
First, we’ve reimagined the planning experience, with more automated guidance to support you when preparing to launch the program. Then, when you kick off the program at your school, you’ll have an improved All-Staff Program Kick-Off presentation with new videos and a brand-new all-staff check-in presentation for returning schools to focus on providing updates on goals and expectations.
Teachers have a revised training experience to build their motivation and capacity. You’ll also have better tools to monitor their progress and understand how ready your school is to start teaching.
All of these changes are designed to support you every step of the way, using proven strategies to ensure your team is prepared and engaged—all with the goal of helping you achieve positive outcomes for your students.
Planning Simplified
What’s New
- Streamlined steps: The planning process is broken into clear, actionable steps to help you focus on the most effective strategies for implementing Second Step programs.
- Integrated workflow: Use the guided workflow to document planning decisions directly in the Second Step Leader Dashboard. Everything is in one place, making it easy to track progress and keep all your building leaders aligned.
- Staff buy-in: The process emphasizes communicating the “why” behind the program and aligning on shared goals. Schools that use these strategies often face fewer barriers to successful implementation.1, 2
How It Works
Building leaders will prepare to launch and kick off Second Step programs at their school by:
- Setting a purpose: Choose from our examples or create your own. Staff will see the “why” behind the program displayed on their My Programs page.
- Setting goals: Use our SMART goal template to make tracking program usage simple and to make outcomes achievable.
- Adding broader goals: Reflect your school’s unique priorities by adding additional goals, visible on the Leader Dashboard for easy tracking.
- Setting a start date: Enter the program’s start date to help monitor progress and keep everyone aligned.
- Kicking off the program: Use our revised All-Staff Program Kick-Off presentation if your school is using Second Step programs for this first time, or use our brand-new all-staff check-in presentation to level set goals and re-establish expectations with returning staff.
Improve the Quality of Teacher Engagement
What’s New
- Content tracking: Training is tailored to staff role, with dedicated paths for lesson instructors and non-teaching staff so they get the information they need to succeed.
- Revised structure: The content has been reorganized to spark excitement about the possibilities with Second Step programs and enable lesson instructors to confidently start teaching lessons.
- New “What is Second Step” video: Hear real stories from teachers and students about the impact of Second Step programs, inspiring staff to complete training and start teaching.
- Easy access to additional teacher supports: To address common priorities for lesson instructors, training now includes direct links to essential resources offering guidance on managing classroom behavior and building a positive classroom climate.
- Simplified navigation: Training is prominently displayed on the My Programs page, giving new staff quick and easy access to what they need to build a strong foundation for success.
How It Works
Staff will log in and respond to two prompts about their use of the Second Step program.
- Program role: Staff choose whether they will be teaching the program to students or supporting the program as a non-teaching staff member.
- Level of experience: Staff specify how much experience they have with the program so that newer staff will be encouraged to complete training. Returning staff will have access to training, but it will be less prominent on their My Programs page.
- Completing training: Staff can then go through the relevant self-paced training and mark it complete once they’re done.
Leaders will support staff by:
- Reviewing training: Refresh your knowledge of crucial program components to reinforce a consistent message with your staff.
- Monitoring completion: Use reports on the Leader Dashboard later this summer to ensure new staff are completing training and starting the year strong.
Systemwide Enhancements
What does the language shift from “SEL” to “human skills” mean?
We’ve updated all product language from “social-emotional learning (SEL)” to “human skills.”
Why this matters: Human skills are building blocks students need to achieve goals, overcome obstacles, and form meaningful relationships. These skills are essential for academic achievement, workforce readiness, digital well-being, and conflict management. Second Step programs help kids develop the human skills necessary to thrive in the classroom and beyond. This shift reflects the real-world importance of these competencies and strengthens relevance for all audiences—educators, students, and families.
Are there updates to alignment resources?
We’ve added or revised 15 standards alignment charts to help connect our human skills content to local, state, and national standards. Visit our alignment charts page to learn more.
Why this matters: Easier alignment supports district accountability and helps schools access funding tied to state mandates.
2025–26 General Program Updates for Second Step® K–12 Digital Programs FAQ
References
1. Thierry, K. L., Kim, T. E., Page, A., Randall, H. (2023). School leader engagement in strategies to support effective implementation of an SEL program. Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice & Policy, 2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sel.2023.100020
2. Scaccia, J. P., Cook, B. S., Lamont, A., Wandersman, A., Castellow, J., Katz, J., & Beidas, R.S. (2015). A practical implementation science heuristic for organizational readiness: R = MC2. Journal of Community Psychology, 43(4), 484–501. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.21698