What’s happening?
Lesson materials in the Second Step Elementary digital program were updated on June 24, along with a full class reset (for more about the class reset, visit Annual Class, Training, and Reporting Reset FAQs—June 2022).
Lesson updates are scheduled to coincide with the end of the school year to minimize interference during times when they are actively being taught, but updates that are not lesson-specific also happen throughout the year—for example, to add new supplemental or reinforcement resources to the program. The following includes updates previously made during the 2021–2022 school year, updates made on June 24, and updates that are expected this summer and fall for the 2022–2023 school year.
Why are you updating the Second Step® Elementary digital program?
Our digital format allows us to capture more feedback and make updates more frequently than with physical, printed programs. The extent of the improvements depends on the availability of new research about the topics we cover, client feedback, and our longer-term program improvement plans. Learn more about the dynamics and priorities behind this year’s annual refresh from Director of Program Management Rachel Kamb in this interview-style blog post.
What resources were added during the 2021–2022 school year?
The following resources were added to the Second Step Elementary digital program during the 2021–2022 school year:
- Quick Start Guides were added to each unit to streamline lesson preparation.
- Home Links were added to each unit to help educators easily communicate with families and caregivers about what their child is learning at school.
- Printable poster PDFs were added for educators to display and reinforce program concepts.
- Spanish-language materials were added, including lesson presentations, Lesson Plans, Student Handouts, as well as family communications such as Home Links, the Program Overview Family Letter, the Open House Presentation, and the Open House Flyer.
- Translated family communications, including the Open House Flyer and Open House Presentation, were added in Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Korean, Russian, Somali, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.
What was included in the June 24, 2022 update?
We made several updates on June 24, 2022 for the 2022-2023 school year:
- A new “mark complete” option appears as users navigate to the final slide of lessons to enable more accurate reporting of completed lessons.
- To make providing feedback easier, each lesson has a new final slide that prompts users to take an End-of-Lesson Survey.
- Navigation improvements make training and implementation resources easier to find.
- To improve video accessibility, extended audio descriptions and transcripts were added to all lesson videos.
- The All-Staff Overview Presentation was revised to include additional flexible delivery options.
- Lanyards and pre-printed posters aligned with the Second Step Elementary digital program are available for sale in our online store.
- Language and image updates were made to some lessons to clarify language and support lesson objectives.*
- Translated Home Links were added in Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Korean, Russian, Somali, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.
- Classes were reset for a clean start to the 2022–2023 school year.
*For more details about specific changes to lesson materials, please refer to the Program Update article in the program (under Program Supports).
What other back-to-school updates are coming after June 24?
Substantial additions to the program’s supplemental and reinforcement resources are coming:
- In the fall, a library of Mind Yeti® audio mindfulness sessions will be added to the program. Educators can sprinkle these supplemental activities throughout the day to help kids focus, feel calm, and practice kindness toward themselves and others.
- In the fall, updates to reporting will be made to add more options to view usage data.
- During the school year, a selection of songs will be added to give educators more reinforcement activities to choose from.
How will the Second Step® Elementary digital program updates affect teachers?
Teachers may wish to give themselves some additional time when first logging in after June 24 to:
- Set up new classes
- Review updated training and support materials
- Review the lessons
As always, we suggest teachers prepare in advance.
- Before teaching a new unit:
- Watch the Quick Start Guide video
- Read the Unit Plan
- Before teaching a lesson:
- Read the Lesson Plan and Prep & Extend
- Preview the lesson presentations and watch any videos
- Print out copies of any Student Handouts or prepare them for online distribution
The lessons are designed to draw on students’ life experiences while helping them understand new concepts and develop new skills. Teaching the full lesson will set students up to meet that lesson’s learning objective. Teachers can and should make adaptations to lessons to best suit their students’ needs, as long as these adaptations align with the lesson objective and preserve the overall intention of the lesson.
How do I share my idea for a great lesson adaptation?
Tell us about it! You can find a link to a survey when you mark a lesson complete.
What is the class reset, and how do I prepare for it?
On Friday, June 24, 2022 the Second Step Middle School digital program went through a class reset, in which all current classes were deleted from the program and are longer be accessible. Any classes you create after June 25, 2022 will be available for the 2022–2023 school year, unless you intentionally delete them.
Class reset also affects Second Step Middle School and the online trainings for the Bullying Prevention and Child Protection Units. For more information on the class reset, visit Annual Class, Training, and Reporting Reset FAQs—June 2022.
What updates are coming for other Second Step® programs in 2022–2023?
Visit Second Step® Middle School Digital Program Updates for the 2022–2023 School Year
Visit Second Step® SEL for Adults Program Updates for the 2022–2023 School Year