This FAQ has been updated to reflect completion of specific updates as of June 24, 2022.
What’s happening?
Lesson materials in the Second Step Middle School digital program will be 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 scheduled for June 24, and updates that are expected this summer and fall for the 2022–2023 school year.
Why are you updating Second Step® Middle School 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 Middle School digital program during the 2021–2022 school year:
- Spanish-language materials were added for Units 1 and 4, including lesson presentations, Lesson Plans, Student Handouts, as well as family communications for all units including family letters, the Open House Presentation, and the Open House Flyer.
- Translated family communications were added in Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Korean, Russian, Somali, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.
- Links to third-party resources were removed to ensure lesson content is stable and supports the lesson objective.
What will be included in the June 24, 2022 update?
As we look ahead to the 2022–2023 school year, we’re preparing some updates that will be available on June 24, 2022:
- The supplementary advisory activities will be updated, including some new and revised activities, as well as pairing at least one activity with each Second Step Middle School lesson. Aligned advisory activities will be found with each lesson in the Teach section so teachers can easily find lesson extension activities when they need them.
- Presentations have been streamlined to reduce the need for teachers to rely on Lesson Plans while teaching.
- A new “mark complete” option will appear as the user navigates to the final slide of lessons. This will enable more accurate reporting of completed lessons.
- To make providing feedback easier, each lesson will have a new final slide that prompts users to take an End-of-Lesson Survey.
- Spanish language materials for Units 1, 2, and 3 will be available, including lesson presentations, Lesson Plans, Student Handouts, and family communications. Unit 4 Spanish materials will be available in August 2022.
- Navigation improvements will make training and implementation resources easier to find.
- To improve video accessibility, extended audio descriptions and transcripts will be added to all lesson videos.
- The All-Staff Overview Presentation will be revised to include additional flexible delivery options.
- Language and image updates will be made to some lessons to clarify language and support lesson objectives.*
- Classes will be reset for a clean start to the 2022–2023 school year.
*For more details about specific changes to the lesson materials, please refer to the Program Update article in the program on June 24, 2022.
What other back-to-school updates are coming after June 24?
In the fall, updates to reporting will be made to add more options to view usage data.
How will the Second Step® Middle School 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
- Before teaching a lesson:
- Read the Lesson Plan
- 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 the Second Step Elementary digital program 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® Elementary Digital Program Updates for the 2022–2023 School Year
Visit Second Step® SEL for Adults Program Updates for the 2022–2023 School Year