iLEAD IN THE NEWS

The iLEAD team believes that teaching the "heart" is as important as teaching the "mind". This is why the school has a strong emphasis on Social/Emotional learning.  We believe that 

students who can self-regulate are better able to participate in and benefit from classroom instruction. We also know that having empathy prepares students to manage their own strong emotions and solve interpersonal problems with others. Students who practice emotion management by recognizing strong emotions and calming down, cope better and are less prone to aggressive behaviors. And when students use problem-solving skills to handle interpersonal conflicts with peers, they are less likely to engage in impulsive or aggressive behaviors. At iLEAD Lancaster each day we teach social-emotional learning which promotes students' school success and connectedness and contributes toward a safe and respectful school climate. It also helps prevent problem behaviors, peer rejection, impulsivity, and low academic achievement. 

Here is some research that supports our decision to teach social/emotional learning (SEL) skills:

• Students who participate in SEL programs have grade point averages that are 11 percent higher than their peers (Zins, Weissberg, Wang, & Walberg, 2004).
• Students who participate in SEL programs score higher on standardized tests (Payton et al., 2008).
• Students who participate in SEL programs are less likely to engage in high-risk behaviors that interfere with learning, such as violence and drug and alcohol use (Hawkins et al., 1997).
• Schools that teach SEL have fewer suspensions and expulsions and better student attendance (Dymnicki, 2007)