Cultivating Safe, Supportive Schools & Communities: City School District of New Rochelle Partners with Rethink Ed to Roll Out New Learning Initiative

NEW YORK, Aug. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- With every new school year comes the promise of a new beginning: new academic subjects, new teachers, new classmates, new friends, and, of course, new opportunities to learn, grow, and develop.

And so it is for the students, teachers, administrators, and parents of the New Rochelle Public School district.

That's because the 2018-2019 school year is bringing with it an extended partnership with Rethink Ed and the implementation of Rethink Ed's Social and Emotional Learning Solution, designed to promote active learning, mutual respect, and well-being within the entire district, for all students.

"We couldn't be more excited to expand our six-year partnership with New Rochelle Public School District by implementing our comprehensive SEL Solution," says Diana Frezza, senior vice president of Education for Rethink Ed. "Not only is SEL scientifically linked to improved academic outcomes, it's shown to have a profound effect on increasing prosocial behavior and creating higher quality relationships. Ours is a comprehensive, first-of-its-kind SEL Solution for all learners, including the educators who teach them and the parents who support them."

Amy Goodman, Assistant Superintendent for Student Service, has her district keenly focused on SEL, or social and emotional learning.  SEL refers to evidence-based practices rooted in applied learning and rigorous social psychology. These practices underscore the why and how behind understanding, using, and managing emotions, which then leads to a whole host of positive changes academically, socially, and emotionally.

All human thoughts, actions, and behaviors?what we pay attention to, how we manage our time, the decisions we make, the way we feel about ourselves, how we treat others?are driven by emotions. Fundamental to Rethink Ed's SEL Solution is a series of interrelated social and emotional skills that support learning, promote development, improve achievement, and encourage connectedness. The results of successfully implementing a whole-community SEL Solution is remarkable: engaged learners, happier teachers, and socially healthy communities.

That, coupled with the district's prior work with Rethink Ed on training and support to the New Rochelle Special Education team and students, led the district to extend its partnership with the EdTech innovator and research-based content provider.

Naturally, the City School District of New Rochelle is equally excited about the extension of the alliance, says Amy Goodman, the district's interim assistant superintendent for Student Support Services.

"Not only does Rethink Ed's SEL Solution align with the national competencies set by CASEL," she says, "it extends and enhances the value of the work we're already doing in our Multi-Tiered System of Supports initiative. That means our Rethink Ed SEL initiative will touch all students, across all grades, in all our schools, as well as every administrator, educator, and parent."

Ms. Goodman adds "The advantage of implementing Rethink Ed's whole-community SEL Solution is that it helps advance the vision of district administration to foster cooperation and increase collaboration with Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) teams, principals, and community outreach."

"Rethink Ed's comprehensive, all-learners, whole-community approach to SEL complements the positive and forward direction this district is headed," says Goodman, "which is to create and sustain healthy and supportive school, family, and community environments."

About Rethink Ed

Rethink Ed combines the power of technology and research to deliver innovative, scalable, and evidence-based instructional materials that positively impact educators, students, and their families. With a comprehensive suite of tools, Rethink Ed ensures that every student develops the academic, behavioral, and social & emotional skills necessary to succeed in school, at work, and throughout life.

The City School District of New Rochelle
The City School District of New Rochelle works to provide a high-quality education for every child within a safe and nurturing environment. The District seeks to embrace its rich diversity, and to further student success in partnership with a dedicated team of parents, teachers, administrators, and staff.

SOURCE Rethink Ed