Naperville Community School District

Number of Students: 16,600

Number of Schools: 22

Naperville Community School District began thinking about how to prioritize student’s social and emotional needs in 2014. At that time, district staff began to conduct research and identify needs of the students and educators; identifying a SEL core team to take ownership of this work, and developing professional learning opportunities for staff. Over the next four years they increased their dedication. They developed their own SEL curriculum, developed a parent and community committee, and implemented professional learning for staff as well as an education series for parents. NCSD achieved full K-12 SEL implementation in the 2017-2018 school year. In 2018, NCSD’s Education Foundation awarded grants for 13 teacher projects in the SEL and STEM categories to continue their work. They are currently focused on gathering feedback on current initiatives and revising plans as needed. NCSD is optimistic that they will see increased academic achievement, positive school climate, rising student attendance and better use of appropriate coping skills from more kids. Additionally, the district provides SEL snapshots to parents to encourage students to apply these skills at home.

Learn more about NCSD’s social emotional learning initiatives here.