How easy is it for your teachers to get online, or to obtain and maintain physical materials? The digital program provides fully digital delivery of lessons and online access to resources. Classroom kits provide physical teaching materials, along with access to media and resources online.
Are you considering moving from a counselor-led implementation to a more schoolwide, teacher-led implementation? A single schoolwide digital program license provides all-staff access. For schools transitioning to a schoolwide implementation, there’s an opportunity to purchase one digital program license instead of providing each classroom with physical materials. Expanding a classroom kit implementation for schoolwide or districtwide implementation requires the purchase of additional kits.
Both programs build a foundation for a positive, inclusive culture through developing social-emotional competencies, which include perspective-taking, empathy, processing emotions, understanding and resolving conflicts, and building positive relationships. Lessons and media included in the digital program were created recently and published in 2021. The program was built in close consultation with culturally responsive teaching advisors. Testing, feedback, and continued advisement will allow for cultural relevance updates to the program over time. Classroom kits are print-based, with lesson cards and videos published and updated between 2011 and 2020. As such, the print-based program’s representations are not as recent as those in the digital program.
Are you looking for additional language supports? In the digital program, all lesson materials for all grades—including a Family Letter, Home Links, and weekly family communications—are available in Spanish. All family communications are also included in Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Korean, Russian, Somali, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. Classroom kits include Spanish-language lesson scripts for all lessons in all grades, Spanish-language Family Letters, and online songs and videos for Grades K–3. Spanish-language lesson DVDs, music CDs, and posters are also available for purchase.
The digital program and classroom kits are inherently different in the ways content can be updated. The digital program reflects up-to-date research and content, and can be continuously improved based on feedback and new learnings from research in the field. It also provides visibility to leaders on lesson progress, offering the potential for increased effectiveness. Classroom kits are a one-time purchase. Given the physical nature of the product, it is not continuously improved upon.
Your cost for each option will vary based on your school or district’s size and needs. The digital program is subscription-based and purchased as a one-, three-, or five-year license. A schoolwide license serves all staff at a school and provides access to Second Step Elementary for Lower Schools, as well as Second Step® Middle School, for any combination of Grades K–8. Classroom kits are purchased classroom by classroom and are a one-time purchase of physical materials.