Planning a SEI YV Project

Ethical Use

The Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence Assessment – Youth Version, or SEI-YV for short, is a Level B psychometric assessment, which means misuse can be harmful. Please read and comply with the American Psychological Association standards for ethical use of assessments: http://www.apa.org/ethics/code2002.html#9 and see section 9 (Assessments)

Certified SEI-YV Users will use the assessment to assist youth to be more effective and healthy. To do so, they need the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to do so effectively. These include:

Knowledge:

Psychometrics --

• Strengths and limitations of a self-report tool.

• SEI-YV factor structure (Cronbach’s alpha and inter-scale

  correlations).

• Predictive validity.

Ethical Use --

• In the case where an individual report will be generated, the test- taker’s guardians will need to give informed consent prior to use of the tool; this should include the purpose of taking the SEI-YV and the way the data will be used.

• Test takers who receive individual reports will not be asked to nor pressured to reveal or discuss their scores to anyone other than the Certified SEI-YV Assessor who is debriefing them.

• SEI-YV reports and data will be kept confidential or in accord with the agreement with the test taker and/or guardian.

• ❐ The feedback report will only be provided to youth, teachers, or parents in the context of a debriefing session by a qualified SEI-YV Assessor.

Attitudes:

• Respectful of individuals

• Compassionate about feelings

• Demonstrate curiosity and encouragement

Skills:

• Set up and administer SEI-YV Interpret SEI-YV profiles
• Individual debrief dialogue providing useful questions and suggestions
• Present SEI-YV model and purpose to groups

Certification:

Do not use the SEI YV unless you have been instructed in the knowledge, attitudes, and skills outlined above, and you understand the conditions for appropriate use. Use of the SEI-YV indicates your acceptance of these standards.

Using the SEI-YV In Research

The SEI-YV is well suited to use in research. Examples include validating program effectiveness, determining the significance of emotional intelligence, or correlating emotional intelligence with other factors.

Only certified SEI Assessors are allowed to have access to an individual’s report, and individuals who receive reports need some form of debrief by a Certified Assessor.

The SEI-YV is often administered in a school/classroom environment in which both certification and experience are needed to handle the group report and feedback. Therefore, four options are available to facilitate the SEI-YV:

1. Research Only

• Data is collected from administration of SEI-YV. Each group or classroom is set up as a unique project to facilitate comparisons (e.g., intervention and control groups, or pre- and post-intervention groups).

• A scored dataset is provided for each project.

• In this instance, no individual or classroom reports are generated,

  making it unnecessary for the researcher to be certified.

• This option requires the least financial investment and time.

2. Selected Group Reports

• Data is collected from administration of the SEI-YVs. Each group or classroom is set up as a unique project to facilitate comparisons.

• A scored dataset is provided for each project.

• Classroom reports are generated for some or all classrooms/groups.

• Selected classroom teachers are debriefed on the group report by a Six Seconds Certified Assessor. This feedback guides instruction, helping the teacher understand the EQ needs of his or her class.

3. Selected Group and Individual Reports

• Data is collected from administration of SEI-YVs. Each group or classroom is set up as a unique project to facilitate comparisons.

• A scored dataset is provided for each project.

• As above, some or all group reports are created, and debriefed with the teachers by a Certified Assessor.

• Selected individual youth reports are created. These can be used by a Certified Assessor in counseling, parent conferences, IEPs, etc.

4. Complete Reporting

• Data is collected from administration of SEI-YVs. Each group or classroom is set up as a unique project to facilitate comparisons.

• A scored dataset is provided for each project.

• Group reports are created for each classroom, and Certified Assessors facilitate a debriefing with each teacher.

• Individual test takers (each child/student) receive an individual report, which is debriefed by a Certified Assessor. This can also be shared 1:1 with parents.

• Facilitation can be managed in a group setting using the “Feeling Smart” curriculum. In this case, students are told that if they have questions, then they can have a 1:1 discussion about their feedback.

•  Individual debriefs can be conducted in individual conferences, such as student-parent-teacher conferences.

• This option requires a large number of people to be certified in order to manage the process from start to finish. Typically teachers are trained to be Certified Assessors in order to use the tool in their own classrooms.

Using the SEI-YV with a School or Group

To use the SEI-YV, consider these three stages:
1. Pre-Administration – prepare for the process
2. SEI-YV Administration – have students take the questionnaire 3. Debrief – make use of the data

Details for each stage are below, followed by several additional recommendations.

1. Pre-Administration

• Determine which classes or groups will participate and how the reports will be utilized. See the “Using the SEI-YV for Research” section above for suggestions on various ways the reports can be managed.
  • Ideally, all students from 7 years old will participate on an annual basis.
  • To reduce time and costs, some schools use the SEI-YV in alternate grades (e.g., grades 3 and 5).
  • Note: For younger students, an adult can complete a “perspective Youth Version” (pYV) providing the adult’s perspective on the child (this can be a parent, teacher, counselor, etc). In this case, a similar process to below is followed, but the adult answers based on her/his perspective about the child.
  • Ascertain if school or district permission is necessary for group assessment. Send home and receive permission slips.
  • Consider who will manage the assessment administration. It is essential that the administrator is someone who will not overly influence the students’ responses. S/he must be able to supportively answer questions in a neutral way. Students will often look to the adult for cues about the “right” answer.

• Have a classroom discussion with students regarding:

  •  The number of questions in the assessment
  • The idea that the results are a “snapshot in time” and can/will change based on circumstance
  • That there are no right or wrong answers
  • Not spending too much time on any one question, just answering with your 'gut'
  • It’s okay if some questions sound the same
  • Clarify how to use a “Likert-like” scale where 1 represents the lowest level of agreement, and 5 the highest.
  • Encourage them to ask questions if something is confusing, like words they don't recognize, etc.

• Create a SEI-YV project for each classroom or group using the Tools Intranet (see elsewhere in this manual for instructions). It is helpful for tracking, group reports, and future comparisons, to use a standardized format for your projects. For example, for administration in Fall of 2012 for Mr. Johnson’s 2nd grade: “2012 Fall - Grade 2 - Johnson”

• When preparing to administer for a whole school, create a list of every classroom to be included, and then copy/paste the “Public Link” code for each project into the list so you have a clear organization of the access URL for each project.

2. Administration

Administer using online or paper

•   Online: The Certified Assessor creates a project (see elsewhere in this manual). Each computer in the room can be pre-loaded with that URL open on the web browser.

•   Paper: Download here

o After students have completed the questionnaire on paper, the Certified Assessor must log into the Intranet and enter each questionnaire into the system. This will be very time consuming and should only be considered if there are no internet connected devices.

o Log into https://tools.6seconds.org/

o ClickSEI,thengotoSEI-YVProjects.
o If you have not created the project, do so. In the project list, look

for the green Easy Load icon on the far right:

Clicking the Easy Load icon will open a blank questionnaire, copy the answers from the paper questionnaire into the online system. Now data and reports can be managed as usual.

 It typically takes 30-45 minutes for a class to take the SEI-YV. Younger students might need to take a break.

3. Debrief

Depending on the needs and resources, the SEI-YV can be utilized in many ways. Ideally, the feedback will be used with whole school, for each classroom, and for individual students:

Whole School: Request a group report for the total school (email Tools@6seconds.org with the list of all projects in the school). Or, use the individual classroom group reports if there is a manageable number.

 Discuss the group report with the school leadership / administration.  What challenges and opportunities are revealed?

•   What current behaviors among students can be linked to areas of relative strength and weakness?

•   How does the current group profile reflect the school’s goals and vision? What strengths can be utilized, what weaknesses are important to address?

•   Create a summary of the school-wide EQ goals and communicate with all faculty, as well as parents and students.

  Whole Classroom: Request a group report from Tools@6seconds.org identifying the Certified Assessor’s name and project name(s).

•   Meet with teacher to discuss results. Allow teacher to guide the conversation about student needs. Help the teacher understand her classroom and the range of scores in each of the eight competencies.

•   Coach teacher on effective ways to use the data:

•   Compare areas of relative strength and weakness.

•   Identify examples of how student behavior is linked to EQ competencies.

•   Explain that using strengths is a tool when you are working on weaker areas.

•   Plan SEL lessons and discussions where the group, on average, scored higher. Then continue into areas where the group scored lower. A variety of curricula are available in the EQ store online and in the Six Seconds lesson library (www.6seconds.org)

•   As mentioned below in Additional Recommendations, this process is even more effective if the teacher has also taken the Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence Assessment (SEI).

  
  

Individual Youth: Download reports as needed from the Tools Intranet (click SEI, and under SEI-YV, choose Reports and search. Or, choose Projects, select the project, then click the link showing the number of respondents in the project. This will open a list of all the individuals in the project. Click on the PDF icon to open each report).

 All students: ideally every teacher as well as school counselor, social worker, or school psychologist is SEI-YV certified and can contribute to whole classroom debriefing and curricular instruction as well as work with students in small groups and individually.

o The SEI-YV can become part of the curriculum. The “Feeling Smart” curriculum is designed to support this process. Additional curricula such as Self-Science are available on the website. Individual students can then request a private conversation with the teacher if they have additional questions.

o The SEI-YV can be debriefed in 1-1 conversations; just as some teachers meet children individually for reading assessments, they can have brief discussions with each student about the SEI-YV report and her/his EQ goals for the year.

o It is effective to use the SEI-YV report in a student-parent-teacher conference. The “Life Barometers” model in the SEI-YV provides a structure to focus the conversation on many aspects of the child’s development. The student, parent(s), and teacher(s) can all consider goals for this student in light of these critical ingredients for success. If the parent(s) have also taken the SEI, that information can be used in this session as well.

 Selected students: Individual reports can be generated as needed.

o If there are specific individuals in a group with whom a teacher needs additional dialogue, or where specific feedback will be valuable, the Certified Assessor can download the report and review with the teacher, or the teacher and child (or teacher, child, parents, etc.).

o For children involved in counseling, working with a learning specialist, or where an Individual Educational Plan is being developed, the Certified Assessor can assist by bringing the important data from the SEI-YV into these processes.

Additional Recommendations for Schools and Groups

When using the SEI-YV with a school or group, consider how the Certified Assessor can support other educators and students with their SEI-YVs.

Three ways to follow up based on comfort level of teacher and available resources and time:

1. Go into classroom to model exercises as 'expert'
2. Provide exercises and train the teacher on how to do them 3. Have teacher do all the planning and intervention

Introduce “Feeling Smart” and other curricula as a process for following up on the SEI-YV. Discuss with teacher creative ways to pair or group kids during debrief and implementation exercises. Examples:

 Pair students who are strong in a competency with those who are weak in that area.

•   Invite students who are strong in a competency to role model those strengths.

•   Group students who are strong in a competency to teach that competency to the class.

•   Discuss the Self-Science process and include curriculum-based interventions.

•   Offer specialized “workshops” around teachers’ schedule (at lunchtime, P.E. etc.) in order to demonstrate some classroom exercises that could help strengthen a competency for the group.

•   Plan to deliver the SEI-YV again at regular intervals (yearly, beginning and end of school year, after the completion of key elements of the program, etc.) We recommend at least 30 days between assessments.

•   Have the teacher take the SEI in order to be able to compare strengths and weaknesses with those of his or her class. This provides a much deeper discussion of the classroom group report, because it allows the teacher to see that there may be some areas of his/her strength that can be particularly valuable for this group, and potential areas of weakness that could undermine the group’s development.

Using the SEI-YV with Individual Youth and Families

Please review the recommendations for research and school use. Many of the same guidelines apply. Again, there are three stages to the implementation:

1. Pre-Administration – prepare the child and/or family

2. Administer the SEI-YV – have the child and/or family complete the assessment

3. Debrief – utilize the data

Details on each stage follow:

1. Pre-Administration

• Explain administration process to the family.

• If necessary, have consent form signed by parents and assent form

  signed by youth.

• Discuss the assessment with youth. Address the following;

o The number of questions in the assessment
o The idea that the results are a snapshot in time and can/will

change based on circumstance

o That there are no right or wrong answers

o Not spending too much time on any one question, just answering with a 'gut' or intuitive response

o It’sokayifsomequestionssoundthesame
o A“Likert-like”scalewhere1representsthelowestlevelof

agreement, and 5 the highest

o Theimportanceofaskingquestionsifsomethingisconfusing, such as words students are not able to recognize, etc.

• Create a SEI-YV project using the Tools Intranet (see elsewhere in this manual for instructions). It may be useful to create one project for individual coaching/training, and put all clients into this one project.

• If a parent/caregiver will be in the room when the assessment is done, discuss his or her role. Especially with younger children, adults will often be tempted to “help” by providing their perspective on questions when the child is uncertain. It’s important for the adults to supportively answer questions with a neutral tone and actively avoid directing the child to a particular answer.

2. Administration

• Administer using online or paper version (see instructions above).

• The SEI-YV takes approximately 20-30 minutes for most youth. Younger students might need to take a break.

3. Debrief

Review the individual debriefing process below. Depending on the scope of the assignment, the debrief will take various forms:

• Debrief may be conducted with the youth individually.

• Debrief may be conducted with the youth and parent(s) together or some

  combination thereof.

• Debrief may be conducted over a series of meetings.

  Often when using the SEI-YV with a family, it will be useful for the parent(s) or caregiver(s) to take the SEI adult version. This creates an opportunity to discuss the dynamics of the family and the way family members can best support one another to reach their goals.

  
  

Considerations about the debrief:

• This process can be conducted in-person or by telephone (or Skype).
• In some cases, when working with older youth, the Assessor may suggest to the parents that the youth may be debriefed first by themselves, and then have the parents join in on the debrief to allow the youth to share what they learned about themselves.
• Parents have the option to see the assessment before the debrief, if interested.
• It is recommended that the first few times that you debrief you have careful preparation to review the scales and meanings.
• It is helpful to have the youth’s report in front of you for reference.
• Preparing an analysis of the combinations of competencies enables the debrief to be rich with insights and suggestions for growth.

6. Debriefing the SEI-YV

Whether you are using the SEI-YV in a classroom, program, or with individuals, this six- step process for SEI-YV Assessors will help the youth and teachers/parents understand the assessment and move into action.

This process is intended as a guide. The debrief should be a natural conversation that flows with the youth’s needs and the Assessor’s insight.

The steps of a typical debrief will include:

1. Set the Context
2. Taking Stock
3. EQ Profile
4. Focus On Strengths

5. Encourage Action

6. Close

Details of each step are below.

1. Set the Context

a) Clarify Agreements

Ensure that all the people involved have a shared understanding of the process:

• What is the purpose of the child taking the SEI-YV and of this discussion?
• Who will hear about the assessment results?

• What is the scope of the conversation?

b) Engage the Youth

Begin with some general, open questions to invite the youth to begin sharing. The purpose is to put her/him at ease, and also to get a sense of her/his current level of understanding. Examples include:

o What does emotional intelligence mean to you?
o What do you think you do well? What do you think your strengths are?

o If you could make one change in your life, what would it be? Why? Do you feel you have the power to do that?

c) Introduce the SEI-YV

• The SEI-YV measures eight competencies of emotional intelligence in a context of five life barometers.

• It is a self-report tool, so results depend on how the individual understood and answered questions.

• The SEI-YV provides a “snapshot” for understanding the student’s competencies and needs. It is not the whole truth, but rather part of the story; it is part of the process of meaning-making that aids the youth’s development. The purpose of this feedback is to support the youth to achieve long-term success.

• All the areas measured by the SEI-YV can be developed and improved, and brought into more balance, if needed.

  
  

d) Offer These Key Points/reminders

• It is okay to ask questions about anything you do not understand.

• EQ skills are learnable.

• Focusing on individual strengths is important because those strengths are the resources that will most quickly facilitate any actions chosen by the individual.

2. Taking Stock

On pages three of the SEI-YV report, the graphic of the Life Barometers appears (shown to the right). Turn to this page and discuss the five Barometers.

a) Define the Barometers

Depending on the age of the youth, it may be helpful to give
a one-line definition of each Barometer, and/or to provide page four of the report as a reference. Note that on page four there is a simple, concise description of each barometer in italics; the Barometers are:

b) Review the Barometer Scores

Turn to page five of the report and the graph titled, “Your Barometers of Life.” Point out that the graph shows the five Barometers you’ve been discussing. Show the youth the scale across the bottom, starting with the middle, “Like Most Youth.” The “average” young person scores in this range. If the scores are a great deal lower, OR a great deal higher, the youth could be experiencing challenges in this area.

Depending on the age of the child, and the amount of experience the child has had with bar graphs, point out the scores on each Barometer using neutral terminology. Just make observations, such as: “You scored yourself ‘like most youth’ in Good Health” or “Your scores in Relationship Quality land in the ‘challenge’ area.”

Next, ask the child about these Barometers:

• Ask if the youth’s perception matches the scores.

• Ask the youth what he/she notices are his/her strengths.

• Maintain a focus on curiosity and discovery:

o “Does this match your view of yourself?”

o “Why might that be?”
• Next, focus on areas to improve:

o “Are there any of these that you want to increase?” o “What might happen if you did that?”
o “What might happen if you did not change this?”

c) Shift to EQ

Explain that we know from research and experience that one of the key drivers of these Barometers is emotional intelligence. In other words, if you want to maintain or improve any Barometer, emotional intelligence skills can help with that.

Explain that since emotional intelligence skills are learnable, they provide a powerful tool for the youth to change selected Barometers and/or to maintain those that are strong.

3. EQ Profile

a) KCG

Briefly introduce the terms Know Yourself, Choose Yourself, and Give Yourself. Use the definitions on page six of the report.

Point out the color code of the three pursuits (blue, red, green).

Turn to page seven (and keep page six beside it for reference). Point out that the graph follows the same structure as the Life Barometers.

Discuss the questions at the bottom of page seven, with statements and questions such as:

“The bars lying in the area of ‘Above most’ are desirable, together with a balance between the three different pursuits. An extremely high or low score may be seen as a challenge for you.”

1. Notice your Total EQ. Is this high? Is this low? Is this too high or too low? 2. Is the score for Know Yourself higher than the scores for Choose

Yourself or Give Yourself? What is the balance between K-C-G? 3. Is your profile what you expected? Why, or why not?

b) Eight Competencies

On page eight, very briefly point out the graphic, and be sure the youth understands that inside each part of KCG model, there are several competencies (or skills). It may be useful to set pages eight and nine out for reference; then, turn to the graph on page ten.

Ask the youth for his/her first impressions: “What do you notice as you look at the graph?”

Share some of your impressions, for example:

• “I notice your Apply Consequential Thinking score is higher than your Exercise Optimism score.”

• “I notice several of the scores are in the ‘Challenge’ area, and several are in the ‘Like Most Youth’ area.”

• “According to this graph, your highest score is in Increase Empathy.”

c) More Details

Either:

• Provide a one-line definition of each competency, or

• Ask the youth to explain what s/he thinks each means, or

• Ask the youth which competency s/he would like to discuss first and

  briefly define that competency together. Explore the scales.

• Ask where the youth agrees or disagrees with the scores reported in this SEI-YV profile.

• Questions to ask:

  
  

o “Which are one or two strengths?”

o “Which are one or two challenges?”

o “Is your profile what you expected?” For each scale discussed, ask the youth to consider the impact of this competence. For example: “How might higher optimism help you in your life?”

d) Consider Combinations

Point out the largest gaps – areas where one score is notably higher or lower than another. Using your insights (and the guide from earlier in this manual), discuss any combinations that stand out.

4. Focus on Strengths

Six Seconds believes that people make the most change when they engage and utilize their strengths. While people often focus first on the weaknesses, encourage the youth to reflect on individual strengths and discuss how to use these to address areas for development.

• Ask the youth which of the five barometers are her/his strengths? o Share with the youth that we know that strength in EQ

competencies helps develop life outcomes or life barometers. • Ask the youth which of the 8 competencies are her/his strengths?

o Encourage the youth to consider how to use individual strengths even more effectively. “What are some ways you use this strength?

What would it look like and feel like to use the strength even more powerfully?”

5. Encourage Action

One goal of the SEI-YV is to help youth improve their lives. Awareness is not enough - change comes from action! Simple actions can be very powerful. Just one small change can unlock a lot of growth.

See pages 13, 14, and 15 of the SEI-YV report for guidance. Note the small worksheet on page 13 for goal setting. The EQ Yardstick can be especially effective if the youth has identified (in step 2 of this process) the Barometers where s/he wants to make change.

Focus on specifics. Address the following:
o Is there one area you would like to develop?
o Is there a Life Barometer you would like to develop?
o Or is there an EQ competency you would like to improve?

• Identify next step(s). Ask:
o How might someone go about achieving that?

• Clarify vision. Consider:
o How will you know you succeeded?

• Check commitment
o How will you monitor your progress?

o The Expectancy Theory (by Victor Vroom), can be used to assess motivation by using these three questions:

•  How important is the goal?
•  How clear is the path that will lead to achieving the goal? 
•  How much do you believe you can follow this path?

• Offer support

o Would you like me to follow-up with you about this? o Ensure youth is not only focused on low areas.

6. Close

• Ask youth to recap any next steps or commitments that have been made.

• Express your appreciation for the youth and adults in youth’s life and

  their willingness to discuss this with you.

  Debrief Best Practices

  Keep these practices in mind as you debrief the SEI-YV. Context Setting (<5 min)

  A. Safety: Feelings of safety and trust are paramount. Welcome the client to the conversation, say something to express your appreciation and support.

  B. Privacy: Be clear about who is going to get this information and in what manner. For example, the Assessor might say that the conversation we

  are having will be “just between us,” but I will share a summary with your parents. Always encourage communication with parents to share highlights of the summary, and emphasize that the discussion is not a “secret.” In some cases, it may be beneficial to debrief first with the youth alone, and then have the youth bring parents in and explain the results in his/her own words.

  C. Purpose: Ask the youth what s/he wants out of this process.

  D. Scope: Identify the length of time you will be talking, and if this is part of a series, the overall scope.

  E. Snapshot: Remind the student this SEI-YV provides a snapshot based on the way they answered the SEI-YV items. The SEI-YV provides data for discussion.

  F. Goal: Scores are not the same thing as competencies. The scores are objective and external – they are on the graph; the competencies live within the child. The goal is not to raise scores, but to increase competence.