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  • Educators Across the Country Find Value in Harmony SEL


    See what teachers and SEL implementers had to say in our latest broad usage survey.


    Since the inception of Harmony SEL, researchers have examined the benefits of our program in several studies (e.g., DeLay et al., 2016; Hanish et al., 2016; Miller et al., 2017). The initial research found that students who participated in Harmony experienced a variety of positive results. These outcomes include increased writing and math performance, friendship development with diverse peer groups, relationship-building with feelings of inclusion, and engagement in school, as well as decreases in teasing and aggression.

    From the research, we know that Harmony produces positive effects in youth. We also want to understand the perceptions of educators who have used the program. In 2019, a group of 999 teachers, school counselors, instructional coaches, SEL learning specialists, speech-language pathologists, and site coordinators responded to a survey about their use of Harmony SEL from the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University. This easy-to-read infographic presents educators’ survey responses reflecting their reactions to Harmony, perceived impacts on students’ competencies, and how often they used Harmony resources. Download and review the infographic here:


    Learn more at harmonysel.org and start implementing SEL with the
    Harmony Online Learning Portal.


  • New Research Suggests Consistent Implementation Leads to Success


    Read the latest brief from Harmony Academy and Johns Hopkins University
    Ever wonder how consistently implementing healthy learning practices influences student outcomes as they learn and grow? Social, personal, and academic development is a priority among educators and school leaders who may activate many strategies and supports, such as the Harmony Curriculum, to reach their goals.

    We want practitioners and administrators to be successful, so we partnered with researchers at Johns Hopkins University to take an in-depth look at what Harmony schools experience when they use the program over time. By observing a group of Harmony Showcase Schools, researchers found out how principals, teachers, and students responded to Harmony in their first and second years of implementation. We found that teachers implemented the program more consistently and with improved implementation in their second year.

    While putting a schoolwide program like Harmony into practice can be challenging, especially during the initial execution, the research in this study suggests that when schools sustain their implementation past the initial growing pains, they find even more benefits beyond the first year. Read the full research brief to learn how educators and students engaged with Harmony in both years one and two. Based on the findings, you will discover potential implications to take back to your setting to successfully implement Harmony healthy learning.

    Read NoW

    Learn more at harmony-academy.org

  • Read Healthy Learning Best Practices for School Leaders and Principals

    Access the latest research-to-practice brief from Johns Hopkins University and Harmony Academy. 

    School leaders have a clear role to play in supporting healthy learning within their schools and with their out-of-school time partners. Many school leaders want to implement healthy learning strategies but face key challenges when they attempt to integrate this programming into their school structure. Common challenges include lack of instructional time, inadequate implementation support, and limited common knowledge of healthy learning practices among teachers and support staff. We partnered with Johns Hopkins University to find research-based solutions and practices that school leaders and principals can activate for successful Harmony-Academic integration and outcomes, particularly when schools and communities implement the Harmony Curriculum.  

    Download our latest research-to-practice brief, full of best practices that support schoolwide implementation of healthy learning programs and practices.

    Download Now

    This new research gives particular attention to strategies and research support related to Harmony, an evidence-based healthy learning program affiliated with National University, and to other approaches used by school leaders nationally, to promote effective implementation of Harmony-Academic integration in their schools. This report builds on work presented in an earlier brief developed for classroom teachers (Reilly, Yoder, Ross, et al., 2021). Access the brief for teachers here.

    Learn more at harmony-academy.org.

  • Harmony And Johns Hopkins University Share Healthy Learning Best Practices

    Harmony And Johns Hopkins University Share Healthy Learning Best Practices

    Download the latest research-to-practice brief on the components of effective social, personal, and academic development..

     

    Now more than ever, educators want strategies to support the social, personal, and academic needs of their students. However, it is not always clear where to start, or which active ingredients are needed for effective healthy learning programs. Fortunately, research demonstrates what classroom teachers need to understand about effective strategies that promote the social, personal, and academic development of students.

    In a new research-to-practice brief, researchers and practitioners from Johns Hopkins University and Harmony Academy explore what Harmony entails, its research base, and most critically, the best practices for implementing Harmony in contemporary classrooms.

    Ready to enrich your learning community? Download the full article at no cost to inform healthy learning implementation in your classroom or district.

     

    Download Now

     

    Do you want to bring Harmony to your school or district? Learn more on our website harmony-academy.org.

     

  • 9 Educators We’re Celebrating for Women’s History Month

    Wednesday, March 03, 2021

    Learn more about the women who have influenced our team…

    March is Women’s History Month, and our teams at Harmony Academy are celebrating women who have shaped the field of education and championed social, personal and academic learning. Get to know the people behind our programs and the women who inspire us to #ChoosetoChallenge!

     

    Charlotte Danielson 
    Ask Elle Essenmacher which women have inspired her as an educator, and she’ll tell you Charlotte Danielson! Founder of the Danielson Framework for Teaching, Ms. Danielson has spent more than 50 years as a leader for teacher preparedness and development around the world. As a Strategic Accounts Advisor, Elle has seen the positive influence of Ms. Danielson and the Danielson Group’s hard work in the lives of students and teachers in the field.

     

    Mary Catherine Swanson
    Josh Pauly, an ambassador in Minnesota, looks up to Mary Catherine Swanson, the founder of AVID, an approach that has made college more attainable for millions of students. Josh reflects on the influence of Ms. Swanson on his work with Harmony, “I see Harmony as being a similar vessel to AVID, as both provide students with opportunities and teach them skills that will help them in school and in life.”

    “Once our students find their voices, there’s nothing they can’t achieve.”
    – Mary Catherine Swanson

     

    Fanny Jackson Coppin
    Jakotora Tjoutuku, an implementation specialist in New York City, celebrates Fanny Jackson Coppin, the first Black teacher at Oberlin Academy (now Oberlin College). Ms. Coppin was born into slavery and as an adult she blazed a trail for women and Black students to pursue education. Jako says, “What inspires me about Fanny Jackson Coppin is how much of a well-rounded and full life she led. She was not only an inspiring educator, but very involved in her church and community.”

     

    Maria Montessori
    Shannon Smith, a regional manager for Harmony, has seen the benefits of encouraging students’ autonomy in her education journey. Shannon’s approach to learning has been influenced by Maria Montessori and her advocacy for equipping teachers and students with the tools and instruction they need to succeed.

    “The child is endowed with unknown powers, which can guide us to a radiant future.”
    – Maria Montessori

     

    Gabriela Mistral
    Harmony’s Senior Manager of Partnerships, Veronica Calvo, looks up to Chilean educator and writer Gabriela Mistral, who said, “Many things we need can wait. The child cannot. To him we cannot say tomorrow, his name is today.” During the early 20th century, Ms. Mistral worked to expand access to education and develop social and economic equity for young students all over Chile and throughout the world. In 1945, she became the first Latin American writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.

     

    Helen Keller
    Harmony National Director, Lauren Puzen’s respect for Helen Keller’s achievements has grown along with her own development as a public health educator. “As a child I remember learning of Helen Keller and her story felt heroic, something that I knew changed the world with an individual’s actions. Today I realize the complexity of structural inequity she faced, and how her lifting her voice for others takes true courage, focus, and perseverance.”

    “Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.”
    – Helen Keller

     

    Dr. Teri Marcos
    Some of our role models have directly influenced our own education journeys. This is the case for Amanda Rothengast, Senior Manager, Educator Advocacy. Amanda credits Dr. Teri Marcos, Professor and Interim Academic Program Director, Ed.D. in Organizational Innovation at National University, for encouraging her to pursue the next chapter in her education as a Ed.D. candidate. Dr. Marcos works extensively to understand and support the needs of high-performing, low socioeconomic communities.

     

    Mary McLeod Bethune
    Our acting Program Manager of Harmony John Pickens names Mary McLeod Bethune as one of his heroes. Ms. McLeod Bethune is known for founding schools for African American girls and boys in Florida. Weaving together education, philanthropy, and civil rights advocacy, she helped children succeed and set a strong example of Black achievement and the power of learning throughout the country.

    “The progress of the world will call for the best that all of us have to give.”
    – Mary McLeod Bethune

     

    Ann Soldo
    Harmony Ambassador Sasha Breeden comes from a family of influential women in education for three generations and counting! Sasha’s grandmother Ann Soldo started it all — throughout her career, she led as a teacher and a principal in Watsonville, California, where a school is named after her. Ms. Soldo also held office as the first woman Mayor of Watsonville, California!

     

    Thank you to all the women leaders and educators who invest time and energy in shaping a bright future for our students. We celebrate all of you! If you want to help your students talk about gender and friendship, the Harmony Lesson “Talk It Out” is a great place to start!    

    *These are the opinions and perspectives of the individuals and do not necessarily represent the opinions and perspectives of Harmony Academy National University.