Source: Edutopia, February 5, 2018, by Tom Berger
“At Valor Collegiate Academies—two charter schools on one campus in Nashville that serve grades 5 through 8—the core philosophy is that “really strong SEL work is very advantageous to kids also doing well academically in school,” says Todd Dickson, who founded the schools with his twin brother, Daren. Structured community and character development programs like weekly Circle gatherings and advisory meetings called pride groups are deeply ingrained in the schools’ culture, and all students and teachers are expected to achieve fluency in the language of social growth and learning.”