Social-Emotional Learning
The integration of social, emotional, and academic learning permeates everything we do: from our classrooms to our collaborative teaching teams, our curriculum to our school leadership, and our professional development programs.
Through this integration, we transform our twice-exceptional students’ experience of school and see them thrive.
Our Approach to Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
Each day, when they step into the classroom, our Quad Prep students find a dedicated interdisciplinary team of academic teachers and clinically trained psychosocial teachers who partner together in closely-knit teams to support each student’s growth. Here’s what this SEL looks like for 2e students at our school:
Collaborative Classrooms
Our cross-disciplinary teams look holistically at each student’s growth and learning, understanding their unique strengths and offering them customized tools and strategies to grow in areas of challenge. Our psychosocial teachers are embedded in the classroom throughout the day, and they coach students as they carry out SEL strategies developed with their clinical team.
Dedicated Faculty Meetings
Each week, students dismiss at noon on Fridays, so that our academic, clinical, and related services teams can meet to review student growth, discuss support strategies, and align a cohesive learning experience for each student in the week to come.
Integrated Social-Emotional Curriculum
Social-emotional learning is fully integrated into the curriculum of our whole 2e school. Whether in a music ensemble, a humanities course, or a science classroom, our faculty fold executive functioning and social cognitive teaching strategies into each unit of study. This integration of social and emotional awareness allows students to deepen their engagement and understanding of complex academic concepts by expanding their perspectives and offering them more multifaceted tools to explore and express their thinking.
Professional Education & Training
Our faculty and clinical staff are not only experts in their fields: they are also adept at engaging with diverse cross-disciplinary strategies and approaches. We structure our professional development programs at Quad Prep so that every member of our team—from academic teachers to clinicians, psychosocial teachers to related services providers—receives the same training and continuing education in all areas of twice-exceptional learning. Our ongoing professional development program includes: • Training weeks for all staff prior to the start of the school year • First Year Program—monthly meetings for all new staff • Formal professional development days built into the calendar • Dedicated time on Friday afternoons for meetings and professional development • Certification in Meeting the Needs of Twice-Exceptional Children, a rigorous and comprehensive year-long professional certification program for study and research • Breakthroughs in Twice-Exceptional Futures Conference, an annual national conference hosted by The Quad Preparatory School and various partners, brings together educators, clinicians, and parents to allow each group to broaden their practice to reflect the integrated needs of twice-exceptional students
Our Leadership Model
The integration of academic, social, and emotional learning is reflected in the leadership model of our school, where experts in academic instruction partner with experts in clinical and social-emotional practice to lead each division. The Lower School and Upper School each have a Co-Head, Academics and a Co-Head, Clinical.
Partnering with Families
Our teams regularly touch base with our students’ families to collaborate and integrate learning and support at home and at school. At a minimum, our team conducts monthly phone calls that are scheduled at the beginning of the year. In these meetings, information is exchanged and families, staff, and outside providers (as needed) are able to collaborate on each student’s goals. Consistent collaboration with families is key to our program and mission.
A not-for-profit independent college preparatory school, Quad Prep’s rich and robust curriculum engages, challenges, and inspires students at all levels, K–12, through our Lower School and Upper School programs.