Ready to review the DESSA results? In this video, we'll provide a high-level overview of the different kinds of scores provided by the DESSA.

The DESSA assessments report results using t-scores. Those t-scores are categorized into three descriptive ranges.

Strength, Typical, and Need for Instruction.

T-scores range from 28 to 72.

T-scores of 60 and above on the DESSA indicate a higher level of social and emotional competence and are categorized as a strength.

T-scores between 41-59 are categorized as typical.

And t-scores of 40 and below indicate a need for instruction.

A need for instruction means that a student either hasn't had the chance to demonstrate the skill OR that they might need support in developing it.

Where will you see these t-scores and descriptive ranges in the Aperture System?

Scores are included on the reports available in the Aperture System, like this one for the DESSA-mini! This report shows us the student's score using a visual continuum of the t-scores and descriptive ranges.

Both the descriptive category scores and the t-scores can help you make decisions about what students need. A student's social and emotional skills may be in the typical range, but you won't know if they are nearing the strength range until you look at their t-score. Similarly, you won't know if a student is just barely within the typical range unless you see their t-score is at the lower end of the cut-off.

Students in the typical range with lower t-scores may need more support to develop their skills than students whose t-scores are on the higher end of the typical range.

Understanding your students' unique strengths and growth opportunities helps you support their continued social and emotional skill development.

There are some differences in the level of detail provided by the DESSA mini and the DESSA scores.

The DESSA-mini provides a Social-Emotional Total (SET) score.

This is an indication of a student's overall social and emotional competence at the time of the assessment.

The DESSA-mini is a screener, a brief measure of a student's social and emotional competence with only 8 questions. There isn't enough information to give us a score for each of the competencies measured by the DESSA.

That is why for students who are in the need for instruction range a more comprehensive follow-up with the full DESSA assessment is useful.

The DESSA and the SSR are more comprehensive assessments and produce a Social and Emotional Composite (SEC) score and report t-scores for each competency area. This helps you see students' areas of strength and need.

The DESSA is one of just a few SEL assessments that is nationally normed and standardized.

Another way that you can interpret your scores is to see how they compare to national norms.

National norms suggest that about 16% of students will show a strength, 68% of students will be in the typical range, and 16% of students will have a need for additional support.

There's more to learn about using DESSA data effectively. Check out the On-Demand videos within the "Data-Driven SEL" section for a deeper dive into analyzing and using DESSA data.

Thank you for watching this video! If you need help or have questions, visit the Support Portal using the Help and Support question mark at the top right of your Aperture System dashboard.