WCSD Social and Emotional Competency Assessment Item Bank

  • Items highlighted (17-item) indicate items that comprise the short-form, composite SEC assessment.
  • Items highlighted (40-item) indicate items that comprise the long-form SEC assessment.
  • Items ordered roughly by level of difficulty within each domain. Items selected for the short-form and long-form assessments subjected to additional levels of item revision. These items were chosen because they assessed multiple levels of student ability, had low item misfit, and are theoretically central to the domain.

Directions: Please tell us how easy or difficult each of the following are for you.

Response Options: 1 = Very Difficult; 2 = Difficult; 3 = Easy; 4 = Very Easy

Self-Awareness: Self-Concept

  1. Accepting things I can’t control.
  2. Knowing when I can’t control something. (40-item)
  3. Knowing how to get better at things that are hard for me to do at school. (40-item)
  4. Knowing when I am wrong about something. (40-item)
  5. Accepting when I am not the best at everything I do.
  6. Knowing how I need to study to do well on a test.
  7. Knowing why I am feeling nervous about something.
  8. Knowing how I think about myself affects how I act.
  9. Describing who I am.
  10. Knowing what I don’t do well.
  11. Knowing how I learn best.
  12. Knowing which things make me feel nervous.
  13. Knowing what my strengths are. (17-item) (40-item)
  14. Knowing that I am a good person.
  15. Knowing what I do well.
  16. Being okay with who I am.
  17. Knowing when I don’t want to do something.
  18. Knowing what kind of activities make me happy.

Self-Awareness: Emotion Knowledge

  1. Knowing how others might act when I tell them how I am feeling.
  2. Knowing ways to make myself feel better when I’m sad. (40-item)
  3. Noticing what my body does when I am nervous. (40-item)
  4. Knowing when my feelings are making it hard for me to focus. (17-item) (40-item)
  5. Understanding why I do what I do.
  6. Knowing ways I calm myself down. (17-item) (40-item)
  7. Knowing when my mood affects how I treat others. (40-item)
  8. Understanding how my feelings influence how I act.
  9. Knowing the emotions I feel. (17-item) (40-item)
  10. Understanding how my attitude can affect how others treat me.

Social Awareness

  1. Learning from people with different opinions than me. (17-item) (40-item)
  2. Knowing how I can help my community.
  3. Knowing how to get help when I’m having trouble with a classmate. (40-item)
  4. Paying attention to my classmates’ feelings.
  5. Knowing what people may be feeling by the look on their face. (17-item) (40-item)
  6. Being patient when some students need extra help from the teacher.
  7. Knowing how my actions impact my classmates. (40-item)
  8. Knowing when someone needs help. (17-item) (40-item)
  9. Understanding why people have different opinions than me.
  10. Feeling bad for someone else when their feelings are hurt.
  11. Appreciating that some people do things differently than me.
  12. Knowing when a classmate is not being treated fairly.
  13. Knowing my classmates come from many different backgrounds.
  14. Being happy for others when they succeed.
  15. Knowing that other students may learn differently than I do.

Self-Management: Emotion Regulation

  1. Concentrating when there is a lot of noise around me.
  2. Concentrating even if I am upset.
  3. Staying calm when I feel stressed. (40-item)
  4. Getting through something even when I feel frustrated. (17-item) (40-item)
  5. Working on things even when I don’t like them. (40-item)
  6. Trying to learn something even when it’s confusing.
  7. Controlling my temper when I am upset.
  8. Speaking in class even if I am nervous.
  9. Sharing an idea even when I think others may not like it.
  10. Calming myself down when I am nervous.
  11. Picking myself up when I feel down.
  12. Making the best of a situation when I can’t control it.
  13. Thinking carefully about what I want to say, before I speak.
  14. Being patient even when I am really excited. (17-item) (40-item)
  15. Keep trying even after I get negative comments from people.
  16. Feeling good about myself even if I was the last person picked for a team.
  17. Trying new things even if they make me nervous.
  18. Making the best of any situation.
  19. Not talking to others when I’m supposed to be quiet.
  20. Staying calm when I get something wrong.
  21. Waiting to say something until others are done talking.
  22. Working harder after I get positive comments from people.

Self-Management: Goal Management

  1. Finishing tasks even if they are hard for me. (17-item) (40-item)
  2. Reaching goals that I set for myself. (40-item)
  3. Working on my goals in school.
  4. Taking action to reach my goals.
  5. Setting goals for myself. (17-item) (40-item)
  6. Overcoming obstacles in order to reach my goals.
  7. Finishing the tasks I have started.
  8. Taking steps to have the future I want for myself.
  9. Thinking through the steps it will take to reach my goal. (40-item)
  10. Planning for what job I want to do when I’m older.

Self-Management: School Work        

  1. Getting my schoolwork done right away.
  2. Doing my schoolwork even when I do not feel like it. (17-item) (40-item)
  3. Working on assignments even when they are hard. (40-item)
  4. Planning ahead so I can turn a project in on time. (40-item)
  5. Finishing my schoolwork without reminders. (40-item)
  6. Being prepared for tests. (17-item) (40-item)
  7. Doing all of my homework.
  8. Keeping my school work organized.
  9. Giving my best effort even if I don’t like a class.
  10. Paying attention in class.
  11. Staying focused in class even when there are distractions. (40-item)
  12. Turning in my homework on time.
  13. Knowing who to ask for help with my school work.
  14. Trying hard to do well in school.
  15. Following directions in my schoolwork.
  16. Coming to class prepared.
  17. Listening to my teacher.

Relationship Skills    

  1. Sharing what I am feeling with others. (40-item)
  2. Joining a group I don’t usually sit with at lunch.
  3. Talking to my friends about how I feel when I am upset with them.
  4. Talking to an adult when I have problems at school. (40-item)
  5. Joining a group that is already talking.
  6. Talking to classmates about why they feel a certain way.
  7. Being welcoming to someone I don’t usually eat lunch with. (40-item)
  8. Getting along with others even when I am having a bad day.
  9. Working out disagreements on group projects.
  10. Forgiving classmates when they upset me.
  11. Forgiving myself if I hurt someone’s feelings, after I apologize to them.
  12. Helping other people solve their disagreements.
  13. Getting along with classmates even if I disagree with them.
  14. Stopping myself before I hurt someone’s feelings.
  15. Introducing myself to a new student at school.
  16. Helping classmates calm down if they’re upset.
  17. Getting along with adults at school even when we disagree.
  18. Using my skills to make my group better.
  19. Fixing problems I am having with my friends.
  20. Getting along well with anyone my teacher assigns me to work with.
  21. Making friends with people who have different opinions than me.
  22. Forgiving classmates when they apologize to me.
  23. Making sure that everyone’s ideas are heard in a group.
  24. Apologizing If I ever upset a classmate.
  25. Respecting a classmate’s opinions during a disagreement. (17-item) (40-item)
  26. Getting along with my classmates. (17-item) (40-item)
  27. Being polite to classmates.
  28. Getting along with my teachers. (40-item)
  29. Being polite to adults.

Responsible Decision-Making

  1. Thinking about what might happen before making a decision. (17-item) (40-item)
  2. Admitting when I have made a mistake.
  3. Disagreeing with classmates without hurting their feelings.
  4. Asking for advice when making an important decision.
  5. Thinking of different ways to solve a problem. (40-item)
  6. Saying “no” to a friend who wants to break the rules. (40-item)
  7. Not giving in to peer pressure at school.
  8. Being honest with my classmates.
  9. Helping to make my school a better place. (40-item)
  10. Taking safe risks to do something that is important to me.
  11. Following through with my responsibilities in class.
  12. Telling the truth to my teachers.
  13. Keeping the promises I make to my classmates.
  14. Saying “no” to friends who want me to do something I don’t want to do.
  15. Sticking to my beliefs when making decisions.
  16. Being respectful of someone else’s beliefs when sharing my own.
  17. Knowing what is right or wrong. (17-item) (40-item)

If you have additional questions about this assessment and related research, please contact Laura Davidson, Washoe County School District Director of Research and Evaluation at 775-348-3850 or [email protected].

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