Success story: How a District Leader at San Benito COE Uses Kelvin to Build Positive Culture and Track SEL Growth
How We Are Improving School Culture and SEL with Kelvin
At San Benito County Office of Education, fostering a positive school climate is a top priority — even in alternative education settings. With Kelvin, San Benito has found a way to highlight the real impact of their staff’s efforts, strengthen their wellness initiatives, and closely monitor student growth in social-emotional learning (SEL), PBIS, and MTSS.
“We were a bit hesitant to roll out Kelvin at our Alt Ed site, but our data showed that our largely new teaching team and the new principal’s efforts to create a positive school culture were paying off,” said Amber Lister, Director of Prevention & Intervention.
Opportunity: Building a Positive Culture with a New Team
With a newly assembled teaching team, a brand-new principal, and a group of recently enrolled students, San Benito needed a way to measure whether their efforts to establish a welcoming, supportive environment were working. They also needed a tool to track how expelled youth were developing SEL skills over the semester.
Solution: Real-Time Insights to Validate Efforts and Guide Growth
By adopting Kelvin, San Benito created a simple, user-friendly feedback process that delivered clear, actionable insights.
Key features driving success:
- Easy-to-use heat maps: Staff could easily navigate and share data visuals to celebrate wins and identify needs.
- Real-time insights: The team could track students’ SEL knowledge progression over the semester.
- Validation of wellness initiatives: Kelvin’s data showed that students genuinely valued the school’s wellness centers and culture-building efforts.
Data That Tells a Story of Progress
San Benito, a regional leader in wellness center development, saw their investments reflected back through student feedback. The data not only affirmed the success of their programs but also gave staff concrete evidence to build upon.
“We were able to track SEL knowledge acquirement as the semester progresses. Overall, we’ve had a wonderful experience using Kelvin,” Lister shared.
Final Thoughts
Our experience shows that improving school culture and SEL with Kelvin leads to measurable progress.
At San Benito, Kelvin has become more than just a survey tool — it’s a mirror reflecting the hard work and heart invested in every student’s success.
Looking to empower your team with real-time insights that inspire action?
