NEW YORK, Jan. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Bullying continues to be an issue that impacts students both in and out of school. In less than one week, a national Summit will offer educators an opportunity to learn how to proactively address bullying by incorporating social-emotional learning (SEL) and character development into the curriculum. Final registration is underway for the January 14 event, Beyond Bullying: Safe Schools, Successful Students.

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Zaner-Bloser and the Institute for Urban and Minority Education will host the Educational Summit at Teachers College, Columbia University in New York City, gathering researchers, top district decision makers, school counselors, teachers, and other members of the education community to learn about and discuss the benefits of SEL and character development, including increased academic achievement and positive school climate.

A recent national survey of school principals shows that more than half of respondents consider bullying a problem, while 73 percent believe lessons integrated into the academic curriculum would be more effective than a separate class devoted to bullying prevention.

"Social-emotional learning can be a vital part of the school curriculum because it gives students the chance to recognize and manage emotions, develop empathy and concern for others, and ultimately learn to make better decisions," said Dr. Ernest Morrell, professor of English education and Director of the Institute for Urban and Minority Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Dr. Morrell, a presenter at the Summit, added that, with national Common Core State Standards taking effect in 2014, now is the time to discuss how to easily incorporate SEL into school curriculum.

Summit presentation topics include:

• Research regarding the impact of SEL and character development on academic achievement
• How SEL supports the Common Core State Standards
• Superintendents panel discussion
• Bullying prevention versus intervention

Registration is $30 per person and closes Friday, January 11. To register for the Summit, visit http://www.beyondbullyingsummit.org/registration or take a look at the event agenda to view the diverse array of presenters and topics including keynote speaker, Kirk Smalley of Stand for the Silent. You can also join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

About Zaner-Bloser
Zaner-Bloser, a wholly owned subsidiary of Highlights for Children with more than 120 years of experience in education, is one of the premier publishers of research-based reading, writing, spelling, vocabulary, and handwriting programs. The Zaner-Bloser mission is to create dynamic, appealing, and effective educational programs and services. Zaner-Bloser focuses on distinctive programs that inspire all students to become engaged, literate participants in the global society.

About the Institute for Urban and Minority Education (IUME)
For almost forty years, IUME has used advocacy, demonstration, evaluation, information dissemination, research, and technical assistance to study and seek to improve the quality of life chances through education in the communities of urban and minority peoples. The Institute continues to focus on the implications of population in the context of the demand for pluralistic competencies for the design and management of teaching and learning transactions in schools and other environments for education.

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