Mosaic by ACT Social Emotional Learning
Product by ACT, Inc.
Facts checked: Not yet checked
Our take (not a Learning Standard rating). This label applies to learning-science judgments throughout this overview.
Our take (not a Learning Standard rating)
The Learning Standard has not yet evaluated Mosaic by ACT Social Emotional Learning to definitively answer this. However, its alignment with the CASEL framework provides a strong foundation for teaching self-regulation and growth mindset. A complete verdict on its instructional effectiveness awaits our full review.
Pros
- Integrates directly into existing Learning Management Systems for seamless student access.
- Aligns curriculum with the CASEL framework to ensure targeted skill development.
- Provides specific resources and instructional adaptations for English language learners.
- Combines student behavioral assessment with aligned professional development for educators.
Cons
- Pricing and subscription details are not transparent without contacting the vendor directly.
- The Learning Standard has not yet evaluated its specific feedback mechanics or active learning features.
- Requires significant educator involvement to deploy effectively in a blended classroom environment.
What Do We Know About Mosaic by ACT Social Emotional Learning?
Mosaic by ACT Social Emotional Learning is a school-based curriculum designed to build mental health and self-regulation skills, though its exact effectiveness remains undetermined pending a full evaluation. Your child will not download this as a standalone app on their personal device. Instead, schools integrate this program directly into their existing online platforms. The curriculum focuses on teaching your child how to manage anxiety, develop a growth mindset, and navigate complex social situations. Because it uses a blended learning approach, your child will complete online assessments and interactive lessons alongside teacher-led classroom instruction. The program relies heavily on the CASEL framework, which is a research-backed model for social and emotional development. However, because this is an enterprise-level school tool, parents have limited visibility into the day-to-day lesson mechanics unless the school shares specific progress reports. While the foundation is grounded in established behavioral science, our final verdict on how well the platform uses instructional techniques like spaced practice or worked examples remains pending.
How Does Mosaic by ACT Social Emotional Learning Work?
Mosaic by ACT uses a blended learning approach that combines digital assessments with direct instruction delivered through a school's Learning Management System. Students begin by taking an adaptive assessment that identifies their current social and emotional competencies. Based on these results, the system guides students through targeted digital modules addressing specific skills like emotion regulation or relationship building. The platform uses explicit instruction to introduce concepts like growth mindset, followed by scenario-based questions where students apply these concepts to hypothetical situations. Teachers monitor progress through an administrative dashboard and use the provided professional development materials to reinforce these concepts in the physical classroom. This dual approach ensures that digital concepts are grounded in real-world application, though the exact nature of the platform's immediate feedback on student answers is pending our full evaluation.
Strengths and tradeoffs of Mosaic by ACT Social Emotional Learning
The biggest strength of Mosaic by ACT is its alignment with the CASEL framework, while its biggest weakness is the lack of transparency regarding its specific instructional mechanics prior to institutional purchase. Strong pedagogical foundations are evident in its dual approach of combining student assessments with educator professional development. This ensures that the adults guiding the learning process understand the behavioral science behind the curriculum. Furthermore, providing explicit adaptations for English language learners ensures that complex emotional vocabulary does not become an artificial barrier to learning. On the weakness side, the reliance on institutional implementation means the quality of learning depends heavily on how well a specific school deploys the tool. Without full access to the interactive modules, it is difficult to determine if the platform utilizes retrieval practice or relies too heavily on passive video consumption. Until The Learning Standard completes a rigorous evaluation of the active learning components, we cannot confirm how effectively the software corrects student misconceptions in real time.
Who Might Benefit From Mosaic by ACT Social Emotional Learning?
Mosaic by ACT is best for school districts seeking a comprehensive, district-wide social and emotional learning curriculum that integrates directly into their existing digital infrastructure. It serves K-12 students who benefit from structured lessons on anxiety management and growth mindset. Because it requires an enterprise-level implementation, it is not suitable for individual parents looking for a supplemental at-home app. Educators who want data-driven insights into their students' emotional competencies will find the built-in assessment tools highly useful for guiding classroom culture.
Data Transparency
Does Not Meet Data Transparency Standard
Mosaic by ACT Social Emotional Learning does not meet our data transparency standard. Its privacy policy does not document basic protections, including a statement that it does not sell data, a commitment against targeted advertising and contractual limits on service providers.
12 of 35 checks passed
Evaluated September 2026
Privacy Policy →Level 1 · Basic protections
Does not sell data or target ads at students, limits sharing, and lets parents see and delete their child's data.
Not documented: a statement that it does not sell data, a commitment against targeted advertising, contractual limits on service providers
Level 2 · Parent control (meets the standard)
Families can get their data out, know who processes it, and know how long it is kept.
Not documented: data export, a data retention timeline, self-service deletion
Level 3 · Direct data access
Families or schools can pull their own data through an API, in a stated format.
Not documented: an API for retrieving their own data, a named export format
View all 35 checks
Parent Access4/8
Does the policy mention parents specifically?
“If you are a parent of a child under the age of 13, you may review, have deleted, or refuse to permit further collection or use of your child's personal information.”
Can parents view their child's data?
“If you are a parent of a child under the age of 13, you may review, have deleted, or refuse to permit further collection or use of your child's personal information.”
Can parents modify their child's data?
The policy lets parents review their child's data, have it deleted, or refuse further collection, but does not give parents a right to correct or change it.
Can parents delete their child's account?
“If you are a parent of a child under the age of 13, you may review, have deleted, or refuse to permit further collection or use of your child's personal information.”
Is there a dedicated Children's Privacy section?
The policy has no section with its own heading about children's privacy; it mentions children only inside other sections.
Does it reference COPPA compliance?
The policy does not mention COPPA.
Does it reference FERPA compliance?
“ACT will fully comply with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1232g, and its implementing regulations, 34 C.F.R. pt. 99 (“FERPA”), and state student data privacy laws, to the extent applicable.”
Is parental consent required for child accounts?
The policy does not say parental consent is required for child accounts.
Data Portability2/5
Can users access their personal data?
“You can review and change your personal information by visiting your account profile page at MyACT.org.”
Can users download/export their data?
The policy only says users may have a right to receive their data in a portable form depending on where they live, without firmly offering export.
Is there a self-service data access tool?
“You can review and change your personal information by visiting your account profile page at MyACT.org.”
Is a specific data format mentioned for export?
The policy does not name an export format.
Is there an API for data access?
The policy does not mention an API for data access.
Data Minimization1/6
Is data collection itemized?
“Contact information, such as your name, home address, email address, telephone number, date of birth, and gender.”
Can the app be used without a real name?
The policy says ACT collects names, both from users and from schools.
Can the app be used without an email?
The policy says ACT collects email addresses as contact information.
Does it state collection is limited to what is necessary?
The policy does not say collection is limited to what is necessary.
Is IP address anonymized or truncated?
The policy says ACT collects IP addresses and does not mention anonymizing them.
Is location tracking explicitly excluded?
The policy says ACT collects device geolocation information.
Third-Party Protection3/7
Does it explicitly state no selling of data?
The policy only says mobile information will not be sold for marketing and describes Recruit Me disclosures that may count as sales; it has no general no-sale statement.
Are third-party providers named?
“ACT.org and MyACT.org conduct conversion tracking with other websites, such as Twitter and Facebook, to track your interaction with ACT advertisements on those websites.”
Are providers contractually restricted?
The policy does not say service providers are contractually restricted; only researchers and Recruit Me participants have stated limits.
No-targeted-advertising commitment?
The policy says ACT targets its ads on social media to people who visited its sites and does not promise that student data is excluded from targeting.
Is AI/ML data sharing addressed?
The policy mentions automated decision-making but does not address sharing data for AI or machine learning.
Child-specific sharing restriction?
“The ACT Recruit Me Program is available to individuals over the age of 13.”
Cookies/tracking limited or opt-out?
“You may refuse to accept browser cookies by activating the appropriate setting on your browser.”
Deletion & Retention1/5
Can users delete their account?
“You do not need to create an account with us to submit a request to know or delete.”
Self-service deletion mechanism?
The policy handles deletion only through requests to Privacy Counsel, not a tool users run themselves.
Specific data retention timeline?
The policy says data is kept as long as necessary and gives no specific timeline.
Auto-deletion of inactive accounts?
The policy does not mention automatically deleting inactive accounts.
Post-deletion handling described?
The policy says only that ACT takes reasonable measures when disposing of data and does not describe what happens after deletion.
Advertising1/4
Advertising model explicitly disclosed?
“We also target ACT’s advertisements on social media websites. This means that after visiting ACT.org and MyACT.org, if you later log into, for example, Facebook or Twitter, an ACT advertisement may appear.”
Free from third-party advertisements?
The policy does not say whether the product shows third-party ads.
Children excluded from ad targeting?
The policy does not exclude children from ad targeting.
Ad-free option available?
The policy does not describe an ad-free option or say the product has no ads.
What This Means
The policy review did not meet our data transparency standard. The checks above show the documented findings and unknowns. A missing statement does not establish how the app handles data in practice.
About this evaluation: Based on automated analysis of Privacy Policy against 35 policy-disclosure questions, including questions adapted from the Common Sense Privacy Program's published evaluation questions. TLS is not affiliated with Common Sense Media, and this is not a Common Sense rating. Quoted text is copied from the policy; unquoted notes are our summary. Results describe what the policy documents, not the company's actual practices. Privacy policies can change: this review reflects the version we analyzed and does not determine legal compliance.
Sources and review method
TLS combines product information and editorial analysis to explain how Mosaic by ACT Social Emotional Learning works, its tradeoffs, and the questions to ask before choosing it. Product features, an instructional rationale and evidence of learning outcomes are different kinds of information.
Formal Learning Standard assessment: not yet completed. Data Transparency findings are reported separately and do not establish learning effectiveness. Read our methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mosaic by ACT Social Emotional Learning
Is Mosaic by ACT Social Emotional Learning free?
No. Mosaic by ACT Social Emotional Learning is an enterprise software solution purchased by school districts, and pricing requires contacting the vendor directly. Individual parents cannot purchase single licenses for home use. Because it integrates directly into school learning management systems, the cost is absorbed by the educational institution rather than the end user. Schools evaluate these costs based on student enrollment numbers and the level of professional development required.
Is Mosaic by ACT Social Emotional Learning good for elementary students?
Yes. The program offers curriculum adaptations across all K-12 grade levels, providing age-appropriate scenarios for younger students to practice emotional regulation. Elementary students benefit from simplified interfaces and foundational lessons that introduce basic emotional vocabulary. The blended learning model allows classroom teachers to guide younger students through the digital components, ensuring they do not struggle with navigation.
What does Mosaic by ACT Social Emotional Learning teach?
It teaches social and emotional skills based on the CASEL framework, including anxiety management, self-awareness, relationship skills, and the development of a growth mindset. Students learn to identify their emotions and apply cognitive strategies to regulate their responses during stressful situations. The platform also provides educators with instructional strategies to reinforce these behavioral competencies during regular academic instruction.
How does Mosaic by ACT Social Emotional Learning vs Second Step compare?
Both provide CASEL-aligned social and emotional instruction for K-12 students. Mosaic heavily emphasizes its integrated digital assessments, adaptive pathways, and seamless Learning Management System compatibility. In contrast, Second Step is traditionally known for its strong classroom-based instructional kits and teacher-led discussion models. Schools typically choose Mosaic when prioritizing digital assessment data alongside the core behavioral curriculum.
Has The Learning Standard evaluated Mosaic by ACT Social Emotional Learning?
TLS has not yet completed a Learning Standard evaluation of how well Mosaic by ACT Social Emotional Learning teaches. Its privacy policy has been reviewed for Data Transparency and does not yet document the basic protections (Level 1).
Is Mosaic by ACT Social Emotional Learning COPPA compliant?
A COPPA reference was not found in the reviewed privacy policy. This does not determine whether the app complies with COPPA. Policy review note: The policy does not mention COPPA.
Is Mosaic by ACT Social Emotional Learning FERPA compliant?
The reviewed privacy policy references FERPA. A policy reference alone does not establish FERPA compliance. Policy review note: The policy commits to complying with FERPA.
Does Mosaic by ACT Social Emotional Learning have a children's privacy policy?
No dedicated children's privacy section was found in the reviewed policy. Policy review note: The policy has no section with its own heading about children's privacy; it mentions children only inside other sections.
Does Mosaic by ACT Social Emotional Learning sell student data?
A statement ruling out data selling was not found in the reviewed policy. This does not establish that the app sells student data. Policy review note: The policy only says mobile information will not be sold for marketing and describes Recruit Me disclosures that may count as sales; it has no general no-sale statement.
Can you delete your data from Mosaic by ACT Social Emotional Learning?
The reviewed privacy policy describes account deletion. We have not tested the deletion process. Policy review note: Users can submit requests to delete their personal information.
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