Mental Health
Support student and staffs’ mental health and well-being by ensuring access to mental health supports, including universal mental health promotion for all students and staff, selective services for students identified as at-risk for a mental health concern or problems, and indicated services for individual students who already display a mental health concern or problem.
Key Strategies
Identify age appropriate universal mental health screener for early identification of needs and develop a plan to pilot.
Strengthen tiered response to mental health needs from universal supports to targeted intervention.
Explore and develop a plan model for Wellness Centers at the middle school level.
Expand group therapy and social skills groups at the elementary level (e.g. bullying prevention, conflict resolution, help seeking behaviors, emotional regulation, positive peer interactions).
Develop a staff wellness program that includes seminars, physical activity, mental health supports, and staff recognition.
Increase community mental health agency partnerships to provide workshops for students, parents, and staff.
Clarify and monitor homework policies and practices to reduce “test stacking” and weekend homework.
Adjust the start times for schools to align with sleep research.
Expand use of research-based, CASEL-aligned, surveys, and screeners to gauge progress on the development of student social-emotional skills and supports.
Establish the SEL Design Team to lead SEL design/revision and implementation of CASEL-aligned framework.
Provide SEL resources and professional learning opportunities that support effective lessons, teaching practices, and SEL integration.
Establish a minimum time requirement for explicit SEL instruction by grade level.
How will we measure progress? (Key Performance Indicators)
Decrease percentage of staff and students identified as chronically absent after adjusting for COVID quarantines (Classroom Attendance Data in IC, 5Labs).
Increase the extent to which students are engaged and connected to the school environment (CHKS/Panorama/Equity Survey).
Increase staff and student knowledge of supports and help-seeking behaviors (CHKS Survey).
Improve SEL competencies at all grade levels (Panorama Survey, CHKS Survey, Teacher feedback).
Homework survey results demonstrate improved adherence to Board policy.
Connection
Provide Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) professional learning opportunities for grades K-8.
Develop model for consistent SEL instruction across high schools.
Complete SEL practice inventory with middle schools and identify resources to support consistent SEL instruction across elementary and middle schools.
Implement instruction on Healthy Relationships & Behaviors, including comprehensive TK-12 sexual health instruction.
Engagement
Provide staff workshops on supporting vulnerable students as part of the New Hire Equity Series and on Professional Learning Days. Topics would include: SEL, Restorative Practices, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning (LGBTQQ) inclusivity, and ongoing support for student mental and physical health needs.
Create and implement attendance interventions, coordinating available resources – including School Counselors, Family Engagement Specialists, District Social Workers, and District Nurses – to support increased attendance.
Expand partnerships and explore models to provide alternatives to traditional high school settings.
Student Well-being
Establish an annual process to review, refine, and publish protocols for identifying and addressing physical and mental health needs of TK-12 students.
Develop consistent articulation processes to share student needs and interventions for elementary to middle, and middle to high school transitions.
Promote healthy, productive, and responsible use of technology and digital citizenship.
Create District Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) model that encompasses the academic, social, emotional, and behavioral health needs of all students.
Improve Bullying & Harassment reporting and responses by utilizing the anonymous reporting tool, a process flow chart, and case management through administrators, counselors, and social workers.