North Scott presenters describe districtwide rollout of Character Strong social-emotional program

Neil Armstrong Elementary staff told the North Scott School Board on Sept. 22 that the building is using the Character Strong curriculum districtwide to teach social-emotional skills to PreK–6 students. The program pairs brief, teacher-led morning meeting components with a weekly 30-minute counselor lesson and targeted small-group supports for students who need extra help.

School Counselor Jill, the presenter, said the program’s classroom components are intended as Tier 1 instruction and occur “three to five times a week” in class, while counselors deliver a longer weekly lesson (the program’s “grow” component) and run Tier 2 small groups for students who do not master the skills during Tier 1 instruction. “The grow section is typically a 30-minute section…that’s what the counselors are delivering at the elementary level,”…