District adopts Character Strong and tiered supports to emphasize restorative practices and reduce repeat behavior incidents

District staff reported the elementary-level adoption of a new social-emotional learning curriculum, clarified how the district will document and respond to student behaviors, and described planned supports to reduce repeat problem behavior. Katie Eigman, presenting for district staff, said the district adopted the Character Strong SEL curriculum at the elementary level and provided training during in-service week. "We have recently adopted a new social emotional learning curriculum at the elementary level called Character Strong," Eigman said. Nut graf: The district intends to pair universal instruction of behavioral expectations with tiered interventions, data collection in a new data warehouse (EduCLIMBER) and outside support from CESA 7 to help schools teach expectations, intervene earlier and implement restorative practices. Body: Staff explained that the district revised its student code of conduct over the last year, creating elementary and high-school versions, and clarified definitions of "minor" behaviors (typically handled by classroom teachers) and "major" behaviors (which usually require principal intervention and can lead to in-school or out-of-school suspension or, in extreme cases, law enforcement involvement). Eigman said EduCLIMBER will house attendance, behavior and academic-intervention data in a single dashboard and that consistent documentation is necessary to categorize incidents correctly. "We need to be very clear about how we're documenting different behaviors and what constitutes a minor…or a major," Eigman said. The district plans a multilevel system of supports: tier 1 universal instruction; tier 2 small-group supports (for example, school-counselor groups); and tier 3 targeted interventions for a smaller subset of students. Eigman said the district will work with Katie Tennyson from Cooperative Educational Service Agency 7 (CESA 7) to support building teams and help identify restorative or other research-based practices to try building-wide. Committee members sought clarity that restorative approaches still include consequences; one committee member said the audience should hear that consequences exist. The presenter confirmed there are consequences and described "make it right" plans as restorative steps paired with accountability. Ending: District staff said they will follow the 100-day plan with building-level goals on schoolwide expectations, monitor effectiveness of selected restorative practices and report back on outcomes after the initial implementation period.