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Portland Public Schools selects CharacterStrong curriculum for elementary social‑emotional learning
Summary
After a districtwide review and pilot, the committee was notified that the elementary social‑emotional learning curriculum selection team recommended Purposeful People (CharacterStrong) for district adoption; staff outlined pilot results, training, budget considerations and implementation steps.
The Portland Public Schools elementary culture and climate team recommended CharacterStrong’s Purposeful People curriculum for districtwide elementary social‑emotional learning (SEL) after a multi-month review, staff and family input, and a 33‑staff pilot.
Joanna Frankel, the district’s director of elementary culture and climate, told the curriculum and policy committee the selection followed CASEL-aligned review steps, including a staff survey of 77 respondents, family engagement, and pilot lessons across mainland elementary schools. Frankel said the work group “made a unanimous decision, based on all of that information to, recommend Character Strong for adoption.”
Frankel summarized why CharacterStrong was selected: it ranked highest on three of four alignment measures (family input, staff input, and district goals), it scored best on pilot measures for usability and student engagement, it uses an online license model rather than physical kits, and it offers tier‑2 and tier‑3 supports beyond universal lessons. Frankel described CharacterStrong’s elementary curriculum as organized around three pillars—“Be kind,” “Be strong,” and “Be well”—and said the company’s training model delivers an initial three‑hour, all‑staff session rather than a train‑the‑trainer model.
Budget and implementation points discussed included a placeholder budget figure of $72,000, a licensing model priced by school, plans to buy recommended picture books using a grant managed by Julia Hazel, and a multi‑year rollout beginning with summer planning and an implementation blueprint provided by CharacterStrong. Frankel said staff will use the district student climate survey and classroom engagement measures to monitor rollout and success, and that culture and climate coordinators will support onboarding for staff who miss initial trainings.
Committee members asked about lesson format, differentiation for grade levels and special education access, bus-driver and nonclassroom staff awareness, and ongoing training cadence. Frankel answered that lessons are typically once a week with additional daily prompts and adaptable materials, that lessons are developmentally tailored (pre‑K through fifth grade), and that the curriculum includes videos, slides and songs as optional supports. The committee received this report as a notification (no vote required) and staff described next steps for implementation planning and family engagement.
