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Norris schools recommend continuing Character Strong social-emotional curriculum, seek one-year funding
Summary
District counselors and psychologists told the Norris School Board the Character Strong social-emotional curriculum helped build classroom community and reduced disciplinary incidents; staff recommended another year of tier 1 and tier 2 access at a projected cost of $11,293.60 with Region 5 covering $3,000.
Norris School District 160 counselors and school psychologists presented an update on Character Strong implementation and recommended the district continue using the program for another year.
The presentation, led by school counselors and the district’s director of student services, described how counselors and classroom teachers across elementary, intermediate, middle and high schools are using Character Strong lessons to teach monthly themes such as courage and empathy and to build classroom routines. "The kids really look forward to it," said Jill Berenson, elementary school counselor. "It has provided just a really solid foundation for us to build from." The presenters said teachers are incorporating short games and circle activities and that the curriculum has given staff a common language for addressing problems in class.
District staff framed the program as a tiered set of supports: a universal (tier 1) curriculum delivered to all students, and a suite of tier 2 interventions — check-in/check-out, coping-skills groups, executive-functioning lessons and other small-group work — for students needing extra support. Savannah Ingram, intermediate counselor, described the tier 2 “flowchart” tool that helps teachers identify the best intervention for an individual student. Maggie Tian, school psychologist, reported that classroom behavioral incidents at the secondary level had decreased about 25% compared with the previous year, noting that is a correlation and not proof of causation.
The presenters shared staff and student feedback collected at different buildings: middle school staff and students ranked empathy and community-building lessons as most meaningful; high school students said Wednesday lessons improved classroom community. District staff recommended continuing both tier 1 and tier 2 resources for all four buildings next year so teams can further evaluate tier 2 tools and scale interventions that work.
On cost, district staff said Region 5 has offered to cover $3,000 of the subscription; the district’s projected cost for full tier 1 and tier 2 access next year was presented as $11,293.60. The team said they will continue to evaluate the tier 2 offerings and may refine which components the district keeps long term.
Why it matters: Board members said they were encouraged by the early data and student anecdotes about improved classroom climate, and asked staff to continue refining tier 2 delivery, schedule small groups without repeatedly pulling students from critical instruction time, and quantify impacts in the coming year.
Next steps: Staff will finalize a cost quote and coordinate timing with Region 5’s funding window; the board will see a cost proposal in a forthcoming packet and will consider budget approval as part of next year’s planning.
