Redmond School District staff and Step Up program leaders reported expansion and outcomes for the district’s alternative/supportive Step Up program, highlighting increased SEL capacity, instructional outcomes, and new makerspace resources.

Key facts: principal Karen Mitchell told the board Step Up expanded from three to four SEL classrooms, increasing students served from 44 the prior year to 71 this year with a daily attendance of 41 on average at year-end. The program reported awarding 84 credits and 106 grade-level academic course completions in the period described, for an 82.8% pass rate on 203 attempted classes. The program’s exit outcomes included students moving to higher levels of care or transitioning back to home campuses; staff noted success returning some students to graduation pathways.

Enrichment and supports: Step Up added regulation, sensory and activity rooms to better manage escalations and allow continued instruction for peers. The program expanded specials (PE, art, STEM, garden) and partnered with Deschutes Public Library to deliver hundreds of aligned books to classrooms. Grants and partnerships funded makerspace equipment including drones, Sphero robots, Sam Labs kits, three 3D printers and a laser engraver; students who design original projects can keep printed items as an incentive.

Next steps and metrics: staff will continue to refine group rotations, increase opportunities for larger-group practice to support transitions back to larger home-campuses, and monitor credit completion and exit outcomes. The board thanked Step Up staff for program expansion and community partnerships.