Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Social Emotional Learning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Brockton Public Schools: districtwide SEL screener shows rising student stress, low self-management scores
Summary
Brockton Public Schools presented districtwide results from a new social-emotional learning (SEL) and mental health screener showing that about half of students report moderate to high stress and self-management is the lowest-rated SEL skill. Staff described tiered supports and community partnerships they say will guide interventions.
Brockton Public Schools officials on Tuesday presented results from a districtwide social-emotional learning and mental-health screening program, saying the tool found rising stress among students and persistent gaps in self-management skills.
The district used the 35-question SSIS SEL Brief plus Mental Health screener with students in grades 3–12 in October 2024 and again in April 2025, Director of Social Emotional Learning John Snelgrove told the School Committee. Nearly 7,800 students participated in the fall administration and almost 8,000 in the spring, an average response rate of about 75 percent.
Snelgrove said the screener pairs five CASEL competencies — self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making — with measures of emotional and behavioral concerns so staff can target supports earlier.
“The results are helpful because they give us student voice and allow us to build interventions based on what students report,” Snelgrove said. He and other SEL staff emphasized the tool is intended to inform tiered supports, including individual counseling, small-group instruction and schoolwide programming.
Why it matters: the data give Brockton Public Schools a baseline for districtwide SEL needs and are already guiding targeted interventions, staff said. Committee members asked how the results will translate into services and whether the district can use the evidence to obtain outside funding.
Key findings summarized by staff: - Participation: the screener was offered to students in grades 3–12 with parental opt-out; participation averaged about 75 percent districtwide. - Stress: about 47 percent of respondents reported low stress; roughly 53 percent reported moderate to high stress. - Subgroups: female students, middle-school students and English language learners reported higher stress levels. - Students with disabilities: spring results showed 67.8 percent of students with disabilities reporting competent or advanced SEL skills, an increase from fall levels. - SEL domain: self-management (handling emotions, managing stress, staying focused and working toward goals) scored lowest across the district.
Committee members pressed staff on interventions and follow-up. Snelgrove and SEL coordinators said the district is using the screener to group students for tier 2 and tier 3 supports, and that school adjustment counselors and therapeutic-support staff already have access to lists that help them form targeted groups. The team also described classroom-level resources such as CharacterStrong materials and partnerships with community providers.
Staff-listed supports and partnerships mentioned during the presentation included the BRITE program at Brockton High School (a grant-funded reintegration program), training with the Benson Henry Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital, a renewed partnership with Fitchburg State University to offer graduate courses to staff at reduced tuition, and a referral option through Care Solace for families and employees needing community mental-health services.
Representative Gomes (remote) and other committee members asked to see the data in subcommittee; Snelgrove said the SEL team will present to the newly formed Mental Health and Wellness subcommittee for deeper review and planning.
The presentation did not include any formal policy vote. Committee members voiced support for continuing the screener and for using results to guide interventions and grant applications.
Ending: staff said the screener will continue to be administered in future years and that the district will use school-by-school comparisons to share promising practices between buildings.
