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Portland elementary schools to review and possibly replace SEL curriculum; district reports reduced chronic absenteeism at targeted schools
Summary
The district plans to recommend a new elementary social‑emotional learning (SEL) curriculum in the spring after staff input; administrators reported reductions in chronic absenteeism at four focused schools and outlined next steps for curriculum selection and family engagement.
The Portland Board of Public Education received an elementary update on Jan. 7 that described a planned SEL curriculum review and targeted attendance work at several elementary schools.
"Learning is social and learning is emotional," Dr. Atkinson Duena told the board while introducing December highlights and a proposal to recommend a new social‑emotional learning curriculum in the spring. The district reviewed its existing elementary SEL materials (Second Step) and found "wide variation in usage and commitment" and interest among staff in exploring other curricula, Duena said. A diverse curriculum selection committee will establish criteria, gather input and test materials; the district plans to recommend a curriculum near the end of April so planners can allow time for implementation.
Elementary Director of Culture and Climate Joanna Frankel is leading the selection work, Duena said. The district has collected nearly 200 staff survey responses and has sought parent input through PTOs and the District Family Partnership Committee. Duena said the selection process will use external reviews (for example, CASEL criteria) to evaluate cultural relevance and trauma‑informed approaches, and that teachers would have an opportunity to try parts of candidate curricula in the spring before a final recommendation.
On attendance, Duena highlighted that four schools identified for focused work showed reductions in chronic absenteeism compared with earlier months. She described a district aim to create an "attendance team playbook" so that attendance strategies become routine rather than only reactive. Board members asked for details on which strategies produced the biggest gains and asked staff to return with more specifics for possible districtwide sharing.
Additional elementary highlights included garden coordinator stipends funded by the Almena B. Sewell Foundation, community dinners at Talbot and East End, Title I support that provided family math games, and requests for winter glove donations.
Ending: The board heard the timeline for a spring recommendation on SEL curriculum, was told about targeted reductions in chronic absenteeism, and asked staff to return with implementation details and strategy evaluations.
