Battle Ground board adopts Wayfinder high-school SEL curriculum after months of review

The Battle Ground School District Board of Directors voted 3 to 2 on Sept. 22 to adopt Wayfinder as the district's high school social-emotional learning curriculum, after a multi-month review, pilot lessons and extensive public comment.

Supporters on the board and district staff said Wayfinder met evidence-based criteria and CASEL's standards as a "select" program, and that staff would use grant funds and existing program budgets to pilot and scale the materials. Tamara (speaking for Eric Seegstorf), the district's curriculum lead present at the meeting, told the board: "I am here to simply ask what questions you have remaining. Answer those questions, and ask for your approval in implementing or adopting Wayfinder as our high school SEL curriculum." (Tamara, Sept. 22)

The board's decision followed weeks of committee work, student piloting and a public review. District staff and student representatives who piloted the materials said lessons aim to teach skills such as self-awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making. Student representative Itzel Contreras said she participated in piloting and that "they heard the comments, the concerns, the pros, and the cons" and that the curriculum team "really jotted that down" when shaping recommendations.

Why it matters: Board members and staff framed the adoption as a way to give…