District presents 'belonging' framework and plans expanded Panorama use
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Summary
District behavior manager and director of student services presented an interactive overview of the district’s belonging work, highlighting Panorama surveys, SEL competencies, inclusive welcome routines, and planned staff training tied to upcoming ISBE SEL standards updates.
Catherine Murray (district behavior manager) and Natalie Assel (director of student services) led an interactive learning session for the board on the district’s work to strengthen belonging across Batavia USD 101. They described belonging as students feeling accepted, respected, included and supported and said the district anchors the work in research and a UC Berkeley definition of belonging.
Presenters said the district uses multiple data sources — including Panorama student surveys, SEL competency surveys, attendance and discipline data, classroom walkthrough data and student focus groups — to track belonging and inform interventions. They described classroom practices (inclusive welcomes, community agreements) and building-level strategies (expanded student voice at Batavia High School and CHAMPS/engagement work at Rotolo Middle School).
Murray and Assel explained professional-development plans: 23 staff will attend the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) exchange in February, district SALT teams will continue planning, and staff will develop administrative procedures and educator surveys to monitor adult experience. They noted the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is expected to update SEL standards in 2026 and that the district is preparing to integrate those updates.
During Q&A, the board asked about who is attending the exchange, cascade plans for training across buildings, selection of field-test participants, and how follow-up action items will be communicated; presenters outlined a two-strand approach (instructional SEL work and building-level workgroups) and committed to debriefs and action commitments after the exchange.
Next steps: staff will send detailed plans for the exchange participants, cascade/training timelines, and draft procedures to the board and policy/committee leads.