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Pennacook Elementary credits tiered supports and student-support center for big drop in office referrals
Summary
School staff told the board their tiered behavioral supports and a student support center have increased students meeting expectations to about 81–82% and reduced office referrals by roughly 22%, returning instructional minutes to classrooms; staff outlined a check-in/check-out tier 2 intervention to expand supports.
Pennacook Elementary staff presented Feb. 9 on a multi-year effort to strengthen tiered systems of support and to expand tier 2 interventions aimed at preventing escalation to higher-intensity services.
Principal Jen Moore and counselor Melinda Frane said the school began a formal tiered- supports process in 2021–22 and now shows strong fidelity and outcomes: Moore reported that the green (universal) tier is roughly 81–82% of students, reflecting both universal expectations and consistent staff practice. The team reported a 22.5% decrease in office referrals that has returned an estimated 5,960 student minutes and 4,470 staff minutes to instruction and support.
Michael LaChapelle detailed the "student of concern" referral process: teachers submit a Google form, the team (which can include guidance, social workers, related‑services staff, administration and others) reviews academic/behavioral/attendance/nurse data and proposes tailored interventions, with a 4–6 week review cadence. Nancy Kimball's student support center provides brief check-ins; LaChapelle said she sees 9–10 students per day for 10-minute blocks and helps students develop self-regulation skills that generalize back to the classroom.
Board members and parents praised the program. A parent wrote that their children benefited from Nancy's support and another audience member asked whether parents are informed at the referral step; staff said teachers typically inform parents when referral occurs and parents are engaged before interventions that involve tutoring or out‑of‑class changes.
What happens next: Pennacook will implement check-in/check-out as an evidence-based tier 2 intervention and continue to monitor fidelity and student progress.
