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White Hollow presentation: West Valley highlights SEL, tiered supports and attendance gains
Summary
White Hollow School leaders told the West Valley School Board that social-emotional learning, tiered behavioral supports and community-school services have coincided with measurable gains in student feelings of safety and belonging; teachers described daily practices such as "soft start" and classroom agreements.
White Hollow School principal Rick Ferguson told the West Valley School Board on Feb. 10 that the school's focus on social-emotional learning (SEL) and tiered behavioral supports is tied to the district strategic plan and measurable student outcomes. "For school improvement, our goal is to increase students' sense of safety, respect, and connection throughout the school community," Ferguson said.
Ferguson cited school survey data showing improvement over a year: "In November 2024, 79 percent of our students felt safe. By October 2025 ... we went up to 87.8 percent," he said. He also noted a jump in students saying they felt welcome and respected, from about 47% to 92.8% during the same period.
Ferguson described a layered set of supports: universal classroom SEL lessons and daily "soft starts," a tier 2 behavior interventionist (a White Hollow position piloted about eight years ago), tier 3 behavior specialists who create individualized, data-driven plans, and Community in Schools staff who connect families to basic needs and resources. "When that person is able to come and support a student, it allows the class and the teacher to continue on with the main goal, which is the education," Ferguson said.
Two classroom teachers described how practices look in daily instruction. Third-grade teacher Jamie Wynn said soft-start routines "have kind of gotten the kids into a routine" and give teachers time for attendance, lunch counts and informal check-ins: "It's also a great time for our interventionist...to come to the classroom and just, you know, random...How was your morning?" Fifth-grade teacher Colleen Bridal described a living "treatment agreement" that students help create and said giving fifth graders responsibility supports classroom culture and readiness for middle school.
Board members asked about attendance and family engagement. Ferguson said the district tracks students attending 90% of school days and reported progress: "Several years ago, we were at 58% ... and now we're over 70," he said, crediting communication, intentional outreach by Community in Schools and classroom incentives. The principal also noted the role of visible staff presence: "I'll be in the parking lot every day before school" to meet families.
The board requested a deeper presentation on tiered services at a future meeting; Dr. Finch confirmed directors Susan Almanson and Stephanie Knowlton will brief the board at the next meeting in late February. The presentation concluded with board praise for the school's data-driven approach and family engagement.
