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Southbridge students and staff describe tier 1 SEL programs aimed at boosting attendance and course completion
Summary
High-school and middle-school presenters detailed tier 1 social-emotional learning (SEL) programs—MAX lessons with Clark University mentors, community time, advisory routines and a new academic self-reflection cycle—saying the measures support student belonging and help identify missing credits.
Students and staff at Southbridge Middle–High School presented the district’s tier 1 social-emotional learning (SEL) strategies to the Selberge School Committee on Feb. 10, outlining routines intended to build community, reduce course failures and increase graduation readiness.
Presenters said the high school uses a mix of MAX lessons (a partnership with Clark University), grade-level assemblies, community time and a new academic self-reflection practice that runs as an eight-session pilot over two quarters. According to the presenters, MAX mentors from Clark visit ninth- and tenth-grade classes to lead SEL- and college-career–focused lessons; community time is a 30-minute, twice-quarterly session devoted to cooperative learning and activities; and grade assemblies occur twice a quarter to celebrate attendance and academic achievements.
The presenters described academic self-reflection as a practical intervention: students pull their current grades from the online gradebook, list missing assignments and use teacher-provided email templates to request help. Staff-facing practices included a district expectation that teachers post five grades every two weeks and routine review of quarterly failure rates with instructional coaches, designed to create transparency so students and staff can respond earlier to academic risk.
Committee members questioned whether teachers who are not trained in psychological interventions should lead SEL sessions. Presenters said tier 2 and tier 3 interventions are provided only by licensed mental-health clinicians and counselors; tier 1 activities are designed as low-risk community-building lessons, and teachers practice them in staff team-building settings with on-call protocols to escalate students in distress to the student support center.
On measures of effectiveness, middle-school presenters cited longitudinal tracking dating to 2019 showing quarter-over-quarter improvements in attendance, fewer behavior referrals and lower suspension rates, alongside positive responses in four annual school-climate surveys. Presenters and members agreed that sustained staff retention and structured mentoring for new teachers are central to preserving SEL routines through staffing or resource changes.
The presentation concluded with requests for continued community support of student events and an invitation for committee members to observe advisory and community-time activities.
The committee did not take formal action on the SEL programs; discussion focused on implementation safeguards, measurable outcomes and maintaining program continuity amid staffing or funding changes.
