East Penn proposes districtwide K–8 counseling curriculum to standardize SEL and tiered supports

East Penn School District administrators presented a proposed K–8 counseling curriculum at the board meeting, saying the plan will formalize and standardize social‑emotional learning lessons delivered across the district’s elementary and middle schools. The presentation emphasized alignment with the district’s portrait of the graduate and integration into the district’s multi‑tiered system of supports (MTSS).

The district presenter said the curriculum is intended as a robust tier‑1 program that, if fully implemented, should allow roughly 80% of students to meet expectations with schoolwide supports. "This curriculum now gives us the opportunity to formalize and standardize that work into a cohesive K‑8 framework," the presenter said, adding the materials will complement individual and small‑group counseling already in place.

Dr. Susan Fuller, introduced as Jefferson school counselor and K–8 counseling department chair, outlined how lessons will be delivered and measured. She said K–5 classroom lessons are planned at roughly one to two times per month and K–8 lessons will be provided roughly twice per trimester, with common assessment data and counselor contact data used to identify trends and guide tier‑2 and tier‑3 interventions. "Consistent school counselor visibility has helped build—or will help build—more trust, making students more likely to seek support when they need it," Fuller said, noting reductions in disciplinary incidents and increases in attendance would be among the expected indicators of success over time.

Administrators identified three primary resources to support tier‑1 SEL instruction: the Aaron’s Law Foundation curriculum (for age‑appropriate child exploitation/suicide‑prevention content), the Harmony Curriculum (K–5 classroom community building), and the Positivity Project (P2) for middle grades. The presenter said Aaron’s Law would be delivered by counselors, Harmony by elementary classroom teachers, and P2 by middle school teachers on a rotating schedule.

Board members voiced support and asked technical questions about evaluation and scope. One board member asked how quickly the district would expect to see measurable changes; the presenter said common assessment data will help, but that many SEL outcomes are qualitative and that it may take multiple years—an estimated three years—before district‑level changes become measurable. Board members also asked about digital safety and the role of media specialists; the administration said digital safety and online‑bullying topics are integrated into lesson content and coordinated with librarians and media specialists.

Administration emphasized that the presentation was informational only and that the board will see a formal curriculum adoption item at a future meeting. Next steps include refining assessment approaches and presenting a formal approval item to the board in a future agenda cycle.