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Consultant urges San Rafael schools to define Tier 1 supports and adopt common SEL competencies
Summary
A consultant told the San Rafael City Schools board the district’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 behavioral supports are strong but recommended a clear, districtwide Tier 1 MTSS framework and adoption of a single SEL competency set to improve consistency and outcomes.
Marybeth Cropp, a consultant who conducted a districtwide behavioral-support assessment, told the San Rafael City Schools board that the district’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 responses to student crises are well developed but that Tier 1 — the universal, proactive social-emotional and behavior supports — needs clearer definition and alignment across schools.
Cropp said the evaluation drew on interviews with counselors, administrators, 28 adult staff surveys, randomized student conversations and visits to all 12 district schools. "You have such a wonderful feeling and sense of community and belonging," she told the board, and praised principals and site teams for their dedication. At the same time she said Tier 1 systems were "in progress" and recommended a distinct, districtwide framework to make expectations consistent for students, staff and families.
Why it matters: Cropp said clearer Tier 1 definition would let the district teach SEL skills consistently across classrooms and reduce the need for higher‑intensity interventions. She recommended anchoring SEL competencies in an evidence‑based model (for example, CASEL or a comparable framework), producing visible examples of what Tier 1 looks like in practice, and providing professional learning so all staff and board members share a common language.
Her recommendations included: establishing an integrated MTSS framework that clearly defines Tier 1 components; selecting an SEL competency set to measure instruction; connecting SEL competencies to the district’s graduate profile; and providing ongoing professional learning to align practice. She warned full implementation can take several years but said clearer definitions could produce near‑term gains.
Board response and next steps: Trustees pressed for prioritized, timebound actions; Cropp and staff said the report will go to the district’s strategic‑plan task force next week to help set a three‑year sequence of priorities. Cropp told the board implementation typically spans multiple years but that a well‑defined Tier 1 can show early wins.
Provenance: presentation and Q&A by Marybeth Cropp (SEG 1229–1765).
