Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Principals outline student-experience push, behavior interventions and a fifth-grade pilot
Loading...
Summary
Elementary principals told the Selah School District board about coordinated student-experience work emphasizing belonging and attendance, described a three-tier reset program that reduced some serious incidents, reviewed referral and assessment data, and proposed a small fifth-grade pilot for applied-afternoon learning.
Principals from the district's elementary schools presented a consolidated update to the board on student experience, behavior systems and academic indicators, saying coordinated practices across buildings aim to increase students' sense of belonging and improve attendance.
Hunter (elementary lead), Sarah (SIS representative) and Irina (principal at Robert Lynch) described a district MTSS framework and explained tiered supports: tier 1 for all students, tier 2 for targeted groups and tier 3 for intensive individualized supports. "We really want a positive school environment with a sense of belonging for all of our students," Hunter said, framing attendance as the primary outcome measure tied to belonging.
Principals described tier-1 recognition systems (tickets and a Viking pride store), leadership opportunities (classroom helpers, rotating "Viking leaders") and cross-building CTE interactions that bring high-school pathway students into elementary classrooms. They also discussed an anti-bullying/kindness campaign that the ESD helped pilot; presenters attributed a decrease in harassment/intimidation/bullying (HIB) incidents—from 12 last year to 2 this year—to those efforts and to hallway reconfiguration that separates grade levels.
The district detailed its reset program, explaining three levels: short-term reset (2–5 days) for reteaching and alternate instruction, extended reset (6–8 weeks with a fade-in plan that requires students to earn 80% of daily expectations to progress), and a Pride/Bridal Academy for some students determined by IEP teams who require a more intensive setting. Presenters reported that 23 students have been through reset (17 of them fourth-graders), seven students have been in extended reset, and about four students in the Pride Academy; currently seven students were in reset during the reporting period. Staff said the approach keeps students in school and provides reteaching rather than sending students home.
Irina presented assessment and benchmark gains in early literacy and number sense: preschool letter-sound proficiency rose to 72% and kindergarten letter-sound measures moved from 15% in October to 91% at the time of the report, leaving about 13 kindergarten students below benchmark. Presenters acknowledged ongoing challenges—assessment stamina, platform navigation, curriculum gaps in fluency and a pronounced summer slide—and described planned professional development, curriculum review and vertical alignment work to address those issues.
The principals proposed a small fifth-grade pilot next year: core academics delivered in the morning and applied, project-based learning in the afternoon (a scaled model inspired by a two-hour learning model). They emphasized the pilot will not change core curriculum or accountability but will provide hands-on application time for a limited group of students.
Board members asked about staffing and sustainability as the district faces staffing constraints; presenters said current staffing includes certificated leads and classified pride staff and that district-level commitment will prioritize resources to sustain the reset/PBIS efforts.
The study session concluded with the board thanking the principals for the presentation; no formal action was taken on the study-session items.
