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SEL coordinator describes districtwide progress as federal grant winds down
Summary
Christina Dorenzo, the district's social-emotional learning coordinator, reported on three years of SEL work, implementation-to-integration progress, grants that supported the work, expanded supports (therapy dog, math lab pilot) and plans to sustain practices after a federal grant ends.
Christina Dorenzo, North Providence’s social-emotional learning coordinator, told the school committee on June 15 that three years of grant-funded work has moved the district from introduction to integration of SEL practices and systems.
Dorenzo said the program’s vision emphasized creating environments where students feel safe, connected and ready to learn. She described the district’s four priorities—belonging, engagement, relationships and readiness to learn—and said the grant funding (referred to in the presentation as the BSCA grant) funded infrastructure such as district pacing guides, family communication resources, staff training and expanded tier-one supports. She noted the therapy dog program, math engagement pilots and a multi-year partnership with a high school to support broader implementation.
Dorenzo acknowledged challenges, including time constraints and pushback, and said initiatives of this scale require multiple years to embed with fidelity; she said implementation science suggests 8–10 years to reach full fidelity and that three years produced meaningful progress such as district-wide staff and student charters and common language.
Committee members asked about alignment with the district strategic plan, how SEL goals are reflected in school improvement plans, and what SurveyWorks or other metrics the district will use to measure belonging and engagement. Dorenzo and administrators said the SEL work aligns under broader district goals (PBIS, MTSS), that schools vary in specific rollout and that Dorenzo will provide more explicit milestone plans and data visuals in forthcoming briefings.
Dorenzo said the federal grant that supported her position and many initiatives is ending and that while some infrastructure is now embedded, sustained capacity-building and measurement plans will be needed to preserve and grow the work.
The committee asked Dorenzo to supply charts or graphs that show where the district began and current reach and outcomes; she said she can prepare those graphics for future presentations.
