Under Construction: Building a District-wide SEL Program

First Presenter's Institution

St. Lucie Public Schools

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Traci Wilke Director of SEL St. Lucie Public Schools An educator for over 30 years, Traci Wilke is the Director of Social Emotional Learning for St. Lucie Public Schools, Florida. She has served in various capacities including special educator, speech language pathologist, assistant principal and as a school principal for over 10 years in Title One schools of diverse students from poverty. As a transformational leader, her focus on rigorous, standards based, quality instruction with positive school cultures led her schools to success. In 2018, she was recognized as her district’s Principal of the Year and a Top 3 Principal Finalist of the Year for the Florida Department of Education.

Second Presenter's Institution

St. Lucie Public Schools

Second Presenter’s Email Address

Christina.Coppola@stlucieschools.org

Second Presenter's Brief Biography

Christina Coppola SEL Specialist St. Lucie Public Schools Christina has a Masters in Social Work. She has worked as a school based mental health therapist and as a Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist. She has a background in teaching in alternative education and has worked as a school based ESE specialist.

Third Presenter's Institution

St. Lucie Public Schools

Third Presenter’s Email Address

Cassey.Chang@stlucieschools.org

Third Presenter's Brief Biography

Cassey Chang SEL Specialist St. Lucie Public Schools Cassey has a Masters in Social Work and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Cassey has worked as a Mental Health Specialist for Title 1, supporting students at non-traditional education sites. She has also worked as a Clinical Supervisor in community mental health. She has a background as a therapist specializing in co-occurring treatment. She has also has a background as an ESE teacher.

Document Type

Event

Primary Strand

Social-Emotional Learning

Relevance to Primary Strand

Our SEL Project builds capacity across our school district to understand, practice and teach all the elements involved in the Social Emotional strand including:

  • Fostering social and emotional skills within the learning environment to support academic success
  • Creating relationship centered learning communities
  • Explicit instruction of SEL including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness relationship skills, and responsible decision making
  • Integrating SEL throughout the school day
  • Evidence Based instructional structures and strategies to support the development of social emotional skills

Brief Program Description

Learn how a South Florida School district addresses the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) needs of students through a Multi-Tiered System of Supports. Explore how schools are making data driven decisions when selecting evidence based SEL structures and strategies to address student needs within all three tiers. Experience SEL practices and leave with practical ideas to bring back to your schools.

Summary

While engaging in interactive SEL practices, participants will explore the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) approach St. Lucie Public Schools is taking to establish effective SEL programs district-wide. Implementation emphasizes three prongs of explicit instruction, academic integration and infusion into school climate and culture. The program is monitored using several data points including student SEL assessments, climate surveys, discipline, attendance and classroom observations.

The district’s SEL Department identified evidence based SEL curriculum, resources and strategies for each tier. The core curriculum used in Tier One were chosen using the guidance of CASEL SELect criteria with the goal to explicitly teach CASEL’s five SEL competencies to all students in preschool through high school. Circle practice and shared agreements are also a Tier One expectation district wide. Professional development has been key to establishing Tier One, as well as, in-class supports, modeling, and classroom walkthroughs with school teams paired with follow-up feedback sessions

In addition, Tier 2 and 3 evidence-based programs, resources and strategies have been selected to provide small group and individual interventions. School-based MTSS teams are able to target students in need of interventions by using the SEL assessment data regarding students’ social awareness and emotional regulation skills. Teams also consider students’ academic, discipline and attendance data when determining a need for intervention.

Infusion of SEL into the school culture is fundamental to a systemic program. Our focus for building capacity focuses on two structures. Each school has an SEL Liaison. The liaison receives specialized professional development and supports from the district SEL Team. This individual receives supplemental pay to support the SEL infusion at their school. In addition, each school has an SEL Team. Team members must include at least one administrator, the SEL School Liaison and a district SEL Team member. The role of the team is to develop, implement and monitor a data driven SEL Action Plan addressing the needs at their school.

Learning Objective 1

To understand the journey St. Lucie Public Schools is taking to establish SEL programs in all schools using the MTSS framework.

Learning Objective 2

To learn about the 3-prong approach to school-wide SEL implementation: explicit instruction; instructional integration and infusion into school climate and culture.

Learning Objective 3

To experience authentic SEL practices.

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Under Construction: Building a District-wide SEL Program

While engaging in interactive SEL practices, participants will explore the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) approach St. Lucie Public Schools is taking to establish effective SEL programs district-wide. Implementation emphasizes three prongs of explicit instruction, academic integration and infusion into school climate and culture. The program is monitored using several data points including student SEL assessments, climate surveys, discipline, attendance and classroom observations.

The district’s SEL Department identified evidence based SEL curriculum, resources and strategies for each tier. The core curriculum used in Tier One were chosen using the guidance of CASEL SELect criteria with the goal to explicitly teach CASEL’s five SEL competencies to all students in preschool through high school. Circle practice and shared agreements are also a Tier One expectation district wide. Professional development has been key to establishing Tier One, as well as, in-class supports, modeling, and classroom walkthroughs with school teams paired with follow-up feedback sessions

In addition, Tier 2 and 3 evidence-based programs, resources and strategies have been selected to provide small group and individual interventions. School-based MTSS teams are able to target students in need of interventions by using the SEL assessment data regarding students’ social awareness and emotional regulation skills. Teams also consider students’ academic, discipline and attendance data when determining a need for intervention.

Infusion of SEL into the school culture is fundamental to a systemic program. Our focus for building capacity focuses on two structures. Each school has an SEL Liaison. The liaison receives specialized professional development and supports from the district SEL Team. This individual receives supplemental pay to support the SEL infusion at their school. In addition, each school has an SEL Team. Team members must include at least one administrator, the SEL School Liaison and a district SEL Team member. The role of the team is to develop, implement and monitor a data driven SEL Action Plan addressing the needs at their school.