3112 – Procedure – Social Emotional Climate
Definitions
For purposes of social emotional climate, the following definitions will apply:
- Classroom climate refers to the prevailing mood, attitudes, standards, and tone that the educator and students feel when they are in the classroom. A positive classroom climate feels safe, respectful, welcoming, and supportive of student learning.
- Community partners include youth and family service organizations, afterschool and summer programs, youth leadership initiatives, youth employment and apprenticeships, mental and behavioral health organizations, and community sports and arts organizations.
- Cultural Responsiveness draws upon students’ unique strengths and experiences while orienting learning in relation to individuals’ cultural context.
- Educators refers to in-program and out-of-program staff providing instruction and support to students.
- Equity means that each child receives what he or she needs to develop his or her full academic and social potential.
- Equity-focused refers to strategies aimed at improving equity in experiences and outcomes for all students and adults, across race, gender identity, ethnicity, language, disability, sexual orientation, family background, family income, and other characteristics.
- Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS) is a framework for enhancing the adoption and implementation of a continuum of evidence-based practices to achieve important outcomes for every student. MTSS involves team-based leadership; continuous data-based decision-making; student, family and community engagement; and the delivery of a continuum of evidence-based instruction and support.
- Planning Team This team will lead the process of planning, implementing and improving SEL and the cooperative program climate. This team should be made up of educational staff and varied stakeholders.
- Positive Cooperative Program Climate is safe, supportive, and an equitable learning environment that will call on adults to:
- Engage in practices that affirm diverse social and cultural identities;
- Cultivate a sense of belonging and community;
- Provide structures for physical and emotional safety;
- Use engaging, relevant, and culturally responsive instruction built on an understanding of how children and adolescents grow and develop socially, emotionally, and academically;
- Create space for student voice and agency;
- Offer frequent opportunities for students to discuss and practice anti-racism and develop collaborative solutions to address inequities;
- Provide tiered supports that meet the needs of all students; and
- Train adults to model and nurture attitudes that emphasize the benefits and satisfaction from learning.
- Social and emotional learning (SEL) is a process through which individuals build awareness and skills in managing emotions, setting goals, establishing relationships, and making responsible decisions that support success in the program and in life.
- Program Climate Surveys are scientific measures that evaluate a range of aspects of the educational environment to assess perceptions and identify specific strengths and weaknesses within a cooperative program. The goal of these measures is to gain an accurate, representative picture of the cooperative program in order to improve in various targeted areas.
- Cooperative Program Community refers to members of the broad cooperative program ecosystem including administrators, staff, students, families, community partners, and others who may be connected to the program’s success.
- Cooperative Program Leaders is used broadly to encourage cooperative programs to consider distributive leadership models that include program administrators, teaching and support staff, family and community partners, students, and those who have been historically left out of cooperative program decision-making.
- Staff refers to those who work within the cooperative program, including teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, custodial staff, program mental health professionals, cafeteria workers, and parent liaisons, among others.
- Trauma-Informed Practices recognizes the unique strengths and challenges of children and youth in light of the adversities they face.
- Universal Design provides a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people by removing barriers in the curriculum.
Framework of Cooperative Program and Classroom Climate Improvement Process
Guiding Principles and Essential Elements
The framework of the cooperative program and classroom improvement process begins with a commitment to the four guiding principles of equity, cultural responsiveness, trauma-informed practices, and universal design. Definitions of these guiding principles are included above.
The framework of the cooperative program and classroom climate improvement process includes three essential elements: creating conditions to support student’ SEL, building adult capacity, and collaborating with the cooperative program community. Components from each of these three essential elements blend together to create the process for improving cooperative program and classroom climate.
NWESD 189 and Cooperative Program Climate Improvement Process
Develop a Planning Team
- With support of NWESD 189 and cooperative program leaders, form a planning team or teams to coordinate cooperative program climate improvement efforts.
- Team members should include members from the whole cooperative program community, including administrators, educational staff, students, families, community partners, and other stakeholders.
- Team members should reflect the diverse groups of the community.
- The NWESD 189 will prioritize building the capacity of the planning team by providing professional learning.
Analyze Data
- Working with members from the whole cooperative program community, including students, assess and analyze data assessment.
- Include stakeholder voice to ensure equity and honor cultural relevance.
- Use existing data, such as cooperative program climate surveys, attendance, engagement, evaluation of SEL implementation, and other feedback for initial assessment.
- Identify the most effective existing practices and the needs for improvement.
- Determine the additional types of data needed and how to collect it.
- Collect and analyze new data, including data regarding the adult SEL training and coaching.
- Plan for continuous improvement.
Develop a Strategic Communication Plan
- Determine how to disseminate information to members of the cooperative program community.
- Determine how to obtain input from cooperative program community.
- Use more than one method to communicate and collaborate.
- Use two-way communication strategies to inform, engage, and listen to members of the cooperative program community.
- Communicate that cooperative program and classroom climate and SEL are interconnected.
- Utilize a feedback loops with families and communities to ensure accountability.
Develop an Integrated Improvement Action Plan
- Use the Washington SEL standards, benchmarks, and indicators.
- Building adult and student SEL competencies program-wide.
- Integrate and align program climate and SEL improvement with other NWESD 189 and program improvement efforts to create safe, supportive, and academically effective programs.
- Determine how to include program climate improvement and SEL into other systems and routine practices, such as hiring, onboarding, monitoring, professional development, and student discipline as consistent with Policy 3241.
- Embed use an MTSS framework with students, use SEL as a universal, tier 1 support with intensified supports at all tiers.
- Integrate restorative practices that build community, celebrate accomplishments, transform conflict, rebuild and strengthens relationships.
- Determine how to differentiate supports for different members of the program community.
- Build adult capacity in the whole program community, this might include providing resources, professional learning, time, and follow-up coaching.
Presented to Board:
05/26/2021
Date Revised: 05/26/2021