Case study: Strategic planning for social and emotional needs

Today's schools are very different from what they have been in the past. Students need to learn much more, much earlier to compete and succeed. Today’s schools need to address the increasing social and emotional needs of their students in an ever-changing society that is rich with information, communication and interaction. 

White Pass is a remote, small district of 350 students, nestled in a valley named after a mountain pass of the Cascade Mountains, which is at the east end of the district. The district consists of three communities, Packwood, Randle and Glenoma. The schools are located in Randle, and the distance from one end of the district to the other is over 40 miles. The mission of the White Pass School District, in conjunction with our greater rural community, is to provide a quality education for all in a safe and challenging environment. 

Demographically, 18% of the students in the district are considered homeless, 71% of the students qualify for free and reduced lunch — of that number, more than 90% of students access free lunch. The district has numerous single-parent, grandparent or guardian-led households. White Pass has continually provided a strong comprehensive educational program to its students.

Developing systems to support students

I arrived in 2017 and was the fifth superintendent in nine years. The district wanted to address the social and emotional needs of the students while having systems in place to continue to move forward regardless of who was the superintendent, building principal or other personnel. By working with the staff and all three communities, we started building a strategic plan. 

We adopted our strategic plan in 2018 after a series of town hall meetings to gain input from each of the communities, and meetings with all staff and the school board. A key component of the plan was to address the social and emotional needs of the students. This would happen by strategically implementing professional development as well as engaging staff and the community with several different programs. 

As a result, the following new programs have been put in place over the last two years.

The Chill Space — A designated classroom space at the elementary school where students can go to deescalate, have a quiet place or just to refocus on their school work. 

The Den — A designated separate space outside of the classroom where students can go that is staffed by a trained, caring, paraprofessional. Often, this individual will check in with many of the students in the morning to assess their well-being and connect with them again at the end of the day. 

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) — A behavior and academic program that combines Response to Intervention (RTI) and Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies (PBIS). The district contracted with Dr. Bella Bikowsky (www.bellabikowskyphd.com) to provide intensive training for staff at the elementary and secondary schools in developing and implementing MTSS. 

MTSS utilizes research-based principles and methods that provide building-wide student support. Although implementation is a process that grows over time, the district has experienced success in working with students who had very difficult behaviors. Dr. Bikowsky states, “When you look at the research, academics are only 30-50% of what students need to be successful. The highest indicator of success is not GPA, SAT scores or IQ; rather, it is cognitive control. In simple terms, we are talking about grit. What we are attempting to accomplish with this work is getting kids into the mental gym, day after day and year after year, in an effort to truly learn strategies to help strengthen their executive functioning skills. These are the foundation skills that will help determine success far beyond the K-12 school years.”

LOU Crew — Mentoring, tutoring and activities provided by a group of approximately 25 community volunteers. Formed in 2018 by a former school board member, activities have included tutoring, community construction and clean-up projects, cooking classes, hiking with students and ultimate Frisbee, in addition to volunteering in the classrooms and hallways. 

Cispus Learning Center — The Cispus Learning Center, located 19 miles away from the district, is one of two sites supported by the Association of Washington Schools Principals (AWSP), which provides environmental and leadership education to K -12 students. This resource, essentially in the district’s backyard, is now being accessed extensively. In the fall of 2018, the district, in partnership with the center, started taking students to the center for leadership development. In addition, learning center staff come to the district to work with middle school students on various aspects of social and emotional wellbeing. The center also engages elementary students on-site in providing recreational learning opportunities focusing on positive social and emotional behaviors. 

Mental Health — The district spent a year trying to find a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) to provide services and even considered accessing services via Skype in order to secure support. In fall 2019, the district was able to successfully hire an LMHC for three days a month to provide services to students who had been identified by staff as potentially needing the most support. Even before obtaining an LMHC, the district hired a staff member as a counselor who was pursuing training to become an LMHC. Next year, she will be far enough in her program to provide additional mental health counseling services to the district. 

The work will continue to provide positive supports for behaviors of students and their social/emotional needs as well as providing support to their families. Recently, the district applied for a grant to have one of the district’s free preschool programs become part of the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP). The ECEAP program focuses on helping three- and four-year-old children from low income families experience success early in school and life. 

At the onset of arriving at White Pass in 2017, district staff wanted to focus on improving the culture and climate while ensuring that all students have access to a strong academic program. The district addressed this issue strategically by providing a comprehensive approach to the social and emotional needs of the students while maintaining or increasing the academic standard. The expectation and growing reality is that students will be able to focus better on their academic work and be socially and emotionally better prepared for life. 

Today's schools are very different from what they have been in the past, and the White Pass School District and community are staying true to the district’s mission“to provide a quality education for all in a safe and challenging environment.” 

Contributed by Paul Farris, Ph.D., Superintendent, White Pass School District.