Social Emotional Wellbeing

Social Emotional Well-Being

  • The SEL Team was identified prior to the end of the 2019-2020 school year to ensure a foundation of support for both students and staff.
  • Meetings will continue throughout the school year and designated meeting roles have been selected for each team member.
  • Students and families have been designated as members of the SEL team as well. As members of the team, students and families will provide their voice in the decision making process. Both the SEL Team and the Family Action Committee provide the opportunity to ensure culturally relevant conversion and that the needs of the community are being taken into account.

Mental Health and Trauma-Responsive Practices

  • ALH has developed a Social Emotional Learning program (Making our Future CLEAR) targeted to each student’s grade level.
    • The program will meet twice a month either in school, in a hybrid school day or virtually. The program is aligned with the New York State Social-Emotional benchmarks as well as CASEL benchmarks and AVID standards.
    • In addition, staff will receive professional development on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) during this Summers’ Professional Development session.Teachers and leaders will also participate in an ACEs books study this Summer and into the Fall to gain a deeper understanding how childhood trauma affects student development and how it manifests itself in the classroom and high school setting.
  • A Universal Screening will be conducted of all students during the first two weeks of school to gain an understanding of students’ social-emotional and behavioral needs. The results of this survey will provide the opportunity to provide targeted supports utilizing the multi-tiered system of supports outlined below.

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)

Adapted from Illinois SS/HS Stage Group and Erie 2 BOCES as well as “Social-Emotional Learning: Essentials for Learning, Essential for Life”

 

SEL

Mental Health Support

Behavioral Supports and Interventions

Restorative Practices

Academic Supports and Interventions/RTI

Tier 3

 Individual instruction in SEL competencies

Crisis intervention

Referral to outside support services

FBA/BIP

Restorative Conference

Tier 3 intensive intervention

Tier 2

Peer-to-peer SEL workshops

Targeted explicit instruction in SEL competencies

Participation in Liberty Partnership program

Individual/small group counseling

Referral to outside services

Support Groups

Check-in/Check out program

Staff Mentoring (Home School Coordinators)

Peer Mediation

Restorative Circles

Tier 2 small group instruction

 

Tier 1

Participation in bimonthly SEL program

School Climate surveys

Family Engagement

Trauma-informed/trauma-sensitive approach

Schoolwide Merit/Demerit Program

Teach Like a Champion Classroom Management

Conferences with School Counselors

Classroom Management Plans

Peer Mediation

Community Service

Scientific research-based instruction provided to all students in the general education classroom

To ensure that Response to Intervention (RTI) is effectively targeted our department conducts regular skill assessments using proprietary screening assessments provided by Renaissance Learning and Panorama. This data is then used to determine student ability and needs relative to their peers and grade-level expectations. Tier II and Tier III Interventions are provided to individual students based on relative need and availability (i.e. the student’s schedule), while Tier I interventions occur at the classroom level.

 

Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Roles within MTSS

Each of the member of the Student Support Team has a role with the MTSS:

Home School Coordinators – Enhance each student’s educational experience by participating in classroom instruction, enforcing school and class rules to help teach students proper behavior, carry out necessary communications between home and school, and carry out other activities that promote positive home-school relations (including, but not limited to conducting home visits), so students can benefit fully from her school experience.

Culture Team Members-Provide a safe and effective learning environment for all.  Duties include upholding school safety procedures before school, during the school day, and afterschool; enforcing school and classroom policies; monitoring facility hallways, entrances, and exits; and providing support to teachers and staff.

Social Worker/Social Work Interns-The School Social Worker works with teachers, parents, and school leaders to develop plans and strategies to improve students’ academic performance and social-emotional development.

School Counselors-School counselors design and deliver comprehensive school counseling programs that promote and enhance student achievement. These programs are a collaborative effort between the school counselor, parents and educators to create an environment that permits student development. Comprehensive school counseling programs ensure equitable access to opportunities and rigorous curriculum for all students to participate fully in the educational process. Comprehensive school counseling programs, driven by student data and based on standards in academic, career and personal/social development, promote and enhance the learning process for all students.

Dean of Students-Responsible to assist with the supervision and management of students, and overall positive school culture. The Dean of Students works collaboratively with staff, students, and parents in carrying out the school’s academic and school culture programs. As a professional educator, the Dean of Students provides proactive leadership to engage all stakeholders in the delivery of programs and services to support the students’ academic achievement and personal and social development.

School and Community Safety Coordinator-Supervises and facilitates the daily operations of the school to provide a safe environment for all before school, during the school day, and at dismissal. Duties include meeting with students, parents, other administrators, teachers, and staff; participating in the development and management of educational programs and goals, and managing attendance.

Director of Student Support Services-The Director of Student Support Services will oversee the facilitation of the MTSS model as described above. This includes oversight of all of the individuals described above.

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and Transformative SEL

Making Our Future CLEAR is a program devoted to implementing a school-wide social-emotional learning program for our students. The curriculum is based on CASEL’s five core competencies; self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision- making. New York State has developed several benchmarks, or standards, that align with the CASEL competencies. The lessons and activities within our curriculum directly correlate to the standards that New York State has developed.

The end of the school year will culminate in a final project that is designed to incorporate the five core SEL competencies. Each grade level will have their own project to complete to show mastery over their social-emotional learning.

Restorative Practices

Mediation Process

  • Mediations are designed to resolve a conflict between students, teachers, and families. Mediations at ALH are limited to:
    • Student/Teacher
    • Student/Student
    • Parent/Teacher
  • Mediations are voluntary and are only conducted when all involved parties agree to participate in a mediation.
  • Mediations can be used to resolve conflict concerning:
  • Social media improprieties
  • Relationship difficulties
  • Rumor and gossip
  • Cheating and stealing
  • Racial and cultural confrontations
  • Vandalism
  • Classroom or extracurricular disputes
  • Bullying, minor alterations, and fighting

Meditation Facilitator Responsibilities

  • Identify involved individuals.
  • Reserve a space to conduct the meditation.
  • Pre-set involved individuals prior to mediation.
  • Facilitate mediation.
  • Document mediation and outcomes.
  • Notification to parent(s)/guardian(s) of involved students.
  • Investigation of reported Mediation Agreement Breeches.

Mediation Procedures

  • Meditations will be facilitated as follows:
Mediation Total # of Facilitators Facilitator Title
Student/Student Mediation 2 SST Facilitators

●       Home School Coordinator

●       School Counselors

●       Social Work Team

Student/Teacher Mediation

Tier 1 & 2 Infractions

1 SST Facilitator

●       School Counselor

●       Social Work Team

Student/Teacher Mediation Tier 3 & 4 Infractions 1SST Facilitator

●       School Counselor

●       Social Work Team

●       Home School Coordinator

●       School & Community Safety Coordinator

●       Dean of Students

Parent/Teacher Mediation 1 SST Facilitator

●       Supervisor

●       School administration.

 

  • Participants must be directly involved in the conflict.
  • Mediations are conducted on a one on one – individual basis. No groups.
  • Mediations are scheduled between the 1st period and 8th period during times that do not negatively impact student academics.
  • Mediations are held in a neutral space where involved parties can appropriately social distance. If possible, parties should sit at a round table.
  • When possible, the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the involved student(s) will be notified by the Mediation Facilitator (or other SST member) prior to the mediation. The following will be communicated to the parent(s)/guardian(s):
    • Nature of conflict.
    • The goal of mediation.
    • Any interim measures taken to address the conflict.
    • If the mediation is between a student and a teacher, the parent will be invited to join the mediation.

Adult SEL & Well-Being

  • Develop professional development offerings for staff that address their own health and wellness.
  • Develop a list of community resources summarizing social-emotional health to provide to staff to review prior to reopening.
  • Incorporation of AVID relational capacity activities.

Student SEL and Well-Being

  • An additional School Social Worker had been added to the staff as well as the incorporation of the School Counselors as facilitators of counseling sessions.
  • Universal Screening will be conducted of all students during the first two weeks of school to gain an understanding of students’ social-emotional and behavioral needs. The results of this survey will provide the opportunity to provide targeted supports utilizing the multi-tiered system of supports outlined below.
  • Implementation of the Social-Emotional Learning program aligned with NYS benchmarks, CASEL standards, as well as AVID standards.
  • Grade level meetings for teachers that provide an opportunity for discussion around students. Students will be assigned to grade-level team members for check-in support.
  • SEL lessons aligned with in-classroom instruction provided by School Social Workers and School Counselors.
  • Students will be provided access to mental health services managed by the School Social Workers.

Using Data for Continuous Improvement

  • Data will be collected through the use of student and staff surveys.
  • Results will be evaluated to understand the processes that are in place and provide the opportunity to make changes in the program.
  • Evaluation also provides us feedback on that data and provides for the opportunity to implement new programs with fidelity.

Planning and Capacity Building

The Comprehensive School Counseling Plan was updated during the 2019-2020 school year and is posted on the Albany Leadership Website. This plan includes four main components:  

  • The​ ​foundation​ of the program which focuses on student outcomes, teaching student competencies that are delivered professionally. 
  • The management system highlights the process and tools needed to deliver a comprehensive school counseling program. These processes and tools include annual agreements, use of data, action plans, time and task analysis, monthly calendars, and advisory councils. 
  • The delivery system speaks to how the comprehensive program is implemented from start to finish. This includes but is not limited to guidance curriculum, individual planning with students, responsive services, system support and indirect student services. 
  • The accountability system helps school counselors show the effectiveness of their work in measurable terms. School counselors use data to show the impact of their school counseling program on attendance, student achievement and behavior.  

The comprehensive school guidance plan was created in concert with certified school counselors, members of the Student Support Team, as well as the Director of Student Support Services. During the 2020-2021 school year, members of the Social-Emotional Learning Team which is comprised of the above-named staff as well as School Social Workers, students, families, and teaching staff the Comprehensive Guidance Plan will continue to be reviewed to ensure updates are made to meet students changing needs.  

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