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[00:00:04]

4 P.M. I CALL TO ORDER THIS SPECIAL MEETING WORK SESSION OF THE BATTLE GROUND SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR MONDAY,

[1. Call to Order]

JULY 28TH, 2025 AT 4 P.M.. I'D LIKE TO WELCOME ERICK SUKSDORF TO COME UP AND TAKE OVER FROM HERE.

[2. Work Session]

OKAY. WELL, FIRST OFF, JUST A MASSIVE THANK YOU TO THE BOARD FOR HAVING US TODAY.

IT'S PRETTY EXCITING. YOU CAN SEE IN THE CROWD WE HAVE A MIXTURE OF SOME OF OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORTED US THROUGH THE WORK.

IT'S REALLY STRANGE AS WE KIND OF COME TO THE END OF THIS PROCESS, WE ARE DOING A LOT OF REFLECTION, AND IT'S CRAZY TO THINK THAT WE ACTUALLY STARTED THIS LAST AUGUST.

SO IT'S COMING UP ON ALMOST A YEAR OF WORKING ON THIS WORK.

AND IN THAT JOURNEY WE'VE HAD SEVEN MEETINGS.

THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ALMOST 60 HOURS OF DEDICATED TIME TO DIVE INTO THE WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE CHOOSE IS RIGHT FOR OUR DISTRICT AND RIGHT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

AND THAT DOESN'T EVEN COUNT THE HOURS PUT IN OUTSIDE OF THAT.

WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE SUPPORTING THE TEAM, AND I THINK WE'LL HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THEM.

IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT DEAL. NOT CLOSE ENOUGH.

DANG IT. IT'S ONE OF THOSE BINGO CARD THINGS.

SORRY. AND THEN WE ALSO AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE ENDED UP PILOTING TWO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. WE PILOTED SCHOOL CONNECT, AND THEN WE ALSO PILOTED WAYFINDER.

WITH THAT PIECE, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IN OUR COMMITTEE, WE HAD ABOUT 27, 28 COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO WERE INVOLVED, AND WE HAD THE PRIVILEGE AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY REACH OUT ACROSS THE WHOLE DISTRICT TO MAKE SURE WE GOT A LOT OF DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT LENSES THAT WE WANTED TO BE A PART OF THE COMMITTEE AN THE WORK.

SO WE HAVE EVERYTHING FROM COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOLS TO ALE.

WE ALSO HAVE A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS. WE HAVE DISTRICT OFFICE FOLKS.

WE HAVE BUILDING ADMINISTRATORS. WE HAVE CERTIFIED TEACHERS.

WE ALSO GOT SOMEBODY FROM ESD, A BEHAVIOR SPECIALIST, TO JOIN OUR TEAM AND GIVE SOME OF THE PERSPECTIVE FROM ESD 112, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS REALLY COOL AS WELL. AND THEN BEHIND THE SCENES, YOU DON'T SEE THEM A LOT, BUT WE HAD A COUPLE OF PEOPLE WHO WERE PIVOTAL TO THE WORK.

KATIE PETERSON IS OUR GRANT SECRETARY. SHE DID A LOT FOR US BEHIND THE SCENES.

AND THEN AMY FREDERICKS, WHO IS THE TOSA FOR OUR CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT GROUP.

SHE WORKED WITH MISS TUCHARDT AN BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM, OF ORGANIZING AND STORING AND KEEPING EVERYTHING.

I CAN'T EVEN SPEND ENOUGH TIME THANKING THEM FOR THAT WORK.

AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT. AND THEN I PROMISE I WILL MOVE FORWARD HERE. I JUST WANT TO DO A QUICK THANK YOU TO TAMRA SCHEETZ AND ALLISON TUCHARDT AND REALLY MISS WHITTEN.

THE WORK AND GUIDANCE THAT THEY HAVE GIVEN OUR COMMITTEE AND THE SUPPORT HAS REALLY BEEN INSPIRING.

IT'S ALSO PUSHED US TO REALLY DO OUR BEST AND TO REALLY DO WHAT WAS RIGHT FOR THEIR DISTRICT AND FOR THIS COMMITTEE.

I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY AWESOME. AND THEN LASTLY, MISS DEBBIE, I ALREADY SAID IT, BUT DURING JOINING OUR COMMITTEE ABOUT WEEK MEETING THREE BRINGING THE BOARD'S PERSPECTIVE WAS AWESOME.

WE HAVE A NON-NEGOTIABLE IN OUR COMMITTEE WORK.

AND I'D SAY THE THING IN OUR COMMITTEE DID NOT HOLD BACK.

AND HAVING DEBBIE COME IN AND SAYING THE THING AND REALLY CHALLENGING US AND PUSHING WHAT WE ARE DOING FOR OUR COMMUNITY WAS PHENOMENAL.

SO SHORT STORY. WE'RE EXTREMELY EXCITED. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK AND A LOT OF PEOPLE PUTTING THIS TOGETHER TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

THE LAST THING I WANT TO DO IS CAN YOU PLEASE PUT UP THE OTHER PRESENTATION? IS I WANT TO DO A LITTLE SHOUT OUT. NOT NECESSARILY FOR ME, BUT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN WE STARTED THIS WORK, WE HAD 13 DIFFERENT PROPOSALS. AND OVER THOSE EIGHT MEETINGS, WE NARROWED IT DOWN TO FOUR, WHERE WE HAD VENDORS COME IN AND DO A PRESENTATION.

WE HAD A STUDENT PANEL THAT WAS A PART OF THAT SCORING TO CHOOSE OUR FINAL TWO TO DO A PILOT ON.

AND THEN EVERY SINGLE VENDOR THAT WE WORKED WITH JUST TOOK THE TIME TO THANK OUR COMMITTEE.

AND HOW MUCH EFFORT THE SERIOUSNESS THAT THEY TOOK IN THE WORK THAT THEY DID THE THOROUGHNESS THAT WE DID, AND THEY LITERALLY TOLD US THAT THE WORK THAT BATTLE GROUND PUBLIC SCHOOLS WAS DOING WAS GOING TO BE THE GOLD STANDARD MOVING FORWARD.

AND WHEN THEY SHARE STORIES WITH OTHER DISTRICTS AS THEY WORK TOWARDS ADOPTIONS, THAT WE WOULD BE WHAT THEY COMPARED IT TO.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE TWO TUCHARDT, SCHEETZ, AND THE ENTIRE COMMITTEE. SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY NEAT. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS WE HAVE SOME COMMITTEE MEMBERS OUT HERE IN THE CROWD.

THEY'RE JUST GOING TO STAND UP. WE HAVE A MICROPHONE. WE'LL PASS AROUND. THEY'RE GOING TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES. THEY WILL BE JUMPING IN THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION TODAY AS WELL.

THEY WILL ALSO SHARE SOME OF THEIR STORIES. THAT'S OKAY.

I'M GOING TO GRAB THIS. I JUST WANT TO START TURNING YEAH. YEAH. SO IF YOU GUYS WANT TO JUST INTRODUCE YOURSELF, HOW YOU ARE EXCITED TO BE PART

[00:05:06]

MY NAME IS CARESSE BLANKENSHIP, AND I WORK WITH ERICK IN THE CAPACITY OF THE AWARE TEAM FOR BATTLE GROUND PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS THE INTERVENTION COORDINATOR AT BATTLE GROUND HIGH SCHOOL. AND THEN JUST SERVING AND SUPPORTING IN THIS COMMITTEE AND OTHERS THAT WE'VE BEEN A PART OF THROUGH THE AWARE GRANT AND THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING. WITH THOSE FUNDS.

HELLO, I'M ANNIE ODRO, AND I AM THE SAME ROLE AS CARESSE HERE INTERVENTION COORDINATOR AT PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL.

AND I FEEL LIKE THIS COMMITTEE IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR WORK, WORKING WITH OUR HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS, WITH INTERVENTIONS AND WORKING WITH GROUPS AND SUPPORTING STUDENTS.

IT'S HAVING A SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING CURRICULUM OR REALLY ENHANCE THOSE THINGS THAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING AND REALLY SUPPORT OUR STAFF WHO ARE PREPARING THOSE INTERVENTIONS. I'M C.J. SCHILLER, I'M A MATH TEACHER AT PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL.

I JOINED THE TEAM BECAUSE I REALLY SEE A NEED FOR AN SEL CURRICULUM.

LIKE ANNIE SAID, IT'S WORK THAT ALL TEACHERS ARE ALREADY DOING.

BUT THIS WILL JUST MAKE IT EASIER AND A LITTLE BIT MORE UNIFORM ACROSS THE BOARD.

HI. I'M KARI KOLLER OBERG AND I WORK AT PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL AND ALSO AT PLEASANT VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL.

I HAVE THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO A LOT OF SMALL GROUPS, AND I WANTED TO SEE HOW WE COULD USE SEL AS A PART OF OUR LEVEL TWO AND LEVEL THREE WORK.

HI, I'M OLIVER ROOT, I'M A MATH TEACHER AND ASB ADVISOR AT PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL.

WHY? I JOINED THE COMMITTEE IS BECAUSE I REALLY, HONESTLY, I KNEW A LOT OF THE FOLKS THAT WERE DOING IT, AND I HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR THEM, SO I WANTED TO JOIN IN ON THAT AND WANTED TO BE A PART OF A CURRICULUM ADOPTION AT SOME POINT IN BATTLE GROUND SCHOOL DISTRICT.

I ALSO WENT TO BATTLE GROUND SCHOOL DISTRICT K THROUGH 12.

A LOT OF MY FRIENDS ARE STILL PEOPLE THAT GRADUATED FROM BATTLE GROUND HIGH SCHOOL. AND I JUST THINK THAT THIS WE HAVE A REALLY AWESOME OPPORTUNITY TO IMPART SOME REALLY, REALLY VALUABLE SKILLS TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND IT'S THE COMMUNITY THAT RAISED ME. SO I WANTED TO GIVE BACK THAT WAY. YEAH.

I THINK THAT'S WHY I JOINED. AND HELLO, I'M DANAKA ROSS, I AM A SCIENCE TEACHER AT PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL AND THE OTHER ASB ADVISOR AT PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL. I JOINED BECAUSE TUKES IS SO AWESOME.

I ACTUALLY, I WAS A PART OF THE SCIENCE CURRICULUM ADOPTION COMMITTEE THE YEAR BEFORE, AND I THINK WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT BEING A PART OF THESE COMMITTEES IS THAT YOU SEE HOW MUCH GOES INTO, LIKE, LEARNING THE CLASSROOM AND HOW THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT, SO MANY DIFFERENT ASPECTS YOU BRING INTO WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO TEACH IN THE CLASSROOM, THAT IT HELPS ME BE A BETTER TEACHER AND THEN ALSO HELPS ME HAVE A LARGER IMPACT THROUGHOUT OUR SCHOOL AND THEN LIKE THE DISTRICT.

AND SO SEL IS SOMETHING THAT'S WITHIN ALL THE DIFFERENT GRADES AND ALL THE DIFFERENT SUBJECTS IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

AND SO I'VE SEEN IT AT DIFFERENT LEVELS IN SCIENCE, HOW WE NEED IT AND THEN IN THE LEADERSHIP LEADERSHIP SIDE.

SO I WANTED TO BE A PART OF THAT AND ALL THE COOL PEOPLE.

SO. HI I'M ALICIA HART. I'M A TEACHER OVER AT BATTLE GROUND HIGH SCHOOL.

I TEACH SUMMER SCIENCES. I CHOSE TO BE PART OF THE PILOTING PROGRAM JUST BECAUSE I WAS INTERESTED TO SEE THE KIND OF LESSONS AND ACTIVITIES THAT THE SEL CURRICULUM COULD PROVIDE OUR STUDENTS.

THERE'S DEFINITELY A GREAT NEED FOR SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING FOR OUR STUDENTS.

BUT ALSO I JOINED BECAUSE I'M ALSO A PARENT IN THE DISTRICT WITH FIVE KIDS AND NOW TWO HIGH SCHOOLERS.

AND SO I REALLY WANTED TO BE INFORMED ABOUT WHAT THINGS ARE IN THIS SEL CURRICULUM AND SEE IF IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR MANY FAMILIES WITHIN THE DISTRICT.

AND I WAS HAPPY TO BE A PART OF IT. I'M ALI STRAPPAZON.

I AM A COMMUNITY MEMBER. ALSO PARENT. SO I WAS COMING AT THIS FROM A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT ANGLES.

I'VE BEEN ON SEVERAL OTHER COMMITTEE ADOPTION COMMITTEES BEFORE.

SO THIS WAS NOT TERRIBLY NEW TO ME. NEW TOPIC.

BUT AS A PARENT, BOTH OF MY KIDS WERE ALWAYS OUT RUNNING ALL THE NEW CURRICULUM ADOPTIONS.

SO THEY DIDN'T GET ANY OF THEM. WHICH IS HORRIBLE FOR ME.

BUT I WANTED I WOULD HAVE WANTED THIS CURRICULUM WHEN THEY WERE GOING THROUGH SCHOOL.

AND FOR MY YOUNGEST, WHO STILL STRUGGLES AS AN ADULT TO MANAGE HERSELF AND OTHER THINGS. THIS COULD HAVE HELPED SO IMMENSELY.

[00:10:01]

WITH SOME OF THE STRUGGLES SHE HAD WHEN SHE WAS AT BATTLE GROUND AND THEN TRANSITIONING TO SOME OF YOU.

SO FROM THAT ASPECT, I WANTED TO BE A PART OF THIS BECAUSE I FELT I COULD GIVE SOME POINTERS OF OF WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE A PARENT FOR A NONTRADITIONAL KID.

AND THEN AS A BUSINESS OWNER AT THAT TIME. I WAS COMING AT IT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, WHAT WHAT KIND OF EMPLOYEE DO WE WANT TO HIRE? RIGHT. AND WE NEED.

I CAN TRAIN ANY EMPLOYEE TO DO THE TASKS RIGHT.

I CAN'T NECESSARILY TEACH THEM ALL THOSE SOFT SKILLS THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE COMING INTO THE JOB MARKET, AND SEL CURRICULUM IS WHERE IT'S AT FOR THAT.

AND SO I WANTED TO BE GIVE THAT PERSPECTIVE IN MY VOICE ON THIS COMMITTEE AS WELL.

SO THAT'S WHY I JOINED. HI. MY NAME IS KAREN REDDINGTON.

I AM A TEACHER AT BATTLE GROUND HIGH SCHOOL FOR OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES WHO NEED LOW SUPPORT.

I'M IN THE BACK ROW BECAUSE I AM ON DAY ONE OF TRAINING.

MY NEW SERVICE DOG GOT MY PREVIOUS SERVICE DOG OR CURRENT.

SORRY. [LAUGHTER] ANYWAY BEING A TEACHER OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IT'S REALLY SEL IS EMBEDDED IN OUR DAILY CURRICULUM, WHETHER IT'S MATH OR ENGLISH. WE ALWAYS ARE DEALING WITH HOW TO INTERACT SOCIALLY APPROPRIATELY, HOW TO ASK QUESTIONS, HOW TO DEAL WITH DISAPPOINTMENTS, FRUSTRATION.

IT'S REALLY A CONSTANT PART OF THE DAILY INTERACTIONS THAT WE HAVE.

I WON'T SAY MANY, BUT OUR STUDENTS DEAL WITH REJECTION AND BULLYING.

I WOULD SAY A BIT MORE THAN THE TYPICAL STUDENT MIGHT EXPERIENCE.

THEY'RE OSTRACIZED A BIT MORE. SO WE PROCESS THAT SORT OF INFORMATION.

THEY HAVE REALLY ENJOYED GOING THROUGH THE PILOT PROGRAM AND WERE EXTREMELY ENTHUSIASTIC, AND FELT LIKE IT WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE SCHOOL CULTURE IF WE ADOPTED THIS CURRICULUM AND HEARING FROM THEM THAT THEY FELT IT WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

BESIDES, THEY REALLY ENJOYED IT. I MEAN, WE HAD A LOT OF FUN.

I ENJOYED PRESENTING IT. IT WAS IT WAS, YOU KNOW, WHOLEHEARTED FROM STUDENTS AND STAFF.

SO ANYWAY, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME AND HONESTLY, THIS IS THE VERY BEST FIRST DAY TO BRING MY NEW DOG.

I DON'T KNOW. WHY AND YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE YOU LETTING US TAKE THAT TIME AND WHAT I HOPE FROM THOSE MOMENTS, BESIDES GETTING TO KNOW SOME OF OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS IN THEIR BACKGROUND WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM, IT'S JUST ANOTHER WAY TO KIND OF DEMONSTRATE AND SHOW YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN THIS WORK.

EVERYTHING FROM SCHOOL TO DISTRICT TO REGIONAL TO PARENTS TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVING THREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, A PART OF THAT WORK WAS REALLY PHENOMENAL. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

AND THEN IN A MOMENT HERE WE'RE GOING TO JUMP INTO WAYFINDER.

BUT WHAT I WANT TO DO. EXCUSE ME, IS GIVE A QUICK OVERVIEW.

SO MATT AND BRIAN WILL BE JUMPING IN AND TALKING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WAYFINDER.

WE HAVE SHELBY, WHO IS ON ZOOM, AND SHE'S GOING TO BE ABLE TO JUMP IN AND SHARE PART OF THE PRESENTATION AS WELL.

WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE OF WHY SEL, WHY THE IMPORTANCE, WHY THEY FOCUS, WHY IS IT WORTH THE MONEY? WHY SHOULD IT BE IN OUR CLASSES? WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE RESEARCH BEHIND THAT. WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU SOME DATA AND FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT FROM OUR TIME AS A COMMITTEE.

WE'RE GOING TO REALLY DIVE INTO THE DATA THAT CAME FROM OUR PILOTS, FROM STUDENTS AND FROM STAFF, AND ALSO FROM SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT NEXT STEPS.

SO IF WE ARE ABLE TO ADOPT THIS, WE'RE GOING TO START LOOKING TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION, BUDGET AND SUSTAINABILITY.

WHAT WE'RE HOPING IS THAT THIS THIS ISN'T A SIT AND GET, WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANT IT TO BE A LECTURE.

SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO OUR WHOLE BUSINESS AS WE HIT THESE TOPICS THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION.

WE WANT YOU TO JUMP IN LIKE, THIS IS THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY AND MOMENT FOR US TO TALK THROUGH ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS.

LIKE WE SAID AT THE BEGINNING, ONE OF OUR NON-NEGOTIABLES IS TO SAY THE THING IF IT'S IN YOUR HEAD, SAY IT OUT LOUD AND LET'S TALK THROUGH IT. SO THAT'S A BIG DEAL.

IF YOU'RE A NOTE TAKER AND LIKE TO JUST KIND OF ADD THEM UP, WE DO HAVE A SPOT AT THE VERY END WHERE WE HAVE A Q&A AND WE'LL BE MORE THAN WELCOME.

HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THEN AS WELL. OKAY.

SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO ARE YOU OKAY COMING UP.

[00:15:02]

YEAH. OKAY. AND THEN CARLA, I'M NOT NECESSARILY SURE THEY WANTED TO SUBMIT THIS.

THIS IS PART OF THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE WITH THE WORK.

IF YOU WANT TO KIND OF EXPLAIN TO THEIR PEERS. YEAH. THANKS, BUDDY.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. YEAH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. HELLO, EVERYBODY.

ARE WE. WE ARE GOOD. WE ARE ON SCREEN. MY NAME IS MATT WAYNE.

I'M WITH WAYFINDER, AND I'M VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WAYFINDER AND SUPER APPRECIATIVE OF THE BOARD FOR HAVING US AND FOR ALL OF YOU FOR SENDING. IT SOUNDS LIKE A YEAR NOW. REVIEWING A, YOU KNOW, A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. SO, YOU KNOW, I STARTED MY CAREER OVER A DECADE AGO WORKING IN SCHOOLS IN LOS ANGELES.

AND I SORT OF SAW, YOU KNOW, FIRSTHAND A NEED FOR FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AT WAYFINDER.

AND THEN JUMPED AROUND TO A FEW DIFFERENT EDUCATION COMPANIES AND FINALLY ENDED UP AT WAYFINDER ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO.

I'M JOINED HERE BY MY COLLEAGUE BRIAN. LET'S SAY HI.

YEAH. HEY, THANKS FOR HAVING ME. I'M BRIAN GROW.

I'VE BEEN WITH WAYFINDER HERE, EXCITED TO BE HERE. I'VE BEEN IN EDTECH, HELPING SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

FOR OVER OVER 15 YEARS NOW. SO EXCITED TO BE HERE AND HELP OUT.

ALL RIGHT. WE ALSO HAVE OUR COLLEAGUE SHELBY, WHO I BELIEVE IS WITH US SOMEWHERE IN THE INTERNET.

OKAY. HELLO, SHELBY. WHEREVER YOU ARE. ALL RIGHT.

SO THE, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL OF SORT OF MY PORTION HERE IS I WANT TO I KNOW SOME PEOPLE HERE HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME REVIEWING WAYFINDER.

SOME PEOPLE, YOU KNOW MAY NOT HAVE HEARD A BUNCH ABOUT IT.

SO I JUST KIND OF WANT TO GET EVERYONE UP TO SPEED WITH A QUICK OVERVIEW OF WHO WE ARE, WHERE WE'VE BEEN, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, REALLY, WE WANT TO BE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. SO ANY QUESTIONS THAT FOLKS HAVE HAD, AS THEY'VE BEEN REVIEWING THE CURRICULUM OR ANY OF OUR MATERIALS, WE WANT TO BE HERE TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO ANY OF THAT.

ALL RIGHT. SO FROM A, YOU KNOW, SUPER HIGH LEVEL.

SO WAYFINDER, WE STARTED BACK IN 2015 AT THE STANFORD D SCHOOL, THE STANFORD DESIGN SCHOOL.

AND WE REALLY WE DID SORT OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT FOR ABOUT 1 OR 2 YEARS AND THEN STARTED WORKING DIRECTLY WITH STUDENTS IN 2017.

TODAY, THE WAYFINDER WORKS AT ABOUT 2500 SCHOOLS WITH ABOUT A MILLION STUDENTS.

SO WE'VE GROWN A LOT AND WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WE'VE CHANGED A LOT FROM THOSE FIRST YEARS, TOO. BUT REALLY, WHAT WE STARTED WITH WAS THIS THIS OBSERVATION ACTUALLY FROM OUR CURRENT CEO, PATRICK, WHO WAS HE WAS WORKING WITH STUDENTS IN OAKLAND.

AND YOU KNOW WHAT HE NOTICED? AND YOU KNOW WHAT I CERTAINLY NOTICED WHEN I WAS WORKING IN LOS ANGELES, I'M SURE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO WORK HERE WITH STUDENTS IS REALLY KIND OF THIS, LIKE SENSE OF DISENGAGEMENT AMONG STUDENTS.

YOU KNOW, THE HEAD DOWN ON THE DESK NOT FEELING A TON OF CONNECTION TO WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN SCHOOL AND THEIR FUTURES.

AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT ARE KIND OF UNABLE TO CONNECT THOSE DOTS, UNABLE TO SAY, HEY, IF THIS IS WHAT I CARE ABOUT IN THE FUTURE, WHY IS THIS RELEVANT FOR ME NOW? SO WE REALLY STARTED WITH THIS DESIGN QUESTION OF, YOU KNOW, HOW WE CAN HOW WE CAN HELP STUDENTS THROUGH THAT AND HOW WE CAN MOVE SORT OF FROM MEANINGLESS TO MEANINGFUL. ONE OF THE ONE OF THE RESEARCHERS WHO A LOT OF OUR EARLY CURRICULUM IS BUILT OFF OF IS THIS GUY, BILL DAMON AT STANFORD, AND HE HAS A QUOTE THAT I REALLY LIKE THAT SAYS THE THE BIGGEST PROBLEM GROWING UP TODAY ISN'T ACTUALLY STRESS. IT'S MEANINGLESSNESS. SO FROM FROM THAT, FROM A LOT OF HIS RESEARCH, FROM A LOT OF INTERVIEWS WITH STUDENTS, WE CENTERED AROUND THIS IDEA OF PURPOSE AND HELPING STUDENTS SORT OF DEVELOP THIS IDEA OF WHAT WHAT DO I CARE ABOUT? WHAT MAKES ME ME, AND WHAT DO I WANT TO DO IN THE WORLD? SO WE DEVELOPED OUR FIRST YEAR OF CURRICULUM.

IT WAS IT WAS JUST CALLED PURPOSE. ACTUALLY, WE DIDN'T WE DIDN'T USE THE TERM SEL AT THAT POINT. IT WAS JUST CALLED PURPOSE DEVELOPMENT. IT WAS ONLY FOR IT WAS ONLY FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, OVER THE YEARS WE ADDED GRADES.

BUT HIGH SCHOOL REALLY KIND OF IS OUR BREAD AND BUTTER. AND THAT IDEA OF PURPOSE AND VERY SORT OF REAL WORLD BEND TO IT IS KIND OF THE ANIMATING IDEA BEHIND WAYFINDER.

SO AS YOU KNOW, AS I WAS JUST SAYING, HIGH SCHOOL REALLY IS KIND OF OUR YOU KNOW, BREAD AND BUTTER STILL, IT'S I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKES WAYFINDER PRETTY UNIQUE AS A PROGRAM IS, YOU KNOW, THE VAST MAJORITY OF SEL COMPANIES COMPANY STARTED AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEVEL, AND IN RECENT YEARS IT SORT OF WORKED THEIR WAY UP.

WE DID THE EXACT OPPOSITE. WE STARTED AS A PURPOSE DEVELOPMENT CURRICULUM FOR HIGH SCHOOL.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE SORT OF GRADUALLY WORKED OUR WAY DOWN AS WE WORKED WITH MORE AND MORE DISTRICTS AND THEY SAID, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE JUST WANT TO HAVE ONE K-12 CURRICULUM, YOU KNOW, SO CAN YOU SORT OF DESIGN YOU KNOW, K THROUGH K THROUGH EIGHT.

SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE TOOK A FEW YEARS TO DO THAT AS WELL.

BUT, YOU KNOW, DOING THIS WORK, I THINK IN A, IN A WAY THAT RESONATES IN A WAY THAT'S MEANINGFUL FOR ADOLESCENTS ISN'T EASY.

YOU KNOW, I CERTAINLY LEARNED THAT FIRSTHAND. IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T HAVE ACTIVITIES THAT SEEM CORNY.

THEY CAN FEEL, YOU KNOW, LIKE SOMETHING THAT A TEENAGER CAN'T RESONATE WITH.

[00:20:01]

SO THERE'S A THERE'S A LOT OF BARRIERS TO GETTING THROUGH THAT AND DOING THIS WORK EFFECTIVELY AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.

SOME OF THE CORE TENETS OF IT ARE UNDERSTANDING BASICALLY WHAT THE SORT OF DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS OF ADOLESCENTS ARE.

RIGHT. SO SOME OF THOSE MAIN ONES ARE DEVELOPING A SENSE OF AGENCY BEING RECOGNIZED AND RESPECTED BY THEIR PEERS.

FINDING AREAS THAT THEY EXCEL IN AND COMMITTING TO SPECIFIC GOALS AND ACTIVITIES.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS I NOTICED WHEN I WAS WORKING IN SCHOOLS IS, YOU KNOW, YOU'D HAVE STUDENTS THAT WOULD HAVE THESE GOALS, AND THEY'D COME IN AND THEY'D SAY, HEY, I'M GOING TO GO TO STANFORD OR, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO JOIN THE MARINES. BUT THEY STRUGGLED WITH SORT OF BEING ABLE TO CONNECT. WELL, HOW DO I CONNECT NEEDING TO PASS MY MATH CLASS NEXT WEEK TO ME GOING TO STANFORD OR HOW DO I CONNECT ME SHOWING UP TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY ON TIME WITH ME? YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY BEING SUCCESSFUL IN THE MILITARY, AND YOU'LL SEE, AS YOU'VE SEEN ALREADY AS YOU'VE BEEN REVIEWING THE CURRICULUM, GOAL SETTING IS A REALLY BIG PART OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM, RIGHT? HERE'S THE THING I WANT TO DO HERE ARE THE SORT OF SMALLER STEPS I NEED TO DO IN THE IN THE INTERIM TO GET THERE.

SO WHAT DO WE MEAN BY FUTURE READY SKILLS? SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FUTURE READY SKILLS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SKILLS THAT WILL REMAIN RELEVANT WELL INTO THE FUTURE.

YOU KNOW REGARDLESS OF TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION.

SO ONE OF MY FAVORITE QUOTES IN THIS WORK IS BY THIS GUY NAMED JAMIE CASAP WHO'S AT GOOGLE.

HE RUNS EDUCATION AT GOOGLE, AND HE HAS A QUOTE THAT SAYS, WE'RE PREPARING STUDENTS FOR JOBS THAT DON'T YET EXIST, TO USE TECHNOLOGY THAT HASN'T BEEN INVENTED TO SOLVE PROBLEMS WE DON'T EVEN KNOW OUR PROBLEMS YET.

AND, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE MANY OF YOU HAVE PLAYED AROUND ON AI AND YOU KNOW, ALL OF THAT, SORT OF UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S THE WORLD THAT'S SORT OF, YOU KNOW, SCHOOLS ARE PARACHUTING INTO RIGHT NOW.

SO WHAT WE THINK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DURABLE SKILLS ARE WHAT ARE THE SKILLS THAT ARE GOING TO BE RELEVANT NO MATTER WHAT.

RIGHT. SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE FOCUS ON. THOSE ARE THE THINGS YOU SEE IN THE CURRICULUM. THINGS LIKE COLLABORATION, PROBLEM SOLVING, GRIT, RESILIENCY, CRITICAL THINKING, BEING ABLE TO WORK WITH OTHERS.

YOU KNOW, NO MATTER WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY, THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO BE IMPORTANT.

AND AS ONE OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WE'RE SHARING, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN TEACH SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, HOW TO DO SORT OF THE X'S AND O'S OF THE JOB. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IF SOMEONE DOESN'T HAVE THAT WHEN THEY COME TO YOU.

YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH. AND IN THAT WAYFINDER THAT I ACTUALLY JUST SHARED WITH YOU ALL THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I CAN SAVE YOU SOMETHING. I'D LOVE FOR YOU TO READ IT, BUT I CAN SAVE YOU SOME TIME.

AND THAT THAT'S REALLY KIND OF THE BOTTOM LINE THERE IS THEY'VE BEEN ALL THESE STUDIES IN RECENT YEARS BY, YOU KNOW, GOOGLE OR, YOU KNOW, MCKINSEY, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE TOP SKILLS THAT EMPLOYERS ARE LOOKING FOR IN STUDENTS AND, YOU KNOW, IN IN NEW HIRES. AND THERE'LL BE TEN SKILLS LIFTED AND LISTED IN NINE OUT OF TEN OF THEM ARE, YOU KNOW, THE TYPES OF DURABLE SKILLS THAT WE FOCUS ON.

SO THIS IS YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM EMPLOYERS THAT THE SKILLS THAT THEY WANT STUDENTS TO FOCUS ON.

AND WE YOU KNOW, WE ALSO THINK IT'S REALLY CRITICAL WORK THAT, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, I WISH I HAD WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL AND, YOU KNOW, SORT OF STARTED GRAPPLING WITH SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS EARLIER. I'M SURE A LOT OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS.

HERE'S KIND OF OUR ADAPTATION OF IT. WE REALLY THINK OF OUR CORE SKILLS AS AS FOUNDATIONAL TO SORT OF EVERYTHING ELSE STUDENTS WANT TO DO IN LIFE.

SO IF THEY CAN COLLABORATE, IF THEY CAN WORK WITH OTHERS, IF THEY CAN BE RESILIENT, IF THEY CAN SET GOALS THEY'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOING TO FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG IN SCHOOL. THEY'RE GOING TO COME TO SCHOOL MORE. THEIR ACADEMIC OUTCOMES WILL IMPROVE. YOU KNOW, THEY'LL BE MORE PREPARED FOR COLLEGE CAREER READINESS AND LIFETIME SUCCESS. SO THIS IS REALLY KIND OF THE PHILOSOPHICAL UNDERPINNING BEHIND WHAT WE DO HERE IN TERMS OF WHERE WE FIT.

I'M GOING TO LET ERICK SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE. I THINK THE BOTTOM LINE HERE IS WE'VE DESIGNED OUR TOOLS AND RESOURCES TO BE SUPER FLEXIBLE, SO THEY CAN BE DONE IN A FULL CLASSROOM SETTING.

THEY CAN BE DONE IN A ONE ON ONE SETTING WITH COUNSELORS.

THEY CAN BE DONE IN A SMALL GROUP AFTER SCHOOL.

SO LIKE I SAID, I'LL LET ERICK GET INTO, YOU KNOW, THE PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTATION AT BATTLE GROUND SPECIFICALLY.

BUT THE MAIN THING TO KNOW HERE IS THAT THE TOOLS AND THE RESOURCES THEMSELVES ARE ARE SUPER FLEXIBLE.

SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE THINK ABOUT YOU KNOW, SEL CAREER READINESS, FUTURE READY SKILLS.

THESE ARE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, TERMS THAT HAVE BEEN THROWN AROUND IN RECENT YEARS. AND I THINK THEY MEAN A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE WHEN AT WAYFINDER, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT IT. RIGHT, YOU KIND OF HAVE SEL ON ONE SIDE AND YOU HAVE CAREER READINESS, AND SOME DISTRICTS WILL TREAT THAT SEPARATELY.

RIGHT. IT'S LIKE THE CAREER STUFF OVER HERE. AND, YOU KNOW, OVER HERE WE'RE DOING THE SOFT SKILL BUILDING.

WE THINK THOSE TWO ARE. AND THEY HAVE TO BE INEXTRICABLY LINKED.

AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT SORT OF CENTER OF THE VENN DIAGRAM IS, IS WHERE WE FOCUS.

SO, YOU KNOW, THIS WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT STUDENTS ARE NOT ONLY SORT OF THINKING ABOUT YOU KNOW, HEY, WHO AM I? WHAT DO I WANT TO GO DO IN THE WORLD?

[00:25:01]

BUT THEN THEY'RE CONNECTING THAT TO THE, YOU KNOW, VERY SORT OF HARD SKILLS OF INTERVIEWING, STRUCTURED GOAL SETTING.

RIGHT? YOU KNOW, IDENTIFYING PERSONAL STRENGTHS.

WE HAVE A TON OF WORK, PARTICULARLY IN OUR EARLIER HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM, ABOUT IDENTIFYING STRENGTHS.

RIGHT. WHAT WHAT AM I GOOD AT? AND IT'S REALLY KIND OF THE MARRIAGE OF THOSE TWO CONCEPTS OF, YOU KNOW, SEL OVER HERE, CAREER READINESS HERE, THAT WAYFINDER SITS AND IT'S KIND OF I THINK, YOU KNOW, OUR SORT OF UNIQUE TAKE ON THE YOU KNOW, THE SPACE THERE.

ANOTHER WAY WE DO THIS WORK IS WE PARTNER WITH OTHER REALLY AWESOME ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE DOING THIS WORK. SO ROAD TRIP NATION, I'M NOT SURE IF ANY OF YOU HERE ARE FAMILIAR WITH THEM, BUT THEY'RE THIS REALLY COOL ORGANIZATION THAT THEY BASICALLY STARTED.

THEY ACTUALLY WENT AROUND IN A GREEN CAMPER THAT LOOKED LIKE THAT.

AND THEY, THEY TOOK HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OR RECENT GRADUATES AND THEY WENT AROUND TO PROFESSIONALS AND, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY EVERY FIELD YOU COULD THINK OF. AND THEY HAD THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS INTERVIEW THE PROFESSIONALS AND JUST SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A CITY PLANNER? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN ARCHITECT? AND THEY WOULD JUST ASK QUESTIONS THAT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WERE WONDERING, AND THEY FILMED THE WHOLE THING AND THEY MADE IT INTO DOCUMENTARIES. THAT COMPANY HAS SINCE EVOLVED A LOT.

BUT THE GUY WHO ACTUALLY STARTED THAT COMPANY SITS ON WAYFINDER BOARD.

SO WE HAVE A LOT OF THE ROAD TRIP NATION CONTENT BUILT DIRECTLY INTO OUR PLATFORM AS WELL.

SO STUDENTS CAN, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN START TO EXPLORE THAT.

THEY CAN WATCH VIDEOS OF, YOU KNOW, PROFESSIONALS FROM ALMOST EVERY DIFFERENT FIELD.

YOU CAN THINK ABOUT AND WATCH ACTUAL STUDENTS INTERVIEW THEM.

SO IT'S NOT IT'S NOT LIKE, YOU KNOW, WATCHING LIKE A 60 MINUTES INTERVIEW OR SOMETHING WHERE A HIGH SCHOOL KID MAY SORT OF THINK LIKE, I DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND WHY HE'S ASKING THIS QUESTION. RIGHT? IT'S KIDS WHO ARE ASKING.

THEY ALSO HAVE, YOU KNOW, GREAT TOOLS LIKE CAREER AND APTITUDE ASSESSMENTS PATHWAYS AWARENESS, AND THEN THOSE CAREER EXPLORATION VIDEOS THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.

ANOTHER PIECE OF OUR CURRICULUM THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CHECK OUT IS WE HAVE THIS SECTION OF THE PLATFORM CALLED COLLECTIONS. AND BASICALLY WHAT COLLECTIONS ALLOWS US TO DO IS ALLOWS US TO BUILD CONTENT THAT BASICALLY OUR PARTNERS ARE TELLING US THAT THEY WANT.

AND REALLY KIND OF THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT IT IS IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE TELLING US, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE'D LOVE TO HAVE CONTENT ON THIS, AND IT'S NOT TRADITIONALLY COVERED IN THE MAIN FOUR SUBJECTS.

YOU KNOW, WE WOULD CONSIDER BUILDING CONTENT ON IT. SO IN COLLECTIONS WE HAVE STUFF ON FINANCIAL LITERACY, WE HAVE STUFF ON DIGITAL LITERACY, WE HAVE STUFF ON HEALTHY SOCIAL MEDIA USE.

SO AGAIN, STUFF THAT I THINK REALLY KIND OF PUSHES THE BOUNDARIES OF WHAT, YOU KNOW, SORT OF TRADITIONAL SEL IS BECAUSE TO US, AGAIN, IT REALLY JUST MEANS WHAT ARE THE SKILLS STUDENTS NEED TO SUCCEED IN LIFE, RIGHT? AND TODAY STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW HOW TO BE DIGITALLY LITERATE.

YOU KNOW, THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND FINANCIAL EDUCATION.

I KNOW WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS YOU HEARD ALL THE TIME, RIGHT? OF, YOU KNOW, HEY, WHY DID I LEARN HOW TO FIND THE HYPOTENUSE OF A TRIANGLE? BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO TAXES. RIGHT? THAT WAS A, YOU KNOW, SORT OF CONSTANT REFRAME.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE AGREE AND WE PUT IN SOME, SOME COOL CONTENT THAT I THINK YOU KNOW, TEACHES FINANCIAL LITERACY IN A REALLY ACCESSIBLE WAY FOR HIGH SCHOOL KIDS. AND THEN THE LAST PIECE HERE IS JUST OUR OUR FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE ABSOLUTELY WANT TO PARTNER WITH PARENTS IN THIS WORK.

WE KNOW THAT PARENTS ARE STUDENTS FIRST TEACHERS.

AND WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER FOR THIS TO AN IMPLEMENTATION AT A DISTRICT TO BE SUCCESSFUL, WE WANT TO HAVE PARENTS ON BOARD. SO WE OFFER A BUNCH OF RESOURCES FOR PARENTS TO SEE WHAT THEIR STUDENTS ARE DOING IN WAYFINDER.

WE HAVE ACTIVITIES SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO DO WAYFINDER AT HOME.

WE HAVE FAMILY LETTERS THAT COME WITH EVERY UNIT THAT SORT OF EXPLAINED, HEY, THIS IS WHAT YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER IS GOING TO BE COVERING IN THIS UNIT WITH WAYFINDER. AND THERE'S ALSO A PARENT GUARDIAN ACCOUNT WHERE PARENT GUARDIANS CAN ACTUALLY LOG IN AND THEY CAN JUST, YOU KNOW, SORT OF VIEW THE CONTENT DIRECTLY. SO WE WANT TO BE, YOU KNOW, VERY TRANSPARENT PARTNERS.

WE, YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY DON'T DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN OUR PLATFORM THAT WE WANT TO HIDE.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE WANT WE WANT PARTNERS AND PARENTS TO BE ON BOARD.

SO THE FINAL NOTE HERE I'LL MAKE. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I'D LOVE TO OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.

OR MAYBE THERE'S MORE AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS. BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY A WORD ABOUT WHAT WAYFINDER IS NOT.

SO I KNOW WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT WHAT WAYFINDER IS.

YOU KNOW, SO WE CERTAINLY HAVE NOT BEEN, YOU KNOW, BEEN IMMUNE TO THE NOISE THAT'S COME OUT AROUND SORT OF SEL IN RECENT YEARS.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE WERE A LITTLE BIT BLINDSIDED BY IT, TOO.

BUT WAYFINDER EMPHATICALLY IS NOT A DEI CURRICULUM.

IT'S NOT A CRT CURRICULUM. WE DON'T TALK ABOUT POLITICALLY CONTENTIOUS TOPICS LIKE GENDER, RACE, SEXUALITY, YOU KNOW? SO REGARDLESS OF HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THOSE TOPICS WE JUST, YOU KNOW, WE BELIEVE IN STAYING IN OUR LANE AND WHAT WE'RE ABOUT AT WAYFINDER, YOU KNOW, SORT OF EVERYTHING. WE'RE JUST TELLING YOU ALL THOSE FUTURE READY SKILLS. WE THINK THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS HAVE A PLACE. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST IT'S NOT IN WAYFINDER.

YOU KNOW, MAYBE NOT BE IN THE GENERAL EDUCATION CLASSROOM. SO THAT'S THAT'S KIND OF OUR STANCE ON IT.

[00:30:03]

IT WAS IMPORTANT TO US THAT EVERYONE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO THROUGH THE CURRICULUM BECAUSE WE WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT THAT EVERYONE FELT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.

AND, YOU KNOW, SEL IS ONE OF THESE BIG UMBRELLA TERMS THAT MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

AND DIFFERENT COMPANIES HAVE DIFFERENT TAKES ON IT.

RIGHT. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY HAVE BEEN PROGRAMS THAT WENT IN A DIRECTION THAT WAYFINDER WOULD NOT.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF SOMETIMES GET SADDLED WITH WITH ALL OF THAT.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, I WANTED TO I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT HAS BEEN A CONCERN THAT THAT'S COME UP.

AND, YOU KNOW, IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE WHOLE COUNTRY WE WORK WITH YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, OVER A MILLION STUDENTS AND, YOU KNOW, CALIFORNIA, TEXAS, OREGON, MASSACHUSETTS, NORTH CAROLINA, WE'RE IN, YOU KNOW, A REALLY SORT OF DIVERSE SET OF STATES.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS PRETTY, PRETTY POLITICALLY NEUTRAL.

OR, YOU KNOW, WE FOUND THAT, YOU KNOW, FOLKS FROM SORT OF ALL POLITICAL STRIPES, WHEN THEY REALLY DIG INTO IT, REALLY VALUE WHAT WE'RE DOING.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW.

SO WITH THAT, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.

I WANT TO THANK THE COMMITTEE AGAIN FOR FOR ALL YOUR TIME REVIEWING.

AND, YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT THAT BATTLE GROUND HAS PUT IN THE TIME TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.

AND I'M EXCITED TO WORK WITH YOU ALL THROUGH IT. AND HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I'LL HANG OUT.

PERFECT. THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I WANT TO REITERATE IN OUR COMMITTEE WORK IT WAS CRUCIAL THAT WE FOUND A VENDOR IN A PROGRAM THAT WAS RIGHT FOR US.

IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE FOUND A PARTNER THAT WAS WILLING TO HAVE THE HARD CONVERSATIONS TO NOT JUST TELL US THEIR COMPANY LINE AND WHAT'S ON THEIR WEBSITE, BUT TO ACTUALLY HAVE SOME REALLY DEEP CONVERSATIONS.

AND WAYFINDER WAS SO IMPRESSIVE. AS THINGS WERE BEING RELEASED AND EXECUTIVE ORDERS AS THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WERE GOING THROUGH SOME CHANGES.

YOU KNOW, WE CALLED UP WAYFINDER AND SAID, WE'RE PAUSING THE WORK.

WE NEED TO SLOW DOWN. WE NEED TO DIG INTO THIS, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE IT'S RIGHT.

AND I KNOW THAT MISS DEBBIE GAVE A COMMITTEE REPORT A FEW BOARD SESSIONS BACK AND TOLD YOU WE WENT ON A KIND OF A BREAK, AND IT TOOK ABOUT A MONTH, AND WE HAD REGULAR CONVERSATIONS WITH WAYFINDER GOING BACK AND FORTH AND BACK AND FORTH, DOING SOME REAL DEEP DIVE AUDITING ON THE LESSONS THAT THEY WERE PRESENTING THAT FOCUSED THE SKILLS THAT THEY WERE LOOKING ON.

AND THE WAY THEY RESPONDED WAS EXTREMELY IMPRESSIVE.

I THINK OUR COMMITTEE HAD POSITIVES IN BOTH OF OUR PILOTS, BUT FAR AND BEYOND WAYFINDER SHOWED UP AND WAS WILLING TO ROLL UP THEIR SLEEVES AND GET INTO THE WORK WITH US. A COUPLE OF THOSE WAYS I WANT TO SHOW YOU IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAD SOME COMMUNITY MEMBER SHARE CONCERNS ABOUT SOME OF THE WORDING, AND IT HAD BEEN POPPED UP IN OUR COMMITTEE WORK.

AND PREVIOUSLY IN A LESSON OR AN ACTIVITY, THERE WOULD BE AN OPENING RITUAL AND A CLOSING RITUAL.

WELL, WE REACHED BACK OUT TO WAYFINDER, SAID, HEY, HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE WORD RITUAL? IT'S KIND OF STARTING SOME CONVERSATION AROUND HERE. AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE. WE GOT TOGETHER AS A GROUP. WE DECIDED IT'S DONE.

SO WE HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. WE APPRECIATE THAT FEEDBACK.

AND THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO CALL IT ANYMORE. IT'S NOW JUST OPENER AND CLOSERS.

AND THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF THE WAY THAT THEY ARE LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITIES AND ADJUSTING THAT THEIR WORK.

I ALSO THINK IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, AND I KNOW MATT TOUCHED ON IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT THE IN-DEPTH AUDIT THAT THEY DID ON THEMSELVES, BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL, AND THEN BEING ABLE TO GIVE US A REPORT ON THEIR FINDINGS AND THEIR ADJUSTMENTS WAS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THEM SHOWING THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO LISTEN TO FEEDBACK AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO WHAT THEIR CURRICULUM IS ABOUT.

BECAUSE, LIKE YOU SAID, THERE IS A FOCUS IN SOME OF THAT STUFF THAT IS BEING HIGHLIGHTED RIGHT NOW IS NOT WHAT WAYFINDER IS ABOUT, THAT IS NOT WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO JUMP INTO. SO BEING ABLE TO PUT THAT SPOTLIGHT BACK ON THE REAL WORK WAS IMPORTANT FOR US.

SO I REALLY APPRECIATED THAT. AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE THAT OUR COMMITTEE WAS EXTREMELY EXCITED ABOUT IS WE WERE LOOKING FOR PARTNERS THAT I DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO SAY THIS. WE WEREN'T LOOKING FOR A TAKEOVER.

WE DIDN'T NEED SOMEBODY TO COME IN AND SAY, THIS IS OUR WAY.

THIS IS WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO. LIKE THAT'S IT. WE WERE LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY THAT WOULD BRAID THE WORK THAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING BY SO MANY PEOPLE.

IT'S BEEN SO MANY YEARS PUTTING IT TOGETHER AND BRINGING IN KIND OF THE CAVALRY, LIKE BRINGING IN THOSE SUPPLEMENTAL PIECES AND HELPING US COME UP WITH A WAY, JUST LIKE YOU WOULD IN ANY OTHER CURRICULUM, TO HAVE A COMMON LANGUAGE, RIGHT? COMMON STANDARDS A WAY THAT ALL STAFF CAN TALK TO STUDENTS WHERE THEY UNDERSTAND IT.

WE DO A LOT OF THAT WORK ALREADY IN PBIS, RIGHT.

THOSE EXPECTATIONS THAT ARE TAUGHT. THIS IS THAT NEXT LEVEL, THAT NEXT STEP, JUST LIKE THEY'RE DOING IN K-8.

[00:35:04]

NOW IT'S TIME THAT THOSE STUDENTS IN HIGH SCHOOL, 9-12 ARE GETTING SOME OF THOSE SAME KIND OF LESSONS AS WELL.

I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT AS WELL. THE HIGH SCHOOL BEYOND PLAN HAS COME UP QUITE A BIT.

WE ALREADY HAVE PHENOMENAL COLLEGE AND CAREER COUNSELORS WHO ARE DOING THIS WORK.

AND GOING BACK TO WHAT I SAID, THIS IS JUST ANOTHER RESOURCE FOR THEM.

THEY HAVE AN ENTIRE COLLECTION. IT'S WHAT THEY CALL WHAT MATT WAS TALKING ABOUT, THEIR ACTIVITIES AND LESSONS THAT OUR COLLEGE AND CAREER COUNSELORS CAN DIVE INTO AND USE.

RIGHT. WE TALKED ABOUT SELF-AWARENESS. KIDS IN HIGH SCHOOL AREN'T EVEN CLOSE TO FIGURING IT OUT.

THEY ARE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO THEY ARE AS INDIVIDUALS.

THEY'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE FOR THEM, USING SOMETHING LIKE WAYFINDER AND THOSE LESSONS IN CONJUNCTION WITH WHAT WE ARE ALREADY DOING, GIVES THEM THAT CLEAR PATHWAY TO HELP THEM START CHOOSING WHAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN, WHAT THEY WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT, WHAT THEY'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT, AND IT GIVES THEM MORE GUIDANCE ON WHAT CLASSES THAT THEY CAN TAKE OVER THEIR FOUR YEARS.

WORKING WITH THEIR COUNSELORS IN THE SCHOOL DOES IT LINE UP WITH WHAT THEIR POST-HIGH SCHOOL PLANS ARE? IT'S JUST ANOTHER REALLY AMAZING WAY THAT WAYFINDER STOOD OUT.

AND THEN I THINK WORKING WITH MS. TUCHARDT, AND WE'RE DIVING INTO IT A LITTLE BIT HERE THE PIECE THAT HE HIGHLIGHTED ON THE FINANCIAL LITERACY.

RIGHT. EVERYONE IN HERE KNOWS HOW CRUCIAL THAT WORK IS, RIGHT? THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK UP NORTH ON THAT LEGISLATION ABOUT WHAT IS EXPECTED OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

OKAY. THE THE CURRICULUM THAT THEY ARE PROVIDING FOLLOWS AND MEETS ALL OF THOSE EXPECTATIONS IN THAT ARC.

RIGHT. AND THEN I KNOW MISS TUCHARDT HAS DONE A TON OF WORK ON HOW WE CAN USE WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN OUR SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE WE MEET THOSE EXPECTATIONS.

ONE THING THAT POPPED IN MY HEAD IS A FORMER ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL.

WE HAVE THAT PERSONAL FINANCE CLASS. THAT CLASS IS PHENOMENAL.

OKAY. I PUSH A LOT OF MY STUDENTS TOWARDS THAT CLASS.

WE CALL IT REAL LIFE MATH. THE HARD PART ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE A PERSONAL FINANCE CLASS IS NOT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE TO TAKE THAT, OKAY? IT IS A PATHWAY FOR MATH TO EARN YOUR CREDITS, BUT A LOT OF TIMES IT'S A CHOICE FOR STUDENTS TO PICK THAT.

SOMETHING LIKE WAYFINDER IN THIS CURRICULUM NOW GIVES ACCESS TO ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS A REALLY BIG DEAL.

AGAIN, JUST A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS, AND WE'LL HIGHLIGHT THE PARENT HUB A LITTLE BIT LATER THAT WAYFINDER STOOD OUT IN OUR PROCESS, WHICH WAS REALLY COOL. WELL, I'M TALKING A LOT.

AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I SAID IS WE WANT THIS TO BE A CONVERSATION.

IS THERE ANYTHING THAT MATT, BRYAN OR I OR OUR COMMITTEE CAN CLARIFY? ANY QUESTIONS THAT ARE RUMBLING IN YOUR HEAD RIGHT NOW? AND THE TWO OF YOU ARE EXCITED ABOUT ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE THIS HOW DO THE STUDENTS INTERFACES THIS SOFTWARE BASE? IS IT, YOU KNOW, TEXTBOOKS WITH WORK PACKAGES, WORKBOOKS LIKE WHAT DOES THAT INTERFACE LOOK LIKE? GOOD QUESTION. YEAH, IT'S ALL WEB BASED. BUT I THINK YOU ALL A WHILE BACK AROUND JUNE 30TH GOT THAT PACKET.

YEAH. SO THEY HAVE AN OPTION. AND THIS CAME FROM OUR STUDENTS WHO WERE DOING THE PILOT.

WE TALKED TO A LOT OF THOSE STUDENTS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DO YOU STILL USE A PLANNER.

DO YOU STILL WANT A PHYSICAL FORM? AND IT WAS MIXED.

BUT A LOT OF THE STUDENTS SAID, YEAH, I DO THAT FOR MYSELF, BUT I WANT SOMETHING THAT IS MORE DIGITAL BASED.

SO WAYFINDER HAS BOTH OPTIONS. THEY COULD USE THE STUDENT WORKBOOK THAT YOU HAVE ACCESS TO.

THEY ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO LOG IN TO THE WEBSITE AND DO THE SAME KIND OF RESPONSES DIGITALLY AS WELL.

DOES THAT KIND OF HELP YOU? THAT'S PERFECT. OKAY. YEAH.

YEAH. THANKS. ONE OTHER THING TO NOTE ABOUT THE INTERFACE IS IT'S REALLY SIMPLE FOR TEACHERS TO USE. ONE THING THAT REALLY STOOD OUT ABOUT THEIR PRODUCT IS, LIKE, ALL THE SLIDES ARE EDITABLE.

SO IF I'M A TEACHER AND I AM GETTING MY SLIDES READY FOR MY DAY, AND I HAVE ALL MY LINKS FOR THE TEXT THAT WE'RE READING AND THE VIDEOS, I CAN REALLY EASILY EMBED THE SLIDE AND THE ACTIVITY THAT I'M DOING THROUGH WAYFINDER INTO THAT EXISTING.

SO IT'S EASIER FOR ME TO DO. SOME OF THE OTHER PRODUCTS THAT WE LOOKED AT DIDN'T HAVE THAT ABILITY.

IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A PDF, SO I COULDN'T MAKE IT WORK FOR MY CLASSROOM.

I HAD TO LIKE, DO SPECIAL THINGS TO MAKE IT WORK WITH MY LIKE, EXISTING LESSONS.

SO JUST HAVING IT BE REALLY SIMPLE FOR TEACHERS WAS REALLY IMPORTANT.

I FEEL LIKE I DON'T EVEN HAVE TO TAKE YOUR WORD FOR THAT BECAUSE I SAW, LIKE, SEVEN HEADS GOING LIKE THIS. [LAUGHTER] AND SO I SAID, I THINK WE'RE GOOD THERE.

YEAH IT'S REALLY NEAT. AND WHEN ROOT GETS UP HERE A LITTLE BIT LATER, HE'S GOING TO HAVE SOME STORIES TO SHARE ABOUT THE TIME SAVED.

YOU KNOW, WE REALLY PUT THEIR THEORY TO THE TEST AND THEIR PRESENTATION.

THEY TOLD US LIKE IT IS THE PREP TIME FOR STAFF IS SO MINIMAL.

IT'S DESIGNED PURPOSEFULLY AND INTENTIONALLY TO BE QUICK WHERE THEY CAN OPEN IT UP AND GET INTO THAT LESSON IN ACTIVITY.

[00:40:01]

AND WE HAD SOME COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRETTY MUCH SAID, PROVE IT.

AND THEY WOULD LITERALLY OPEN IT UP. AS THE BELL RANG AND STUDENTS WERE WALKING IN AND THE FEEDBACK WE GOT FROM THEM WAS PHENOMENAL.

IT WAS IT WAS DOABLE. AND KIND OF WHAT ANNIE ODRO WAS TALKING ABOUT WAS THE OTHER DIFFERENT VENDORS THAT WE USED.

SOME TEACHERS WERE SPENDING 30 MINUTES, 45 MINUTES IN PREP TIME.

AND IN OUR WORLD, THAT'S NOT REALISTIC. THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. YEAH.

THEN WE HAVE SOME STUDENTS STORIES WE'LL SHARE A LITTLE BIT LATER. I'M GETTING EXCITED AND AHEAD OF MYSELF, BUT YEAH.

AND THEN I WANT YOU GUYS TO KNOW AS WELL, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK OFF WHAT MATT SAID, THERE ARE OTHER COLLECTIONS THAT ARE PUT TOGETHER.

SO IF WE DIVE INTO THIS AND YOU APPROVE IT AND WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS WORK, THEY HAVE OTHER COLLECTIONS THAT WE CAN USE THAT EMBED WITH A LOT OF OUR GROUPS.

YOU KNOW, ROOT AND ROSS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STUDENT LEADERSHIP.

THEY HAVE AN ENTIRE COLLECTION FOCUS FOR OUR ASB STUDENTS AND STUDENT LEADERSHIP, RIGHT.

THEY ALSO HAVE AN ENTIRE COLLECTIONS FOR ATHLETES.

OKAY. THE OTHER PIECE THAT I THINK IS CRUCIAL, THAT WAS SPECIAL TO ME, YOU KNOW, 20 YEARS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION WAS ALL OF THEIR LESSONS AND ACTIVITIES WERE ADAPTABLE. SO WHEN MISS REDDINGTON BACK THERE WAS TALKING ABOUT HER CLASS, RIGHT. SHE WORKS WITH STUDENTS THAT HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS.

AND THEY DO GET INTO SOME OF THE GENERAL ED CLASSROOMS AND THEY ARE INCLUDED.

BUT REALLY, A LOT OF THEIR WORK IS DONE IN A PULL OUT MODEL, RIGHT? SO MISS REDDINGTON IS THE ONE TEACHING THE MATH IN THE ENGLISH.

AND HER STORY THAT SHE CAN PARTLY TELL LATER TALKS ABOUT THE ADAPTABILITY WHERE THOSE STUDENTS CAN SIT IN THERE AND FEEL LIKE THEY'RE A HIGH SCHOOL KID GETTING A HIGH SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL LESSON, AND IT'S JUST LITTLE TWEAKS THAT WAYFINDER MADE THAT MADE IT MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR THEM TO DO.

THERE'S ALSO A HUGE FOCUS ON LANGUAGE, WHICH I KNOW IS IMPORTANT TO US AS A DISTRICT.

THEY'RE WORKING REALLY HARD. EVERYTHING IS IN SPANISH. I KNOW THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON RUSSIAN AS WELL.

BUT FOR US THAT FAMILY PIECE, THERE'S NOTHING WORSE AS A PARENT, THAT MAYBE ENGLISH ISN'T YOUR FIRST LANGUAGE AND YOU GET THIS HUGE, IMPORTANT DOCUMENT THAT'S TALKING ABOUT WHAT YOUR STUDENTS ARE TALKING ABOUT. IT ALSO GIVES YOU GUIDE AS A FAMILY MEMBER, PARENT OR GUARDIAN TO LIKE, HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS POTENTIALLY WITH YOUR CHILD AND TO NOT BE ABLE TO READ IT LIKE THAT'S THE WORST PART OF EXCLUSION THAT WE CAN GET.

WE WANT ALL OF OUR FAMILIES TO FEEL THAT LOVE.

SO WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE ALL THE LANGUAGE PIECES ARE THERE AS WELL. OKAY.

I HAVE A QUESTION. SORRY. NO, NO ERICK. YOU'RE OKAY.

YOU MENTIONED SPANISH AND RUSSIAN, BUT I WANT TO SAY LYNNELL SAID AT ONE POINT WE HAD LIKE 26 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.

82. OKAY. HOW DO WE ACCOMMODATE THAT? CLOSE. YEAH, JUST A LITTLE OFF.

YEAH. YOU KNOW, AS WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS, WE TALKED TO WAYFINDER AND WE SHARED WHAT OUR TOP FIVE LANGUAGES WERE IN OUR DISTRICT.

AND I KNOW FOR. WELL, I'M ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION, BUT WHAT THEY TOLD US WAS REALLY THE TOP THREE WERE ENGLISH, SPANISH, AND RUSSIAN, THOSE WERE THEIR FOCUSES.

BUT WHAT THEY SHARED WITH US IS, IS THEY ARE WILLING TO BE A PARTNER, AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT OTHER LANGUAGES THAT WOULD IMPACT NOT JUST OUR COMMUNITY, BUT ALL COMMUNITIES. WHAT WE DIDN'T WANT IN SOME OF THE VENDORS PUSHED BACK ON US WAS, WILL YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO DO THIS FOR YOUR DISTRICT? JUST GIVE IT TO THEM AND THEY'LL DO IT. LIKE YOU CAN'T TRANSLATE AN ENTIRE CURRICULUM FOR PEOPLE.

THAT'S JUST NOT HOW IT WORKS. SO WAYFINDER WAS ONE OF THE LEADING VENDORS THAT TALKED ABOUT AND MADE A SPECIFIC SPOTLIGHT ON LANGUAGES. SO, I MEAN, I WOULD JUST SAY PARTICULARLY FOR THE PARENT LETTERS HOME.

I THINK THAT THAT'S AN AREA THAT WE CAN VERY EASILY, YOU KNOW, ACCOMMODATE WHEN WE GET INTO TRANSLATING THE ENTIRE CURRICULUM.

THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A HEAVIER LIFT. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WORKED WITH DISTRICTS AND WE WOULD BE WILLING TO DO IT IF, YOU KNOW, IF IT MADE SENSE. BUT DEFINITELY THE PARENTS LETTERS, THE PARENT LETTERS HOME, WE'D BE ABLE TO TRANSLATE INTO YOU KNOW, BASICALLY WHATEVER LANGUAGE WE NEEDED TO. THANK YOU.

IF WE MOVE FORWARD, ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WOULD HAPPEN IS WE HAVE SOME MULTI-LANGUAGE-LEARNER TEACHERS THAT HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, AND THEY'VE ASKED TO KIND OF BE A PART OF WHATEVER THAT NEXT STEP IS.

AND PART OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO ASK THEM TO DO IS REPORT BACK TO US IN WAYFINDER AND ESSENTIALLY TELL US WHAT ANY OF THOSE BARRIERS THEY'RE RUNNING INTO, ESPECIALLY WITH LANGUAGE, AND THEN WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP TO REMEDY THOSE AS WELL.

YOU CAN CLARIFY. I SAW YOU LIGHT UP WITH FINANCIAL LITERACY.

YEAH, EXACTLY. BUT I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS FOR SURE.

WELL, AND YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION THAT IT MEETS THE CW.

THAT'S THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG QUESTIONS. I THINK AS A BOARD WE'D WANT TO KNOW.

AND I GUESS IN THE BIGGER PICTURE, AND I THINK YOU'LL GET TO THIS IS WHAT WE'RE PURCHASING FROM THEM, INCLUDES ALL OF THESE ELEMENTS, ALL OF THESE PIECES.

BECAUSE I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHEN I LOOK AT THIS.

I KNOW THAT I KNOW THIS IS AVAILABLE. YEAH. IS WILL WE GET ALL OF IT? YEAH. WILL WE PIECEMEAL IT? VERY GOOD. THE ONLY THING THAT I ADDED THAT IS NOT NEGOTIATED INTO A POTENTIAL CONTRACT WOULD BE THE ADDITIONAL PIECES SUCH AS?

[00:45:08]

I DON'T [INAUDIBLE], SORRY FOR ATHLETES. RIGHT.

THERE ARE SOME PORTIONS THERE. THERE IS AN ADULT SEL SECTION THAT IS INCLUDED IF WE WANT TO MAKE THAT BIGGER.

AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT LATER. YOU CAN BUY INTO SOME OF THOSE EXTRA PIECES.

OKAY. BUT THAT WOULDN'T BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD DO RIGHT AWAY.

WE STILL WANT TO WANT TO WORK TOWARDS THAT. BUT EVERYTHING ELSE.

I DON'T WANT TO MISSPEAK. CORRECT. YEAH. IF THERE'S PROBABLY SOMEONE IN A BUSINESS SCHOOL WHO THINKS WE SHOULD DO IT OTHERWISE. BUT YOU GET YOU GET. THE ONLY THING THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL COST WOULD BE THE PHYSICAL WORKBOOKS.

SO IF YOU WANTED TO DO THE PHYSICAL WORKBOOKS THAT YOU HELD UP THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A COST FOR THAT.

BUT THE FOR THE LICENSES FOR THE ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONTENT WE COVERED THAT COMES WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE LICENSE.

AND YEAH, I GUESS I BACK ON THE INSTRUCTIONAL PIECE, I JUST WANT TO SAY I DID A REALLY THOROUGH DEEP DIVE INTO EACH OF YOUR MANY, MANY OF YOUR INSTRUCTIONS, YOUR LESSONS. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, PHENOMENAL JOB IN MAKING THOSE INTERACTIVE LESSONS.

PART OF WHAT I USED TO DO IS TRAIN TEACHERS IN THOSE FOR AN ORGANIZATION, WHICH I CAN'T NAME RIGHT NOW, BUT PROPRIETARY REASONS. BUT THEY MANY OF YOUR LESSONS INCORPORATE THE SAME KINDS OF INTERACTIVE WORK THAT KIDS ENJOY. THERE'S A COUPLE OF. SINCE YOU MENTIONED WORDS.

I WANT TO I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT A COUPLE OF WORDS I COULD SEE SOME PEOPLE HAVING ISSUES WITH.

ONE IS MEDITATIONS, AND YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD THIS BEFORE OR RESTORATIVE CIRCLE.

I THINK SOMETIMES THOSE CAN BE TOUCHY THINGS.

I ALSO WOULD HAVE A CAUTION MYSELF ABOUT THE TELLING OF PERSONAL STORIES.

AS FAR AS STAFF WHO ARE LEADING THE LESSONS AND LEADING THE WORK.

YES. AND ALSO KIDS. YEAH. BECAUSE DEPENDING RIGHT NOW, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW THIS IS GOING TO BE DELIVERED.

SO WHEN I KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT, MAYBE THIS WILL, YOU KNOW, JUST IT'S JUST A QUESTION THAT I'M POSING BECAUSE I COULD SEE WHEN YOU HAVE KIDS IN A CLASSROOM BEGINNING TO TELL THEIR PERSONAL STORIES, IT CAN BE TRICKY.

AND I'M NOT SAYING TEACHERS AREN'T TRAINED TO HANDLE THAT, BUT I CAN SEE HOW IT COULD CAUSE SOME ISSUES.

YEAH. THAT CAME UP IN OUR CONVERSATION. OKAY.

FOR SURE. AND WE'RE KIND OF FELL BACK ON THE COMMITTEE.

AND OUR RESPONSE IS, THAT'S PART OF WHAT OUR ROLE IS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PIECE.

IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HIT HOME SOME OF THOSE EXACT THINGS YOU JUST SAID.

RIGHT. AND PART OF THAT IS A VERY CLEAR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE IN THIS? WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AND WHAT IS NOT RIGHT? AND YES, I AGREE WITH YOU WHERE STAFF IS TRAINED AND THEY UNDERSTAND HOW TO RESPOND AND THEY KNOW FOR THE MOST PART HOW TO JUMP IN ON THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS IS, RIGHT? SO LIKE IN MANY OTHER SITUATIONS, THE STAFF KNOW.

AND THAT MOMENT OKAY, NOW WE'RE FINDING A COUNSELOR.

WE'RE FINDING ONE OF OUR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS.

WE'RE FINDING AN ADMINISTRATOR I STARTED LISTENING I USUALLY DON'T LIST BECAUSE I FORGET THINGS, BUT THEY KNOW THAT NEXT STEP IS TO GET THAT STUDENT TO SOMEBODY WHO ISN'T JUST TRAINED, BUT THAT IS LITERALLY THEIR ROLE IN RESPONSIBILITY.

SO WE WILL HAVE A LOT OF CONVERSATION IN PD ABOUT YOU OR THAT BUMPER LANE, AND YOU ARE TASKED WITH KEEPING THAT THAT CONVERSATION THIS WAY. RIGHT. THIS ISN'T ABOUT YOU. AND I THINK MAYBE YOU EVEN NEED TO. WE'LL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THIS IS STUDENT LED AND STUDENT VOICE AND BEING VERY CLEAR ON THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT DIVING IN AND FALLING INTO THAT TRAP OF TRYING TO RELATE, I GUESS, STAFF, WE WANT TO RELATE AND OH, I HEAR YOU. YES, YES, I EVEN GREW UP IT'S NOT THAT.

YEAH, AND I UNDERSTAND AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE CLEAR, I, I TRUST OUR TEACHERS AND I KNOW THAT THAT YOU WILL PUT IN PLACE THE PD THAT'S NECESSARY. THIS IS JUST A IT'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF CURRICULUM THAN MATH OR SCIENCE.

AND SO THERE CAN BE SOME AREAS WHERE I KNOW THAT, THAT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY COULD HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.

YEAH. AND I HOPE THAT IN OUR STAFF STORIES THEY HAVE A SLIDE A LITTLE BIT IN THE FUTURE WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE AND THE EXPERIENCE THAT THEY NOTICE WITH THEIR STUDENTS. MY PERSPECTIVE ON IT IS, AS I DOVE INTO IT IT'S ALMOST PURPOSEFUL THAT A LOT OF THE PROMPTS OR QUESTIONS OR CONVERSATIONS ARE MEANT TO NOT DIVE INTO SOME OF THOSE PERSONAL STORIES.

GOOD. IT REALLY PUSHES EVERYTHING TOWARDS THE STUDENT. WELL, I DON'T WANT TO TAKE I WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH YOUR PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU. I THINK I CAN REINFORCE WHAT YOU JUST SAID.

I MEAN, IT OFTEN COMES UP IN MY CLASSROOMS WHERE KIDS HAVE UNBELIEVABLE TRAUMAS THAT THEY'VE JUST EXPERIENCED, AND THEY JUST START TELLING EVERYTHING. AND WE AS TEACHERS ARE LIKE, HEY, SO THERE'S SOME PEOPLE,

[00:50:04]

SOME THINGS YOU DON'T WANT TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE.

SO THIS IS JUST A MORE STRUCTURED WAY OF DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

BUT YEAH, AS THE TEACHERS GUIDING THEM, WE ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HELPING THEM ESTABLISH GOOD BOUNDARIES AROUND, YOU KNOW, THEIR OWN PERSONAL INFORMATION. YEAH.

THANK YOU. CAN I JUST FOLLOW UP WITH WHAT MARY WAS TALKING ABOUT? YEAH, IF YOU DON'T MIND. FIRST OFF, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS TOWARDS THE END OF YOUR PRESENTATION ABOUT THE DEI AND CRT.

I THINK THAT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION. I'VE LONG BEAT THE DRUM ABOUT THE SEL ACRONYM AND CHANGING THAT NAME BECAUSE IT JUST DOESN'T TIE.

YEAH. YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE DOING SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT HERE.

AND I AND I APPRECIATE MARY POINTING OUT, IS THAT THIS IS NOT MATH AND THIS IS NOT, YOU KNOW, A SCIENCE BASED, YOU KNOW, BLACK AND WHITE KIND OF CURRICULUMS IS SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

SO YOU CAN'T CONFLATE THE TWO. I'M GUILTY OF THAT MYSELF.

IN MY MIND, THERE'S ALWAYS A RIGHT AND A WRONG ANSWER, RIGHT? IT'S MY ENGINEERING. IT'S LIKE, NOPE, THIS IS THE WAY IT IS.

AND YOU KNOW, SO AND WHEN I READ THROUGH SOME OF THIS MATERIAL, I GET LOST IN THE FACT THAT IT IS A LOT OF PERCEPTION BASED STUFF.

QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT DO YOU THINK? HOW DO YOU FEEL? SO FOR ME, I GO BACK TO THAT AND I'D BE LIKE, WELL, I'M GOING TO PUT WHATEVER I WANT.

AND WHO ARE YOU TO TELL ME THAT I'M WRONG? AND WHAT AM I REALLY LEARNING HERE OTHER THAN IDENTIFYING SOMETHING THAT I ALREADY KNOW, YOU KNOW? SO FOR THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT MIGHT ASK THOSE KIND OF QUESTIONS, I'M TRYING TO IDENTIFY OR AT LEAST MAKE A STATEMENT SAYING THIS IS THE VALUE ADD TO THE PROGRAM. THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TEACHING YOUR CHILDREN, AND THIS IS HOW WE'RE MAKING THEM A BETTER CHILD, BECAUSE WE CAN SAY ALL THIS, YOU KNOW, ALL WE WANT, BUT HOW DO I BRING THAT INTO SOMETHING SMALLER AND MORE DIGESTIBLE? YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT IS. IT IS. IT'S ALL VERY MUCH, YOU KNOW, CIRCLE THE RESPONSE THAT YOU SEE, THE OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE OF THE WORLD AND WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU.

GRADE ME ON THAT, I DARE YOU. YEAH. YOU KNOW.

YEAH, YEAH, I CAN START IF YOU WANT TO JUMP IN.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT IS, AT LEAST IN MY EXPERIENCE, IN LOOKING THROUGH AND BEING A PART OF IT, BEFORE YOU REALLY JUMP INTO AN ACTIVITY OR A LESSON, THEY TAKE THE TIME TO DEFINE.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF CONFUSION AND STRUGGLES COME FROM IS.

THERE ARE SOME ASSUMPTIONS ON WHAT I THINK SOMETHING REALLY IS OR DEFINED AS.

SO ONE OF THE FIRST STEPS IS MAKING SURE EVERYBODY HAS A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT.

I THINK THAT WAS WHAT STOOD OUT TO ME THE MOST IN WAYFINDER, AS AT LEAST THE STARTING POINT, GIVING TEACHERS THE ABILITY TO THEN, OKAY, LET'S GET YOU BACK ON COURSE OF WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT.

BUT YOU'RE NOT WRONG. YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

RIGHT. IT GOES INTO SELF-AWARENESS, RIGHT? WE TALKED ABOUT IDENTITY, NOT GENDER IDENTITY.

IDENTITY OF WHO I AM AS A HUMAN RIGHT AND HOW I AM GROWING AND HOW I PERCEIVE.

RIGHT. AND I KNOW THAT IN SOME OF THE AWESOME RESPONSES WE GOT FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WE'LL JUMP IN A LITTLE BIT LATER.

RIGHT. THIS IDEA OF UNDERSTANDING OTHERS, RIGHT? THEY EVEN ONE OF THEIR CORE PIECES RIGHT THERE IS TALKING ABOUT EMPATHY.

WELL, LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT EMPATHY IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT.

RIGHT. AND WAYFINDER DOES A PHENOMENAL JOB, IN MY OPINION, OF HELPING STUDENTS UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT IS.

RIGHT. WE'RE NOT TRYING TO ASK YOU TO CHANGE.

WE'RE NOT TRYING TO ASK YOU TO LISTEN TO SOMEBODY AND GO, OH, THAT'S NOT WHAT I THINK.

BUT OKAY, I'M GOING TO AGREE WITH YOU, AND I'M GOING TO GO OUT AND ADVOCATE FOR YOU THAT THAT'S JUST NOT WHAT IT IS.

YEAH. YEAH. I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE I'M JUST GOING TO USE MY EXPERIENCE IN THE CLASSROOM.

SO I TEACH SCIENCE AND ASB LEADERSHIP. AND I STARTED TO REALIZE THAT STUDENTS GO FROM CLASS TO CLASS TO CLASS.

SO SOMETIMES I'LL START OFF IN THE BEGINNING OF CLASS, LIKE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT SCIENCE. I'M GOING TO ASK YOU, LIKE WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO OVER THE WEEKEND OR WHAT'S SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF THAT YOU'RE PROUD OF? OR JUST LIKE THESE LITTLE QUESTIONS THAT THEY JUST WOULD WRITE DOWN AND THEY COULD SHARE IF THEY WANTED, AND THEN I WOULD READ, LIKE LATER ON. AND SOMETHING I REALIZED IS THAT STUDENTS HAD A HARD TIME ANSWERING QUESTIONS LIKE, WHAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE PROUD OF YOURSELF ABOUT? WHICH WHAT ARE YOUR THREE GREATEST STRENGTHS? WHAT VALUES DO YOU HAVE? OR LIKE THESE LITTLE QUESTIONS THAT THEY WEREN'T SHARING OUT WITH ANYONE ELSE.

AND SO WHEN WE DID THE PILOT WHAT HAPPENED A LOT OF TIMES, WHICH IN ASB, YOU HAVE A LOT OF TIMES A VERY LIKE CHATTY GROUP.

BUT EVEN OUTSIDE OF ASB, IT ALLOWED STUDENTS TO HAVE A LIKE A SAFE, GUIDED, CONSTRUCTED OPPORTUNITY TO, LIKE, TALK ABOUT THEMSELVES IN THIS WAY TO OTHER STUDENTS THAT THEY HAVE BECOME COMFORTABLE WITH.

IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE DAY ONE. YOU'RE LIKE, HEY, EVERYBODY IN A CIRCLE. WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT OUR BIGGEST FEARS. AND, YOU KNOW THEY BUILT TIME OVER TIME AND THEY REALLY, LIKE, WOULD NOT STOP TALKING.

WE'D BE LIKE, OKAY. LIKE WE GOT TO COME BACK TOGETHER AND WRAP IT UP. AND SO OFTENTIMES HIGH SCHOOLERS ARE GOING TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ALSO LIKE IN THE LUNCHROOM AND AFTER SCHOOL

[00:55:10]

AND WHATNOT. SO I THINK THIS ALLOWS STUDENTS TO KIND OF WONDER, LIKE, WELL, WHAT DO I VALUE? WHAT IS SOMETHING I'M PROUD OF MYSELF AND DO IT IN A SAFE WAY AND LEARN FROM OTHER STUDENTS THAT MIGHT BE A LOT DIFFERENT THAN YOU.

AND LIKE, LEARN HOW TO HAVE DIFFERENCES BUT FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH ONE ANOTHER.

SO THAT'S JUST MY EXPERIENCE THAT I'VE HAD WHICH ALSO HELPED ME MAN, THEY THEY HAVE A HARD TIME ANSWERING A QUESTION IN THE BEGINNING OF CLASS THAT THAT WAS NOT MY INTENTION OF IT.

WAS JUST TO KIND OF MAKE THEM THINK THEY WERE BREAKING UP THE DAY AND THEY'RE LIKE, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO JUMP INTO SCIENCE NOW. BUT YEAH.

SO. ONE OF THE BEST CONVERSATIONS I HAD WITH THE STUDENT BECAUSE SOMEBODY HAD ASKED, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU DO FOR THE STUDENT WHO DOESN'T PARTICIPATE, WHO DOESN'T JUMP IN OR WHO DOESN'T WANT TO SAY ANYTHING? I WAS TALKING TO SOME STUDENTS AT PRAIRIE, AND ONE OF THE STUDENTS KIND OF PULLED ME ASIDE AND WE STARTED TALKING AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. WHEN WE STARTED THIS STUFF, I WAS LIKE, I'M NOT DOING THIS, I DON'T CARE, I'M NOT LISTENING. I'M NOT GOING TO SAY ANYTHING. AND HE GOES, BUT THE MORE WE DID IT AND THE MORE WE GOT INTO IT, HE GOES WHAT I WANT MY TEACHER TO KNOW.

AND WAS MISS MOE. SHE'S NOT HERE TODAY, BUT IS EVEN THOUGH I DON'T SAY SOMETHING AND I MIGHT NOT PARTICIPATE.

HE WAS LIKE I WAS LISTENING TO EVERYTHING. AND HE SAID, I LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT MY CLASSMATES, AND I WAS LISTENING TO THE LESSONS THAT WE WERE DOING.

AND HE WAS LIKE, I'M HOPING, LIKE LATER ON I CAN JUMP IN.

BUT FOR ME, THAT'S WHAT I NEEDED THEN. AND I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY POWERFUL BECAUSE THAT'S A QUESTION THAT WE GET QUITE A BIT. OKAY.

I HAD TWO DREAMS LEADING UP TO THIS. ONE WAS MY PRESENTATION LASTED THREE MINUTES AND YOU STARED AT ME FOR TWO HOURS, AND THE OTHER WAS THAT I WAS CRUNCHING TIME AND I AM CRUNCHING TIME.

SO WE HAVE THIS LITTLE BELL THAT WE PUSHED DURING THE COMMITTEE BECAUSE I TALK, SOMEBODY JUST DREW ME A BELL AND PUSHED IT FOR ME.

SO, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD.

[LAUGHTER] AND PLEASE KEEP JUMPING IN. AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF THESE SLIDES. SO WE MIGHT HIT SOME KEY POINTS OR MAIN POINTS AND THEN WE'LL GO FROM THERE.

IS THAT OKAY. OKAY COOL. THANK YOU. YEAH. YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN THIS.

BUT AS A REMINDER, THIS WORK COMES FROM PROJECT AWARE.

THIS IS WHAT MY SCHEETZ WORKED ON AND WAS ABLE TO GET OUR DISTRICT THAT SECOND ROUND OF A FIVE YEAR AWARE GRANT WHERE WE HAVE SOME VERY CLEAR OBJECTIVES.

AS YOU CAN SEE UP THERE, ONE OF THEM IS AWARENESS AND PREVENTION AND MAKING SURE THAT STUDENTS, STAFF AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE ACCESS TO RESOURCES THAT CAN HELP INFORM THEM.

THAT COULD BE ANYTHING FROM LIKE A YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID CLASS THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ADULTS CAN TAKE THAT HELP THEM UNDERSTAND EARLY WARNING SIGNS OF STUDENTS WHO ARE STRUGGLING. AND THEN THE SECOND ONE IS REALLY ENHANCING, ENHANCING THE WORK THAT WAS DONE WITH THE PREVIOUS GRANT WITH OUR MTSS WORK.

SO OUR TIER TWO AND TIER THREE PIECES, THERE'S A REAL INTENTIONAL FOCUS ON RESOURCES.

ONE OF THE THINGS WE SAY WITH AWARE IS WE ARE WORKING HARD ON GETTING REAL RESOURCES THAT REALLY WORK.

NOT ANOTHER BOOK FOR THE SHELF, NOT ANOTHER TAB TO LEAVE OPEN ON YOUR COMPUTER, BUT THE REAL WORK THAT STAFF WILL USE AND THAT FAMILIES WANT.

SO WE'VE WORKED REALLY HARD ON THOSE TWO OBJECTIVES.

AND I THINK ANOTHER KEY PIECE THAT'S IMPORTANT. SO PART OF OUR GRANT EXPECTATION IS TO COME UP WITH A HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING CURRICULUM.

THAT IS A DELIVERABLE THAT SAMHSA IS EXPECTING FROM US.

SO WHY DID WE JUMP INTO THE WORK? BESIDES KNOWING IT IS IMPORTANT AN THE RIGHT WORK FOR OUR STUDENTS, IT'S ALSO ONE OF THE EXPECTATIONS FOR US TO CONTINUE RECEIVING THIS MONEY TO WORK ON.

OKAY, THE LAST PIECE I'LL HIGHLIGHT IS IT'S I THINK IT'S A PRETTY IMPRESSIVE AS ALL THE DIFFERENT BUDGET CUTS WERE HAPPENING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL AND WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. OBVIOUSLY OUR TEAM WAS VERY DIALED IN TO THOSE CUTS AS THEY WERE BEING RELEASED.

A LITTLE BIT OF HOLDING YOUR BREATH, A LITTLE BIT OF CHEERING. AND THE LAST TIME WE LOOKED AT THE BUDGET FOR THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FOR 2026 THE AWARE GRANT WAS ONE OF THE ONLY GRANTS THAT MADE IT THROUGH EVERY SINGLE CUT.

SO THEY IN THERE NARRATED THE FACT AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE AWARE WORK, THE FOCUS ON MENTAL HEALTH, THE FOCUS ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AND REALLY A SPOTLIGHT ON TEACHING OUR STUDENTS TO BE RESILIENT.

AND THEY THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO CONTINUE THE FUNDING FOR THIS TYPE OF WORK TO CONTINUE.

YOU ALL KNOW THIS VERY, VERY WELL. WE FIT IN IN THAT FAR LEFT COLUMN, SAFE AND CARING ENVIRONMENT.

ONE OF THE THINGS I TELL PEOPLE ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY AND WHERE I'M FROM DOWN IN VANCOUVER, WHAT STANDS WHY BGPS STANDS APART FROM THE OTHER DISTRICTS.

AND I WORKED AT OTHER DISTRICTS IN MY PAST LIFE.

TO ME OUR DISTRICT NOT JUST TALKS TO TALK, THEY WALK THE WALK.

[01:00:02]

AND THAT WAS MORE EVIDENT THAN EVER AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH CUTS OVER THE LAST FEW BOARD MEETINGS, HEART WRENCHING TO WATCH EVERYBODY GO THROUGH IT. THE ANGUISH IN YOUR FACES, EVERYONE KNEW IT AND HOW DIFFICULT THAT WAS.

AND TO LEAD THAT WORK WITH WHAT'S SAFE IN THE WELLNESS OF OUR STAFF AND STUDENTS.

I DON'T KNOW. WE HAVE A LITTLE TEXT GROUP, AND EVERYBODY WAS HIGH FIVING EACH OTHER. THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT.

SO YOU TO SAY THAT THING AND WALK THE WALK, TO REALLY SPEAK TO THE SAFE AND CARING ENVIRONMENT WAS REALLY SPECIAL AND IMPORTANT TO US.

IN FACT, TERRY, YOU EVEN HAD A QUOTE THAT WENT AROUND SOME GROUP TEXT TALKING ABOUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STUDENT LIVES. THAT'S THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, MAN.

AND IT WAS REALLY COOL TO HEAR. SO THANK YOU.

THIS IS HOW WE ALIGN. WE JUST TALKED ABOUT IT.

AND THIS IS WHERE I'M GOING TO HAND IT OFF TO SOME OTHER TEAMMATES HERE. NATURE. ALL RIGHT.

SO I AGAIN, MY NAME IS ANNIE ODRO. AND I'M GOING TO GET A LITTLE BIT INTO BACKGROUND INFO AND I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH A LOT OF THE RESEARCH.

WE GOT A LOT OF THIS FROM OSPI OF WHY WE SEE THE IMPORTANCE OF ADOPTING A SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING CURRICULUM.

LIKE I SAID, WE ARE A LITTLE BIT CRUNCHED FOR TIME, SO I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH IT PRETTY QUICKLY AND JUST HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE MAIN POINTS OF THE FOLLOWING SLIDES. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE, PLEASE STOP ME.

SO PART OF OUR FOUNDATIONAL INFORMATION WITH THE SEL CURRICULUM IS THAT THE CURRICULUM IMPACTS EVERYTHING.

IT GOES FROM BEHAVIOR, ACADEMICS, ATTENDANCE.

IT'S WORKS WITH SOME OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH SKILLS.

IT'S REALLY LIFE. AND IT FOLLOWS WHAT OSPI IS GUIDING WITH SEL CURRICULUMS AND SEL JUST SKILLS IN THE CLASSROOM.

AND ONE THING I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IS THAT STUDENT SAFETY? BECAUSE ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO PREVENT SUICIDE IS TO RAISE AWARENESS.

AND THAT'S PART OF THE SKILLS THAT IS EMBEDDED IN WAYFINDER.

OUR DISTRICT IS REALLY SUPPORTIVE OF STUDENT SAFETY.

WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH AND I KNOW Y'ALL HAD A REALLY HARD, TOUGH JOB OF TALKING ABOUT THE LEVY AND WHEN THERE WAS SOME MONEY TO COME BACK, ALL THOSE POSITIONS THAT CAME BACK WERE JOBS THAT WERE RELATED TO STUDENT SAFETY.

AND THIS CURRICULUM CAN HELP ENHANCE THOSE PEOPLE.

SO COUNSELORS PREVENTION INTERVENTION SPECIALIST SEL PARRAS CAN ACCESS THIS CURRICULUM TO HELP WITH STUDENT SAFETY.

I JUST KNOW THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO US. ALL RIGHT.

HOLD ON. OKAY. WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT. AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND TALKED ABOUT THIS, THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY. AND HOW THIS CURRICULUM IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR WHAT THINGS ARE TAUGHT AT HOME.

IT'S REALLY BRAIDING AND WORKING SKILLS TOGETHER.

SO WE HAVE 260 CERTIFICATED STAFF IN THE 9TH THROUGH 12 SCHOOLS.

THERE ARE 15 COUNSELORS 4 PI'S, 4 SEL STAFF. THAT'S 283 STAFF WHO WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH THIS.

ROUGHLY, AND NUMBERS ARE OFF A LITTLE OFF RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT'S JULY WITH ENROLLMENT.

THAT'S 4,163 STUDENTS IN GRADES 9-12, COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOLS, AND THE ALE'S THAT'S 400 AND LIKE, 04,000 STUDENTS WHO WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THIS AND THEIR FAMILIES HAVE ACCESS TO IT.

SO WITH THAT FAMILY HUB WITH THE PARENT LETTERS, PARENTS WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR STUDENTS ARE LEARNING.

WHEN WE HAD A STUDENT PANEL COME AND WORK WITH THE COMMITTEE.

THEY REALLY LIKED WAYFINDER BECAUSE IT WAS ACCESSIBLE TO THEM.

THEY COULD LOG ON. THEY COULD DO THINGS THEMSELVES.

HAVING 4,000 STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO WHAT THEY NEED.

THERE'S YES, THERE ARE THINGS LIKE WORKING IN GROUPS AND SOCIAL SKILLS.

THERE'S ALSO LIKE HOW TO CHANGE A TIRE. SO IT'S THINGS THAT IF THEY'RE INTERESTED, THEY CAN CONTINUE WITH THAT ON THEIR OWN.

PART OF THE RESEARCH THAT SHOWS US THE MONETARY EFFECTIVENESS.

SO THIS I THINK IS A REALLY BIG NUMBER. THAT FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT'S SPENT, THERE IS AN $11 RETURN ON INVESTMENT COMING FROM.

MAYBE DISCIPLINARY ACTION, MEETING WITH STAFF RESOURCES THAT STUDENTS MAY NEED.

SO THIS PREVENTATIVE ACTION CAN HELP WITH THINGS THAT MIGHT BE WHEN ADDRESSING THINGS WHEN THEY'RE SMALLER VERSUS WHEN THEY ARE LARGER.

AND SO OVERALL THE EFFECTIVENESS THERE'S A REDUCTION IN CHILD AGGRESSION, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, DELINQUENCY AND VIOLENCE. LOWER LEVELS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, AND THEN AN INCREASE IN GRADES, ATTENDANCE AND PERFORMANCE. CARESSE IS GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A THOUGHT EXCHANGE WHERE WE GOT SOME COMMUNITY FEEDBACK ABOUT WHAT PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE NEEDING

[01:05:08]

AND SEEING THAT THEY WOULD LIKE ADDRESSED. AND THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT THEY'RE SAYING AS WELL, THEY WOULD LIKE SUPPORT IN SUPPORTING THEIR STUDENTS.

AND THEN I THINK IT WAS ALI EARLIER WHO WAS TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE AS FAR AS JOBS.

SO THE CURRICULUM ADDRESSES THE THINGS THAT WE WANT OUR STUDENTS TO BE AS AND THEY GRADUATE, THEY MOVE ON. WE WANT THEM TO BE HEALTHY. WE WANT THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL MONETARILY AND IN THEIR CAREERS.

WE DON'T WANT THEM TO GET IN TROUBLE AND TO GET ENGAGED WITH CRIME.

AND SO THESE SKILLS CAN HELP THEM KIND OF MOVE ON AND THEN BE PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF OUR SOCIETY AND IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND THEN SO ONE THING THAT BEFORE I WAS IN THIS ROLE, I WAS AN ENGLISH TEACHER.

AND THEN I ALSO TAUGHT CREDIT RECOVERY. EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED.

AND I REALLY FOUND WHEN I WAS TEACHING ENGLISH AND I WAS TRYING TO TEACH KIDS HOW TO WRITE PARAGRAPHS AND IDENTIFY MAIN IDEAS AND FIND TEXT EVIDENCE. IT WAS THEY WERE MORE ENGAGED, AND THEY GOT THOSE SKILLS SO MUCH MORE WHEN THEY WERE WORKING IN GROUPS, WHEN THEY WERE TALKING TO EACH OTHER. AND I FOUND MYSELF VERY OFTEN GOOGLING THINGS LIKE NOT CHEESY STARTERS FOR LIKE, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. THIS WAYFINDER IS NOT CHEESY WE USED IT AS A STAFF MEETING.

STAFF PARTICIPATED IN IT. AND IT WASN'T ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, LIKE, I HAD TO MAKE IT MORE MATURE.

IT'S NOT CHEESY. AND THERE'S ALSO THINGS LIKE THERE'S A TOGGLE FOR MOVEMENT.

SO IF I WANT TO TEACH SOMETHING, I CAN GO TO MOVEMENT, WHICH IS GOING TO HAVE AN ACTIVITY THAT HAS LIKE A FOUR CORNERS KIDS GETTING UP AND MOVING. I HAVE TAUGHT SOME NINTH GRADE ENGLISH CLASSES THAT WERE VERY SQUIRRELY, AND HAVING THEM JUST SIT DOWN AND READ DIDN'T ALWAYS WORK.

SO INCORPORATING MOVEMENT WAS SUPER IMPORTANT. AND SO TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT WAS JUST EASY AND NOT ME HAVING TO LIKE, LOOK AT MY CURRICULUM AND THEN GOOGLE ACTIVITIES AND PUT IT ALL TOGETHER, HAVING THAT READY TO GO.

SUPER, SUPER HELPFUL. ANN? YEAH. YES, PLEASE.

SO WHEN I WAS REVIEWING, MY HUSBAND AND I NEEDED TO HAVE A VERY DIFFICULT CONVERSATION.

I WAS ABLE TO USE ONE OF THE LESSONS THAT WE WERE REVIEWING THAT DAY.

AND SERIOUSLY, IT TOOK WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY LONG, WEEK LONG SITUATION. AND WHEN YOU SAY IT'S NOT CHEESY, MY HUSBAND HAS A CHEESE METER THAT, YOU KNOW, HE CAN IDENTIFY CHEESE FROM A LONG WAYS AWAY.

AND HE WAS ACTUALLY SO THANKFUL THAT I WAS ABLE TO BRING THAT HOME AND DO THAT AS A PREP WORK FOR THE DIFFICULT CONVERSATION WE HAD TO HAVE, BECAUSE IT JUST IT PUT EVERYTHING WHERE IT NEEDED TO BE.

AND HE WAS ABLE TO TAKE THAT. WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION IN A WAY THAT WE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD WITHOUT THAT CURRICULUM.

SO. YES. YEAH. OKAY. AND I'M GOING TO PASS OFF NOW.

HELLO, YOU GUYS AGAIN. CARESSE BLANKENSHIP INTERVENTION COORDINATOR AT BATTLE GROUND.

I WAS KIND OF INSPIRED BY OLIVER TO POINT OUT I'VE WORKED IN BATTLE GROUND FOR ALMOST.

IT HAS BEEN A DECADE. THIS LAST YEAR WAS TEN YEARS AND DID MY STUDENT TEACHING HERE.

MY KIDS GO TO SCHOOL IN BATTLE GROUND SCHOOLS.

EVEN THOUGH WE LIVE OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT, WE CHOOSE TO BOUNDARY THEM BECAUSE WE LOVE BATTLE GROUND SO MUCH. AND MY HUSBAND IS ONE OF THE COORDINATORS AT FCRC.

SO WE ARE BATTLE GROUND PEOPLE THROUGH AND THROUGH, AND I LOVE THIS COMMUNITY.

I JUST WANT TO POINT THAT OUT. I'M GOING TO FIND MINE DOWN HERE BECAUSE I HAVE SOME NOTES SO THAT I MAKE SURE I SAY ALL THE THINGS.

WE TOUCHED ON THIS EARLIER, AND EVEN OUR GUESTS FROM WAYFINDER MENTIONED IT AS WELL.

REGARDLESS OF, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU DEFINE WHAT SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING IS THE REALITY IS THESE SKILLS ARE SHOWING UP FAR BEYOND THE REACH OF JUST THE K-12 EXPERIENCE THAT STUDENTS HAVE AS THEY GO INTO THE JOB FORCE AND INTO THE WORKFORCE.

BETWEEN 1980 AND 2012, WE'RE SEEING THIS HUGE INCREASE, AND IT'S GONE SINCE 2012.

[01:10:04]

THAT'S ALREADY BEEN 13 YEARS AGO, WHICH SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE.

BUT EVEN MORE SO, THESE TYPES OF SKILLS, LIKE THINKING CRITICALLY, SHOWING INITIATIVE, SOLVING PROBLEMS, AND BEING ABLE TO WORK IN TEAMS HAS GROWN EVEN MORE.

SO. WE THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, I'M KIND OF A RESEARCH JUNKIE.

I LIKE TO LOOK INTO THINGS AND DIVE DEEP INTO RESOURCES.

FORBES AND GOOGLE AND OTHER LARGE THINK TANKS CONFIRM THAT THESE ARE SKILLS CRITICAL FOR THE 21ST CENTURY.

THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM LISTS SEVERAL OTHER SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SKILLS AND THEIR TOP NECESSARY SKILLS.

NUMBER TWO WAS RESILIENCE. AND THEN STILL IN THE TOP 50% OF EFFECTIVE SKILLS FOR EMPLOYEES IS SELF-AWARENESS, EMPATHY AND CURIOSITY. IS THIS MY THING? I'VE NEVER DONE THIS.

BEAUTIFUL. ADDITIONALLY, WHEN WE WERE DOING THE WORK OF THE ADOPTION THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS AS A COMMITTEE THE STANDARDS THAT WE WERE FOCUSED ON, AS YOU CAN SEE, MATCH WHAT YOU SAW ON THAT PREVIOUS SLIDE THERE.

THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT OSPI AN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON HAVE WANTED TO FOCUS ON SELF-AWARENESS, SELF-MANAGEMENT, SELF-EFFICACY, AND THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE, FOR OUTSIDE SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT, SOCIAL AWARENESS, MANAGEMENT AND ENGAGEMENT. AND WAYFINDER GOES FAR AND BEYOND TO ADDRESS THESE THINGS.

AS I'M SURE YOU GUYS SAW, I DON'T I COULD KEEP GOING ON ABOUT IT.

TEASES US ABOUT WANTING TO GO WORK FOR WAYFINDER.

WE'RE NOT LEAVING YET, BUT I COULD SAY LOTS OF GOOD THINGS.

COMMON SENSE MEDIA IS A SITE AND A RESOURCE THAT A LOT OF PARENTS AND FAMILIES ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH.

THEIR PRIMARY LENS IS TO REVIEW THINGS LIKE BOOKS AND MOVIES AND THAT SORT OF THING.

BUT THEY ALSO HAVE A VERSION OF THEIR WORK THAT REVIEWS MATERIALS THAT ARE USED IN AN EDUCATIONAL SETTING.

AND SO THEY HAD THEIR OWN EXPERT REVIEW, WAYFINDER AND GAVE IT VERY HIGH MARKS.

SOME OF THE PROS WERE HOW MANY RESOURCES THERE ARE HOW EASY IT IS TO ADAPT AND THAT IT HAS GREAT SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS WHEN RELATING TO THEIR STUDENTS AND AS MENTIONED, TO EACH OTHER TOO.

THE BOTTOM LINE WAS THAT IT WAS A FANTASTIC RESEARCH.

THE CONS, THOSE ARE ALSO, I MEAN, TO ME, LIKE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN ONLINE PLATFORM, IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE SOME SORT OF ADMINISTRATION. SO THAT'S HARD FOR ME TO AS A PERSON WHO WORKS IN THE EDUCATION WORLD, TO SEE THAT AS A CON, BECAUSE THAT'S A REALITY.

BUT THAT'S THERE TOO. DUN DUN DUN. THESE CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EFFECTIVE SEL CURRICULUM CAME DIRECTLY FROM SOME OSPI MODULES THAT COVER SEL IN THE SCHOOL SETTING.

ANNIE AND I, WHEN WE WERE GETTING OUR COMMITTEE KIND OF GOING IN THE PROCESS OF ADOPTING THE CURRICULUM WENT THROUGH A LOT OF THE MATERIALS FROM THESE MODULES IN ORDER TO HELP OUR COMMITTEE BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT IT WAS WE WERE LOOKING AT. TWO OF THE THINGS I REALLY WANTED TO FOCUS ON WERE THE FOCUS ON SKILLS AND CLIMATE, AND THE SEL BEING INTEGRATED INTO ACADEMIC CONTENT.

FOR ME, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BEING FOCUSED ON SKILLS AND CLIMATE, HAVING A POSITIVE SCHOOL CLIMATE AND TEACHING KIDS HOW TO ENGAGE SAFELY IN ALL KINDS OF SOCIAL SITUATIONS IS HUGE. BOTH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, AS WE MENTIONED, AND EVEN YOUR GUYS'S CORE BELIEFS.

TALK ABOUT CHILDREN FEELING HEARD AND SUPPORTED, AND BEING ABLE TO ENGAGE IN THEIR ACADEMIC WORK BECAUSE THEY ARE FEELING EMOTIONALLY READY TO DO SO. SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

ADDITIONALLY, I TOO AM A FORMER TEACHER. BEFORE I STEPPED INTO THIS ROLE, I TAUGHT SPECIAL ED FOR SIX YEARS AND THEN TAUGHT ENGLISH FOR THE FOLLOWING FOUR YEARS BEFORE I CAME INTO THIS ROLE. ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE MENTIONED SORT OF SOME OF THE DIFFERENT LITTLE LIKE TOGGLES AND SEARCH FEATURES AND THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO WITH WAYFINDER.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALSO FOUND VERY INCREDIBLE WAS THAT YOU CAN SORT, COLLECT OR LOOK AT THE MATERIALS AND THE LESSONS BASED ON SUBJECT MATTER.

SO NOT ONLY CAN YOU DO IT FOR LIKE MOVEMENT OR THE TIME OF DAY, OR THE TOPIC THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS WITH STUDENTS, YOU CAN SORT IT BY MATH, BY ART, BY SCIENCE. WHICH IS HUGE FOR TEACHERS WHO WANT WHATEVER ACTIVITY THEY'RE CHOOSING TO DO WITH THEIR STUDENTS TO BE RELEVANT TO THE CONTENT THAT THEY'RE TEACHING. SO THOSE ARE TWO THINGS I WANTED TO TOUCH ON THERE.

THESE ARE SOME STATISTICS. ANNIE KIND OF TOUCHED ON THE ATTENDANCE AND THE DISCIPLINE AND HOW THOSE IMPACT THE SCHOOL SETTING EARLIER.

FOR BATTLE GROUND PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THESE ARE OUR STATISTICS FOR LAST YEAR AS THE 24, 25 YEAR WRAPPED UP.

OUR AVERAGE ATTENDANCE FOR 9-12, SINCE THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED HERE IS 57.27, WHICH IS

[01:15:06]

JUST IS NOT GREAT. TO BE CONSIDERED ATTENDING REGULARLY, A STUDENT SHOULD BE ATTENDING AT LEAST 90% OF SCHOOL DAYS.

DISCIPLINE. LAST YEAR WE HAD 13,000 MAJOR REFERRALS FOR GRADES 9 THROUGH 12.

SEL ROOM VISITS AT OUR COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOLS.

AT BATTLE GROUND, WE HAD 781 VISITS AND AT PRAIRIE, 1756.

OUR GRADUATION RATES, DESPITE THESE NUMBERS, ARE STILL PRETTY STRONG IN TERMS OF COMPARISON TO THE STATE.

SO THAT IS A POSITIVE BUT SIMILAR TO THE THE ABILITY TO LIFT UP AND POSITIVELY AFFECT STUDENTS EMOTIONS AND THEIR, YOU KNOW, ABILITY TO ENGAGE WITH EACH OTHER AND THEIR TEACHERS.

ALL OF THESE FACTORS CAN BE POSITIVELY IMPACTED BY AN SEL CURRICULUM.

THERE WAS A SLIDE, A FEW SLIDES BACK THAT KIND OF GAVE SOME MORE DIRECT AND HARD NUMBERS ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF PERCENTAGES.

BUT SEL CURRICULUM IS ONE OF THE MAJOR MITIGATING FACTORS FOR THESE NEGATIVE ASPECTS AND DATA.

ADDITIONALLY, TOUCHING BACK ON THE STUDENT SAFETY LAST YEAR WE THE, OUR COUNSELING STAFF AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF CONDUCTED 431 SUICIDE INTERVENTION QUESTIONNAIRES, WHICH MEANS THE STUDENT REPORTED THAT THEY WERE FEELING BIG FEELINGS, AND THEN THEY DID THE QUESTIONNAIRE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STUDENT WAS OR WAS NOT AT RISK FOR SUICIDE, AND THEN TAKE THE NECESSARY NEXT STEPS. FOR OUR CEE STUDENT SURVEY RESULTS, STUDENTS IDENTIFIED AREAS OF GROWTH FOR THEMSELVES THAT THEY WANTED TO STAY FOCUSED ON GOALS. THEY WANTED TO BE ABLE TO CONDUCT PROBLEM SOLVING, WORK IN GROUPS, AND EXHIBIT RESILIENCY AND COMMUNITY RESPECT.

THE SAME THING IS VERY SIMILAR FOR THE COMMUNITY THOUGHT EXCHANGE.

PARENTS AND TEACHERS AND FAMILY MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WHETHER THEY HAVE CHILDREN IN THE SCHOOLS OR NOT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT BULLYING.

THAT'S IT'S COME UP TIME AND TIME AGAIN IN CITIZENS COMMENTS.

IT COMES UP HERE, IT COMES UP IN CONVERSATIONS.

IT COMES UP IN STAFF MEETINGS. AGAIN, HAVING BEEN HERE FOR TEN YEARS, IT'S A CONSTANT CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING ABOUT HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THE WAY THAT CHILDREN TREAT EACH OTHER AND INTERACT AND HOW THEY REFLECT UPON OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.

AGAIN. OOPS. IS THAT BACK? BEAUTIFUL. AGAIN, SEL SKILLS, STATISTICALLY SPEAKING, IS THE TOP MITIGATING FACTOR FOR BULLYING.

AND OTHER ISSUES LIKE THAT. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH.

ANY QUESTIONS? I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS. IS THERE THE SEL CAPACITY TO LEARN SLIDE IS THERE A STUDY THAT WAS DONE AND WHERE COULD WE LOCATE THAT? I'D LIKE TO TAKE A DEEPER DIVE INTO THAT. MAYBE YOU COULD GIVE IT TO ME LATER.

YEAH. AND THEN ALSO THE TEACHERS RATINGS OF STUDENT SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SLIDE.

WHERE CAN THIS DATA BE FOUND? BECAUSE I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH WHERE THAT IS.

AND YOU COULD GIVE IT TO ME LATER. IS IT BACK BEFORE? I THINK SO. IT'S ALWAYS BACK. OKAY. CAPACITY FOR LEARNING.

SO THOSE ARE TWO SLIDES THAT I WAS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN KNOWING MORE ABOUT.

IS IT THIS ONE THAT THEY HAVE UP THERE? IT'S THE TEACHERS RATINGS OF STUDENT SOCIAL EMOTIONAL.

OH, OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, IT'S BEEN ANNOUNCED THAT.

OH, YEAH. SO THESE GRAPHICS THAT ANNIE COVERED ARE ALSO FROM THOSE OSPI SEL MODULES.

THEY TOOK A LOT OF THEIR INFORMATION, INCLUDING THOSE RATINGS.

ON THE NEXT SLIDE FROM DURLAK IS THE PRIMARY AUTHOR OF THAT STUDY.

IT WAS DONE IN 2011. FOCUSED ON SEL IMPLEMENTATION IN SCHOOLS.

CAN YOU SPELL THAT NAME FOR ME? D U R L A K AND I CAN EVEN GET YOU THE FULL PAPER TOO, DEBBIE IF YOU WANT.

I'D BE HAPPY TO EMAIL. YEP. IN OUR NOTES. WE HAVE LINKS TO ALL OF THE RESEARCH.

I'LL MAKE SURE YOU GET ALL THOSE. OKAY, I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU.

OKAY. I KNOW YOU HAVE HAD THIS PRESENTATION FOR A WHILE, AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE TIME THAT YOU HAVE PUT IN AND ALL THE QUESTIONS.

WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO JUMP AHEAD A LITTLE BIT HERE.

AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THE DIZZINESS HERE. HIT A COUPLE PIECES AND THEN GIVE SOME QUESTION ANSWERING TIME.

I KNOW THAT OUR STAFF HAS BEEN JUMPING IN. IF THEY HAVE SOMETHING THEY WANT TO SHARE THEY WILL. I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT SHARING HER EXPERIENCE AS WELL, BUT A FEW KEY THINGS THAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT.

SO, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE STUDENT FEEDBACK, ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 4, WE ASKED STUDENTS TO RATE THE IMPACT THAT THE SEL CURRICULUM HAD ON THEM AND DURING THEIR

[01:20:03]

EXPERIENCE IN EVERY SINGLE QUESTION, WHETHER IT WAS ADDRESSING HIGH SCHOOL NEEDS, WHETHER IT WAS ENGAGING OR POSITIVE IMPACT WAS ABOVE THAT THREE MARK. SO MOST OF THEM WERE BETWEEN THAT 3.5 AND FOUR, AND THE RESPONSE IS SHOWING THAT THERE WAS A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE LESSONS THAT THEY WERE GIVEN. ARE YOU OKAY SHARING TOWARDS THE END? YEAH.

OKAY. OKAY. I THOUGHT THIS WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO SHOW.

YOU KNOW, STUDENTS WENT BACK AND FORTH. I FELT LIKE WAYFINDER WAS HEAVY.

BUT WHEN YOU GOT STAFF INVOLVED, WHO TAUGHT IT YOU CAN SEE PRETTY CLEARLY HERE ON THE DATA THAT WAYFINDER WAS FAR AND ABOVE WHAT THE STAFF WANTED AND WHAT THEY CHOSE.

EVERYTHING FROM PREP TIME TO ENGAGEMENT AND LESSONS AND TO CONTENT AS WELL.

SAME IDEA HERE. RATING IT. WAYFINDER CAME OUT AHEAD FOR ALL STAFF WHO WAS IMPLEMENTING AND TEACHING THE LESSONS.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE STAFF JUMP IN DURING Q&A.

I KNOW YOU SAW THIS. DEBBIE ASKED A WONDERFUL QUESTION AS WE WERE LEADING UP TO THE MEETING.

FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH, THOSE ARE ALL THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE DID REACH OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY ASKING FOR INVOLVEMENT.

WHETHER IT WAS IN PERSON OR VIRTUAL NIGHTS. WE ALSO TOURED EACH CAMPUS TO MAKE SURE STAFF HAD THE OPPORTUNITY.

WE SENT EMAILS TO ALL THE FAMILIES OF STUDENTS WHO WERE PARTICIPATING.

SO ALMOST 300 FAMILIES THERE. YOU KNOW WE GOT THREE PEOPLE, COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO RESPONDED TO THE TO THE REQUEST.

AND YOU SAW THE RESPONSES IN SOME OF THE SLIDES AS WELL.

I'M NOT GOING TO READ ALL OF THESE. THIS COMES DIRECTLY FROM OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO SHARED THEIR THOUGHTS.

ONE OF THE THINGS I WILL POINT OUT THAT I THOUGHT THAT WAS IMPORTANT WAS THIS IDEA OF AMAZING CONVERSATION, BUT ALSO BRING US THE CONCERNS. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE MISS MARY WAS TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE VERBIAGE, RIGHT? BRING US THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. AND WHEN WE HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND STAFF AND FAMILIES, THERE WASN'T A LOT BROUGHT TO US OF A CONCERN.

THERE WERE QUESTIONS AND INTERESTS, BUT THERE WEREN'T.

THERE WERE JUST WEREN'T LESSONS AND ACTIVITIES OR COMMENTS THAT WERE DIRECTLY LIKE, IT SAYS THIS, THIS IS A PROBLEM. I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT AND INTERESTING TO POINT OUT.

WITH IMPLEMENTATION WITH THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED TOWARDS THE END OF OUR WORK WAS THEY WANT TO CONTINUE THE WORK.

THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT PUSHING, THAT WE'RE NOT RUSHING, THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SPEND IF YOU ALLOW US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH WAYFINDER THE NEXT YEAR, KEEPING THAT COMMITTEE TOGETHER, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE THE SLOW ROLLOUT OF WAYFINDER.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A TEAM THAT DOES MONTHLY THEMES THAT WILL BE SHARED WITH BUILDING LEADERSHIP WITH PBIS TEAMS. WE ALSO HAVE TEACHERS THAT ARE GOING TO CONTINUE THE WORK IN THEIR CLASSROOM, AND THERE ARE VARIED.

IT'S GOING TO BE SOME THAT ARE GOING TO TRY IT ONCE A MONTH.

SO WE'RE GOING TO DO A COUPLE TIMES A MONTH. WE HAVE ONE PERSON THAT WANTS TO DO ACTIVITIES ONCE A WEEK, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ALL OF THAT FEEDBACK BACK AS A COMMITTEE, AND WE'RE GOING TO THEN TALK AND PRESENT TO YOU ALL ABOUT WHAT THAT NEXT STEP COULD LOOK LIKE FOR FULL ROLLOUT IN THAT FOLLOWING YEAR.

I KNOW I'M GOING TO DO THAT. I'M SO SORRY. I AM SORRY I'M JUMPING AHEAD A LITTLE BIT HERE.

BUT WITH THAT IDEA AND THE PROMISE OF WE'RE NOT GOING TO JUST PUSH, RIGHT? WE'RE GOING TO DO THE RIGHT WORK FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

WE DID TALK ABOUT THIS AS WELL. I THINK ONE THING THAT IS IMPORTANT, THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT'S WORKING. IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO MAKE THAT CORRELATION SOMETIMES. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LEARNED DURING THE PILOT IS YOU CAN WATCH AND SEE HOW MANY STAFF MEMBERS WERE USING IT.

HOW OFTEN THEY WERE USING IT, HOW MANY ACTIVITIES AND HOW MANY LESSONS THEY WERE GOING INTO.

AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AS WELL.

SO WE HAVE A LIVE TRACKER OF THEM USING THE MATERIALS.

THERE ARE ALSO SOME WAYPOINT THINGS THAT HAVE A PRE AND A POST QUESTION ON SOME OF THE UNITS.

SO WE'RE ABLE TO GET SOME DATA TO SEE STUDENT PERSPECTIVE AND BUY IN AS WE'RE GOING ALONG WITH THESE LESSONS AS WELL.

IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE TO THAT WE'LL BE WORKING WITH DISTRICT LEADERSHIP AND BUILDING LEADERSHIP ON THIS ROLLOUT AND THIS TRACKING, AND THEN OFFERING ANY SUPPORT TO OUR STAFF THAT ARE DOING THE ACTUAL WORK CREWS THROUGH THAT IS THAT WE CAN GET INTO Q AND A'S TOO.

SAME IDEA. WE'LL BE ABLE TO TRACK IT. YOU HEARD MISS KARI TALKED EARLIER ABOUT GROUPS LIKE COUNSELORS AND PI'S DOING SMALL GROUP WORK, AND HOW THEY'RE ABLE TO TAKE STUDENTS WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE STERNS, THROUGH DIFFERENT INDICATORS, AND BE ABLE TO FIND COMMON THEMES, AND THEN GO TO WAYFINDER AND PULL THOSE LESSONS TOGETHER AND DO SMALL GROUP WORK, AND TO TRACK THOSE STUDENTS TO SEE HOW THEY'RE PROGRESSING. RIGHT.

WE WOULD EXPECT THOSE STUDENTS TO HAVE LESS DISCIPLINE, RIGHT? LESS BEHAVIOR ISSUES, HIGHER ATTENDANCE, HIGHER SCORES IN THEIR CLASSES.

RIGHT. THAT'S ONE WAY WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO MAKE A DIRECT CORRELATION TO THIS WORK.

[01:25:03]

YOU'VE SEEN THIS I KNOW THE AWARE GRANT HAS ALLOTTED $100,000 A YEAR.

WE HAVE MOVING INTO YEAR THREE AND THAT WORK INCLUDES THE COMMITTEE WORK.

THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORK FROM OUR SIDE BEFORE WE WORK WITH WAYFINDER.

AND THEN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IS ALWAYS CONNECTED AND COMMUNICATED WITH MISS WHITTEN AND MISS MURRAY.

SO BEFORE WE COMMIT TO ANYTHING WITH THE AWARE WORK, WE HAVE THE CONVERSATION TO DISCUSS WHETHER OR NOT IS SUSTAINABLE, IF IT'S NOT GOING TO BE SUSTAINABLE, OR A FOCUS OF WHAT YOU GUYS WANT AND WHAT THEY WANT, THEN WE DON'T MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT WORK.

I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT AS WELL THAT IT IS LEVY DEPENDENT, RIGHT? THIS IS SOME OF THAT WORK THAT WOULD BE COVERED AND FOCUSED ON IF WE CAN GET THAT LEVY, WHEN WE GET THAT LEVY PUSH THROUGH, THEN THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO. IF NOT, THEN IT'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF CONVERSATION. YEAH. MR. TERRY. WHEN I WALKED IN A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS AND AT THAT TIME, I GOT THE IMPRESSION SOMEHOW, MAYBE INAPPROPRIATELY OR MISTAKENLY, THAT THE AWARE GRANT WAS A $5 MILLION GRANT AND WE WERE GETTING $1 MILLION A YEAR, AND THAT NOW WE'RE MOVING INTO THE THIRD YEAR.

CORRECT. OKAY. SO THAT IS CORRECT. THAT IS CORRECT.

YES. WHAT IS THIS, $100,000 HERE? THAT IS WHAT IS ALLOTTED SPECIFICALLY FOR HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL EMOTIONAL CURRICULUM.

SO THE AWARE GRANT? IN THROUGH THE AWARE GRANT.

YEAH. SO THE WORK THAT WE'RE SHARING WITH YOU NOW IS A SINGLE PIECE OF OUR ENTIRE PIE.

THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS.

CORRECT. YEAH. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANKS FOR CLARIFYING THAT.

SO THERE'S GOING TO BE THERE'S GOING TO BE $900,000 SPENT ON SOMETHING ELSE.

I MEAN, RIGHT. I MEAN, THAT'S YEAH. BUT TO CLARIFY, IT SAYS $100,000 PER YEAR.

PER YEAR, EXACTLY. SO THAT'S A PART OF ALL THAT? EXACTLY.

YEAH. OKAY. OKAY. I KNOW THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS, AND THIS IS KIND OF THE TIME I APOLOGIZE FOR TAKING A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH TIME THERE, BUT I DO WANT TO OPEN IT UP. AND THEN ANYBODY CAN ANSWER.

YEAH. MR. TERRY. SO I WANT YOU TO TIMELY THEN BECAUSE WELL, WHAT WAS THE WORD? WE WERE JUST THE TRACKING. TRACKING IS THE WORD I THINK YOU JUST USED.

RIGHT? TRACKING. YEAH. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT.

YEAH. THAT WAS EXCELLENT. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW EXCITED I AM TO HEAR YOU THINKING THOSE WAYS.

AND I SUGGEST THAT AS YOU FIGURE THAT OUT IN A REAL STRONG WAY, IT'LL GIVE US A LOT OF TRACTION AND MILEAGE DOWN THE ROAD, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT'S KIND OF LIKE PBIS.

I WAS THERE WHEN WE ROLLED OUT PBIS, AND I'M SITTING HERE THINKING, WELL, HOW EFFECTIVE HAS PBIS BEEN? YOU KNOW, KIND OF A THING. IS THERE ANY DATA ON THAT? YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE KNOW WE JUST DO THESE THINGS, YOU KNOW, AND THEN WE NEVER REALLY KNOW IF THEY'RE EFFECTIVE.

SO GIVING THAT SOME DEEP THOUGHT IS A REAL POWERFUL THING.

YEAH I APPRECIATE THAT. AND WHAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE THAT WORK.

AND LIKE WE STATED EARLIER, IT'S HARD TO TIE THOSE TWO THINGS TOGETHER.

WE HAVE A MILLION STORIES AND EVERYONE CAN KIND OF TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT ON IT.

SO YEAH, WE WERE CHALLENGED, YOU KNOW, BY MISS WHITTEN AND OTHERS TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO TRACK SOME OF THAT WORK.

SO THAT WILL BE PART OF THE CONTINUED WORK WITH OUR COMMITTEE.

HOW CAN WE BRING THE DATA RIGHT? I'VE HEARD YOU ALL SPEAK TO THAT.

RIGHT. WE'RE JUST NOT DOING THINGS TO DO THINGS.

WE NEED TO KNOW THAT THIS IS MAKING AN IMPACT.

YEAH, YEAH, I HEAR YOU. I WAS JUST CURIOUS. AS A FOLLOW UP.

CAN YOU SHARE WITH ME HOW BIG OUR PILOT PROGRAM WAS? SO WE DID TWO DIFFERENT VENDORS FOR THE PILOT PROGRAM.

WE USED THE SAME SET OF STUDENTS IN CLASSES FOR BOTH.

AND THERE WAS ABOUT 256 STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN BOTH PILOTS.

WITH THE CHANGE OF SEMESTERS, OUR NUMBERS KIND OF WENT BACK AND FORTH. WE WERE ALMOST AT 300.

SO BETWEEN 250 AND 300 STUDENTS THAT WERE PART OF THE PILOT.

YEAH. DID ANY OF THE STUDENTS OPT OUT OR FAMILIES OPT THEIR STUDENTS OUT? YOU KNOW, WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION, AND PART OF WHAT THE CONVERSATION WAS AROUND IS, IN MY UNDERSTANDING, WITH CURRICULUM, THERE ISN'T NECESSARILY A FULL ON OPT OUT, EXCEPT, I BELIEVE, FOR SEXUAL OR SEX ED.

RIGHT. SEX ED EDUCATION. THERE'S A FULL OPT OUT FORM.

BUT PART OF WHAT OUR CONVERSATION WAS, KIND OF THE STORY I TOLD YOU ABOUT THE STUDENT AT PRAIRIE RIGHT.

THERE IT'S NEVER GOING TO BE GRADED. IT'S NEVER GOING TO BE PUT IN POINTS.

AND WE'RE NEVER GOING TO FORCE. SO EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT FORCING THE STUDENT TO PARTICIPATE OR SAY SOMETHING,

[01:30:07]

WE HOPE THAT THAT STUDENT'S STORY IS AN EXAMPLE OF GOING ACROSS THE BOARD.

BUT THAT IS ALSO ANOTHER PIECE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE TRACKING AS WE ROLL OUT THROUGH THIS YEAR, RIGHT? THE STUDENT SAYS, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE. WE'RE NOT GOING TO WE'RE NOT GOING TO PUSH.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE THEM DO THAT PART. SURE.

AND THEN HOW DID WE GET DID WE? THERE WAS LIKE A SURVEY AT THE END.

CAN YOU TALK MORE ABOUT THAT, HOW THE STUDENT FEEDBACK IMPACTED AND WHAT THEY LIKED BECAUSE YOU HAD A SLIDE TO THAT? YEAH. SORRY. THAT WAS ONE OF THEM I WENT THROUGH AND THIS MIGHT BE A PART WHERE SOME OF OUR STAFF CAN SHARE THEIR STORIES AS WELL, AND MAYBE TELL YOU THIS IS A GREAT SPOT FOR YOU AS WELL.

DO YOU WANT TO START AND THEN I CAN FINISH. I'M GOING TO HAVE TO INTERRUPT US HERE FOR A SECOND AND JUST GET THE BOARD'S FEEDBACK.

WE WERE SUPPOSED TO END AT 5:30 ON THIS PART, AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE NOW AND PICK THIS BACK UP AGAIN DURING THE REGULAR MEETING WHEN IT'S ON THE AGENDA. OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTINUE NOW FOR A FEW MORE MINUTES? I'M COMFORTABLE WITH A FEW MORE MINUTES AT LEAST.

YEAH, LIKE 5 MINUTES OR 5 MINUTES. FIVE MINUTES.

OKAY. FIVE MINUTES IS FINE. OKAY. MY APOLOGIES.

THANK YOU. OH. WAIT, WHAT WAS YOUR QUESTION AGAIN? I JUST WANT TO KNOW ABOUT STUDENT FEEDBACK, HOW IT WAS RECEIVED.

YEAH. SO WHEN IT COMES TO THE WHOLE IMPLEMENTING IT IN THE CLASSES AND HOW HOW IT WAS WITH PARTICIPATION, NO STUDENT IN THE CLASS. I WAS IN ASB WHEN THEY DID IT, AS WELL AS MOE, MISS LEVINE'S CLASS WHO ALSO WAS IMPLEMENTING THE WAYFINDER AND WITH ABOUT WITH HOW THEY WENT ABOUT IT IS NO STUDENT WAS FORCED TO DO IT.

IT WAS AN ACTIVITY. IT WAS A FUN ACTIVITY THAT THEY DID, AND IT WASN'T REALLY AN ACTIVITY THAT WAS FORCED.

IT WAS JUST THE WAY THAT I REALLY LIKED HOW MISS LEVINE DID IT WAS IT WAS AN ACTIVITY THAT KIND OF WENT WITH HER CLASS.

SO SHE TAUGHT HEALTH SCIENCE CAREERS. SO IT WAS ABOUT MAYBE SOME TYPE OF SPORT, SOME TYPE OF ACTIVITY WITH LEARNING EMOTIONALLY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE ALSO LEARN IN OUR CLASS, EMOTIONAL LEARNING.

SO WE SHE WOULD IMPLEMENT SOME THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE WOULD TEACH ON A REGULAR, WHICH IS HOW YOU'RE DOING MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF. ALL OF THIS. AND SHE WOULD IMPLEMENT IT.

AND LIKE THAT STUDENT THAT ERICK WAS TALKING ABOUT, WHICH IS HE DIDN'T HE A LOT OF THOSE KIDS THAT FIRST WHEN WE FIRST STARTED DOING IT WERE LIKE, OKAY, LIKE, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE DOING IT.

BUT THEN A LOT OF KIDS, AFTER WE KEPT ON DOING IT, AFTER WE THE WHAT WAS MOST IMPORTANT TO ME WAS THAT MISS LEVINE WAS IMPLEMENTING IT, WAS MAKING SURE THE STUDENTS KNEW WHY WE WERE DOING IT, NOT WE WERE JUST DOING IT TO PILOT A CERTAIN CURRICULUM THAT YOU GUYS DON'T KNOW ABOUT.

SHE GAVE BACKGROUND. SHE GAVE INFORMATION. SHE TAUGHT US ABOUT THE CURRICULUM AND WHY IT WAS IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO DOING IT IN A FUN WAY WHERE STUDENTS CAN LEARN ABOUT THE CURRICULUM AND LEARN WHY IT'S IMPORTANT IN A STUDENT PERSPECTIVE.

SO A LOT OF STUDENTS CHANGE THEIR OPINION ON IT AS IT WAS TAUGHT.

SO IN THE BEGINNING, STUDENTS DIDN'T REALLY LIKE IT, BUT AS THEY KNEW WHAT THE PURPOSE WAS, WHICH IS WHAT A LOT OF TEACHERS SHOULD BE DOING, IS TELLING WHAT THE PURPOSE IS INSTEAD OF JUST IMPLEMENTING IT AND TELLING THEM, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO START DOING IN CLASS. IT'S FOR THE SEL OR THIS IS WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO DO, BUT REALLY GIVING IT A PURPOSE. SHE TAUGHT ABOUT SHE TAUGHT THE STUDENTS ABOUT AGENCY, LEARNING AGENCY AS A STUDENT AGENCY AND ALL OF THIS.

A LOT OF KIDS DIDN'T KNOW THAT, BUT BECAUSE SHE WAS IMPLEMENTING A PURPOSE IN IT, A LOT OF KIDS KNEW WHAT AGENCY WAS.

A LOT OF KIDS WERE HAVING FUN ON LEARNING HOW TO IMPLEMENT THAT ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS, HOW TO MAKE IT FUN.

SO I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION. ABOUT HOW MUCH OF THE CLASS PERIOD DID IT CONSUME? AT THAT TIME, IT WOULD. SHE WAS ONLY DOING IT ONCE A WEEK, AND THE DAYS THAT SHE WOULD DO IT WERE DAYS THAT WE KIND OF HAD SOME FREE TIME BECAUSE WE WERE WORKING ON CERTAIN THINGS. BUT SHE MADE SURE THAT WE WOULD WE HAD ENOUGH TIME TO FINISH THE PROJECTS WE WERE LEARNING, AS WELL AS IMPLEMENTING A CERTAIN 30 MINUTE TIME PERIOD OF WHAT WE COULD OF WHAT WE WERE DOING, WHICH WAS THE SEL CURRICULUM. SO SHE WOULD DO A 15 TO 30 MINUTE LESSON, AND THEN WE WOULD WORK ON ANYTHING WE NEEDED TO WORK ON TO CATCH UP ON STUFF.

GOT IT. THANK YOU. YEAH. YOU WANT ME TO JUMP IN NOW? THERE. COOL. YEAH. SO I JUST ALSO KIND OF WANTED TO TAG ON TO WHAT IT'S ALWAYS SAYING IS THAT, LIKE, WITH THE TIME, REALLY A LOT OF THINGS. I THINK WAYFINDER IS A REALLY, REALLY GREAT CURRICULUM BECAUSE IT'S VERY MALLEABLE.

IT'S VERY FLEXIBLE. AND NO MATTER HOW GOOD A CURRICULUM IS, YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB.

IT WILL NEVER KNOW OUR STUDENTS, RIGHT? IT WILL NEVER ACTUALLY KNOW OUR STUDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY AND WHAT THEY NEED.

AND SO TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S FLEXIBLE, IT'S FLEXIBLE NOT ONLY IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE NEED TO SPEND ON IT, BUT IT'S FLEXIBLE IN THE CONTENT AND THE WAY THAT WE CAN DELIVER IT TO OUR KIDS.

[01:35:03]

AND I JUST THINK IT DOES A FANTASTIC JOB OF LIKE FILLING IN A LOT OF GAPS THAT EXIST IN OUR CURRENT SCHOOL SYSTEM, WHERE WE HAVE A NEED FOR FINANCIAL LITERACY. WE HAVE A NEED FOR KIDS TO BE ABLE TO COLLABORATE AND WORK TOGETHER.

I REMEMBER TALKING TO A FELLOW TEACHER AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR WHO WOULD NEVER WANT TO DO ACTIVITIES LIKE THIS, AND THIS WAS BEFORE WE EVEN STARTED THE PILOT OR LEARNED ABOUT ANY OF THE PROGRAMS. AND HE WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW HE WAS GOING TO DO ACTIVITIES IN HIS CLASSROOM FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT YEAR, BECAUSE WE JUST HADN'T HAD THAT MUCH OF THAT AS A STAFF.

AND SO HE REALLY SAW THE VALUE IN ICEBREAKERS OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL THEM.

AND HE SAID HE SPENT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME. AND ULTIMATELY, A LOT OF TEACHERS ARE SPENDING A LOT OF THEIR TIME TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER ACTIVITIES LIKE THIS THAT INCREASE THE COMMUNITY IN THEIR CLASSROOM, THAT ENGAGE STUDENTS MORE, THAT GIVE THEM SKILLS THAT THEY WILL USE OUTSIDE OF JUST MATH, SCIENCE, OR ENGLISH. AND WAYFINDER IS GREAT IN THAT I KNOW YOU SEE A $53,000 PRICE TAG, BUT WHEN IT ALL COMES DOWN TO IT, THE MATH I COULD WE COULD GO ON. BUT I KNOW WE'RE SHORT ON TIME.

IT EQUATES TO ABOUT LIKE FOUR HOURS FOR EVERY TEACHER THAT IS WHAT THE COST IS FOR US IS IT'S ABOUT FOUR HOURS OF TEACHER TIME.

AND I THINK MOST TEACHERS IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT ARE SPENDING MORE THAN FOUR HOURS EVERY SINGLE YEAR TRYING TO MAKE THEIR CLASSROOM A BETTER PLACE AND TRYING TO GIVE STUDENTS SKILLS THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHO THEY ARE AND GO OUT SEEKING THEIR PURPOSE.

SO I THINK IT IS AN INCREDIBLE VALUE FOR WHAT WE WOULD BE SPENDING ON IT.

AND IT'S JUST OVERALL OF A REALLY, REALLY SOLID CURRICULUM THAT WE CAN ADAPT TO WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO IN THE CLASSROOM.

DO WE HAVE. DO WE STILL HAVE TIME? OH, YEAH. OKAY.

MY ROLE IS KIND OF UNIQUE AS A PREVENTION INTERVENTION SPECIALIST.

I WORK IN SMALL GROUPS AND WITH KIDS INDIVIDUALLY.

I'VE BEEN A DRUG AND ALCOHOL COUNSELOR FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS, AND RESEARCH SHOWS THAT CONNECTION IS THE BEST PREVENTION.

I ONLY SEE KIDS ONCE A WEEK FOR MAYBE 4 OR 6 WEEKS WHEN THEY'RE IN SMALL GROUPS WITH ME.

AND SO I'VE NEEDED WAYS TO FIND AND CONNECT WITH KIDS ALL THESE YEARS.

WHEN I LOVE THE NAME WAYFINDER, BECAUSE WHAT CAME INTO MY HEAD WAS YOU'VE GOT JUST WHAT I NEED.

I WON'T SING, BUT YOU GUYS KNOW. BECAUSE LITERALLY, THIS SAVES ME TIME.

BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE ACTIVITIES ARE THINGS I'VE ALREADY DONE OR AM.

BUT I DON'T HAVE TO SEARCH ANYMORE. THEY'RE RIGHT THERE.

AND THEY HAVE THEM FOR COUNSELORS. THEY HAVE THEM FOR SMALL GROUPS.

AND THESE ARE KIDS WHO ARE STRUGGLING ACADEMICALLY AND BEHAVIORALLY, AND IT'S ALL RIGHT THERE.

AND THAT GIVES ME MORE TIME WITH KIDS THAT I DON'T HAVE TO SPEND SEARCHING.

IF I COULD JUST ADD ONE MORE THING. THE MOST RECENT QUESTION WAS ON STUDENT FEEDBACK.

AND AS A TEACHER, THE MAIN WAY THAT I GAUGE FEEDBACK OTHER THAN THE ACTUAL FEEDBACK, WHICH THEY'RE HAPPY TO GIVE ME IS IN ENGAGEMENT.

AND ON THESE LESSONS, I WOULD SPEND ABOUT 20 MINUTES ON THEM.

IN MY LOWEST ACADEMIC CLASS, AND 100% OF THE KIDS WOULD DO THE WORK, WHICH WAS UNHEARD OF IN THAT CLASS.

AND I ALSO NOTICED THAT ON THE DAYS THAT I DID THIS, I WOULD THEN DO ANOTHER ACTIVITY BECAUSE IT ONLY TOOK 20 MINUTES AND I WOULD HAVE HIGHER ENGAGEMENT ON THE IN-CLASS ACTIVITY FOR THOSE DAYS THAT I DID THIS.

THERE'S A REALLY COOL FEATURE WHERE YOU CAN PUT THE DURATION OF TIME YOU WANT YOUR LESSON OR ACTIVITY, AND YOU CAN LITERALLY HAVE IT FIVE MINUTES. YOU CAN HAVE IT 60 MINUTES, KIND OF LIKE BLANKENSHIP WAS SPEAKING TO.

YOU CAN USE THAT AS AN OPENER. YOU CAN USE IT TO SUPPORT SOME OF THE WORK YOU'RE ALREADY DOING.

AND AGAIN I APOLOGIZE. THEIR STORIES ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN ME TALKING.

BUT I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY I HOPE YOU CAN SEE THE PASSION FROM THIS GROUP, THE ENGAGEMENT AND THE BUY IN FROM THE STAFF.

AND I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GIVING US A FEW EXTRA MINUTES.

IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS. YOU CAN DEFINITELY DO IT.

AND I THINK AT THIS POINT WE PROBABLY NEED TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING.

BUT I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR COMING AND SHARING YOUR STORIES AND SHARING ABOUT WAYFINDER.

IT REALLY HELPS US TO KNOW HOW IT'S, YOU KNOW, HOW IT'S HELPED WITH KIDS AND HAVE YOUR PERSONAL STORIES ABOUT IT.

AND FOR THE BOARD, IF YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS, WE CAN BRING THOSE UP DURING THE REGULAR MEETING WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WAYFINDER AGAIN.

SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR COMING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MEMBERS, FOR ALL YOUR WORK.

AND THANK YOU ALL. AND WE ADJOURN THIS SPECIAL MEETING AT 5:39.

THANK YOU AGAIN. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU. THANK YOU ERICK VERY MUCH.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.