SKOGLUND MIDDLE CENTER 26 JT
SKOGLUND MIDDLE CENTER 26 JT
A GROUP PROCESS LEADS TO CHANGE
Skoglund Middle School is also a six-time Healthy School Champion . Under leadership of the principal , the Health Advisory Committee ( HAC ), comprised of a diverse group of stakeholders , continues to focus on systems and polices to affect change . Last year , the district ’ s HAC noticed that behavioral issues were increasing in the middle school , particularly for boys . And results of the Behavior Intervention Monitoring Assessment System ( BIMAS ) indicated risk in three of the five domains . Based on these data , the HAC chose to include a behavioral health strategy in its Unified Improvement Plan ( UIP ).
07
As part of the strategy , the school hired an additional part-time counselor for the 2016-2017 school year who implemented a “ Where Everyone Belongs ” or WEB curriculum . The program engaged a group of middle school peer leaders to promote positive school climate and social-emotional skill building . In addition , optional biannual training was offered for staff in youth mental health first aid , and a behavioral health clinician was onsite each week who facilitated referrals to needed services . The school also implemented an advisory program twice a week that included weekly social-emotional and wellness skills content .
This example illustrated the school ’ s group process in action — “ Assess , Identify , Make it Happen .” It also showed the importance of a well-functioning HAC . The school recognized a need , sought resources to address it , and implemented best practices for the overall health and wellness of students . After “ making it happen ,” the school had a 50 % decrease in the number of behavioral referrals as it did in the previous year .
Students who were at higher risk for academic failure based on data related to attendance , grades , and behavior were selected for family home visits . Between the conferences and home visits , parent engagement increased by almost 25 percent .
Clearly , Skoglund Middle School is truly a champion and staff believes they have created a model of how rural schools can implement school health best practices to maximize student success .