Abstract for Joint Meeting – Board of County Commissioners, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education and Orange County Schools Board of Education

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6 Throughout this school year, CHCCS has used a variety of assessments to understand our current status of student needs and our district's ability to provide appropriate support. Bulleted below are some of our findings: 2021- 2022 Budgetary request from elementary and middle school principals indicated a need for additional funding in social and emotional learning. Schools highlighted the need for additional support to address mental health needs of students after experiences of social isolation for over a year. Based on the needs assessment presented to the Board of Education in July of 2021 regarding on the state required Social and Emotional Learning and Mental Health Improvement Plan, secondary schools lack a core instructional framework for social and emotional learning, all schools need more professional learning in effective implementation of Multi-tiered Systems of Support, and consideration should be given for expansion of mental health supports at the elementary and middle school level. Based on student results in grades 4-12 from the Fall 2021 administration of the SEL Universal Screener, there is a significant decline in favorable responses of students feeling safe and connected to schools. School safety favorable perceptions declined 10 percentage points (83% to 73%) in elementary schools and 12 percentage points (76% to 64%) in secondary schools. Based on teacher-student relationships, favorable responses decreased (86%to 83%)in elementary schools and 7 percentage points (70% to 63%) in secondary schools. Overall favorable perceptions regarding school climate declined 7 percentage points (76% to 69%) for elementary schools and 8 percentage points (60% - 52%) in secondary schools. A recent assessment of our social and emotional learning programming across the district conducted in November 2021 by CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning) noted the following existing barriers and recommendations based on critical components for systemic SEL implementation: - Build Foundations Support and Plan Barrier: While there is support for social and emotional learning in the central office, there is no common definition of SEL districtwide. Recommendations: Create a district SEL department to oversee this work and carry it forward; Create a vision and shared definition of SEL; Communicate the vision and definition with staff/stakeholders; Create an implementation plan including an evaluation component. - Strengthen Adult SEL Competencies and Capacity Barrier: Teachers are experiencing fatigue and feel they do not have support from the central office to fully implement SEL. Recommendation: Provide SEL foundation learning for all staff through professional learning; Plan and implement ongoing professional learning sessions differentiated by need/role; Continue to offer SEL foundational professional learning for new staff, Build upon SEL professional learning to empower deeper adult reflection and engagement.