Students are not simply test scores and enrollment numbers at Lansing: They are whole people with a range of needs. At this school, we understand the need to create a community of learners that are inclusive, kind, resilient and restorative. We believe in directly teaching these skills to our students each and every day.
Here is how we do it:
TIER 1: Tier 1 strategies are practiced with every child, every day. Some of these strategies include:
- A morning meeting time for 15 minutes at the beginning of the day focused on connecting as a community, greeting each other, setting goals for the day and previewing the day's events. This helps everyone been seen, check in with their peers, set a common purpose and create a predictable environment for learning.
- We have had extensive teacher training in HEARTS, a trauma-informed program that helps us learn how to learn form and manage students who have experienced trauma.
- We use a common SEL program called Sanford-Harmony
TIER 2: Tier 2 strategies are practiced with students who need additional support. Some of these strategies include:
- A visit to our planning center (video in the link) to have a chance to regulate emotions outside of the general education classroom and have time with an adult to create a plan to overcome or manage the problem in order to get back to the classroom to learn.
- A check-in, check-out system with an adult that the student has identified as a trusted staff member to connect with that student at the beginning and end of each day.
- An informal behavior plan with 2-3 identified goals for each instructional block of the day with manageable goal-targets and a rewards system. This plan is communicated with parents/guardians each day.
- Group counseling in the identified area of need.
TIER 3: Tier 3 strategies are practiced with students who need significant support. Some of these strategies include:
- A formalized behavior plan as part of the student's Individual Education Plan to identify goals, outcomes and measurable progress. The development of the plan and the subsequent daily tracking is done in collaboration with the parents of the students.
- Individualized support in the classroom, on the playground and in the cafeteria.
- Direct teaching of lagging skills by a licensed mental health staff member each week.
Moving students between tiers is a systematized process at Lansing that includes parent input as part of the process. We know that working as a team is an important part of supporting students behavior.