During a Crowdsource Coffee on May 10, 2023, Portico coaches and school leaders discussed strategies for rethinking systems with a trauma responsive mindset. Through their combined experience, they shared examples of challenges and best practices regarding integrating trauma responsiveness into their MTSS frameworks.

Many schools are implementing PBIS in efforts to reduce racial disproportionality in school discipline. Research shows that schools implementing PBIS with fidelity have more equitable school discipline, but eliminating disproportionality requires a specific equity focus. This resource highlights specific strategies and free Center on PBIS resources for enhancing the cultural responsiveness of PBIS systems.

Effectively implementing a schoolwide PBIS system that is equitable and meets the needs of all students may feel like a fairy tale. But by understanding the barriers to successful implementation and the supports needed to overcome them, school leaders can better prepare for and modify PBIS at their sites.

Instead of ditching the entire philosophy and practice of PBIS, we need to be aware of and prevent implicit biases from influencing our systems and practices.

Clip charts have been a common classroom strategy for many years. Once considered an effective tool for displaying behavioral progress and adherence to classroom rules, they may not be as helpful as once thought. [These] strategies are inconsistent with a PBIS approach and, more importantly, can be harmful. [This resource from ‍The Center on PBIS] provide[s] alternative strategies that are evidence-based and more likely to improve student behavior while promoting a safe, positive classroom.

Portico coach, Jocelyn Bigay, uses this Leadership Scope and Sequence Planning Template within her Copilot sessions to focus goals for the year and identify short term measurable goals. It allows school leaders to think through how they can work toward their yearly goals and highlight shared vision for readiness. It also helps them to backwards plan a professional learning sequence.

This Plan, Do, Study, Act/Adjust (PDSA) template is designed to help district, building, and teacher leaders connect actions taken to the direct results impacted by the actions.

Managing your feelings requires the ability to respond to strong emotions in an appropriate way. In this belly breathing for kids activity, students will learn a new strategy for how to remain calm during stressful situations.

As principal of Milwaukie High School, Carmen Gelman (now Director of Professional Development, Coalition of Oregon School Administrators, COSA) worked with the school community (including students) to ensure a firm but balanced approach to student cell phone use. We share their policy and rollout materials to inspire and guide you as you consider tackling this oft contentious topic.

In this segment, he shares examples of how focused and meaningful student surveys can help keep MTSS efforts, programs, and vision on-track to ensure ALL students are thriving and successful.

In this segment, he explains the concept and provides examples of how expansive opportunities—in addition to traditional MTSS tiers of support—ensure ALL students are thriving and successful.

Teaching physical education is the only content area that educates students in all three of the learning domains – the cognitive, the affective, and the psychomotor. Incorporating literacy concepts into physical activity such as; ABC Scooter, Quarterback Scrabble, Dribble Spelling, and Password is a great way to implement cross-curricular activities.

PBLWorks put together a resource with innovative and creative ways to weave PBL into Literacy programs. Below are a few ideas.

The Learning Walk routine is a proven and powerful tool for getting smarter about teaching and learning. For almost 25 years this research-backed practice has been used to understand core instructional work across classrooms in schools and districts.

This peer review activity focuses on specific elements of a classroom (outlined below) and fosters encouragement and strategies for teachers given by teachers. This is a means to improve, as well as be accountable for goals. Identifying what strategies should be implemented provides a focus for teacher’s and a starting block to navigate from.

The Inflexion Approach incorporates core elements of a multi-tiered support approach to ensure each and every student gets what they need to be ready to thrive in the 21st century. During a Crowdsource webinar on April 20, 2023, Inflexion CEO Matt Coleman shared how the framework of the Inflexion Approach helps implement MTSS with aligned instructional supports across the school for every student, every period, every day.

In this segment, he explains the concept and provides examples of how expansive opportunities—in addition to traditional MTSS tiers of support—ensure ALL students are thriving and successful.

During a Crowdsource Coffee on February 24, 2023, the Portico community discussed their challenges and nest practices when it comes to hiring and retaining top talent.

One Portico leader shared this 3-Step collaborative and inclusive interview process that has helped their school not only hire, but retain, the best educators for their students and community.

Magnolia High School’s agriscience community center was highlighted as a model community school that’s helping its community solve its food desert problem.

To build trust and relationships with families, it can be helpful for school staff to engage with families in spaces or at events in which families feel comfortable. These may include family homes, community centers, churches, or cultural centers. School and district leaders may consider the following strategies for engaging outside of the school building.

Successful family engagement requires a multi-faceted approach. This customizable checklist can help you keep track of new and continuing family engagement practices at your school.

Developing a plan for family engagement may be the first step, but sooner rather than later, you also need to ensure that there are family-friendly tools and resources provided to families to ensure equitable and meaningful access to their students’ learning.

This guide will equip you with lots of tools and resources and ideas to meaningfully and continuously engage families in their children’s learning and development.

So you’re familiar with community schools. You’re interested. But getting started can feel like the hardest part. While your own school/district’s path may ultimately differ from Anaheim Union School District’s, their example can help you begin mapping out where to start.

Since the end result may not be realized for some time, it’s especially important to celebrate efforts—along with successes— throughout transformational journeys. And when it comes to family and community engagement initiatives, be sure to recognize and highlight everyone involved. When effort is directly recognized for making a positive impact toward larger goals, it can help motivate people by showing progress is being made and that the “little things” really matter when it comes to achieving loftier goals; it also helps solidify and empower our sense of community and unity.