Join a Professional Learning Community

Join a community of teachers from multiple disciplines across Massachusetts as they engage in discussion and learn concrete strategies on topics such as assessing students’ social-emotional needs, using the CASEL framework as an approach to understanding student behaviors, and promoting a safe learning environment.

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The BIRCh Project contracted with Walker Therapeutic and Educational Programs to facilitate two PLCs focused on supporting districts in their universal screening implementation efforts over the course of the school year. Districts participating in the PLCs were recipients of the 2023 Supporting Students' Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Behavioral & Mental Health, and Wellness grants from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Screening PLC #1 focused on supporting school districts in the exploration and installation phases of their screening efforts (e.g., exploring screening tools, developing teams). Screening PLC #2 focused on supporting school districts with experience with universal behavioral health screening (e.g., selecting a tool and piloting the tool with a small number of students) the previous year. Topics covered included:

• Centering and screening with an equity lens
• Prerequisites to screening including establishing team structures,
• Different approaches to screening
• Selecting a screening approach appropriate to the district’s screening objectives
• Administering the screener (e.g., procedures like informed consent)
• Using screening data to inform intervention across tiers

Learning Community #1

Of the 31 total participants on installation and exploration of universal screening, about half (51%) attended two or more sessions. Participants came from 16 different school districts, including one charter school and one primary/secondary special education school. The variety of school roles are represented in the graphic on the right.

Learning Community #2

Participants that were piloting and implementing a universal screener included individuals from five school districts: Boston Public Schools, Hadley Public Schools, Haverhill Public Schools, Pittsfield Public Schools, and Taunton Public Schools.

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