School Counseling & Mental Health
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Q&A: Social Emotional Learning
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How will CG handle absences when a family chooses to pull out their child during the SEL special?
The elementary handbook (here, beginning on page 13) outlines both the types of absences and the consequences for accumulated occurrences of lost instructional time. Schools would send notifications to parents and make referrals to the Family Resource Officer for these absences. Typically, the attendance officers would take into account the family’s situation and may not have a significant concern unless your child is missing a lot of other days from school.
While not core curriculum (math, language arts, science, and social studies), the state employability standards on which we are basing our SEL lessons are mandated curricular content through state legislation. District administrators are aware of parent concerns regarding SEL, and for this reason, recognize the choice of some families to pick up their child during the SEL rotation.
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What is Social Emotional Learning?
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, establish and maintain positive relationships, feel and show empathy for others, and make responsible decisions.
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What are the roles and responsibilities of an SEL counselor?
- SEL counselors will provide Tier 1 instruction for all students. These lessons will focus on employability skills and are suited for all students.
- SEL counselors will be teaching 40-minute explicit instruction to K-5 students two times a month during special rotation.
- There are 3 SEL counselors. Each counselor is assigned to two buildings. Please visit the website to see specific schools.
- SEL lessons will be focused on the employability skills: regulation, connection and collaboration.
- There are 18 employability skills as outlined by the IDOE.
- SEL lessons will be interactive and high yield instructional strategies will be used to ensure engagement.
- SEL counselors will provide extension activities for teachers and guardians.
- SEL counselors will support classroom teachers.
- SEL counselors will be available to provide Tier 2&3 support to students.
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How were the SEL counselors chosen?
Once the SEL Counselor positions were approved and opened for hire, all Center Grove elementary counselors and social workers were able to request a change to this position.
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What are the data points that support social emotional learning?
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What is prevention teaching?
Prevention and proactive instruction helps to provide students will strategies and skills before a situation occurs,
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How will you know which special is "media" and which is SEL?
- Parents and Guardians will need to work with their child’s school and teacher to know which day their child will be receiving SEL explicit instruction.
- SEL lessons can be found in nine-week increments here.
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Can we opt-out of SEL in grades K-5? Why can’t it be opt-in?
- No, if your child is physically at school during SEL rotation they will receive instruction.
- Parents who do not want their child to receive this instruction should follow their school procedures to pick up their child during this time. The absence would not be considered excused unless it meets the guidelines established for absences in the school handbook.
- It is not opt out due to employability skills being required teaching per Indiana Code.
- Pursuant to Ind. Code § 20-30-5-17(b), specific curriculum cannot be taught without parental consent. The specified curriculum and instruction are related to a personal analysis, evaluation, or survey that is not directly related to academic instruction and that reveals or attempts to affect the student’s attitudes, habits, traits, opinions, beliefs, or feelings aimed toward human sexuality, religious practices, and political affiliations, are all examples of curriculum needing prior parental consent.
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What and when will secondary (6-12 grade) students receive SEL instruction?
- Secondary students will continue to receive character traits instruction during their homeroom time. [Note: This is the same program that Center Grove began in 2017.}
- Please contact middle and high school counselors to see lessons.
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Is teaching SEL required in Indiana schools?
In Indiana, K-12 schools are required to teach the Indiana Academic Standards and the Indiana Employability Skills Standards. Neither set of standards include Critical Race Theory. Critical Race Theory is not designed for elementary, middle, or high school students. Additionally, the State of Indiana will not support, condone, or fund anything that alienates, discriminates, or negatively divides students based on race or background.
Q&A: Panorama SEL Survey
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What questions are asked on the Panorama surveys?
- Click here to view Grades 3-5 Fall & Spring survey questions
- Click here to view Grades 6-12 Fall & Spring survey questions
- Click here for Grades K-2 Fall & Spring survey questions. Teachers will fill out questionnaires for each student.
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How will Panorama data be stored?
Panorama data is stored on the Panorama platform. Data is not included in student permanent records. Please view Panorama’s privacy policy www.panoramaed.com/privacy.
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What is the Panorama survey used for?
- Students are important partners as we work to improve our communication, academic program and overall experience for everyone. In order to learn more about student experiences at school, we will be asking for your child’s feedback via an online survey they will be completing at school.
- The survey shouldn’t take more than 20-30 minutes to complete.
- Survey topics are: classroom effort, emotion regulation and grit.
- Examples of surveys 3-5 grade and 6-12 grade
- Administrators and counselors will use data to identify students who may need additional support with the topics above.
- Student names are required to ensure support(s) are provided for those in need.
- Aggregate data is used to identify strengths and areas for growth in Center Grove K-12.
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How can we opt out of Panorama? Why can’t it be opt-in?
- Panorama will be administered Fall and Spring with the option of Winter.
- Parent notification forms will be sent home before administration and provide an opt out form at the bottom.
- Opt out form must be returned to school administration by date identified.
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Who has access to Panorama student specific results?
- Currently, district and school administration (Including student service personnel) have access to specific student scores.
- Parents can request student scores from school administration
- Center Grove student data is not shared with the state or anyone beyond our district.
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How long is the data kept in Panorma’s system, and how will information be stored and acted upon?
The districts and schools ( not Panorama), own all the data they send to us and can request to have Panorama delete their identifiable data from our systems if and when they want to stop using our services. All the data are encrypted and secured so that the only people who see it are the people Panorama allows, which does include some Panorama employees who require it to perform the agreed-upon services. While Panorama does use de-identified data to make product improvements and support client needs, we do not use the data for any sort of targeted marketing and never sell your data to anyone.
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Is Panorama a mental health assessment?
No. Panorama is a universal screener. There are several differences between mental health assessment and universal screener. The biggest difference is that all mental health assessments or evaluations require parent permission. Please see this document for additional information.
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What responses on the Panorama survey would trigger "red flags"? And if a red flag is triggered, what action is taken to address or communicate with the child or parents about it?
Panorama Education has nationally normed cut-off points to help the schools identify what would be a red flag for student scores. Below are the SEL cutoff points:
- Low: below 2.0 (would be considered high risk)
- Medium: 2.0-3.5 (would be considered some risk)
- Strength: 3.5-4.3
- High Strength: 4.3 and above
If a student is identified at high risk, we would reach out to parents and provide small group instruction or 1:1 instruction with the school counselor or social worker. This requires parent permission.
Q&A: Other Topics
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Why are you focusing on racism? That makes it worse.
- Board Policy 3210 - Staff Ethics:
- “CG staff are bound by policy to create and maintain a standard of care for the supervision, control, and protection of students with their assigned duties and responsibilities.”
- Specifically, staff are held to several standards including to “recognize the basic dignities of all individuals with whom they interact in the performance of their duties.”
- Board Policy 5117 - Anti-Harassment:
- The Board will vigorously enforce its prohibition against harassment based on sex (including sexual orientation and/or transgender identity), race, color, national origin, religion, disability, or genetic information that are protected by Federal civil rights laws (hereinafter referred to as unlawful harassment) and encourages those within the School Corporation community as well as third parties who feel aggrieved to seek assistance to rectify such problems.
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If racism is taught at home why is the school addressing it?
- We have had racist incidents and students targeted because of their race, culture or beliefs and cannot ignore that. To learn, students must feel safe and respected. As a public school, it’s our job to serve all students.
- Board Policy 5517 - Anti-Harassment (HERE)
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Who will evaluate the books available in the library and Scholastic Book Fairs?
Book Fairs: Parents receive lists (or have access online) for book fairs in their child’s school. If parents do not want their child to purchase specific books, they can share this information with the school prior to their child’s library rotation.
Library books: Parents have an option to utilize a holding process, which allows parents and students to select books on Destiny. Additional information and a parent form is available on our child’s school website.