To help educators navigate the unprecedented times of a global pandemic, we recently launched a series of ‘back-to-school’ blog posts featuring actionable insights and free resources developed by a team of special education subject matter experts (SMEs) at PCG. This blog series is based on PCG’s Special Education Reentry Checklist and each post aligns to a core theme from that checklist: Health and Safety, Instruction and IEPs, Communication Planning, and Budget and Finance. The free Special Education Reentry Checklist is available here.

So far, we have shared two posts within this series: the first post addressed the need for districts to establish their own COVID-19 special education-focused steering committees, the second post highlighted the important role co-teaching teams can play in the provision of a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for all students, whether instruction is delivered through a virtual or hybrid model.

The third blog post in our ‘back-to-school’ series explores the need for districts to implement a multi-tiered approach to social-emotional learning (SEL) during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent recommendation from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL).  Author Lauren English-Mezzino acknowledges that while many districts are familiar with a tiered approach for academics, integrating SEL into a multi-tiered system of support—whether instruction is fully remote, in person, or a blend of the two—may present new challenges for districts.

Ms. English-Mezzino outlines the three tiers that make up multi-tiered systems of support and provides specific examples of social-emotional and mental health services that could fall under each tier. For example, Tier 3 Intensive Interventions “can include services such as individual therapy via telehealth, functional behavior assessments (FBA), behavior intervention plans (BIP), wraparound supports, and crisis response.”

Click the title below to read the full post, now available on the EDPlan blog.

A Multi-Tiered Approach to Social-Emotional Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

About the Author

Lauren English-Mezzino is a Senior Consultant with PCG’s Education practice. Lauren received her Master's Degree in Educational Leadership from George Mason University with a concentration in K-12 supervision and administration. As a former teacher and school administrator, Lauren has expertise in school administration, data-driven instruction, school improvement planning, curriculum, instruction, and assessment, inclusion and co-teaching, school safety, and professional development. Based out of our Princeton, New Jersey office, Lauren focuses on offering innovative solutions to complex school issues, managing PCG's relationships with New Jersey educators' professional associations, and helping New Jersey school districts solve the biggest challenges faced by today’s educators.