The district has continued to strengthen its K-2 Social, Emotional, and Behavioral programming through expanded instructional supports, targeted professional learning, and improved collaboration systems. A major focus of this work has been the continued development of the Fostering an Inclusive and Nurturing Setting (FINS) program, which supports students identified with social, emotional, or behavioral needs while maintaining strong connections to general education classrooms.

To enhance instructional effectiveness, the district provided professional development for staff working in the FINS program, including training in Fundations, Wit and Wisdom, and i-Ready. These trainings were designed to ensure that students in the program receive high quality literacy and mathematics instruction aligned with district curriculum expectations.

Recognizing that students in the FINS program often represent multiple grade levels and demonstrate varying levels of academic readiness, the district introduced i-Ready as a mathematics component within the program. Through the i-Ready MyPath platform, instruction is now personalized to meet individual student needs, allowing teachers to tailor learning experiences and target specific skill development. Additional instructional supports were also added, including Lexia, further strengthening individualized literacy and math instruction.

In addition, the implementation of the FINS program was strengthened  to ensure consistent and appropriate instruction and support. As part of this effort, the FINS program description and positive reinforcement system were revised to improve clarity, consistency, and alignment with best practices in social, emotional, and behavioral support.

CGS also focused on building staff capacity and strengthening program effectiveness through intentional professional learning and collaboration structures. An instructional coaching cycle was implemented for the FINS teacher, and staff explored the use of adaptive specials to increase student engagement and success across learning environments. In addition, structured collaboration systems were established to support coordinated decision making and consistent implementation of strategies. These included weekly collaboration meetings among school administration, the FINS teacher, and the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), as well as monthly meetings with the Pupil and Staff Support Services Director and the full FINS team, including para-educators.

As a result of these coordinated supports and professional learning structures, the program has seen increased success in supporting students’ growth and development. More students are successfully integrating into their general education classrooms for longer periods of time while still receiving targeted interventions and supports designed to meet their individual needs.

Collectively, these efforts represent meaningful progress toward strengthening the district’s K-2 social, emotional, and behavioral programming while ensuring that students receive individualized academic instruction and opportunities to participate more fully in inclusive learning environments.