Student Success Act

Beaverton School District Proposed Plan Student Investment Account (SIA) Summary

Below is the draft of the Beaverton School District’s Student Investment Account plan. This draft was developed through extensive community engagement, strategic conversations and partnerships, and consultancy with content expertise. It is the result of more than six months of work both internally and externally and is reflective of the needs of the District’s historically underserved populations, including students of color, emerging bilinguals, and students with disabilities.

 Our process for developing this SIA plan began with internally planning in August of 2019.  The District spent considerable time in the fall engaging the public both broadly and through targeted focal engagement about the needs of our student population.  This engagement work included a district-wide survey, several open community forums (with translation), empathy interviews with focal populations groups, direct feedback session with school-based staff, language-specific community conversations with emerging bilingual families, and other targeted efforts. This engagement yielded over 4,000 data points that encompases the responses of far more actual individuals in the District and was analyzed by an outside consultant to draw out top themes and needs expressed by targeted populations.

 Following the engagement work, the District formed three content based convenings.  These were gatherings of approximately 20-25 individuals from both community and staff to work through a facilitated protocol of analyzing district data, needs assessment work, and the frameworks in the statute to develop an actionable list of ideas and concepts for consideration.  The three convenings were equity, student health and wellness, and instructional. The work of the three convenings was compiled by the external facilitators and then used by a combined group of individuals from all three convenings in a final all-day work session to develop the actionable draft plan for the District.

 This final draft plan was then presented to the community in a second round of broad and focused engagement that included a broad community meeting, and targeted outreach to groups and families representing historically underserved students in the District.  These conversations yielded a number of valuable insights and revealed several areas of need that were not addressed in the previous plan. A final internal drafting meeting was used to review and reflect on the insights gained and make final modifications, additions, and deletions to the District’s proposed SIA plan that is attached here. 

 This Student Investment Account Plan is not just the protection of existing programs or the addition of positions in the District, but is a catalyst for change to the way services are delivered to all students and particularly to those students for whom the District has historically underserved (students of color, emerging bilinguals, and students with disabilities). The investments in class size contained within are used as a way to completely alter the way the classroom teacher allocation works by driving more services to kids in need through a redefinition of the staffing allocation model. The investments in supporting students’ behavioral and mental health needs will drive a complete reform and standardization of the District’s multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) with evidence-based practices.

 By leading with racial equity at the core of the development of this plan, we are able to disrupt the system to provide both universal and targeted supports to kids. Additionally, while the plan only contains a small investment defined for recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce, this investment will be used to focus the hiring throughout the implementation of this plan and across the District as a whole so that we are able to ensure that we have a workforce that better represents the racial diversity of our students, families, and community.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS PLAN IS FOR THE STUDENT INVESTMENT ACCOUNT FUNDING AND DOES NOT REFLECT THE BSD GENERAL FUND BUDGET OF $580 MILLION OR ANY FEDERAL COVID-19 STIMULUS FUNDING. WHEN VIEWING THIS PLAN, PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THIS IS ONE PORTION OF THE DISTRICT'S FUNDING. THE SIA PLAN WAS DEVELOPED USING A PROJECTED ORIGINAL ALLOCATION OF $32,759,813. SIA GRANT ALLOCATIONS BY YEAR (INCLUDING FUNDS FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS) - 2020-21: $10,531,414, 2021-22: $26,790,868, 2022-23: $32,111,736.

SIA Goal: Increasing Academic Achievement, including reducing academic disparities  for focal populations

Evidence-based strategies for reducing class size & caseloads 

Equity-based class size reform in core content classes in grades K-12 
Protects overall class size while serving as a catalyst to infuse an equity basis to the District’s allocation of classroom teaching staff. Staffing based on enrollment will have a 0.25 additional weighting at elementary and 0.5 additional weighting for secondary applied to the enrollment count for each student who is eligible for free and reduced price lunch. 
(Original: $6,823,637, 2020-21: $4,400,952, 2021-22: $10,451,130, 2022-23: $7,315,803)  

Class size reduction at grades K-2  
Further protect classroom staffing at early grades within the new equity allocation framework, while where possible reducing class size at early grades to allow for an emphasis on early literacy.  
(Original: $4,292,856, 2020-21: $2,359,443, 2021-22: $4,300,005, 2022-23: $4,387,607)

Early Literacy Intervention Support 
Increase elementary intervention teacher positions at all Title IA schools from half-time to full-time and maintain half-time at all other elementary schools with a focus on PK-2 English Language Arts interventions. 
(Original: $946,890, 2020-21: $0, 2021-22: $0, 2022-23: $990,938)

Caseload Reduction for Emerging Bilingual Instruction
Increase English Language Development (ELD) teachers by five to support the implementation of an integrated model at the elementary level, pilot integrated ELD model at the secondary level, and reduce caseloads at all levels. 
(Original: $658,610, 2020-21: $0, 2021-22: $0, 2022-23: $821,271)

Increasing Instructional Time

Extended Day Opportunities for Middle School
Targeted support for academics, language acquisition, culturally specific activities and support. Increase before/after school targeted instruction time, based on current middle school academics and soccer program (Safe and Sound 4 STUDENT SUCCESS or S4), using 2 classified engagement specialists. The number of days will be expanded from 2 to 4 and the types of enrichment activities will be diversified.
(Original: $570,000, 2020-21: $0, 2021-22: $0, 2022-23: $570,016)

Expand availability of an participation in well-rounded learning experiences

Early Literacy Support
Provide professional development for intervention teachers as well as PK-3 classroom teachers, English Language Development teachers, and Special Education teachers in instructional practices to support students with difficulty in reading.  Additionally provide support and professional development around early literacy assessment. 
(Original: $380,000, 2020-21: $0, 2021-22: $377,388, 2022-23: $400,915)

Culturally Responsive Materials for Libraries & Classrooms
Create Culturally responsive libraries for all K through 8 classrooms.  Students need to read and hear stories that reflect their own experiences as well as the experiences of others.  These are often referred to as mirrors and windows. A mirror is a story that reflects your own culture and helps you build your identity.  A window is a story that offers you a view into someone else’s experiences. We need to continue to invest in literature that supports student learning and the understanding of the world and people around them.
(Original: $383,262, 2020-21: $0, 2021-22: $0, 2022-23: $0)

Materials Support for Dyslexia Implementation
Provide resources to support the purchase of materials and other support curricular needs for the implementation of requirements for increased screening and the subsequent identification of students with dyslexia/reading difficulties. 
(Original: $50,000, 2020-21: $0, 2021-22: $50,000, 2022-23: $50,000)

SIA Goal: Addressing students' health and safety needs

Equity Focused Systems Improvements

Equity Training 
Implementation of training protocol with the Center for Educational Equity (CFEE) to begin a 10-year program to provide anti-racist training to every employee in the Beaverton School District. Building upon various educational research and literature that has consistently illustrated the impacts of bias, privilege, discrimination, racism, and allyship, the goal is to offer opportunities to immerse our staff in learning focused on cultural competency and historic minoritization.
(Original: $365,000, 2020-21: $0, 2021-22: $368,858, 2022-23: $387,072

Equity Administrator 
Add a second Equity Administrator within the Office of Equity & Inclusion that will work to support implementation of the district-wide CFEE training as well as provide additional on-demand and systems supported equity training throughout the District.  
(Original: $142,129, 2020-21: $0, 2021-22: $225,236, 2022-23: $226,846)

Recruitment & Retention of a Diverse Workforce 
Create the position of Administrator for Equity Talent Acquisition in the Human Resources department that will be focused on creating and implementing systems improvements that build towards a workforce that is more representative of Beaverton’s student population.  Position will include funds to be able to develop a system of financial incentives to break down barriers that may exist for diverse candidates. 
(Original: $267,735, 2020-21: $160,934, 2021-22: $277,873, 2022-23: $285,386)

Ongoing & Authentic Community Engagement
Creation of a Community Liaison/Organizer position within the Office of the Superintendent to support strategic level engagement with community partners and agencies that predominantly represent Beaverton’s communities of color and other historically underserved populations.  The position will primarily be an externally facing position that will serve to support the District’s SIA engagement work with focal populations through partnering with community based organizations that have an existing presence, supporting the work of community based organizations that have the capacity to expand and reach Beaverton families, and/or support capacity building among nascent or informal organizations in Beaverton.  Position will have access to discretionary funds ($15,000) to support minor contracting or other discretionary costs that support the work (food, travel, etc). 
(Original: $141,858, 2020-21: $0, 2021-22: $0, 2022-23: $100,000)

Supporting students' Mental and behavioral health

Student Success Teams 
(Original: $15,637,445, 2020-21: $3,483,828, 2021-22: $8,843,933, 2022-23: $14,108,565)

Every school in Beaverton will have a Student Success Team which will consist of behavioral health, academic, and attendance providers. A Multi-Tiered System of Support framework consisting of three tiers of intervention supports will be developed and then implemented districtwide. This specific investment will address the staffing needs to address the behavioral health and wellness needs of students and families. The Behavioral Health Team Members will be comprised of existing counselors, student success coaches, grad mentors, nurses, school psychologists and special education staff, but the team will also expand to include an increased number social workers, counselors, behavioral health paraeducators, nurses, school psychologists, special education teachers, and speech language pathologists. The increased number of staff members will provide quicker and more direct services to students and families earlier including student groups and parenting classes. The increase in team members will lead to more staff to provide interventions to students. The behavioral health team members will be able to provide professional development to staff and families. 

In addition, the District will work to develop voluntary cross-school affinity support teams from among the Student Success Team members.  These groups would be composed of affinity race members that can support students across the District when circumstances demand. As an example, a group of black Success Team staff from several schools could be formed to support a black student that was targeted at another school in a significant incident being sensitive to the students’ needs and preferences. They would provide the same services that their position provides to all students at their schools of assignment just on an as needed basis when major incidents occur.

The entirety of the Student Success Teams will be funded through a blending of General Fund, Student Investment Account, High School Success (M98), and Title IA funding.

Behavioral Health Teams will be comprised of the following positions:

1. Autism Spectrum Disorder Consultant: A licensed Special Education professional to provide assessment and consultation supports for social communication and behavior for students with disabilities with an eligibility of Autism Spectrum Disorder

2. Behavioral Health Paraeducator: Classified paraeducators who implement behavior support plan interventions, monitor wellness centers, and provide point in time instruction to students.

3. Drug and Alcohol Counselors: Licensed counselors who can complete drug and alcohol assessments, facilitate drug and alcohol diversion groups, and provide education opportunities to students, staff, and families.

4. Counselor: Licensed educators who implement and support academic, career and social/emotional needs of students. They promote mindsets and behaviors that enhance the learning process and create a culture of college and career readiness for all students.

5. College and Career Readiness Counselor: Licensed educators who coordinate the system to deliver College & Career Readiness Curriculum, work with school and district-level staff to increase opportunities for students to earn college level credits, and work with school and district-level staff to increase CTE opportunities at each site associated with college and career readiness.

6. School Nurse: Licensed Registered Nurses who provide direct care to students, manage the health care of students within the school setting, and monitor the overall medical well-being within schools.

7. School Psychologist: Licensed school psychologists who complete special education evaluations (academic, cognitive and behavioral), and provide counseling support for students who are eligible for Special Education.

8. Social Worker: Licensed mental health professionals who will work with the behavioral health team members, school staff, students and their families to address social, emotional and behavioral concerns. School based Social Workers provide direct service to students, support parent engagement, facilitate student groups, assist with attendance needs, and connect families with community based resources. 

9. Speech Language Pathologist: Certified Speech Language Pathologists to deliver Specially Designed Instruction to students eligible for Special Education, completes special education evaluations

10. Special Education Resource Room Teacher: Licensed educator who provides Specially Designed Instruction to students eligible for Special Education, completes special education evaluations

11. Student Success Coach: Licensed educators who provide social emotional learning training and coaching for teachers in elementary schools and universal behavioral supports for the school

The following positions are the components of the Student Success Teams that are funded through the Student Investment Account (SIA):

Elementary non-Title IA school behavioral health team positions funded by the SIA as a follows:

1. Add 1.0 Social Worker per school

2. Maintain 0.5 Student Success Coach per school

3. Establish that all elementary schools will be staffed with a full-time Special Education Resource Room Teacher and have an overall staffing ratio of 1:30.  This is a decrease in staffing ratio from 1:36 and establishes a resource room staffing of 1.0.

Elementary Title IA school behavioral health team positions funded by the SIA as follows:

1. Add 1.0 Social Worker per school

2. Maintain 1.0 Student Success Coach per school

3. Establish that all elementary schools will be staffed with a full-time Special Education Resource Room Teacher and have an overall staffing ratio of 1:30. This is a decrease in staffing ratio from 1:36 and establishes a resource room staffing of 1.0.

Middle Schools will have behavioral health team positions funded by the SIA as follows:

1. Add 1.0 Social Worker per school

2. Add one, 6.5 hour, 180 day Behavioral Health Paraeducator per school

3. Establish that all middle schools will be staffed with 3.0 full-time Special Education Resource Room Teachers and have an overall staffing ratio of 1:35. This is a decrease in staffing ratio from 1:42 and establishes a resource room staffing of 3.0.

High Schools will have behavioral health team positions funded by the SIA as follows:

1. Maintain 0.5 College and Career Readiness Counselor 

2. Add one, 6.5 hour, 180 day Behavioral Health Paraeducator per school

3. Establish that all high schools will be staffed with 4.0 full-time Special Education Resource Room Teachers and have an overall staffing ratio of 1:35. This is a decrease in staffing ratio from 1:42 and establishes a resource room staffing of 3.0.

Merlo will have behavioral health team positions funded by the SIA as follows:

1. Maintain 0.25 College and Career Readiness Counselor 

2. Add one, 6.5 hour, 180 day Behavioral Health Paraeducator per school

3. Establish that Merlo will be staffed with a full-time Special Education Resource Room Teachers and have an overall staffing ratio of 1:35. This is a decrease in staffing ratio from 1:42 and establishes a resource room staffing of 1.0.

ACMA, BASE, and ISB will have behavioral health team positions funded by the SIA as follows:

1. Add 0.5 Social Worker per school

2. Maintain 0.25 College and Career Readiness Counselor

3. Add one, 6.5 hour, 180 day Behavioral Health Paraeducator per school

4. Establish that ACMA, BASE, and ISB will be staffed with 1.0 full-time Special Education Resource Room Teachers and have an overall staffing ratio of 1:35. This is a decrease in staffing ratio from 1:42 and establishes a resource room staffing of 1.0.

Early College High School and Capital Center (CTP and ACE Programs) will have behavioral health team positions funded by the SIA as follows:

1. Add 0.25 Social Worker per school site

Note: The above listing only details the positions of the Student Success Teams that are funding with the Student Investment Account, a number of other positions that will be members of the Success Teams are currently or will be funding with General Fund or High School Success Funds so that the teams are complete at each school.  This includes social workers at all secondary schools and additional counselor support across the spectrum.

At the district level there will be additional nurses, school psychologists, and speech language pathologists hired in order to provide more student health and safety supports within schools.

1. 3.5 School Nurses 

2. 5.0 School Psychologists

3. 3.0 Speech Language Pathologists

4. 3.0 Drug and Alcohol Counselors

5. 1.0 Autism Spectrum Disorder Consultant

Total positions funded through SIA Funds in order to maintain existing positions or to add positions (inclusive of all listed above by level): Autism Consultant (1); College & Career Counselors (4); Drug & Alcohol Counselors (3); School Nurses (3.5); Paraeducators (18); School Psychologists (5); Social Workers (44); Special Education Resource Room Teachers (12.5); Speech-Language Pathologists (3); Student Success Coaches (20.75)

Multilingual Support for Student Success Teams
Add eight (8) school-based Facilitators (elementary) and Community Liaisons (secondary) to meet the current translation/interpretation needs of Emerging Bilinguals and their families, and to support the anticipated increase in demand when the Student Success Teams are implemented. 
(Original: $600,952, 2020-21: $0, 2021-22: $616,731, 2022-23: $623,569)

Professional Development and Materials for Supporting Behavioral Health Needs of Students          
A professional development framework for all BSD staff will be developed and will include training in Trauma-Informed Practices, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES), Educator Wellness, Special Education 101, Models of Intervention, De-escalation Supports, Restorative Practices, Culturally Responsive Teaching, Youth Mental Health First Aid, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), and Motivational Interviewing. Curricular materials will be purchased for all schools to address three tiers of intervention support. These materials will be used by the members of the behavioral teams and classroom teachers. 
(Original: $250,000, 2020-21: $0, 2021-22: $249,550, 2022-23: $263,758)

Deployable Staffing for Behavioral Support
Creation of a bank of behavioral paraeducator staffing that can be deployed to schools for a limited duration to support students in transition to possible special education identification. 
(Original: $150,000, 2020-21: $0, 2021-22: $0, 2022-23: $0)

Parent Education Partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
BSD will partner with NAMI to develop and implement a parent education program related to behavioral health topics such as defining mental illness- signs and symptoms and family support groups. 
(Original: $110,900, 2020-21: $0, 2021-22: $110,900, 2022-23: $110,900)

Safety & Security: Cameras at All Schools
(Original: $0, 2020-2021: $0, 2021-2022: $0, 2022-2023: $450,000)

Administrative/Indirect Costs 
(Original: $500,000, 2020-21: $500,000, 2021-22: $500,000, 2022-23: $500,000)

Tier 2 Activities

The activities listed above are the priority activities for the District in meeting the goals of the Student Success Act; however, it is possible that we will not be able to implement all of the activities above within the first year of the plan, with the most likely barrier being access to a quality, diverse workforce to put in place for many of the specialty positions being created.  Based on guidance from the Oregon Department of Education we have incorporated a number of additional activities as Tier 2 approaches that could be implemented when we are unable to complete Tier 1 activities.

Tier 2 activities must still fit within the requirements of the Student Investment Account, including the allowable expenditures and responsive to community needs.  Several activities below were moved from Tier 1 activities in response to budget restrictions or community feedback around other areas of investment. Other Tier 2 activities arose through other outreach means both internally and externally.  The list below is not in priority order.

Following approval of the District’s SIA application a process for prioritization of this list and the method for deciding to pull forward a Tier 2 activity will be developed. That process will weigh available resources, cost of the activity, time needed for impact, and likelihood of future implementation of original Tier 1 strategy.

Please visit the Oregon Department of Education's Student Success Act webpage for more information.