Improving Conditions for Learning:

Moving Beyond Data Collection

Recommendations for the State Superintendent of Public Instruction,
Sherri Ybarra
*Reviewed by Committee May 28, 2021, Feedback from Steering Committee and Edited by Dr. Studebaker June 28,
2021, Presented to Superintendent Sherri Ybarra on July 20, 2021. The recommendations below are in no
particular order and have not been prioritized.

INTRODUCTION TO RECOMMENDATIONS
Nearly 90 Idahoans actively participated this spring as stakeholders on a committee to help
identify recommendations the State Department of Education (SDE) could pursue to improve
the behavioral health and wellness services, resources, and supports available for our K12
schools, students, and families. Participants included representatives from other state agencies
(e.g. Department of Health and Welfare, Office of Drug Policy, Idaho Division of Juvenile
Corrections, Idaho Job Corps, Office of the State Board of Education, School Safety and Security
Program), non-governmental organizations and community based organizations (e.g. Idaho
Federation of Families, Idaho Parents Unlimited, Idaho Children’s Trust Fund, Idaho School
Boards Association), professional organizations (e.g. Idaho Association of School Psychologists,
Idaho Association of School Administrators, School Nurse Organization of Idaho, Idaho School
Counselor Association, School Social Work Association of Idaho), public and private post-
secondary representatives (e.g. BSU, ISU, U of I, BYU), behavioral health providers, K12 school
district representatives from each region, and parents.

Informed by the data collected and included in the SDE’s Student Behavioral Health Services
report presented during the 2021 legislative session, the 11 recommendations included in the
attached document highlight the areas of focus and needed improvement as suggested by the
committee. These recommendations will help guide the SDE’s efforts for the next 18 to 24
months as we look to provide support, resources, training, technical assistance, and leadership
to ensure districts can implement services for students, staff, and families that support high
achieving schools and positive, safe learning environments.

The SDE’s Student Engagement and Safety Coordination division will be responsible for taking
the recommendations below and developing an SDE work plan to ensure actions are identified

CREATED 07/21/2021 Improving Conditions for Learning: Recommendations / SESC / SDE / 1

and completed to support the integration of the recommendations into the SDE’s future efforts.
Along with each recommendation are potential activities that have been recommended by the
committee. These actions are likely to be included in the SDE workplan in support of these
recommendations. Lastly, any relevant notes have been provided to help frame the
recommendation or potential activities. The workplan has a target date to be completed and
shared back with the committee members of October, 2021.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING CONDITIONS FOR LEARNING

Recommendation: Potential Activities: Notes:

Improve Access to Data that ● Develop a Social-Emotional This would be a data

Informs Districts on
Outcomes to Monitor and
Evaluate Social Emotional
Learning
Learning (SEL) Statewide
Data Dashboard
dashboard to support
schools and districts.
Utilize existing data
from disparate sources
to develop a data
dashboard for state and
local partners to assess
impacts of SEL
initiatives.

Improve Access to Referral-  Explore a Proposal for Several ideas and

based, Outside Behavioral
Health and Wellness
Services to Support Idaho
Students, Families, and
Educators.
Statewide Opt-In Student
Assistance Program:
Improve Access to Local
Services
options to explore were
provided by
collaborators. Also,
private resources can
also be explored
through RFPs. Seeking
warm referrals to
support schools and the
families they serve in
seeking behavioral
health services.

CREATED 07/20/2021 Improving Conditions for Learning: Recommendations / SESC / SDE / 2

Increase support for schools
and districts in the planning,
implementation, and
evaluation of SEL services
and supports.
Increase awareness and
access for Idaho public
school employee mental
health resources.
CREATED 07/20/2021
 Create a Professional
Learning Community of
district and school building
educators interested in
implementing SEL services
and supports.
● Potential Professional
Development course on
self-care.
● Work with other state
agencies, non-governmental
organizations, and local
education agencies to
increase communication of
existing resources and
supports.
Improving Conditions for Learning: Recommendations / SESC / SDE / 3
Ongoing, collaborative,
peer-led network where
districts can learn from
each other on
preparation,
implementation, and
evaluation of local
efforts.
IPTV and Optum are
working to develop a
PD building out of the
Resilient Idaho: Hope
Lives Here
documentary which will
start with a self-care
session in August,
trauma-informed
classroom in
September and an
October session
focused on tools. More
to come.
Identify, support, and
provide ongoing trainings in
best practices related to
student social emotional
development to ensure all
Idaho K-12 Educators have
access to current
information on evidence-
based practices.
Potential Trainings: This recommendation
 Trauma Informed Practices overlaps and supports
 Youth Mental Health First other recommendations
Aid - trainings can be
 De-escalation implemented locally,
 Title IX centrally stored,
incorporated in
 Advanced Training for
conferences, etc.
counselors on Eating
Disorders, non-suicidal self- Seems like a rolling PD
injury, DBT, etc. schedule; if funded, this
 Choosing evidence-based could go out to an RFP
strategies or programs to make the courses
and proctor them. If
 Integrating SEL and
trainings are developed
academic learning
to be asynchronous,
 Violence Risk Assessment
educators can access
(Behavioral Threat
them at whatever time.
Assessment/Management
Teams)
 Suicide prevention,
intervention and postvention
policies, practices and
protocols
 Culturally responsive
trainings to support our
schools in supporting the
mental health of our minority
communities.

Adopt CASEL (Collaborative ● Common language, Includes doing

for Academic, Social, and
Emotional Learning) as
framework for SEL in Idaho
State Department of
Education.
CASEL is not a program, it
is not a set of services.
common goal, and a variety
of stakeholders leads to
sustainability. This type of
framework decision seems
foundational.
● Integrates academic, social,
and emotional aspects of
the work
crosswalks to existing
state frameworks
(SBOE College and
Career Readiness,
Workforce Readiness
Standards, etc.)

CREATED 07/20/2021 Improving Conditions for Learning: Recommendations / SESC / SDE / 4

Increase the involvement of
youth in the messaging and
communications that
support behavioral health
and related resources in
Idaho K-12 schools.
Develop state-level online
resources to support various
key audiences involved in
supporting conditions for
learning, including: districts,
schools, teachers,
counselors, administrators,
parents and students.
CREATED 07/20/2021
● Youth Voice: Grade Level
Voice
● Helps to Address Stigma in
Prevention
● Topics to consider:
Relationship Violence,
Mental Health, Drug/Alcohol
Prevention,
Bullying/Harassment
● Design and host SDE Web
Resource Page on
Improving Conditions for
Learning/SEL.
● Updated and Enhanced Title
IX SDE Page/Resources
Improving Conditions for Learning: Recommendations / SESC / SDE / 5
Superintendent Ybarra
just announced the
development of a youth
council that is still being
selected. This could be
a great opportunity for
that new group to
support this
recommendation.
Could this become an
element of the
Superintendent's
student's task force?
Continuous improving
and evolving, but this
new web page at the
SDE would be the
resource hub for
external partners.
Several areas have
been identified for
which we would host
resources, including
SDE SEL related
programs, local
partnerships,
community resources,
CASEL information and
resources, PD
Trainings, Crosswalks,
etc. Title IX is about
equity and access, but
also about protection
from sexual violence
and abuse
Identify Barriers and
Supports to Increase the
Educator and School
Counselor Pipelines
Support Idaho Association
of School Resource Officers
to connect with professional
learning community that
supports student wellbeing
and the holistic, critical role
of the School Resource
Officer.
CREATED 07/20/2021
● Identify and collect data This is a giant
specific to school undertaking. Not sure
counselors, psychologists, exactly what activities
and social workers to more the SDE will be able to
accurately track ratios within complete or support to
Idaho’s schools. reach this goal.
● Develop District Resources However, this is a
for Sharing Consortium: critical area of need.
School Counselors.
● Determine funding needs to
support school
counselor/social
work/psychologist positions
to ensure appropriate ratios
for effective student support.
● Work to establish SDE This is where there
support to help the Idaho must be trauma
School Resource Officer informed training, this
Association. person can be a
● Partner on the Idaho School powerful resource for
Safety Symposium. the school.
● Crisis Response Team
Training (OSSS).
Improving Conditions for Learning: Recommendations / SESC / SDE / 6
Increase professional
development opportunities
to support youth mental
health professionals who
work in Idaho K-12 schools.
● Develop a K12 Professional
Development Conference
focused specifically on
supporting youth mental
health professionals in our
schools.
The Idaho School
Psychologist
Association (ISPA),
School Social Worker
Association of Idaho
(SSWAI), and Idaho
School Counselor
Association (ISCA) are
combining their annual
conferences with the
intent to unify the
mental health workers
in the school, working
as a collaborative team
with a commitment to
help children and youth
succeed academically,
socially, emotionally,
and behaviorally. The
combined in-person and
virtual conference will
be held on October 7-8,
2021, at Boise State
University. The SDE is
helping sponsor this
event.

For Questions Contact

Student Engagement and Safety Coordination
Idaho State Department of Education
650 W State Street, Boise, ID 83702
208 332 6800 | www.sde.idaho.gov

CREATED 07/20/2021 Improving Conditions for Learning: Recommendations / SESC / SDE / 7