Climate and Culture
Climate Survey
Sweetwater County School District #1 Board of Trustees commissioned an independent company Upbeat to anonymously survey staff and provide clear actionable data. The survey was administered the Spring of 2023 and the data was given to each building principal and district leadership.
Districtwide strengths reported by staff include opportunities are equally accessible to all teachers, the teachers feel they are supporting students' academic development and the majority of teachers care about the wellbeing of their students. Also, department staff report they feel successful as an employee, they want to stay in the district and they are able to manage the stress of their jobs.
Staff want to play a role in shaping policies, want additional compensation for extra responsibilities and want to be publicly recognized when they do outstanding work are the areas of improvement identified by the survey.
Principals' reported they are proud to lead their schools, they feel like valued members of the district and that Sweetwater#1 is a good place to work. Also, principals reported we need more cultural diversity in our leadership and many feel they need help balancing the instructional and operational leader roles.
To see the Upbeat data: Please click here
To view additional climate survey data, please click here.
Fall 2021 Climate Survey
Climate surveys provide valuable information to better understand climate and culture in our schools. The climate survey is administered to all 6-12 schools in Sweetwater #1. It is also used as an accountability measure for our alternative school, Black Butte High School. Gathering student data can offer meaningful and valid information about relationships, school safety, school climate and culture. The climate survey results will be reviewed by schools and district committees upon completion. Results indicated a slight decrease in the level of expectations, staff respect/support as well as student respect/support. To see more detailed information please click on 2021 Climate Survey Results.
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**Due to COVID-19, the Climate Survey was not given Spring 2020.**
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2018 Climate Survey
Climate surveys provide valuable information to better understand climate and culture in our schools. Originally, the climate survey was administered as an accountability measure for our alternative school. After seeing how easy the survey was to administer and how easy it was to read results, district leadership extended the opportunity to 6-12 schools. Gathering student data can offer meaningful and valid information about relationships, school safety, school climate and culture. District and school fall results have been reviewed by schools and district committees. Overview of results shows students believe that schools have high standards (88%), the teachers expect them to do their best all of the time (92%), the teachers have high expectations for students (87%) and the teachers believe they can perform well (88%). Students also believe the lack of respect is an issue in their schools. Students believe they do not treat property with respect (49%), they don’t treat staff with respect (47%) and they don’t treat each other with respect (55%).
Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports
PBIS is a framework for maximizing the selection and use of evidence-based prevention and intervention practices. It utilizes a multi-tiered continuum that supports the academic, social, emotional, and behavioral competence of all students. RTI (Response to Intervention) or MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Support) involves an education process that matches instructional and intervention strategies and supports to student needs in an informed, ongoing approach for planning, implementing, and evaluating the effectiveness of instruction, curricular supports, and interventions. This framework is multi-tiered and involves increasingly focused and intense instruction and/or interventions in both academics and behavior across the tiers. For more information about supports in place for students please click here.
Staff Wellness Training
Black Hills State staff are supporting Social & Emotional health in Sweetwater #1.
Advanced Wellness
During the 22-23 school year, staff were invited to attend Wellness Workshops sponsored by Sweetwater#1. Each session focused on an educational component like regulating the nervous system, preventing and treating burnout, self-care, changing negative thinking patterns, increasing empathy and compassion for ourselves and others. After the lesson, teachers incorporated yoga practices and breathing techniques, meditation and self reflection to empower and make positive changes in their lives. These sessions were well attended and exit surveys shared that these were making changes in their professional and personal lives.
Sweetwater #1 Crisis Team
Purpose: The District Crisis Team will establish protocols and expectations for crisis events within Sweetwater #1.
District Crisis Team
Members: Sondra De La O, Koral Hueller, Kimberly Fouts, Jessica Face, Christeen Audevart, Karl Wells, Jerry Macy, Amy Wiig, Rori Pedri, Beth Strom, & Nicole Bolton.
Meetings: The District Crisis Team will meets monthly at the CAB from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. Additional meetings may be scheduled as necessary.
Suicide Prevention
"Since the passage of a 2014 law (Jason Flatt Act W.S. 21-2-202 and W.S. 21-3-110 ), Wyoming school districts have provided regular training in suicide prevention to educate staff. The Jason Flatt Act, requires that teachers and school administrators receive eight hours of training every four years using materials approved by the state Suicide Prevention Review Team. The curriculum includes information on how to identify and assist students at risk, such as recognizing warning signs and initiating conversations. While the measure lays out the minimum level of training required, some school districts have exceeded its requirements." Suicide Prevention Resource Center www.sprc.org
Further efforts are being made on the district level each year. As stated in the Sweetwater #1 Strategic Plan, stakeholders made it very clear that we want to "proactively support physical, mental and emotional health of our students and staff." To do this, Superintendent McGovern is taking additional steps by forming a crisis team to support suicide prevention. Mrs. McGovern stated that "the purpose of our subcommittee meeting is to strategize ideas for training students and parents on suicide prevention." Currently, this team is exploring how to best reach parents and the community along with more support for students. The leadership/administration team is gathering thoughts from all staff and will be planning how to best roll this training out soon while being in partnership with community mental health professionals as well. The district is working to strengthen policy and protocols surrounding suicide prevention. There is also legal representation and the the policy committee reviewing and revising a stronger policy regarding prevention, intervention and post crisis intervention protocol surrounding the topic of suicide.
Sweetwater County School District #1 has implemented two hours of training per year prior to January of that school year. It is mandated that every staff member, regardless of their position, is trained. We recognize that months which have higher suicide rates in our state are early in the school year and that is why we try to complete training in September, October and November with January being a deadline. Every school has a training on site as well as alternative trainings that occur to meet the needs of departments such as custodial, maintenance, technology, finance, and administrative staff. The counseling department meet together in the summer prior to the next round of trainings to plan for a unified way of delivering the information. The schedules are put out for anyone who cannot attend their usual training to enable them to attend a different one within the district. At the end of the two hour training, there is a quiz that all staff members must take and pass with 70% or better. The training handouts are available here.
This year we have started the Signs Of Suicide (SOS) training along with piloting the training with all freshmen students attending Rock Springs High School. This has already proved to strengthen prevention and awareness within our student population.
Relationships: Advocacy Groups
Sweetwater School District #1 began exploring ways that students could feel more connected at school, primarily with adults. Students should have different options as to how to problem solve and who they can go to for help in the school besides solely their homeroom teachers. Students should also be able to build relationships and connections with peers other than those in their same class or grade level. Each building worked to create an Advocacy program focused on these goals revolving around making and maintaining strong relationships. Sweetwater #1 schools have successfully implemented a system or program for advocacy of students. The way they work in each building is different, but staff report positive feedback and find a strong purpose in the work that is done during these times. To provide more insight to what happens and how this works, one elementary school has partnered two staff members together that normally would not collaborate closely with one another (therefore building staff morale) and then split all students up giving each of the staff members 6-8 students while making sure one student in every grade level was in their group. Along with the different age ranges being in a group, it was important that students did not end up in their own teacher’s group and further an effort was made to have students with someone who they did not have as a teacher prior to this. Activities done in these groups range from relationship building, to service learning to crafting. Lasting impacts from these groups have been behavioral supports from Advocacy leaders in a check in, check out system. Advocacy leaders have been instrumental in interventions for anxiety or social skill building. Also older students in the groups have been role models for younger students and help with “reteaches” after minor infractions. Students wave to one another in the hallway and feel connected vertically. Advocacy groups have been very impactful in many ways.
Parent Suicide Prevention Training Survey Results
Communication
Leadership team email on subcommittee work and team work 9-26-19.pdf
Leadership Team email on faculty or staff meeting 10-20-19.pdf
McGovern email to Subcommittee 10-21-19.pdf
McGovern email to Chiefs 10-23-19.pdf
Leadership team email on planning session 12-1-19.pdf
McGovern email to Leadership Team 12-11-19.pdf
Leadership Evaluation Steps and Timeline.pdf
Suicide Prevention Outline and Planning
Anthony Muhammad
Anthony Muhammad visited Sweetwater #1 in December 0f 2018 and presented to all staff on changing Climate and Culture. Dr. Muhammad's presentation"Creating Healthy School Cultures" addressed why it is so important when making technical (skill) changes, cultural changes must be addressed too. Cultural changes What is school culture? “School culture is the set of norms, values, and beliefs, rituals and ceremonies, symbols and stories that make up the ‘persona’ of the school.”—Peterson, “Is Your School Culture Toxic or Positive?” Education World (2002) Dr. Muhammad will be conducting a following up training in December 2019.
