St. John School District prioritizes relationships and understands that sometimes education isn’t the priority. This mindset paired with strong MTSS implementation helped the school achieve a major award two years in a row – National ESEA Distinguished School Award (2022 high school, 2023 elementary school). The school presented their experiences at the 2024 NDMTSS Conference. Throughout their journey, they have introduced a wide variety of initiatives including the introduction of eighth hour for the high school, a middle school social emotional/mental health initiative, and an increase in data prioritization in the elementary school.

St. John High School now implements a 30-minute, eighth hour each day to give students a study hall. They lead social emotional learning (WhyTry) and RU Ready on alternating Tuesdays. Each student is assigned a homeroom, and after checking in, are able to visit a teacher or a teacher may request to see them. Each para also has a small group of students they consistently work with and check on during eighth hour.

The social emotional/mental health initiative for middle schoolers covers four programs: house mentoring program, team leads, BARR Program: Building Assets Reducing Risks, and Restorative Circles. The house mentoring system focuses on celebrating greatness, promoting teamwork and school pride while building character in students through positive mentoring activities. Team leads are staff members that conduct weekly check-ins. Each student is assigned to one staff member. The BARR model uses eight interlocking strategies that build intentional relationships, utilize real-time data, and enable schools to achieve concrete academic, social, and emotional outcomes for all students. Restorative Circles are a technique for proactively building the skills and relationships students will need when challenges arise.

In the elementary school, St. John has implemented MTSS through grade level data meetings, student goal setting/data review, and teacher self-evaluations/goal setting. Administrators have also taken on monitoring data for attendance, reading, math, and behavior. We can’t wait to see how St. John continues to grow!