Vancouver Public Schools was awarded a $3 million grant over five years from a U.S. Department of Education program that aims to make schools safer and improve mental health services for students and young adults.
The School Climate Transformation Grant will help the district continue its work toward creating safe and supportive learning environments by focusing on positive student behavior and school climates. Vancouver was the only district in the Pacific Northwest to receive the award.
Six years ago, the district began to use the Positive Behavior Interventions and Support process to improve learning environments at six pilot elementary schools, and the district saw improvement in student achievement. The grant money will allow the district to bring the same positive interventions program to its secondary schools, beginning with Hudson’s Bay High School, said Sally Charuhas, the district’s executive director of special services.
The grant will pay for hiring trained staff, hiring consultants at regional universities and training district teachers in the positive intervention process, which includes clearly defining behavioral expectations for students, Charuhas said. The grant also will make it possible for the district to offer certain learning opportunities as an alternative to suspension or expulsion.
