Teaching students social and emotional skills for success

In partnership with parents and guardians, Battle Ground Public Schools is committed to creating a safe and caring environment for students. This includes their social and emotional well-being. We are exploring ways to increase character education, teach students a variety of life skills and identify potential challenges before they become more serious. Input from students, parents/guardians and staff members has pointed to the need for schools to teach kindness and respect.

To support those outcomes, the district is evaluating new curriculum for all high school students and has selected a finalist, Wayfinder, for board consideration.

Next steps

  • Parents, guardians, students, staff and community members can review Wayfinder lessons and teaching materials.

  • Battle Ground's board of directors will vote on the proposed curriculum on July 28, 2025.

  • If approved, the curriculum would be purchased using funds from a grant that the district received in 2023.

  • Teachers and students would begin using the items in the 2025-26 school year.

See frequently asked questions

How to participate in reviewing the potential new curriculum

Everyone is welcome, even if they do not currently have a child enrolled in a Battle Ground school. There are four options:

  • Virtual review on Tuesday, June 10, at 6 p.m. Join the Zoom meeting. Due to copyright restrictions, this meeting will not be recorded.

  • Community review night Thursday, June 12, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at CASEE A  (11104 N.E. 149th St., Brush Prairie, WA 98606). Drop in anytime, no RSVP required.

  • By appointment June 2-June 22. To make an appointment, please email projectaware@battlegroundps.org or call Assistant Director of Project AWARE Erick Suksdorf at 360-885-5440.

  • View limited samples online:

The full lessons and teaching materials can be viewed only during the review night or by appointment due to copyright restrictions.

How to provide feedback

After you have reviewed the curriculum, we invite you to provide your feedback.

About the proposed high school social and emotional curriculum

What it is
Materials to help high school students gain essential skills such as self-awareness, adaptability, employment skills, mental health and well-being.

Social and emotional curriculum for primary and middle school students was approved in 2023.

What we're considering
After reviewing different options and narrowing the field, a committee recommended Wayfinder for potential adoption by the district's board of directors.

About screening tools

In addition to new high school curriculum, the district has been evaluating new screening tools for students at all grade levels.

What they are
A way to proactively screen students by asking them a set of questions about their behavior, mental well-being and social emotional skills. Similar to a hearing or vision screening, this will help us to identify each student’s needs.

What we're considering

  • A committee selected the

    Riverside Devereux Student Strengths Assessment, or DESSA: This set of questions focuses on resilience skills, strengths and growth. See the questions.

How the results will be used
Teachers will use the results to help students be successful in the classroom and at school. As needed, the results will be shared with other staff members. School counselors will help respond to any concerns and contact the student’s parent/guardian.

Timeline

  • October 2023: BGPS receives a federal grant to support mental health services and behavioral health education. That grant will fund the purchase of materials for social and emotional learning, among other items and services.

  • August 2024: Board of directors approves requests for proposals related to high school social and emotional learning curricula and screening tools.

  • September 2024-December 2024: Project AWARE team reviews proposals and selects the finalists to pilot.

  • January–March 2025: Final two potential high school curricula, Wayfinder and School Connect, are piloted in select classrooms. Parents and guardians of students in these classes were notified in advance.

  • January 2025–ongoing: Select classrooms proactively screen students using three finalist screening tools . Parents and guardians of students in these classes were notified in advance and had an opportunity to opt out.

  • February–March 2025: Overview of potential curricula and screening tools for instructional staff members not participating in pilot programs.

  • May 2025: Community review nights for all parents, guardians, staff, students and community members to review materials and ask questions.

  • May 30, 2025: Committee selects a finalist curriculum, Wayfinder, for board consideration. The committee also selected DESSA as the finalist screening tool for implementation starting in the 2025-26 school year.

  • June 2025: Opportunities for parents, guardians, staff, students and community members to review Wayfinder lessons and teaching materials.

  • July 28, 2025: School board hears first reading of proposed curricula during its regular meeting. Get meeting details.

  • Fall 2025: Schools begin using curricula if approved.

Frequently asked questions