Since its inception, the Consortium has believed that all students should receive an excellent education to prepare them for their futures. Those efforts recognize a need for students to feel they belong at school, that the school community is for them. We know that when students feel a sense of belonging in their classrooms and schools, they are more prepared to engage in their learning and take on life’s challenges.
Work in this area changes the trajectory for students, increasing the likelihood of graduation, reducing rates of depression and anxiety, improving career prospects, and changing the narrative for teachers who may otherwise leave the profession or burn out quickly.
Our current regional efforts bring teachers, school counselors, and administrators together to look at ways to build a positive school climate. While the essence remains the same, school teams are finding tangible ways to move the needle on increasing student attendance, decreasing disciplinary referrals, improving teacher engagement, and more.
Opportunities
Over the course of a school year, this group of school teams (made up of teachers, school counselors, and administrators) meet to focus on the ecosystem of building a positive school climate in their classrooms and schools.
During large-group sessions, teams work through a change process that enables them to design, implement, and assess solutions to the challenges they focus on. Additional opportunities for professional development, local school site visits, and individual team support are also available to participants.
The inaugural 2024-2025 BPSC cohort included 15 district teams with more expected to participate during the 2025-2026 school year. Read more:
– Building a Positive School Climate (10.29.2024)
– Transforming School Culture through House Systems (1.28.2025)
– Outcomes for the BPSC = Joy, Motivation, and Belonging (5.28.2025)
Customized to district needs and context, we provide opportunities for educator professional development to address a variety of needs related to ensuring that educators, students, and families feel like the school community is a safe place where they belong.
In recognition of how difficult topics within equity and belonging are, we include posts focused on cultivating a sense of belonging and providing resources as topics in our Equity and Engagement in Education blog. This blog is space that explores opportunities and strategies for addressing the challenges that come with educational inequities and disengaged students.
