Scott Mission Statement

To create innovative thinkers who are invested in lifelong learning: We provide an engaging and personalized education that builds trusting relationships with our students, families, and local community.

Para formar estudiantes que piensen críticamente y que sean dueños de transformar su futuro nosotros: Ofrecemos una educación personalizada y de calidad que fomenta relaciones de confianza con nuestros estudiantes, familias y comunidad.

Scott Vision Statement

 As a diverse community we empower learners to be critical thinkers who own their future.

Como una comunidad diversa formamos estudiantes que piensan críticamente y que son dueños de transformar su futuro.

What Is School Climate?

School Climate Overview

School Climate encompasses culturally relevant Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), restorative practices and schoolwide social-emotional learning opportunities for all students in their classrooms.  Racial equity and social justice is woven into all aspects of school climate to ensure that all students feel a sense of belonging and have a positive school experience.

In alignment with the School Vision, our professional educators strive to create classrooms that highlight and affirm differences in culture. Student voices are raised and opportunities for meaningful impact on the school are given through Restorative Justice, affinity groups, student council, and schoolwide assemblies. Students are given opportunities to reflect on their own identity (mirrors) as well as explore diverse identities of others (windows).

                                        windows                                     mirrors

Multi-Tiered System of Support

School climate is an essential component of the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework.  MTSS is a proactive, data-driven practice used at Portland Public Schools to support all students. It uses evidence-based instruction, intervention and assessment practices to ensure that every student receives the appropriate level of support based on their level of need.  Within an MTSS structure, all students receive sustaining Tier I universal supports. Additional supports are provided for students that need them through Tier II interventions (targeted group supports), and Tier III interventions (individualized supports). These tiered academic and behavioral interventions help eliminate barriers to learning and enable every student to successfully reach their full potential.

Schoolwide Values and Common Area Expectations

Our School’s Core Values are

1.   Perseverance: I try things in new ways, even when I make mistakes.

      Perseverancia: Intento cosas de nuevas maneras, incluso cuando cometo errores.

2.  Inclusiveness:  I show care to all people.

      Inclusividad: Pienso en todas las personas.

3.  Integrity:  I follow expectations, especially when no one is looking.

      Integridad: Sigo las expectativas, especialmente cuando nadie me mira.

4.  Dedication to Excellence: I try my best to be my best.

      Dedicación A La Excelencia: Hago lo mejor que puedo para hacer lo mejor posible.

Our Core Values were created with student and staff input. Posters are distributed throughout the building in order to make them visible to students, staff and families. The intention is to send a consistent message about what our school community values and  how it looks different in various common areas. This will help us ensure that our core values are inclusive and affirming.

Students need to understand and exercise our core values on a regular basis to master the skills to be successful and prepared to be college and career ready. All adults acknowledge and reinforce these core values  when interacting with students.

Our core values are woven into our regular teaching practices in every lesson and in every class period throughout the grade levels. Staff name them consistently and strategically teach and review our core values  throughout the school year.

Common Area Expectations

Teaching Common Area Expectations

All students are taught the common area expectations at least three times a year after long breaks.

Common Area Expectations Lesson Plans

Schoolwide (Tier I) Climate Practices

Each Scott student deserves to come to school and feel seen, safe and valued. In order to make this happen, adults across the school intentionally support all students by implementing the following:

• A warm greeting by name each morning
• Attendance Awards
• Classroom Community Agreements
• Community Circles
• Scottie Paws to acknowledge expected behavior
• School counselor classroom lessons
• Social Emotional Learning classroom lessons
• Common Area Expectation lessons three times per year
• Calming spaces in each classroom
• Flexible seating
• Think Sheets to help reflect on behavior

Student Intervention Team:  Additional Behavior & Academic Supports (Tier II and Tier III)

When Tier 1 classroom and schoolwide supports are not enough to ensure student success, students may be brought to the school Student Intervention Team (SIT) to develop and implement Tier II and III interventions.

The Student Intervention Team (SIT) is a collaborative, general education solution-generating team made up of a variety of school perspectives. The purpose of the SIT is to

• support teachers in reflecting on and enhancing their Tier I practices and
• implement targeted Tier II and III behavior and Tier III academic interventions when needed.

Utilizing an equity lens, the team considers the whole student when making decisions that affect their long-term educational experience and sense of belonging in PPS. SIT works to provide every student and adult what they need to thrive in the general education setting. Families are notified about student strengths and challenges, as well as planned interventions, at all points in the process.

Defining Stage 1 and Stage 2/3 Behaviors

Behavior level calibration will be conducted by building staff in order to properly reflect the evolving needs of our community and to accommodate the diverse racial, cultural, linguistic and developmental needs of our school.

Discipline Policies

The Scott staff has created and calibrated around a flowchart to describe how staff respond to unexpected behavior.  If a student is escalated such that the flowchart below does not meet their needs, they may utilize the school's de-escalation space.   De-escalation spaces are a predesignated space in the school, not the classroom, for students to de-escalate with adult support. At Scott, this may be the School Climate Specialist’s Office, the administrative office or the de-escalation space.

Purpose of All Student Behavior Responses:  

De-escalate, Resolve, Restore, Re-teach, Return to Learning

Effective Classroom Practices Plan

Every teacher will have an Effective Classroom Practices Plan (ECP Plan). ECP Plans will be shared with administration no later than the day before back to school night.  Co-creating classroom practices reduces variability between classrooms and makes it more consistent for students. Some sample plans are provided below and professional development time will be provided in the first two weeks of school to complete these documents.

The Effective Classroom Practices Plan includes the essential features of effective classroom practices: Structure, teaching expectations, acknowledging positive behaviors, and supporting regulation & restorative practices.

Monthly Value Focus

PERSEVERANCE -  I try things in new ways, even when I make mistakes.

INCLUSIVENESS -  I show care to all people.

INTEGRITY -  I follow expectations, especially when no one is looking.

DEDICATION TO EXCELLENCE -  I try my best to be my best.

PERSEVERANCIA - Intento cosas de nuevas maneras, incluso cuando cometo errores.

INCLUSIVIDAD - Pienso en todas las personas.

INTEGRIDAD - Sigo las expectativas, especialmente cuando nadie me mira.

DEDICACIÓN A LA EXCELENCIA - Hago lo mejor que puedo para hacer lo mejor posible.

Each month we focus, as a school, on one of our four core values. This focus takes place in classrooms across the school and during our School Values Assemblies. Below you will find the identified value for each month.

Feedback and Acknowledgement System

Research shows that when staff observe and acknowledge students exhibiting appropriate behaviors, those behaviors will increase and misbehaviors will decrease. Specific praise is extremely important in increasing the recurrence of appropriate behaviors. When observing appropriate behaviors in the common areas/ classrooms/ buses, all staff acknowledge students exhibiting our core values verbally and by offering Scottie Paws along with specific praise. Scottie Paw drawings take place regularly in classrooms and weekly during lunch for incentives.

Family Involvement & Feedback

Fidelity Data

The Culturally Responsive Tiered Fidelity Inventory (CR-TFI) guides the action planning for the implementation of a positive school climate and connects directly with this School Climate Plan.

• Assessment component is completed once a year as a summative assessment. Twice additionally as formative assessments (conducted in September, January and/or May)
• The CR-TFI is utilized by school teams to assess and plan implementation of all three tiers. The Climate Team is responsible for tier 1 and a score of 80% or better indicates a well-implemented tier
• The TFI action plan is revisited on a monthly basis.

2022-2023  TFI scores & Action Plan

2023-2024 Schoolwide Comprehensive Improvement Plan (SCIP)

Successful Schools Survey (SSS)

• Completed once a year in November by all students (grades 3-12), staff, and families.
• Reviewed by the School Climate Team and shared with staff, students and families. Used to monitor and adjust climate initiatives.
• Accessed via the Panorama dashboard.

2022-2023 SSS Data