Northwest Middle School Principal Kimberly Fitton and Engagement and Intervention Strategist Malija Clayton described a schoolwide revision of behavior systems that the school says has reduced suspensions by a substantial margin.

Fitton said the school identified high suspension rates after its first year and convened a student support team of EIS staff, student-family advocates, counselors, administrators and facilitators to redesign responses. The new agreements include identifying peak behavior times, using one-way hallways during problem periods, requiring at least four interventions before a student is sent to the main office and using restorative conversations and counseling as options before suspension. Fitton said staff now treat ideas as testable hypotheses, try them, and assess the results with data.

Clayton described targeted, culturally responsive Tier 2 supports, including SAGE small instructional groups for students with repeated referrals and a structured group schedule (daily cumulative blocks that mix academic support and social-emotional learning). Fitton and Clayton said lessons are created from referral data and CASEL, PBIS and the district's iterative practices; when data show a need, they develop SEL curriculum tied to the antecedents of specific behaviors. The presenters credited assistant principal Aaron Baker and district-level trainers for coaching and staff training.

Directors praised the approach. Director Eyestone said the team-based approach respects school experts rather than requiring every adult to be an "expert." Director Eastham and others asked whether teachers were reliably trying classroom strategies before referrals; Fitton said the district emphasizes strong Tier 1 instruction and that teachers document referrals so support teams can confirm whether interventions were attempted. Board members said the classroom-focused approach and PLC-driven documentation will make it easier to trust that nonpunitive interventions were tried before suspension.

No formal board action was taken; the presentation was an information item and part of the board's education showcase.