On the heels of the pandemic, the second largest school district in Oregon knew it needed to take action quickly. Panorama screener data showed increasing levels of students who were in need of support in the areas of self-efficacy and well-being, particularly at the Tier 2 level. With an already exhausted staff and a growing problem, the Director of Social-Emotional Learning & Mental Health, Chris Moore, Ed.S., set out to find a proven program that would expand capacity to deliver effective skill-building resilience support for students with Tier 2 needs quickly, without overburdening his staff.

Salem-Keizer Public Schools is the second largest school district in Oregon serving over 40,000 students in 65 buildings. The district uses an MTSS framework to address students’ needs, ensuring they are providing the right support at the right time for each student. Screening tools and key performance indicators are utilized to identify students needing additional resources and monitor progress.  

The district first partnered with EmpowerU in 2021 at six sites to pilot its Tier 2 program at select middle and high schools and its Tier 1 classroom lessons at the elementary level. EmpowerU Customer Success Managers worked in concert with district leaders to coordinate staff training, implement programs with fidelity and monitor progress and success. 

The ease of implementation in the midst of a pandemic was critical and resulted in exceptional results and feedback from both students and educators . The success of the collaboration led to quick program expansion for the 2022-23 school year from six to seventeen sites. Seeing a continued need for Tier 2 intervention across all grade levels, the district expanded Tier 2 programming into elementary schools in addition to middle and high school and expanded use of Classroom Tier 1 lessons at the elementary level.

At the close of the 2022-23 school year, nearly 1,000 Salem-Keizer students had benefitted from EmpowerU Tier 1 and 2 programs with data showing district-wide increases in self-confidence, motivation, resiliency, engagement and well being – and decreases in discipline referrals. The 2023-24 school year brought more expansion into five more sites, representing one-third of the district’s buildings. In addition, the district provided EmpowerU’s Educator Self-care and Resilience PD program to its staff. 

EmpowerU’s school-based mental health support delivered impressive results for Salem-Keizer middle and high school students with Tier 2 needs: