Butte County has faced more than its share of disruption over the past decade. The Camp Fire. Economic instability. A student population that carries real trauma into classrooms every single day. For school leaders and educators across Butte County — from Chico to Oroville, from Durham to Gridley — the challenge of building a positive, safe school climate has never felt more urgent.

Two frameworks have emerged as the most evidence-based responses to that challenge: Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). Used together, they form a comprehensive approach to school climate that addresses both the behavioral and the emotional dimensions of student wellbeing.

SEL Academy works with Butte County schools to implement both — practically, affordably, and without requiring a clinical staff expansion.

Understanding PBIS in the Butte County Context

PBIS is a tiered framework for preventing and responding to student behavior. Rather than relying on reactive, punitive discipline, PBIS schools establish clear behavioral expectations, teach those expectations explicitly, and use data to identify students who need additional support.

The three tiers work like this:

• Tier 1 (Universal): School-wide systems that support all students. Think morning meetings, consistent behavioral language across classrooms, and positive reinforcement systems.
• Tier 2 (Targeted): Small-group interventions for students who need more support than Tier 1 provides. Check-in/check-out systems are a common Tier 2 strategy.
• Tier 3 (Intensive): Individualized support for students with the most significant behavioral needs, often including a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP).

For Butte County schools still rebuilding after the Camp Fire, PBIS offers something especially valuable: predictability and consistency. Students who have experienced trauma need to know what to expect. A well-implemented PBIS system gives them that.

Where SEL Fits In

PBIS tells students what to do. SEL gives them the internal skills to actually do it.

A student who has never learned to identify and regulate their own emotions will struggle to meet behavioral expectations no matter how clearly those expectations are communicated. SEL fills that gap. When schools combine PBIS structures with explicit SEL instruction, they create an environment where students are both supported behaviorally and equipped emotionally.

The CASEL framework — the leading model for SEL — identifies five core competencies that align directly with PBIS goals:

1. Self-awareness — understanding one's own emotions and how they affect behavior
2. Self-management — regulating emotions and impulses, setting and achieving goals
3. Social awareness — understanding others' perspectives, including those from different backgrounds
4. Relationship skills — communicating effectively, resolving conflict, working collaboratively
5. Responsible decision-making — making ethical, constructive choices about personal and social behavior

When Butte County students develop these skills, PBIS works better. Tier 1 systems are more effective. Tier 2 interventions are more targeted. Tier 3 needs decrease.

What SEL Academy Brings to Butte County Districts

SEL Academy is a Northern California organization with deep roots in the communities we serve. We understand the specific context of Butte County schools — the post-disaster recovery, the rural-urban mix, the resource constraints. Our programs are designed accordingly.

District-Wide Professional Development

We work with district leadership teams to design professional development that builds SEL and PBIS capacity across an entire district. This isn't a one-day workshop and done — it's a structured approach to building educator skill over time.

School-Site Training

For individual schools, we offer focused training days that introduce the CASEL framework, connect it to your existing PBIS implementation, and give teachers practical strategies they can use the next day.

Keynote and Conference Speaking

SEL Academy co-founders are available for Butte County district events, administrator retreats, and community education nights. Our keynotes are engaging, research-grounded, and built for educators — not academics.

Free Tools for Butte County Educators

We offer a growing library of free digital tools, including a CASEL Framework Explorer, a Daily Emotion Check-In for students, an Educator Wellness Check-In, and a Lesson Plan Library. These are available to any Butte County educator at no cost.

Butte County Districts We Serve

SEL Academy works with schools throughout Butte County, including:

• Chico Unified School District
• Oroville Union High School District
• Oroville City Elementary School District
• Durham Unified School District
• Gridley Unified School District
• Paradise Unified School District
• Biggs Unified School District
• Thermalito Union Elementary School District

Whether you're a large comprehensive district or a small rural school, we have a program that fits your scale and your budget.

The Data on PBIS + SEL

The research on combined PBIS and SEL implementation is compelling. Schools that implement both frameworks with fidelity consistently show:

• Significant reductions in office discipline referrals
• Improved chronic absenteeism rates
• Higher student engagement and academic achievement
• Reduced teacher burnout and improved staff retention
• Stronger school-family relationships

For Butte County schools working to rebuild after years of disruption, these outcomes aren't just nice to have — they're essential to the recovery of the entire community.

Starting the Conversation

If you're a superintendent, principal, or district coordinator in Butte County, we'd love to talk. SEL Academy offers free consultations to help you think through where SEL and PBIS fit in your current improvement plan.

Butte County students have been through a lot. They deserve schools that are equipped to support them — not just academically, but as whole human beings. That's what SEL Academy is here to help you build.