• Arkansas
• California
• Connecticut
• Kentucky
• Missouri

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Deb Swink, Clinton School District, and Vicki Shelby, Paragould School District, took the lead in coordinating the pilot testing of Mutt-i-grees® in PreK-3 classrooms in Arkansas. Deb and Vicky are board members of the AR21C Leadership Council. In addition to pilot testing the Curriculum in PreK-3 classrooms, lessons were reviewed by AR principals, special education coordinators, counselors, and other administrators. Some of the AR pilot sites had experience with other social and emotional learning programs and Deb reported a surge of enthusiasm in the districts over teaching these skills with Mutt-i-grees®.          

Educators from three California schools in the L. A. area and San Jose, came for a two-day orientation to Mutt-i-grees®. Following the meeting, they began implementation in their schools using a school-wide approach. This included the nomination of a lead Mutt-i-grees® teacher. Fenton Charter School's Principal/Director, Irene Sumida, attended the orientation with five of her staff members, including the lead Mutt-i-gree® teacher, Barbara Aragon. Pacoima Charter School's Principal/Director, Sylvia Fajardo, brought a team of eight from her school, even though the meeting was held during their school break. In San Jose, Ricardo Balderas, Principal of Harry E. Slonaker Academy, selected two of his staff members, Deborah La Fond, and Laura Nilson, to attend the Orientation. Prior to implementation, Deborah and Laura presented the Mutt-i-grees® Curriculum to the principal and other district administrators who also expressed an interest in implementing Mutt-i-grees®.                  

In addition to reviewing lessons, teachers in Connecticut are implementing the Curriculum. This includes a preschool and two additional elementary schools located in two districts in the state. The latter provide an opportunity to examine Mutt-i-grees® implementation in communities with varied demographics and resources.

Norma Meek, a 21C Senior Associate and District Administrator at Boyd County Public Schools, coordinated the pilot test in preschool through grade 3 classrooms. In a conference call meeting with the Mutt-i-grees® development team, Norma, the principal, and teachers, expressed their enthusiasm about the program and emphasized the excitement among parents and children. One outcome of the Mutt-i-grees® implementation in Kentucky is enhanced parent involvement and community outreach. One teacher remarked that the Mutt-i-grees® Curriculum was like a butterfly that touches so many aspects of the community in Boyd County.            

Independence, Missouri 21C Schools are using the Mutt-i-grees® Curriculum with special education children. Jennifer Walker, the Director of Youth Development and Education, has teamed up with Cindy Konomos, Director of Special Services, to organize and implement the Curriculum at the Independence Academy Day Treatment Program. Cindy is using Mutt-i-grees® with students in grades K-2 who have emotional difficulties and lack social skills. Teachers in the school implement lessons that focus on vocabulary and lesson goals throughout the day. Collecting information on student behavior will enable Independence to document the impact of the Mutt-i-grees® Curriculum when used with a target population.              

Roll out of the Mutt-i-grees® Curriculum begins in the pilot states: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Kentucky, and Missouri. States selected for dissemination beginning Spring and Summer 2010 are New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Colorado. Additional states for dissemination beginning in September will be listed soon. If you are a teacher or administrator in these or other states and would like more information about Mutt-i-grees®, please contact us at: Yale21c@yale.edu. In your email, please include, where applicable: your name, school address, principal's name, and the grade level you teach or plan on teaching next year.