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The Questions Behind “The Answer is Yes”

Four district-level questions driving redesign, support, safety, and readiness.

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Can we do Competency-Based Education and UDL together well?

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Can we create a truly schoolwide PBIS system?

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Can we rethink the schedule and improve safety at the same time?

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Can we prepare students for life after high school in more intentional, career-connected ways?

Ryan D. Sines, Ed.S | EdCon 2026 Presentation

Fraser High School

The Answer is Yes!

A systems approach to learning, support, safety, and readiness

Fraser

Ramblers

The Answer is Yes! explores how school leaders can redesign culture to prepare students for success in life, careers, and community. This session highlights how expanding career pathways, embedding real-world learning, implementing PBIS, and prioritizing safety and security create engaging, supportive, and future-focused schools. Attendees will leave with practical ideas for building a culture of belonging, relevance, and readiness where every student can thrive.

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Can we, as a district,

implement both Competency-Based Education and Universal Design for Learning at the same time?

Yes - if competencies define what students must learn and UDL expands how they can access, practice, and demonstrate that learning.

Fraser High School case example

CBE + UDL implementation notes

Common grading elements

UDL guidelines

Clear outcomes

Flexible access

Guardrails

The documents point to one coherent strategy: keep competencies, use shared grading expectations, and design lessons with barriers removed up front.

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Why these two frameworks fit together

CBE defines the destination; UDL designs multiple ways for students to reach it without lowering expectations.

CBE brings clarity

• clearly aligned curriculum in every department

• defined core competencies that focus the year

• assessment, feedback, remediation, and reassessment tied to learning progression

•a rich LMS with clear content for all

UDL brings access

• learner variability is predictable and can be planned for

• barriers are addressed in lesson design, not blamed on students

• goals stay high while materials, methods, and scaffolds adapt

Together they make sense

CBE answers what matters most. UDL answers how more students can show it.

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UDL organizes supports across engagement, representation, and action & expression.

The district does not have to choose between rigor and responsiveness. UDL is the design partner to competency-based learning.

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What Fraser changed to make CBE workable

The updated model keeps competency learning intact while adding common deadlines, weighting, and expectations.

Why the adjustment was needed

a lack of deadlines led to procrastination and a halt to learning progression — even after years of CBE refinements.

70 / 30

70% competencies

30% practice

so grades emphasize demonstrated learning.

2-week window

Students can remediate and retake within two weeks, then the deadline closes.

Credit rules

60% overall for most courses; REQ competencies can be identified; CTE remains stricter.

What did not get abandoned

• competencies still guide curriculum, reflection, remediation, and spiraling content

• multiple assessments within a competency are still encouraged

• IEPs and student situations still matter when applying deadlines

The common-elements handout shows the same structure in Canvas: shared weights, REQ labels for required competencies, and a consistent grading frame across classes.

This matters for implementation: CBE becomes more sustainable when the district adds predictable grading guardrails instead of leaving flexibility completely undefined.

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What UDL adds so rigor does not become rigidity

UDL assumes learner variability is predictable and should be planned for in goals, assessments, materials, methods, and scaffolds.

Barrier mindset

The UDL review says the barrier is not in the student. The design work is to remove obstacles in the lesson.

Three planning lenses

• Engagement: choice, relevance, persistence, self-regulation

• Representation: perception, language, comprehension

• Action & expression: tools, communication, executive functions

What staff development should target

Credential 2 asks teams to analyze lessons through goals, assessments, materials, and methods, then use PLC time to act on a stretch goal.

The Fraser UDL module frames UDL as a research-based, iterative design process aimed at expert learners with clearly defined goals and high expectations.

The CAST guidelines show the breadth of supports that can sit underneath the same competency target.

UDL does not weaken competency work. It protects it from becoming one-size-fits-all by planning access, support, and choice before students struggle.

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So, can a district implement both at the same time?

Yes — if the district treats CBE as the common academic backbone and UDL as the design method for equitable access.

YES

A district can build both at once when the work is sequenced like a system instead of launched like separate initiatives.

1. Keep common competencies

Use clearly defined outcomes and shared curriculum so teams know what the target is.

2. Use shared grading guardrails

Protect consistency with common weights, retake windows, and clear REQ expectations where needed.

3. Plan lessons through UDL

Give PLCs time to design goals, assessments, materials, and methods around predictable variability.

4. Balance flexibility and firmness

Keep deadlines and timely feedback, while still accounting for IEPs and documented student situations.

This is not two competing initiatives. It is one coherent system: clear learning targets, flexible design, common grading expectations, and supports delivered in time to matter.

Can we, as a district, build and sustain a strong schoolwide PBIS framework?

Fraser High School built PBIS around common expectations, explicit teaching, consistent responses, and data review.

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YES

— when PBIS is more than a poster on the wall.

• A shared RISE language defined expectations for all students and staff.

• A behavior matrix and management chart created consistency across settings.

• SMART lessons, supervision routines, and behavior-specific praise turned expectations into daily practice.

• Referral and culture data were used to adjust and sustain the work.

Fraser PBIS system: expectations + instruction + acknowledgment + response + data

The sustaining move was treating PBIS like an operating system for the school, not a one-time initiative.

What made the framework schoolwide?

PBIS became stronger once expectations, language, and routines were shared across hallways, classrooms, bathrooms, cafeteria, and activities.

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• FHS centered the work on four expectations: Respect, Integrity, Self-Discipline, and Engagement.

• The matrix spelled out what those expectations look like in each setting, reducing adult-to-adult variation.

• The staff intro deck emphasized that without clear expectations, behavior gets left to individual tolerance levels.

Principal takeaway

A strong PBIS framework is sustainable when every adult can answer: “What do we expect here, and what does that look like in this space?”

Consistency mattered more than slogans

The framework included a clear response system so PBIS was not “just rewards” and not a buffet of disconnected practices.

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• The behavior management chart separated Level 1 staff-managed, Level 2 minor staff-managed, and Level 3 office-managed behaviors.

• The student support process outlined classroom interventions, detention steps, office referrals, and administrative considerations.

• The PBIS staff deck warned against three implementation killers: the lone ranger approach, “it's all about rewards,” and the buffet approach.

Bottom line: staff buy-in grows when everyone knows what happens next - and students experience the same language and process from room to room.

How did Fraser teach and reinforce PBIS?

Sustaining PBIS required planned instruction, active supervision, and meaningful reinforcement - not one kickoff and good luck.

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• The second week of SMART explicitly taught each RISE component through student-created examples tied to locations around the school.

• Active supervision was defined as movement, scanning, and positive interaction - practical staff habits, not vague reminders to “be visible.”

• The Lion Heart Experience and follow-up reflection connected RISE to belonging, resilience, and student voice.

The sustaining trick: teach behavior the same way you teach academics - model it, practice it, monitor it, and reteach it.

So, can a district build and sustain a strong schoolwide PBIS framework?

Fraser's documents point to the same answer: yes - when PBIS is operationalized, reinforced, and measured.

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YES

• Student and staff experience a common language through RISE.

• Adults respond consistently with a documented continuum of support and consequences.

• Students are explicitly taught the expectations and see them reinforced in SMART, classrooms, and schoolwide events.

• The district checks whether the work is sticking by looking at referrals, attendance, surveys, PLC bright spots, and staff feedback.

Principal takeaway

Build the framework, teach it relentlessly, support staff with clarity, and use data to keep the work alive.

Measures Fraser used:

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Create culture through RISE + Somebodyness

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Create consistency through the behavior chart and explicit lessons

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Create staying power through data review and reinforcement

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Can we rethink the schedule and improve safety at the same time?

Yes - if the redesign builds supervision into the day instead of treating safety like an add-on.

Fraser High School case example

2024-25 schedule change

4 x 4 block schedule

SMART stays

25-student SMART

The memo ties schedule redesign directly to duty time, SMART supervision, prep-based sub coverage, and smaller student groups.

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What actually changed in the schedule

The redesign kept student coursework intact while creating more structured adult coverage.

The core schedule shift

Fraser High School moved to a 4 x 4 block schedule for 2024-25, with teachers teaching 5 blocks each semester while students kept the same number of classes and SMART block.

What the schedule now creates

• additional prep time
• sub coverage during prep blocks
• SMART Hour with about 25 students
• rotating teacher duty built into the day

Document evidence: sample Blue Day / Gold Day structure and the opening rationale for the shift.

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Safety was built into the schedule design

The memo does not describe safety as a side initiative. It embeds supervision into staffing, time, and routines.

Three built-in safety moves

Daily duty coverage

All FEA members have both a short 25-minute duty and a long 45-minute duty.

SMART Pair monitoring

During SMART, one teacher facilitates while the partner monitors hallways, checks passes and patrols the building.

Defined expectations

Duty assignments are rotating, cannot be refused, and include specified locations and responsibilities.

Bottom line: more adult presence is not accidental here - it is scheduled.

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Operationally, what gets safer?

The schedule change creates clearer monitoring zones and smaller, more manageable student groupings.

Restrooms

Hallways

Doors

Lunchroom

Pass checks, capacity limits for restrooms, hallway patrols, and door scanning at some entries.

Restroom flow

Pass checks and capacity control reduce wandering and crowding.

Hall visibility

SMART Pair rotations put adults in hallways during a high-movement block.

Smaller groups

SMART at about 25 students makes supervision and relationship-building easier.

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So, can we rethink the schedule and improve safety at the same time?

This case says yes - when the schedule itself becomes the operating system for supervision.

YES

because the redesign connected time, staffing, and safety routines.

• adult presence increased
• monitoring locations were specified
• SMART supervision was formalized
• student groups became more manageable

Principal takeaway

Schedule redesign improves safety when it does three things at once:

Creates time

longer blocks, prep windows, and a smaller SMART structure

Creates coverage

rotating duties, hallway monitoring, and specified supervision posts

Creates consistency

clear expectations for passes, patrols, subbing, and lunch / restroom monitoring

Translation for principals: if you want safer schools, redesign the day so the adults are where the students are.

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Can we rethink

the schedule and

improve safety

at the same time?

Yes. Schedule changes help, but safety also improves when schools tighten routines around what students carry and what competes for their attention.

Fraser High School case example

2025-26 clear backpack + cell phone expectations

Two policy moves

Clear backpacks

Visible bags during the school day, with lockers used for larger items.

Phone limits

Phones and earbuds stay in lockers or classroom caddies except at lunch and passing time.

Same question. Same answer. Safety improves when the school day is easier to supervise and harder to derail.

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What changed: clearer bags, clearer expectations

These policies are simple on purpose: fewer blind spots, fewer distractions, and fewer debates in the moment.

Backpacks

• students may carry only clear backpacks to class during the day
• lockers are the storage point for athletic bags, coats, and larger items
• small shoulder bags are allowed for personal hygiene items
• medically required bags may be approved by administration
• clear backpacks are available in the school store for $10

Cell phones & earbuds

• phones and earbuds stay in lockers or classroom caddies
• student use is allowed only during passing time and lunch
• the goal is a more focused academic environment
• families are encouraged to monitor social media use at home, too

This is not anti-tech. It is anti-chaos.

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How these policies improve safety and school operations

The biggest win is not just enforcement. It is predictability: adults can see more, redirect faster, and spend less time negotiating.

Fewer blind spots

Clear backpacks make it easier to identify prohibited or concerning items quickly and reduce time-consuming bag questions.

Cleaner hallways

When larger bags are stored in lockers, movement is simpler, crowded passing time is easier to monitor, and classroom clutter goes down.

Less distraction

Limiting phones and earbuds reduces off-task behavior, hidden listening, hallway filming, and the constant pull of notifications.

More adult leverage

A clear rule gives staff one shared expectation instead of 47 different versions. That consistency matters.

What principals can say out loud

• Safety improves when adults can quickly see what they need to see.
• Focus improves when phones stop being the unofficial co-teacher.
• Clear, schoolwide routines reduce daily conflict and uneven enforcement.

These rules do not replace relationships. They protect the conditions needed for relationships and learning to actually happen.

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So, can we improve safety at the same time?

Yes — when schedule, supervision, bags, and phones all work together instead of pulling in different directions.

YES

because safer schools are built through aligned routines, not wishful thinking.

• the daily environment becomes easier to supervise
• bag visibility improves response speed and reduces uncertainty
• phone restrictions protect focus and reduce avoidable conflict
• families and staff share one consistent message

Principal takeaway

Schools improve safety when they make expectations visible, enforceable, and schoolwide.

Creates visibility

clear backpacks reduce unknowns and support faster screening

Creates focus

phones and earbuds stop hijacking class time and hallway attention

Creates consistency

one shared policy beats room-by-room improvisation every time

Translation for principals: if you want a calmer building, make the rules easy to understand, easy to see, and hard to wiggle around.

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Can we rethink

the schedule and

improve safety

at the same time?

Yes. SmartPass helps schools tighten student movement without turning the day into a traffic jam. It gives adults live visibility, limits crowding, and makes SMART hour travel easier to supervise.

Fraser High School case example

2025–26 SmartPass implementation

Visible movement

Live active-pass list

Less roaming

Safer SMART hour

Same question. Smarter system. Better odds that adults know who is out, where they should be, and whether common areas are getting overloaded.

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What SmartPass changes about student movement

The system replaces hallway guesswork with a shared digital process all staff can see.

Common system for movement

• gives staff one transparent process for passes across the building
• reduces room-to-room inconsistency about who is out and why

Limits overbooking in common areas

• helps avoid too many students in restrooms or other shared spaces at once
• makes crowding easier to prevent before it becomes a discipline issue

Confirms destination

• supports staff-to-staff passes by making arrival easier to verify
• cuts down on students disappearing between point A and point B

Emergency readiness

• gives administrators a live list of students with active passes who are out of class during an emergency

SMART hour becomes simpler to manage

• streamlines travel during SMART hour so movement is easier to monitor and less dependent on improvised paper systems

This is a process upgrade, not a punishment strategy. The win is predictability: fewer blind spots, cleaner handoffs, and less hallway chaos.

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Safety is built into the SmartPass design

The value is not just digital passes. It is adult visibility, controlled capacity, and easier emergency response.

Fraser goal:

improve school processes, safety, and operations with one shared movement system

Bottom line: more visibility is not accidental here — it is designed into movement.

Visibility for all staff

A common pass system means adults can see movement more consistently instead of relying on hallway memory or paper notes.

Capacity control

Overbooking common areas becomes easier to prevent, especially in restrooms and other high-traffic spaces.

Destination accountability

Students going to staff or services are easier to track from departure to arrival.

Emergency list

Administrators can pull a live list of students with active passes when students are out of class during an emergency.

Cleaner hallway flow

Less random wandering means fewer hallway bottlenecks and fewer preventable behavior issues.

SMART hour support

Travel during SMART hour becomes simpler to authorize, supervise, and explain to staff and students.

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Operationally, what gets safer?

SmartPass does not replace supervision. It makes supervision more targeted and easier to coordinate.

Restrooms

Hallways

Student services

SMART hour travel

These are the spaces where schools usually lose visibility first. SmartPass helps rebuild it by showing who is out, limiting pileups, and tightening the path between departure and arrival.

Fewer blind spots

Adults no longer have to guess who is out legitimately and who is wandering.

Less crowding

Limits on common spaces reduce the chance that one area becomes a social hangout.

Better handoffs

When students go to staff, the system supports cleaner transitions and fewer lost minutes.

Live emergency info

Administrators can identify students with active passes when every minute matters.

Smarter SMART hour

Movement is easier to organize without turning the intervention block into hallway roulette.

More consistent enforcement

Shared rules reduce one-off exceptions and mixed messages from room to room.

The result is a calmer movement system: adults can intervene earlier because they can actually see the pattern sooner.

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So, can we rethink the schedule and improve safety at the same time?

Yes — when the schedule creates movement windows and SmartPass gives adults live visibility and control.

YES

because a better schedule is only half the answer. SmartPass helps schools handle movement in a way that is visible, enforceable, and easier to manage in real time.

• creates transparency for student movement�• reduces crowding in common areas�• confirms students reach their destination�• gives administrators a live emergency list�• makes SMART hour travel more manageable

Principal takeaway

Schools improve safety when movement is visible, rules are shared, and adults have live information instead of hallway guesswork.

Creates visibility

adults can see active movement instead of piecing it together later

Creates control

common spaces are easier to manage before they get overloaded

Creates readiness

administrators know which students are out of class in an emergency

Creates consistency

one pass system reduces room-by-room improvisation

Creates accountability

departure-to-arrival is easier to verify

Creates calmer flow

SMART hour travel is simpler to explain, supervise, and sustain

Translation for principals: if you want safer schools, do not just tighten rules — make movement easier to see and easier to manage.

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Can we rethink the schedule and improve safety at the same time?

Yes — when digital tools give staff clearer control during high-stakes moments like testing, transitions, and SMART hour.

Fraser High School case example

Respondus LockDown Browser

Secure assessment

environment

Why it matters

AI tools and Google Lens have made device-based assessments harder to monitor.

Respondus closes shortcuts, copy/paste, screenshots, and other easy workarounds during quizzes.

Teachers gain more control over responses, feedback, and actual evidence of learning.

One system, same message: monitored spaces, monitored assessments.

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Why Respondus, and why now?

The issue is not just cheating. It is operational control when students are on devices.

Assessment integrity

AI features are increasingly easy to access, making device-based assessment management much harder.

Teacher control

Because it integrates directly into Canvas, teachers are not learning an unrelated extra platform.

Student accountability

Students must close all open applications and browsers before starting the quiz.

Campus consistency

The same expectations apply across Windows, Mac, Chromebook, and iPad.

Used in over 2,000 higher-ed institutions, including community college settings, which helps normalize the expectation that secure assessment environments matter.

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What changes operationally during an assessment?

Respondus improves monitoring because the rules become visible, predictable, and harder to bypass.

Locked, focused,

trackable

The browser disables easy escape routes so teachers and proctors can supervise the room instead of chasing devices.

Closes loopholes

Shortcuts, menus, copy/paste, and screen capture are disabled during the task.

Confirms focus

Students must shut down other apps and browsers before they can begin.

Maintains flexibility

Canvas quiz features still work, including multi-day tasks such as essays.

Allows structured access

Quiz links remain available and approved webpages can be added when needed.

Bottom line: it does not replace adult supervision — it makes adult supervision more effective.

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Implementation matters: safety improves when the rollout is structured

1 Integrate LockDown Browser and StudyMate into Canvas

2 Train support staff first (coaches and administrators)

3 Train all staff before use begins – January Staff Meeting

4 Use a free trial through the end of February

5 Decide on purchase after the trial results

Why this helps safety

Adults learn the system before students are held to it.

A trial period catches technical or workflow issues early.

Clear implementation reduces confusion, inconsistency, and avoidable conflict.

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So, can we rethink the schedule and improve safety at the same time?

Yes — because safer schools are built through layers: supervision, routines, digital controls, and shared expectations.

YES

because operational safety is not just hallway supervision. It also means creating systems where students are where they should be, doing what they should be doing, with less room for chaos or guesswork.

Principal takeaway

Respondus improves safety when it strengthens the adults’ ability to create three conditions at once:

Creates control

during assessment windows

Creates consistency

across classrooms and devices

Creates credibility

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that the work students submit is actually theirs

Translation for principals: the safer school is the one where expectations are obvious, monitoring is easier, and staff are not improvising every period.

Respondus is one more layer in that operating system.

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Can we prepare students for life after high school in more intentional, career-connected ways?

Fraser High School CTE shows how systems, partnerships, and planning turn readiness into a real student pathway.

YES

— because Fraser has built an actual system for readiness, not a one-off career day.

• Fraser High School offers 17 state-certified CTE programs and almost 70 semester classes.
• A formal program of study helps counselors, parents, and students understand how to progress within each pathway.
• Students are encouraged to become program completers and can complete multiple programs within the same career pathway.
• The 2023–24 state completer report shows substantial scale: 906 completers, 860 concentrators, 218 enrollees, and 321 participants reported across programs.

Program and course offerings

2023–24 state completer summary

Principal takeaway - Intentional readiness starts with mapped pathways, visible completion goals, and data that show the work is real.

Fraser High School example | CTE advisory presentation

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The district built a K–12 pathway, not a last-minute senior plan

The throughline runs from awareness to exploration to training, with planning tools that get revisited every year.

• The district defines a K–12 career development continuum: awareness in grades K–6, exploration in grades 7–8, and training in grades 9–12.

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• By middle school, students create and update an Educational Development Plan and complete a 4-year plan that identifies two career pathways for high school.

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• At Fraser High School, students revisit Xello during SMART time, use the 4-year plan when schedules open up, and are encouraged to complete at least two CTE programs.

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• The design goal is clear: students do not wander into postsecondary decisions at the end — they build toward them over time.

K–12 continuum

Middle school exploration

High school training and planning

Bottom line: career readiness gets stronger when the planning starts early, gets updated yearly, and actually drives scheduling decisions.

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Career-connected learning is built into the program

Fraser links coursework to mentors, work-based learning, and real industry experiences instead of keeping career prep stuck in a brochure.

• Work-based learning is defined as sustained interaction with employers or community professionals in real workplaces or aligned simulated environments.

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• The Microsoft TEALS program has provided industry leadership for programming for seven years and expanded cybersecurity support this year.

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• Manufacturing Week 2024 engaged 300 students through tours, job shadows, and local automotive-industry connections.

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• This matters because exposure, practice, and relationships make career pathways feel concrete for students.

Work-based learning continuum

Microsoft TEALS and industry mentors

Manufacturing Week 2024

Bottom line: career readiness becomes believable when students see adults, workplaces, and skills lined up with what they study.

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Partnerships open real doors after graduation

The district is not just telling students to be ready; it is giving them actual college and employer connections before graduation.

• Wayne State University’s ATEC partnership provides dual-enrollment opportunities in Health Science and Business and is targeted to expand into Engineering/STEM.

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• Oakland University’s School of Nursing partnership helps students connect their Health Science learning to next-step training.

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• Students also receive practical readiness experiences such as Stop the Bleed training and formal iEat Café training in hygiene, nutrition, and service.

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• Advisory committees include teachers, industry partners, postsecondary representatives, students, parents, and special-populations staff — and each program convenes them at least twice each year.

Wayne State partnership

Oakland and applied training

Advisory committees drive relevance

Principal takeaway: partnerships matter most when they create real credits, real experiences, and real feedback loops.

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So, can we prepare students for life after high school in more intentional, career-connected ways?

Fraser’s answer is yes — when pathways, experiences, partnerships, and accountability all work together.

YES

• because students move through a true continuum from awareness to exploration to training and preparation
• because Xello, EDPs, and 4-year plans make career goals visible and actionable
• because work-based learning, TEALS, manufacturing visits, and dual enrollment connect school to real opportunities
• because advisory committees and state reporting keep the system current, relevant, and accountable

The move for principals: if you want stronger postsecondary readiness, make the pathway visible early, connect it to real experiences, and keep partnerships active.

Principal takeaway: A career-connected district creates four things at once:

Enrollment trend across CTE clusters

Creates pathways

clear sequence from K–12

Creates exposure

real mentors and workplaces

Creates partnerships

college and industry connections

Creates accountability

data, completion goals, and advisory feedback

Programs across Fraser CTE

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Contact

Continue the conversation about systems design, school safety, and secondary school improvement.

Ryan D. Sines, Ed.S

Fraser High School Principal

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Ryan.Sines@FraserK12.org

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Fraser High School | Presenter contact

Fraser High School

Connect with Ryan Sines

Principal leadership, systems redesign, school culture, and student support

Ryan.Sines@FraserK12.org

Phone: 586-439 7295

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