After the 2020 school shutdown and Hurricane Ida, Tangipahoa Parish School District (TPSS) in Louisiana knew it had to do more than manage behavior—it had to rebuild culture. Across 32 schools, leaders named Culture as one of their three “big rocks,” defining it not by slogans, but by how people “actually behave repeatedly and habitually.” The challenge: move from punitive, reactive discipline to a clear, consistent, and proactive approach to teaching the skills students need to succeed.
In 2022, TPSS partnered with CharacterStrong to implement a consistent Tier 1 curriculum and launched dedicated Well-Being Coaches to drive long-term change. With a four-year implementation plan, schools integrated CharacterStrong into the fabric of the school day, treated it as “the plate” rather than one more thing on the plate, and used fidelity checks and data deep dives to guide action. The result has been a districtwide culture shift—reduced discipline referrals, academic gains, and improved adult well-being and sense of belonging.
Explore the full Tangipahoa Parish case study to see how a patient, systemic Tier 1 approach enhanced school culture and staff experience—and what a similar roadmap could look like in your district.