1. School Climate Programs: Strategies and Challenges in Implementation
James Caldwell, M.Ed, LPC

2. Promoting Autonomy, Belonging, Competency
Intensive
Interventions
Three Tools of Comprehensive Bullying Prevention
Bullying Prevention
Policy/Program
School Climate
Promoting Autonomy, Belonging, Competency
Staff and Students develop a positive, trusting climate which promotes a caring, productive sense of Community
Dillon, J., (2012). No Place For Bullying: Leadership for Schools That Care for Every Student. Thousand Oaks, California. Sage Publications.

3. SCHOOL CLIMATE COMMITTEE
Staff & Students
Staff
Students
Parents
High School “The Bridge”
Elementary & Middle School Olweus Committee
Rachel’s Challenge
PAL’s
StuCo
Teen Leadership
Isolated/ Friendless Students
PTA/ PTO
One
Voice
La Visión
Watch D.O.G.S.
Clubs & Organizations
The School Climate Committee is made up of representatives from school groups, clubs and organizations.  These representatives are to include: One adult and two students (male/female) from each group/organization, at least one Assistant Principal and Counselor and be overseen by the Principal (or an appointed/elected staff member).  Students who feel isolated and friendless will also be encouraged to join the committee.
DECA
Athletics
Fine Arts
NHS

4. District Vision
The School Ambassadors, along with caring adults, will develop proactive strategies to create a learning community where:
peer mistreatment is not tolerated
bullying/Peer Mistreatment is not seen as “normal” behavior
we don’t blame the targets of students who are bullied/mistreated for their mistreatment
students are accepted regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, cultural background, physical appearance, socio-economic status or academic achievement
reporting peer abuse, potential self harm and other dangerous issues to adults is the norm
bystanders stand up in the face of injustice
healthy lifestyles and academic success are encouraged and expected by all
The goal is to produce a sense of community where all students feel safe, connected and valued.

5. Lacks Vision ------------------------------------------------Vision

6. “The power that individuals have to make a difference isn’t in working individually but in mobilizing people of like mind to come together as one”
- Ben Rattray
Founder/CEO change.org

7. Strategies to develop a more bullying prevention friendly mindset
Share statistics…especially from your own school
Link Academic success to Maslow’s Hierarchy
Change the language
Have students make presentations to the staff and peers
Have administrators who “get it” speak with the school staff and other administrators who don’t
Use strategies to help staff relate/empathize with the effects of bullying (especially experiential strategies)
Compare to parallels in their own life (ie. Feelings of injustice, how stress affects your ability to do your job, a time you felt left out, or give examples of how you can just suddenly change)
Think back on personal experiences with bullying

8. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
College
State Testing Grades
Capable
Connected
Cared For

9. Strategies to develop a more bullying prevention friendly mindset
Share statistics…especially from your own school
Link Academic success to Maslow’s Hierarchy
Change the language
Victim…………………………Student who was bullied
Bully……………………………Student who bullied
Incident is deserved………Incident is understandable
Sensitive……………………..Vulnerable
Tolerance…………………….Acceptance
Misbehavior………………...Misguided attempt at solving a problem
He had it coming…………..It’s going to be hard to
protect him when he does that

10. Strategies to develop a more bullying prevention friendly mindset
Share statistics…especially from your own school
Link academic success to Maslow’s Hierarchy
Change the language
Have students make presentations to the staff
Have administrators who “get it” speak with the school staff and other administrators who don’t
Use strategies to help staff relate/empathize with the effects of bullying (especially experiential strategies)
Compare to parallels in their own life (ie. Feelings of injustice, how stress affects your ability to do your job, a time you felt left out, or give examples of how you can just suddenly change)
Think back on personal experiences with bullying

11. Feeling Overwhelmed? I Love Lucy – Chocolate Factory
- Discuss things at work and home that stress you out
- Discuss how this stress affects your ability to do your work at school and your role at home as a mother/father/wife/husband, etc.
- Each person in the group describe something you do to manage stress

12. Strategies for Implementing Your Program District Wide
Obtain Administrative support
Meet with Bullying Prevention Site Coordinators and key stakeholders on a regular basis
Keep prevention efforts at the forefront by holding regular meetings with students and staff
Classroom Meetings
Staff Discussion Groups
Make it as easy to implement as possible
Combine prevention efforts and focus on connectedness

13. Combining Prevention Efforts
Many activities designed to prevent violence, bullying, and the abuse of alcohol and other drugs may also reduce suicide risk among students (Epstein & Spirito, 2009).
Programs that improve school climate and promote connectedness help reduce risk of
suicide, violence, bullying, and substance abuse (Resnick et al., 1997; Blum, McNeely, &
Rinehart, 2002).

14. Adolescents who feel connected to school have better academic outcomes and …
Enjoy school more
Better school attendance
Higher academic performance
Higher graduation rates
Source: Engaging Schools: Fostering High School Students’ Motivation to Learn, National Research Council , Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, 2004.

15. …and better health outcomes
Adolescents who feel connected to their school…
Have fewer behavioral problems
Are less likely to:
use drugs or alcohol
Bully or be bullied
self harm or have suicidal thoughts
exhibit disruptive or violent behavior or carry a weapon
engage in early sexual behavior
Are more likely to experience emotional health and well-being and have a commitment to do well/achieve (invest in school)
By high school 40-60% of students report feeling “disconnected” from their school (Klemm and Connell, 2004).

16. Strategies for Implementing Your Program District Wide
Obtain Administrative support
Meet with Bullying Prevention Site Coordinators and key stakeholders on a regular basis
Keep prevention efforts at the forefront by holding regular meetings with students and staff
Classroom Meetings
Staff Discussion Groups
Make it as easy to implement as possible
Combine prevention efforts and focus on connectedness
Advertise prevention efforts throughout the community
Use student leaders to assist in prevention efforts

17. “Be the change you wish to see in the world”
- Mahatma Ghandi

18. Bibliography
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. School Connectedness: Strategies for
Increasing Protective Factors Among Youth. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services; 2009.
Dillon, J., (2012). No Place For Bullying: Leadership for Schools That Care for Every Student. Thousand Oaks, California. Sage Publications
Engaging Schools: Fostering High School Students’ Motivation to Learn, National Research Council , Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, 2004.
Epstein JA, Spirito A, (2009). Risk Factors for suicidality among high school students. Jun;39(3): doi: /suli
Maslow, A. H. (1943). A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4),
Prochaska JO and DiClemente CC ( 1984 ). The Transtheoretical Approach: Towards a Systematic Eclectic Framework . Dow Jones Irwin , Homewood, IL, USA 
Rattray, Ben, (n.d.). [team member paragraph], retrieved from