Building Safe and Supportive Schools: Measuring and Promoting Conditions for Learning and School Success David Osher George Washington University

Bottom Line: Key Components of Safe & Successful Schools  Academic Press  Support For Students And Faculty To Meet High Academic And Behavioral Standards  Strong Conditions For Learning And Teaching  Relational Trust  Sense Of Efficacy & Accountability For All Students  Effective Collaboration & Coordination Between And Among All Stakeholders  Continuous Quality Improvement (A “Problem Solving Approach”)  3-level Approach To Promotion, Prevention And Intervention

Thought Question: Is it the Fish or it the Water? Is the Problem  The Disruptive Student?  The School Environment?  The Community Environment?  Some Combination Of The Above?  All Of The Above? Adapted from: Beth Doll, University of Nebraska

Community School Family Teachers Friends Classroom Student Where to Intervene?

Schools as Risk & Protective Factors in the Lives of Students

Students who are At Risk are particularly susceptible to:  Low Teacher Efficacy  Low Teacher Support  Negative Peer Relationships  Chaotic Environments  Poor Instructional And Behavioral Practices

Work at Three Levels Provide Individualized Intensive Supports Provide coordinated, intensive, sustained, culturally competent, individualized, child- and family- driven and focused services and supports that address needs while building assets. Intervene Early & Provide Focused Youth Development Activities Implement strategies and provide supports that address risk factors and build protective factors for students at risk for severe academic or behavioral difficulties. Build a Schoolwide Foundation Universal prevention and youth development approaches, caring school climate, positive and proactive approach to discipline, personalized instruction, cultural competence, and strong family involvement.

School as a Risk Factor  Alienation  Academic Frustration  Chaotic Transitions  Negative Relationships With Adults And Peers  Teasing, Bullying, Gangs  Poor Adult Role Modeling  Segregation With Antisocial Peers  School-driven Mobility &  Harsh Discipline, Suspension, Expulsion, Push Out/Drop Out

Example of School Effects: Impact of 1 st Grade Teachers on Seventh Grade School Outcomes? The Impact of First Grade Teacher Capacity on 7 th Grade Behavior (Kellam, Ling, Merisca, Brown, & Ialongo, 1998)

School Effects: Other Examples  School Context Accounted For Much Or More Of The Variation Of Middle School Student’s Experience Of Emotional Distress Than Family Context (Resnick Et Al. 1997)  Teacher Support, Not Parents, Had The Greatest Impact On School And Class Interest (Wentzel, 1998)

School as a Protective Factor and as a Resilient Context  Connection  Academic Success  Supported Transitions  Positive Relationships With Adults And Peers  Caring Interactions  Social Emotional Learning  Positive Interactions With Pro- social (Not, Anti-social) Peers  Stability  Positive Approaches To Disciplinary Infractions &  Services And Supports

PATHS Universal Intervention End of First Grade (1 Year of Intervention) Children Who Receive PATHS Rate Their Classmates As Significantly Less Aggressive Than Do Children In Randomized Comparison Classes Fast Track Study – 378 Classrooms – 6715 children CPPRG, 1999 – Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

All Universal Interventions The Logic of Universal Intervention  Cannot Identify All Who Are At Risk  Children Affect Each Other  No Stigma  No Self-fulfilling Prophecies  No Homogenous Grouping  Per Child Cost Is Less  Provides A Foundation

Social Emotional Conditions for Learning Students are supported Meaningful connection to adults Strong bonds to school Positive peer relationships Effective and available support Students are supported Meaningful connection to adults Strong bonds to school Positive peer relationships Effective and available support Students are socially capable Emotionally intelligent and culturally competent Responsible and persistent Cooperative team players Contribute to school and community Students are socially capable Emotionally intelligent and culturally competent Responsible and persistent Cooperative team players Contribute to school and community Students are safe Physically safe Emotionally and socially safe Treated fairly and equitably Avoid risky behaviors School is safe and orderly Students are safe Physically safe Emotionally and socially safe Treated fairly and equitably Avoid risky behaviors School is safe and orderly Students are challenged High expectations Strong personal motivation School is connected to life goals Rigorous academic opportunities Students are challenged High expectations Strong personal motivation School is connected to life goals Rigorous academic opportunities

Social and Emotional Conditions for Teaching Teachers are supported Meaningful connection to each other Relational Trust Ongoing professional development & support Teachers are supported Meaningful connection to each other Relational Trust Ongoing professional development & support Teachers are socially capable Emotionally intelligent and culturally competent Responsible and persistent Cooperative team players Teachers are socially capable Emotionally intelligent and culturally competent Responsible and persistent Cooperative team players Teachers are safe Physically safe Emotionally and socially safe Treated fairly and equitably School is safe and orderly Teachers are safe Physically safe Emotionally and socially safe Treated fairly and equitably School is safe and orderly Teachers are challenged High expectations Strong personal motivation Their work is connected to life goals Focused academic professional development Teachers are challenged High expectations Strong personal motivation Their work is connected to life goals Focused academic professional development

 Connection  Attachment  Trust  Care  Respect  Connection  Attachment  Trust  Care  Respect Social Emotional Learning & Support Social Emotional Learning & Support Positive Behavioral Approaches & Supports Learning Supports  Effective Pedagogy  Engagement  Motivation Learning Supports  Effective Pedagogy  Engagement  Motivation Supporting Conditions for Learning 16

SafetySupportChallengeSEL All Some Few Conditions for Learning & Teaching Matrix for Needs Assessment, Asset Mapping, & Planning

Caring Communities Survey Conditions for Learning Survey CLASS Class Maps SYTE/AIR Monitoring System Where to Intervene, Monitor, and Support?

K Off Track On Track On Track to Thrive Say Yes to Education/AIR Monitoring System Pre-K

Safe and Respectful Climate  Physical Safety  Little Or No Fighting, Bullying, Crime, Gang Presence, Or Substance Abuse

Safe and Respectful Climate  Emotional Safety  Climate Of Mutual Respect And Trust  Students Comfortable Taking Personal And Academic Risks

Middle School is the Worst Period 42.9 Source: Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2008; Kevin Jennings

Common response to Behavioral Problems  Pay more attention to problem behavior  Reduce Opportunities for Engagement – E.g. wait time  Increase Monitoring and Supervision  Restate rules & sanctions  Refer disruptive students to office  Suspend  Expel

The “Racial Safety Gap” at School Percentage of students responding “Neutral” or “No” to the question: “Do you feel safe at school?” Source: Springs, Iannotti, Nansel and Haynie 2007; Kevin Jennings

The Racial Discipline Disparity: Disproportionality in Suspension Rates SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, 2002, 2004, and Anne Gregory

Does Race Have an Impact? South Carolina School Crime Incident Report, Percentage of student population who are Black

Implications of Council of State Governments Texas Discipline Study (  Nearly 60 % suspended or expelled once in middle or high schools  ~15 percent were suspended or expelled 11 times or more  Only three percent of the disciplinary actions were for conduct in which state law mandated suspensions and expulsions  The rest were made at the discretion of school officials primarily in response to violations of local schools’ conduct codes.

Implications of Council of State Governments Texas Discipline Study (  African-American students and those with EBD were disproportionately disciplined for discretionary actions.  Schools that had similar characteristics, including the racial composition and economic status of the student body, varied greatly in how frequently they suspended or expelled students.

Bullying: Some Success, But Nothing to Write Home About Campbell Collaboration Meta-analysis of 44 program evaluations (Farrington & Ttofi, 2010)  Overall programs are effective  Bullying decreased by 20-23%  Victimization decreased by 17-20%  Programs worked better: – In Norway – With older children

Does punishment “work”?  Sanctions such as office referrals or suspensions may appear to “work” in the short term – Removes student – Provides relief to teachers or administrators

Problems with Overreliance on Punishment  Detrimental effects on teacher-student relations  Modeling: undesirable problem solving  Reduced motivation to maintain self-control  Generates student anger  May result in more problems (Mayer, 1991)  Truancy, dropout, vandalism, aggression  Does not teach: Weakens academic achievement  Limited long term effect on behavior

32 How Can We – Help students accept responsibility? – Place high value on academic engagement and achievement? – Teach alternative ways to behave? – Focus on restoring the environment and social relationships in the school?

Approaches that Appear to Work in Particular Contexts  Academic Engagement  Positive Behavioral Supports  Community Building Approaches  Social Emotional Learning  Restorative Justice  Some Combination of the Above

Important Ingredients  Cultural and Linguistic Competency  Developmentally Appropriate  Youth Voice and Youth Drivineness  Ecological  Data Informed  Quality of Support and Implementation

Foundation PBIS & SEL

Example: School Wide PBS  Can in appropriate situations: – Reduce problem behavior – Increase academic performance – Improve perception of school safety – Reduce teacher stress 36

Experimental Studies of SEL Programs  PATHS – Increased self-control, use of social problem-solving & conflict resolution, decreased conduct problems  Second Step – Decreased antisocial behavior, resulted in fewer negative behaviors in the classroom, lunchroom, and playground  Steps to Respect – Reduced acceptance of bullying, promoted responsibility to help others with bullying problems, more positive social interactions (did not actually reduce bullying overall)  Caring School Communities (formerly the Child Development Project) – Promoted social problem-solving and conflict resolution, democratic values, consideration of others’ needs, and sense of community. Increased spontaneous prosocial behavior and supportive, friendly and helpful behavior; reduced drug and alcohol use

Combining SEL and SW PBS (PBIS & Second Step) Academics Implementation Support Systems -Fidelity -Funding -Teacher Wellbeing Prevention/SEL Behavior Management

Social & Emotional Skills

Social Emotional Learning  Understand and Manage Emotions  Understand and Manage Relationships  Make Responsible Decisions

Social and Emotional Learning  Work Well With Others  Cooperate As Team Players

Social and Emotional Learning  Solve Problems With Persistence And Creativity  Set And Work Toward Goals  Make Responsible Decisions In Academic And Social Settings  Recognize And Manage Emotions

Student Support  Teachers Establish A Connection With Students  Teachers Provide Extra Help When Students Are Having Trouble Understanding Material  Teachers Engage Students In The Learning Process

Headlines from One Comprehensive Review of “Students Need for Belonging in the School Community (Osterman, Review of Educational Research, 2000)  Positive Relationships With Staff And Peers Associated With: – Intrinsic Motivation – Accept Others Authority While Developing A Strong Sense Of Identity – Experience Autonomy – Accept Responsibility To Regulate Their Own Emotions  Experience Of Acceptance Associated With: – Positive Orientation To School, Class Work, & Teachers  Dropouts Feel Estranged From Teachers And Peers  Belonging ->Engagement ->Achievement

Some More Headlines  Adolescent perceptions of connections with teachers predicted academic growth in Mathematics (Gregory & Weinstein, 2004)  Students were more likely to perform well on tests when they believe that their teachers care about them (Muller, 2001; Ryan & Patrick, 2001)  Teachers who had high-quality relationships with their students had 31% fewer discipline problems, rule violations, and related problems over a year’s time than did teachers who lacked high-quality relationships with their students (Waters, Marzano, & McNulty, 2003)

Students for Feel Connected are:  Less Likely To Use Alcohol Or Substances  Experience Less Emotional Distress  Attempt Suicide Less  Engage In Less Deviant And Violent Behavior  School Connectedness The Only School- related Variable That Was Protective For Every Single Outcome National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (ADD Health)

Scatter plot: Support (f) Size

Emotional Safety (f) Enrollment

Middle Schools  HOW STUDENTS, FACULTY, ADMINISTRATORS AND PARENTS EXPERIENCE THE SCHOOL  SENSE OF EFFICACY  STAGE ENVIROMENTAL FIT

The Middle School Problem TEACHERS: 7 th grade math compared to 6 th grade  believed students needed to be disciplined and controlled significantly more  rated students as significantly less trustworthy  felt significantly less efficacious

The Middle School Problem II  Teachers as less supportive, friendly, and fair than sixth-grade  An increase, in: – between classroom ability grouping, – whole-class instruction, – and social comparison of grades,

Programs that Develop and Support Relationships  Caring School Communities  Responsive Classroom  Open Circle  Tribes

Foundation Appropriate & Engaging Curricula, Teaching, Learning Environments

Academic Challenge  School Courses And Lessons Are Challenging To Students  School Staff Provide Academic Support To All Students

Actions for Learning and Teaching Supports Students  Formative assessment; progress monitoring; curriculum-based assessment  Service learning  Experiential learning  Class Wide Peer Tutoring Teachers  Focused professional development  Administrative support for teacher learning communities  Consultation and mentoring 56

Academic Challenge  Students Are Expected To Work Hard To Learn  Students Are Interested In What They Are Learning  Students Are Not Bored By Their Classes

Students ConditionsCapacitiesBehaviors Connections, belonging, caring, and respect Social emotional learning Emotional and physical safety Positive behavioral supports Academic motivation, engagement, and support Cultural and linguistic responsiveness Care for others and develop positive relationships Manage their emotions and relationships Embrace opportunities for learning Be academically competent Take responsibility for their learning, attend and participate in class, and complete assignments Exhibit conduct appropriate for school (emotionally intelligent and culturally competent) Persist through academic and social challenges Perform to their academic ability, complete school, and continue their education Be socially responsible and contribute to their schools and community

Families ConditionsCapacitiesBehaviors Welcoming culturally competent school Respect Value as an expert on their children Safety and trust Accurate, helpful, and timely information about their children and the school Opportunities for learning and personnel growth Support to participate in school functions and activities Collaborate with teachers Understand the culture of the school and its expectations Know their rights and responsibilities Speak and/or write fluently in English or another language Value education and learning and have high expectations for their children Meaningfully participate in meetings Attend and support school functions Support their child’s learning at home Communicate effectively with teachers and school staff Encourage their child to excel academically and have high aspirations for their future

Teachers ConditionsCapacitiesBehaviors Connections, belonging, caring, and respect Emotional and physical safety Motivation and engagement Professional development Consultations and coaching Support for teaming and collaborating with families Organizational efficacy Relational trust Instructional leadership Culturally competent environment Manageable class size Accept responsibility for student learning and outcomes Mastery of the subject matter Accommodate individual student needs Can control and regulate own emotions Collaborate with colleagues and families Continuously improve their own practice Deliver a rigorous and developmentally appropriate curriculum Deploy classroom resources to best support individual student learning Create a collaborative classroom learning community Provide constructive feedback to students Personalize learning and differentiate instruction Create an orderly, respectful, and inclusive learning environment

Building & System Administrators Conditions Capacities Behaviors Community and school board support Access to coaching Authority to manage school budget Authority to hire and fire teachers and staff Accountable to community, families, teachers, students, and staff Safety to experiment (within reasonable limits) Sufficient time to realize change Believe schools can be successful for all students Reliability and consistency Make expectations clear Lead with vision, focus, and emotional intelligence Provide positive support Facilitate collaboration Establish mutual accountability Cultural competence Analytical thinking Create a collaborative culture that leaves no child behind Provide strategic leadership in the school and community Create a “problem solving culture” Support professional learning and provide constructive feedback to staff Demonstrate empathy and respect for students, staff, and families Respect and respond to the cultures of the school and community

SUMMARY: Conditions for a Positive School Environment  Challenging and engaging curriculum  SEL concepts intentionally infused throughout the regular academic curriculum  Active and experiential learning  Opportunities for participation, collaboration, and service  Safe, supportive learning community with respectful relationships and trust  Involvement of families and surrounding community

Fragmented, Quick, And Incomplete Measurement Can Yield Partial And Distorted Views Of Reality David Osher Need Regular Measurement/Monitoring of Youth Development and of School and Community Safety