University of Kentucky Moving Beyond What We Know: Risk and Resilience Factors and the Development of EBD Christine Christle Kristine Jolivette C. Michael Nelson University of Kentucky Terrance M. Scott University of Florida

Dismal Futures for Students with EBD Difficulty maintaining jobs Only 44% had jobs 3 - 5 years after leaving school (McLaughlin, Leone, Warren, & Schofield, 1994) Criminal Activity 1/5 of students with EBD arrested while in school 58% arrested 5 years after school 73% of EBD drop outs arrested within 5 years of leaving school (Chesapeake Institute, 1994)

Risk and Resilience Risk: conditions or situations that are empirically related to particular outcomes (Reddy et al., 2001) Resilience: a characteristic that allows a person to make appropriate behavioral choices in the presence of multiple risk factors (Finley, 1994)

Risk and Resilience Operate through complex interactions across life domains Individual Family School Peer groups Community

Individual Factors RISK RESILIENCE Early intervention Cognitive deficits Reading readiness Following directions Vocabulary Social skills RESILIENCE Early intervention Cognitive skills training Parent training Preschool programs High/Scope Perry Preschool Program

Family Factors RISK RESILIENCE Poor Parenting Skills Neglect Harsh - Abusive Rejection Substance abuse, crime Child Malnutrition Aggression Emotional problems RESILIENCE Prenatal parent training Home visitation by nurses Teach child Health and self care skills Emotional coping strategies (Patterson et al, 1998; Walker et al, 1991)

Family Factors RISK RESILIENCE Poverty Best predictor of behavioral deviation (Scott & Nelson, 1999) Best predictor of school failure RESILIENCE Link families to needed services Medical Social Services Employment Teach educators about poverty (Payne, 1998) Adolescent Motherhood: Implications for the Juvenile Justice System. The sons of adolescent mothers are 2.7 times more likely to be incarcerated than the sons of mothers who delay childbearing until their early 20's. children born to adolescent mothers were found to be twice as likely to be victims of abuse and neglect than children born to 20- or 21-year-old mothers. "Abuse and Neglect: Effects of Early Childbearing on Abuse and Neglect of the Children" (George and Lee, forthcoming, in Kids Having Kids: Economic Costs and Social Consequences of Teen Pregnancy) Series: OJJDP Published:January 1997 U.S. Dept. of Justice Office of Justice Programs Office of Juvenile Delinquency and Prevention Shay Bilchik, Administrator Fact Sheet #50 http://www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles/fs9750.txt Prevention of adolescent pregnancy is clearly a valuable first step in helping to reduce juvenile violence and victimization. OJJDP's Guide for Implementing the Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders Poverty: Negatively effects the lives of children regardless of race or ethnicity Best predictor of school failure The number of extremely poor children in single-mother families jumped by 26 percent from 1996 to 1997($6,401 a year for a three-person family) CDF's analyses of data from the Census Bureau's annual Current Population Survey. Of prison inmates between 15 & 19 years of age, 90% are products of an adolescent pregnancy. [14]   Of the top ten disciplinary problems confronting public school teachers, pregnancy is third.

(Wehby et al. 1996; Shores et al. 1996) School Factors RISK Low school involvement Failure cycle Academics difficult Student escapes Teacher avoids RESILIENCE Include students in policy decisions Match instruction to level of ability Facilitate success Effective academic instruction Effective behavior management Students with negative behaviors receive less academic instruction and more punitive consequences than peers (Wehby et al. 1996; Shores et al. 1996) Academic problems foster behavior problems (Maguin & Loeber, 1996) Children from low income families are far more likely to have print related deficits (Adams, 1988),lower vocabulary skills, and lack of familiarity with following directions (Hart & Risley, 1995) higher rates of negative interactions with school personnel regardless of their behavior higher rates of punitive consequences than their peers this tends to make behaviors worse lower rates academic engaged time with teacher perpetuates cycle of problem behavior Reactive disciplinary approach Lack of teaching about rules, expectations, & consequences Lack of staff consistency Failure to consider and accommodate individual student differences Academic failure (Mayer, 1995; Sugai & Lewis, 1998; Walker, Colvin, & Ramsey, 1996) From 1974 to 1998 suspension/expulsion rates went from 3.7% to 6.8% Suspended youth are far more likely to drop out and become delinquent (Justice Policy Institute, 2001) From 8 AM - 3 PM, students with challenging behaviors fail 7 of every 10 academic trials Nearly half of third graders in New York’s high minority public schools cannot read at all (1996) Identified poor readers at fourth grade have a .88 probability of remaining a poor reader forever (Adams, 1988) 82% of all crimes are committed by people who have dropped out of school (APA Commission on Youth Violence, 1993) Three years after leaving school, 70% of antisocial youth have been arrested (Walker, Colvin, & Ramsey, 1995) Students with academic failure and problem behaviors are far more likely to: drop out of school be involved with the corrections system be single parents be involved with the social services system be unemployed be involved in automobile accidents use illicit drugs

School Factors RISK RESILIENCE Less academics Truancy Suspension Expulsion Dropping out RESILIENCE Increase active participation Meaningful instruction Alternative programs Involve parents From 1974 to 1998 suspension/expulsion rates went from 3.7% to 6.8% Suspended youth are far more likely to drop out and become delinquent (Justice Policy Institute, 2001) From 8 AM - 3 PM, students with challenging behaviors fail 7 of every 10 academic trials Nearly half of third graders in New York’s high minority public schools cannot read at all (1996) Identified poor readers at fourth grade have a .88 probability of remaining a poor reader forever (Adams, 1988) 82% of all crimes are committed by people who have dropped out of school (APA Commission on Youth Violence, 1993) Three years after leaving school, 70% of antisocial youth have been arrested (Walker, Colvin, & Ramsey, 1995) Students with academic failure and problem behaviors are far more likely to: drop out of school be involved with the corrections system be single parents be involved with the social services system be unemployed be involved in automobile accidents use illicit drugs

Peer Factors RISK RESILIENCE Teach social skills Peer rejection Deviant peers Deviancy training Gang involvement RESILIENCE Teach social skills Facilitate prosocial groups Functional assessment Replace deviant and gang involvement (Farmer & Cadwallader, 2000; Henry, 2000)

Community Factors RISK RESILIENCE Media - TV Recreation Neighborhood disorganization Drugs Firearms RESILIENCE Monitor -Teach reflection After school programs Community mentors (BBBSA) School/Community links (SLP) Drug prevention programs LST MPP High levels of TV viewing – negatively effects children’s behavior extensive television viewing, regardless of the content, has been found to negatively affect children’s behavior (Kauffman, 2001) Exposure to media violence – related to development of violent behavior Violent video games – effective training for violence The number of minors in state prisons has more than doubled in the past 12 years, according to a study by the Justice Department

Present Study Hypothesis: There is a correlation between school poverty rate and academic outcomes. We can predict that a school with high poverty will have lower academic outcomes. #1: What academic variables or indicators separate effective schools that are at-risk due to poverty level compared to at-risk schools that are performing as expected? #2: What differences in behavioral variables or indicators, if any, exist between these two types of schools?

Present Study Sample: ~6 elementary schools 1-2 Sds below/above mean on CTBS Matched by county - target 3rd grade High county poverty & percentage of free/reduced lunch

Data Collection Survey: 32 questions - by administrator Topical Areas School-wide Expectations School Climate and Discipline Evaluation and Decision Making Suspension, Expulsion, and Referrals Unique Features of School Supporting Materials (to attach) School Handbook/Policies Schedules/Calendar 3rd grade Curricula

Data Collection On-Site Observations: - Classrooms Effective Practices Transitions Academic foci Behavior management systems On-Site Interviews: -Teachers, staff Academic & behavioral expectations Remedial plans/decision making process School climate Collaboration and partnerships

Data Collection On-Site Observations: - School-wide Hallways Lunchroom w/transitions Common areas Physical surroundings Staffing ratios Expectations & rules Materials & supplies Behavior management Behavioral incidents

Discussion What other variables should be observed? Poverty is a salient variable that can negatively affect academic achievement - what other variables have similar effects? Are schools that are academically effective also more behaviorally effective - what variables separate these two groups (discipline data; special education referral, truancy, drop out, or retention rates)? What is the relationship between school effectiveness/safety and the community?