Supporting Students in Trauma USBA September 15, 2017 Supporting Students in Trauma

Executive Director of Instructional Leadership: Ogden School District Sarah Roberts A bit about my background: childhood, mom, equity/access, admin AND THE LOTUS FLOWER

The Challenge of “Making One Year’s Growth” Trauma in Schools The Challenge of “Making One Year’s Growth” Two person academic privilege walk: Both starting first grade One: attended half day kindergarten Two: attended full day kindergarten One: starting first grade Two: starting first grade One: single parent home Two: single parent home One: on DIBELS moderate risk; teacher sets goal for student to make one year’s growth Two: on DIBELS low risk; teacher sets goal for student to make one year’s growth One: mom and grandma read at home Two: no books in the house One: participates in community learning like church groups, neighborhood clubs, etc. Two: mom just had to take a second job One: got chicken pox and had to miss two weeks of school Two: kicked out of home and had to move out over the weekend; staying in a shelter for two weeks One: read and watched educational programs while sick Two: was abused in the shelter by an older boy and doesn’t report it One: returns to school and wants to do show and tell on new journal Two: becomes withdrawn, missing a few days of school Winter break… One: stays home and bakes cookies and notes for the neighbors, attends holiday events in the community Two: stays home and babysits her two your old brother while mom works, the landlord finds out and reports mom; mom is forced to leave work and loses her day job One: DIBELS low risk Two: DIBELS high risk One: excited by data binder goes home and mom and grandma celebrate and buy a used tablet … Two: goes home upset, antagonizes little brother and gets sent to bed without dinner

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) physical abuse sexual abuse emotional abuse physical neglect emotional neglect mother treated violently substance abuse in the home household mental illness parental separation and divorces incarcerated family member Kaiser Permanente Study of more than 9500 adults in the mid-1990’s, Felitti, et al. 1998

Additional ACE Factors Finkelhor 2012 Peer rejection Peer victimization Community violence exposure School performance Socioeconomic status

The Impact and Opportunity to Intervene Early Death Disease, Disability, & Sexual Problems Adoption of Health-Risk Behaviors Social, Emotional, and Cognitive Impairment Disrupted Neurodevelopment Adverse Childhood Experiences Felitti, et al. 1998

Creating Resiliency 1. Competence 2. Confidence 3. Connection 4. Character 5. Contribution 6. Coping 7. Control Competence Confidence

What Can You Do? Know Support It’s not about you. Work with experts. The student is always worried about what will happen next. You cannot judge trauma. Trauma can arise from many sources. Stress negatively impacts learning. Work with experts. Create predictable routines. Acknowledge and build on strengths. Allow time-outs. Be present. Take care of yourself. Link to SD principal talking about trauma informed schools.

What More Can You Do? Know your community. Seek out experts and connect them to your schools. Invest in school-based mental health services. Invest in Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. Create trauma informed policies and procedures .

Policies to Consider Become expert in McKinney Vento guidance and ensure a responsive policy for homeless youth and unaccompanied minors. Do enrollment policies allow smooth and short transitions for students in trauma? Do Home/Hospital policies have guidance for addressing mental health or just physical health? Are behavior policies built on a foundation of the Least Restrictive Behavior Intervention and recommended restorative justice practices? Do you have a system for training front office and classroom staff on what to watch for and how to support students in trauma?

It’s your time: Questions, Comments? ?

For More Information: robertss@ogdensd.org