Tennessee Succeeds: Early Literacy and Trauma-Informed Schools Dr. Candice McQueen Commissioner of Education

Tennessee’s Progress Literally Stands Out

We’ve Closed the Gap Between NAEP & TNReady

Our Policy Foundation Makes This Possible

Hi, I’m Laura Booker, Exec Director of Research Hi, I’m Laura Booker, Exec Director of Research. I’m also a proud graduate of TN schools from K-12. I’m here to share an overview of our latest reading report. Read to be Ready has focused attention on the need to improve literacy instruction at every grade level, especially in the early years. It has now been two years since the original call to action. The children who will be third graders in 2025 are infants taking their first steps (including my own daughter). We know that systematic change takes time, but we also recognize the urgency of this work. So we ask, where are we now when it comes to early grades literacy achievement and instruction? Where have we seen progress and where are our continued areas of challenge?

Why Read to be Ready? Tennessee has made tremendous gains in student performance over the past several years – except in reading. Only 1 out of 3 third graders are reading proficiently across the state. Students that are reading proficiently in third grade are 4x more likely to graduate from high school. Read to be Ready launched in 2015 with the goal of ensuring that 75% of third graders are reading proficiently by 2025.

What is Read to be Ready? A multi-faceted statewide campaign, including: Summer Camp Grant for grades 1-3 students that are not reading proficiently Coaching Network for K-3 teachers Content development and professional learning resources: Teaching Literacy in Tennessee for K-3 Unit Starters for K-3 connected to Science and Social Studies Professional Learning Packages for Elementary ELA Revised literacy expectations and support for Education Preparation Providers (EPPs) that prepare new teachers New pilot programs to support students in Pre-K and birth to age 3 programs

R2BR Summer Camps

Summer Grants for Camp Through support and partnership with Dollar General Literacy Foundation and TN Department of Human Services over $30 million has been invested in summer camps. The purpose of the grants is to fund summer camp programs that target low-income students who we know experience the greatest summer learning loss.  The goal is to develop a student’s love for reading over the summer months by providing them with access to a multitude of high-quality books at different levels and for different interests.

2018 Camps Successes For the third year in a row, students who participated in the program showed statistically significant gains in: reading comprehension accuracy skills motivation to read 7,700+ students participated in 2018 in over 250 summer camps in 116 districts an increase from 6,300 students in 2017 193,000+ high-quality books were provided to students about 25 books each 2,200+ teachers were trained to lead summer camps

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

What are ACEs? Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is the chronic childhood trauma that can disrupt a child’s brain-building process. ACEs are toxic to brain development and can compromise the brain’s structural integrity. Tennessee is committed to a statewide effort to promote a culture of change in early childhood that helps children build strong brains.

Goals of ACEs Initiative Increase the potential that every child born in TN has the opportunity to lead a healthy, productive life. Raise public knowledge about ACEs. Impact public policy in TN to support prevention of ACEs. Support innovative state and local projects to address ACEs and toxic stress in children. Develop common agenda across state government to advance child welfare and realign the juvenile justice system.

Building Strong Brains: Strategies for Educators Training program to empower educators to address adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in the classroom. Fundamental aspect of the department’s goal to provide support to educators to recognize and address ACEs and to promote resiliency. Funded by the Governor’s TN ACEs Initiative In 2017-18 over 7,000 educators in 43 school districts received Building Strong Brains training. Educators move from asking students “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened? And how can I help?” The department’s office of student support has developed a Building Strong Brains: Strategies for Educators training program to empower school leaders and teachers to address chronic childhood trauma, or what experts call adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), in the school and classroom. The Building Strong Brains: Strategies for Educators training program is a fundamental aspect of the department’s goal to provide support to school districts to recognize and address ACEs and to promote healing and resilience in order to help all students succeed in school and in life. From June 2017 to August 2018 over 7,000 educators from 43 school districts received training. In a survey to educators, the major take away was moving from Responding to Reacting to the behaviors exhibited by students affected by trauma. Educators moved from asking students “What is wrong with you?” to “What happened?” and “How can I help?” Funding is provided by the Governor’s TN ACEs Initiative for this training program.

Trauma-Informed Schools For 2018-19 the department received competitive applications from schools across the state to become model trauma- informed schools Over 150 applications received and 70 schools selected Schools agree to send a team of five persons to a three-day training, complete a needs assessment, and focus on staff self-care Schools receive high quality training, resources, and ongoing support as they implement trauma-informed practices 22 schools from the Middle TN area were selected The department’s office of student supports offered an opportunity for schools to become a model trauma-informed school. The opportunity was limited to a select number of schools based on a competitive application process. Selected schools will receive high quality training, resources, and ongoing support and recognition as they implement trauma-informed practices. When schools approach students through a trauma lens, they are better equipped to provide the educational and social and personal supports necessary to help students reach their unique potential. Training for the first cohort of schools selected begins the week of November 5. The department received applications from 150 schools representing all eight CORE regions. In the Mid-Cumberland region 12 schools were selected including 6 from MNPS. Upper Cumberland had 5 schools and South Central had 6 schools.   Trauma-informed practices help create a school environment that not only helps students but supports and empowers teachers in their daily interactions with students. Research shows the benefits of implementing trauma-informed approaches in schools include improved school climate, decrease in suspensions and expulsions, improved attendance, and an improved teacher sense of satisfaction and safety. School Commitments Becoming a trauma-informed school requires a willingness to commit to the following: Year One establish a team of two-five persons to attend a three-day train the trainer (dates/locations on the following page) to include educator, mental health professional (e.g., school counselor, school psychologist, social worker, school-based mental health professional), building level administrator, district level representative, and/or building level support staff; staff development time for team to deliver training to school faculty and staff; complete a trauma informed compassionate school assessment; participate in the department’s online school climate survey for students in grades 3-12, teachers, and families; include information about trauma-informed practices within existing parent engagement activities; and, participate in periodic community of practice calls led by the department.

What have we learned?

What have we learned? This work is complex and takes time. We must keep going. We need on-going support to meet critical needs.