1. School Connectedness for Western Mass Substance Abuse Prevention Coalitions:
The National Center at EDC
Jennifer Kitson, Technical Assistance Specialist
September16, 2013

2. The National Center Provides: Customized TA services
A continuum of services that creates and sustains change
An integration of culturally competent support
An application of the most up-to-date research to practice 
A framework to leverage of existing resources
Jennifer to provide an overview of the National Center and briefly provide information about SAMHSA and Safe Schools Healthy Students

3. What is School Connectedness
CDC report
The belief by students that adults in the school care about –
Their learning
Them as individuals

4. What Does School Connectedness Have to Do with Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse Prevention with Youth?
Strong Protective Factor
Research suggests students who feel connected to school are:
more likely to engage in healthy behaviors
more likely to succeed academically

5. What Factors Increase School Connectedness?
Adult support
Belonging to a positive peer group
Commitment to Education
School environment

6. What Best Practice Strategies Foster School Connectedness?
Promote families, schools, and communities together to create an environment that facilitates healthy development of children and adolescents
Offer decision-making processes that engage students, families, and school staff
Actively involve families in their child’s academic and school life
Provide students with academic, social, and emotional skills allowing engagement in school

7. What Best Practice Strategies Foster School Connectedness? (Cont’)
Use effective classroom management and teaching to foster positive learning environment
Provide professional development to school staff that supports the diverse needs of their students
Create trusting and caring relationships to promote open communication and school, students, families and community

8. What Gets in the Way? Lack of Resources - Missing the right partners
Time
Leadership
Common vision
Shared commitment
Data
Training/professional development
Agreement on approach/procedures
Effective policies
Missing the right partners
System change is difficult and takes time

9. How can We Address Challenges to Effectively Achieve School Connectedness? A FEW TOOLS AND RESOURCE EXAMPLES
(go to Miriam’s ppt)

10. Why Focus on Implementation?
Implementation Gap
Why Focus on Implementation?
RESEARCH
IMPLEMENTATION
PRACTICE
GAP
“Children and families cannot benefit from interventions they do not experience.”

11. 2 - 4 Years Exploration Assess needs Examine fit and feasibility
Involve stakeholder
Operationalize model
Make decision
Installation
New services not yet delivered
Develop implementation supports
Make necessary structural and instrumental changes
Initial Implementation
Service delivery initiated
Data used to drive decision-making and continuous improvement
Rapid-cycle problem solving
Full Implementation
Skillful implementation
System and organizational changes institutionalized
Child and family outcomes measurable
(c) Dean Fixsen and Karen Blase, 2004

12. Improved Outcomes for Students
Effective Health Promotion and Violence Prevention Approaches
Performance Assessment (Fidelity)
Coaching
Systems
Intervention
Training
Facilitative
Administration
Competency Drivers
Organization Drivers
Integrated & Compensatory
There are two categories of Implementation Drivers: Competency and Organization.
When these core components are in place they provide the support to a successful implementation that will be sustained.
Competency Drivers are mechanisms that help to develop, improve, and sustain one’s ability to implement an intervention to benefit students. Competency Drivers include: Selection, Training, Coaching, and Performance Assessment
Organization Drivers are mechanisms to create and sustain hospitable organizational and systems environments for effective educational services. Organization Drivers include: Decision Support Data System, Facilitative Administration, and Systems Intervention
PD is not a panacea to address every problem
PD must be housed in a systems to support this effective practices resulting in successful sustainable student outcomes.
Selection
Decision Support Data System
Leadership
Adaptive
Technical
© Fixsen & Blase, 2008

13. PromotePrevent Resources/Tools
What is Being Done to Address this Issue?
Resource Mapping Tool
Where Does Our Work Intersect?
Systems Integration Tool
Positive School Discipline –
Website
Interactive Online Course
Team User Guide

14. Resources
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; National Center for School Engagement

15. Resources (cont’) Promote Prevent resources
3 Bold Steps
Positive School Discipline
Preventing Bullying
Information Sharing
PAX Good Behavior Game

16. Resources (cont’) National Implementation Research Network (NIRN)
Stages of Implementation – Implementation Science
Safe Supportive Learning
National School Climate Center

17. Q&A
Question and Answers.