1. Improving School Climates: A Special Focus on Including LGBT Children and Youth Renée Bradley, Ph.D. U.S. Office of Special Education Programs Jen Freeman, Ph.D. University of Connecticut 2015 PBIS Forum – Chicago

2. agenda Building and Maintaining a Positive and Supportive School Climate for ALL children Additional Supports and Practices to ensure LGBT sensitivity and inclusion in schoolwide Resources Safe Place Discussion

3. Who are we talking about? LGBT students Students of GLBT parents LGBT Faculty Family members of LGBT students Friends of LGBT students

4. Universal Targeted Intensive All Some Few Continuum of Support for ALL Dec 7, 2007

5. SYSTEMS PRACTICES DATA OUTCOMES Culturally Equitable Academic & Social Behavior Expectations Culturally Relevant & Effective Instruction Culturally Knowledgeable Staff Culturally Valid Information for Decisions

6. SECONDARY PREVENTION Team-led implementation w/ behavior expertise Increased social skills instruction, practice Increased supervision & precorrection Increased opportunities for reinforcement Continuous progress monitoring TERTIARY PREVENTION Multi-disciplinary team w/ behavior expertise Function-based behavior support Wraparound, culture-driven, person-centered supports & planning School mental health Continuous monitoring of progress & implementation fidelity Increased precorrection, supervision, reinforcement PRIMARY PREVENTION Team-led implementation Behavior priority Social behavior expectations SW & CW teaching & encouraging of expectations Consistency in responding to problem behavior Data-based decision making SECONDARY PREVENTION TERTIARY PREVENTION PRIMARY PREVENTION

7. Escalated Behaviors Victimization Fearfulness Substance and alcohol abuse Poor school outcomes and performance Acting out Depression Dangerous behaviors Truancy Dropout Fighting Suicide

8. LGBT challenges Rejection by family Rejection by peers Rejection by adults Prejudice and stereotypes – explicit and implicit bias Having to “come out” over and over

9. Incidents Signature Blocks and Invitations Family trees “That’s so Gay” “They don’t match”, “they aren’t a family” “which mom/dad is the real one”

10. HRC Human Rights Campaign-www.hrc.org Family Resources Time to Thrive Conference Welcoming Schools – Student questions – teachable moments – Lesson plans embracing family diversity – Grade level content

11. GLSN Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network-www.glsn.org Teacher Resources – LGBT – Transgender and non-conforming youth Statehouse to Schoolhouse National School Climate Survey Safe Space kits Think B4 You Speak

12. LGBT School Climate Supportive Educators Inclusive Curricular – Lesson plan Comprehensive anti-bullying

13. Discussion Questions Do your school plans address LGBT issues? What practices or tweaks can you make to current plans to better address these issues? What data tweaks can you make? What system tweaks can you make?