BUILDING CAPACITY. in Military Connected Schools

Transcription

1 BUILDING CAPACITY in Military Connected Schools Building Capacity Partnership Consortium Fallbrook Elementary School District Fallbrook High School District Escondido Elementary School District Escondido High School District Chula Vista Elementary School District Temecula Valley Unified School District Oceanside Unified School District Bonsall Union School District University of Southern California (USC) Building Capacity is funded by the Department of Defense Education Activity #HE ( ) DoD/USDA Conference, Chicago, IL April 27,2011

2 Presenters Ron Avi Astor, Ph.D. University of Southern California Kris De Pedro, Ed.M. University of Southern California Hazel Atuel, Ph.D. University of Southern California Diana Pineda, M.H.A., M.S.W University of Southern California

3 Overview Where? Eight San Diego and Riverside County public school districts. Thank you to all the parents, teachers, students, universities, school liaison officers, NGO s, DoDEA, and many others. When? and future replication nationally. Who? Approximately 140 military-connected schools, USC, and local partners. What? Create sustainable and replicable infrastructures for data-driven models of responsive and supportive schools. Why? Schools are empowered to use evidence to improve school climate for military students. How? Creation of data-driven infrastructures at the district and school levels.

4 Agenda 1. The Vision Sustainable, replicable, unique to each school site. 2. The Process and Tools Leveraging on existing resources and making them more effective. 3. Current Mapping of Resources and Outcomes Recent feedback from stakeholders.

5 THE VISION

6 Monitoring school climate and safety National monitoring system of 3,000 schools in Israel. During this 10-year period, Israel has seen dramatic regional drops of over 25-40% (depending on the at-risk behavior) in their school risk rates with many individual schools boasting much higher rates of school based risk reduction.

7 From Military Parents: I ve met educators and administrators in many instances. They re oblivious to what really goes on. They don t understand how having a dad or mom constantly gone can affect a child at school. My child s school does a great job at responding to my child s needs. When my spouse is deployed, teachers and other school staff know what to say and what to do to make them stronger and more resilient.

8 From Stakeholders in Building Capacity: These children, much like their parents, have an attitude of independence, a very American value. But they deal with great challenges, and need a supportive school environment. Someone has to let that child know that he or she is cared for. The teachers at my school placement help out with sending care packages, writing letters, and other communication to deployed parents. It s focusing on the positive aspects of being away from home and of maintaining those family relationships.

9 From Researchers: Studies on military children are preoccupied with negative psychological outcomes. More research that examines both the positive and negative characteristics of military children is needed. Also, more studies on evidencebased practices for military children in public schools need to be conducted.

10 Military SW Intern in Action: v=11tw7a9bjdq

11 THE PROCESS

12 External Risk and Protective Issues Organizational Variables School Climate Outcomes Sense of Purpose Serving Country Coping with Parental Separation Resilience Gained from Multiple Relocations Fiscal Concerns Deployment Cycle Parent/Teacher Relationships School Mission Mental Health Services Class Size Special Education Services Teacher Education/ Quality A supportive school climate in military connected schools through interventions with 1. Principals 2. Teachers 3. Students 4. Parents 5. MSW interns 6. Pupil service personnel 7. Partnerships with military related nonprofit organizations and community supports. Social Emotional Outcomes Academic Outcomes Stress from Parental Death and Injury Administrative Capacity USC Training and Research

13 MSW Training USC Master of Social Work (MSW) program Cadre of 30 MSW interns placed in military connected schools. Professional Development Creation of military social work curriculum Website Media Strategy Newsletter

14 CHKS California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS). Survey link: Administered to elementary and secondary students in all 10,000 California school districts for over 20 years. California Department of Education (WestEd administers the survey on CDE behalf) and USC collaboration. Prototypes for parents, teachers, principals and superintendents on how to use the multiple voices of parents, teacher, students at each school site.

15 CHKS Modules Table E3. Example of Modules of the California Healthy Kids Survey High School Topics Questions Module A: Core 1. Background Info Questions A3-A10 2. Physical Health & Eating Habits Questions A11-A21 3. Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana, & Other Drug Questions A22-A66 Use 4. Violence, Safety, Harassment & Bullying Questions A67-A93 5. Height & Weight Module B: Resilience & Youth Development 1. Perceptions about School Questions B1-B14 2. Outside of School or Home Questions B15-B23 3. Self Perception Questions B24-B41 4. Friends Questions B42-B47 5. Home Questions B48-B56 Module C: Alcohol/Drug Use, Violence & Safety 1. Substance Use Questions C1-C22 2. Violence & Safety Questions C23-C37 Module D: Tobacco Use 1. Cigarette Use Questions D1-D8 2. Quitting Use Questions D School Education Questions D13-D14 4. Likeliness Questions D15-D16 5. Smoking Perceptions Questions D17-D24 Module E: Physical Health 1. Physical Activity, Diet, and General Health Questions E1-23 Module F: Sexual Behavior 1. Sexual knowledge, Opinions, and Behavior Questions F1-F19 Module G: Santa Clara 1. Alcohol, drugs, and safety Questions G1-G7 2. Suicidal Behaviors Questions G8-G11 3. Physical Activity, Diet, and General Health Questions G12-G27 4. Sexual Behavior Questions G28-G35 5. Tobacco Questions G36-G40 Module G: Santa Rosa Safety 1. After School Activities Questions G1-G16 2. Neighborhood and Other People Questions G17-G53 Module G: 21 st Century 1. After School Activities Questions G1-G3 2. After School Programs Questions G4-G5 Module G: Gang Risk Assessment 1. After School Activities Questions G1-G16 2. Neighborhood and Other People Questions G17-G53

16 Military Module Military Connected School Module Elementary and Secondary. English and Spanish versions. Students, parents, school staff. Administered every two years. First administration from February to April

17 C A L I F O R N I A!"#$%!&'()*+ S U R V E Y Module G Here are some questions about you, your family, and the military. You will be able to answer all of the questions even if no one in your family is in the military. Please mark your answers in Section G on the back side of your answer sheet. G1. Do you have someone in your family (like a parent, grandparent, brother, sister) who is currently in the military (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, National Guard, or Reserves)? A) No B) Yes C) Don t know G2. Who in your family is currently in the military (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, National Guard, or Reserves)? (You can mark more than one answer if you have more than one family member in the military.) A) No one in my family is in the D) Brother or sister

18 The views of students (along with parents and teachers) will be used to assess their collective needs and link each school and grade level to community based programs, Military School Liaison Officer programs, and to evidence-based programs. CHKS Results Military Module and CHKS student survey results coming out in June to each Consortium school and district. These are the 32,000 plus collective voices of military and non military students (representing a total of 117,000 students and their parents).

19 Stakeholder Communication Tools Principal Feedback loop District Personnel Feedback loop Field Instructor Feedback loop Student Self Skill Assessments Student Activity Reports on School Grounds Remarkable programs we can learn from

20 Interventions Evidence-based practices Home grown practices (go and observe them and share with others) Principal feedback indicate a need to address the following issues: Bullying, threat assessment, and school safety. Transitions in and out of school. Military celebrations and cultural issues school-wide.

21 Resource Guides Guides created by the Navy School Liaison Officers, plus other programs by military school liaisons and organizations Existing resource guides School Safety (e.g. Dr. Marleen Wong) Threat Assessments Crisis Interventions Resources guides about military children Teachers Parents Principals

22 Preliminary Outcomes

23 MSW Students (Sept-Dec 2010) Activity Number of Hours Number of Students or Number of Events Meet with Individual Students Social and Behavioral Assessment Meet with Student Groups Meet with Families Program Development Team Meetings Planning and Conducting School Events In-Service Training IEP and Special Education Meetings Meet with Groups of Families 20 2 Home Visits 8 10 CHKS-Related Activities 1 1 TOTAL

24 MSW Students (Sept-Dec 2010) Topic Hours Spent on this Topic % of USC Interns engaged in this Topic Academic Struggles % Bullying % Peer Supports % Suspension/Expulsion % School Connectedness/Climate % Alternative School Programs % Conduct Issues % Parental Supports % Attendance/Truancy % After School Supports % Special Education % Child Abuse/Neglect % PTSD/Depression % Death % SED or EI Related % Discrimination/Prejudice % Cultural/Diversity Education % Substance Use Related %

25 Principal Survey (Sept.- Dec.2010): Educa;onal Philosophy Educational Philosophy % Military students have special needs and circumstances and therefore need programs and activities that focus on them Military students have special needs and circumstances, They should be included in programs that target other students as well Military students should not be seen as a distinct group and each student should be evaluated individually and referred to the programs and resources appropriate for him/her. 29.9% 44.5% 24.1%

26 Principal Survey (Sept.- Dec.2010): Educa;onal Philosophy School Focus % Our school does not have military students or so few that no such activities are carried out Our school does not have many military students but has activities, ceremonies and rituals that especially focus on military celebrations and pride. Our school does have military students but does not focus on military students and does not carry out special activities focusing on military students Our school does have military students and has activities, ceremonies and rituals that especially focus on military students and families. 29.9% 9.5% 38.7% 21.2%

27 Principal Survey (Sept.- Dec.2010): Educa;onal Philosophy School Ac(vi(es % Celebra;ng military related events such as Memorial Day, Veterans Day, V- Day, etc. 53.3% Presenta;ons by military personnel and military parents 29.2% Ceremonies and ac;vi;es to honor the fallen or those currently serving 24.1% School- wide celebra;ons of events, such as the Marines birthday 19.0% Encouraging students to create artwork and murals related to military life and families 16.1% Academic tutoring or college advisement to help military students 11.7% Special arrangements to deal with transi;ons of military students to and from your school 10.2% Ac;vi;es that acknowledge deployment or re- entry of parents 10.2% Peer support, buddy system or a Big Brother/Big Sister program for military students 9.5% Facilita;ng academic transfers for transi;oning military students 8.8% Special ac;vi;es to promote school involvement of deployed parents 8.0% An orienta;on day focusing on military parents and students 2.2%

28 Principal Survey (Sept.- Dec.2010): Educa;onal Philosophy Specific Programs for Military Students % No programs are focused on military students as a group. 77.4% We have made some adjustments in our programs to address the circumstances and needs of military students. We have programs and activities which focus on military students. 11.7% 7.3%

29 Principal Survey (Sept.- Dec.2010): Educa;onal Philosophy Additional Training Making better use of the California Healthy Kids data 84.6% Increasing parental involvement 79.3% Identifying community resources 77.8% Help dealing with military students and families 74.2% A Need/A Major Need Improving school safety 63.5%

30 Next Steps Workshops and Seminars School Safety, Bullying Threat Assessment PTSD issues Academic Tutoring University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego) San Diego State University (SDSU) MSW Placements Addition of SDSU students (Social Work, Psychology, Counseling, up to 50 placements)

31 Next Steps Military Resources Transition Centers Mobile Vans, Family Readiness Express, Navy School Liaison Officers Focus training STEM online tutoring (USC, UCLA) Connections: Navy School Liaison Programming Guidebook Mega Event for Parents/Families and Educators

32 Next Steps Involving national universities in Integrating military connected schools into their pre-service training. Creating service learning programs in military connected schools. Integrating military connected schools into school reform research. Raising overall awareness within university communities about needs and strengths of military families and schools.

33 Next Steps Increase coverage from 30 to over 100+ schools. Parent summit Integrate military connected schools into national ESEA reauthorization and all 50 state tools. Connect with interstate compact issues

34 For more information Visit us at