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School Social Work NOW
Supporting Innovative Practice, Effective Leadership & Applied Research
October 2010 - Vol 1, Issue 4 |
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| Greetings! |
As we come to the close of October, Bullying Prevention Month, we know that more must be done to prevent and stop the bullying that occurs in schools across the country. School social workers, other school personnel, and parents have been witnesses to the devastation and hurt that students endure when they are bullied and harrassed, even to the point of suicide. In a study just released by the Josephson Institute of Ethics, half of 43,321 high school students from around the country say they bullied someone last year and nearly half say they were bullied themselves. This week the USDOE Office of Civil Rights issued a warning letter to schools and colleges nationwide explaining the many ways bullying surfaces and emphasizing the responsibilities of schools and higher education to stop these actions. Although the letter is sent as "guidance", it clearly states that bullying will not be tolerated any longer. A press release adds that the White House will hold a conference on bullying next year and that the USDOE will offer technical assistance workshops around the country to help school staff understand their roles and obligations and to offer resources. To read the full letter click here: US DOE "Dear Colleague" Letter on Bullying. Judith Shine, President
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| Activities & Membership Information | |
ACSSW is involved in a number of activities that are designed to advance the profession while examining and applying the field of research in relation to school social work. One of these is to develop a document on The Role of the School Social Worker. With the changing role of our profession it is essential to provide an updated description of the profession to those who might be interested or have a "need to know." ACSSW welcomes your help and suggestions.
ACSSW is also in the early stages of establishing a Center for School Social Work Research. This was the task assigned by participants of the June 2010 National School Social Work Research Summit. While other organizations have been invited to collaborate on these tasks, ACSSW believes that members have much to contribute to both projects. If you are interested in participating in either of these, just send an email to me: judie.shine@acssw.org.
Watch this newsletter and the ACSSW website in the near future for a Call for Proposals for the National School Social Work Research Summit to be held in late June. This is an opportunity to (1) learn about current research as applied to practice, (2) become familiar with research models you can apply in your setting and practice, and (3) showcase your projects to colleagues. Further details are pending.
If these sound exciting to you, please Join ACSSW today. Your support allows ACSSW to advance and enrich the profession. Persons who join by November 30th will enjoy special annual Charter Membership dues of $95 for each of 3 years with continuous membership. Regular dues are $110. Additionally, those who provide the names and email addresses of 5 colleagues will have a 15 month membership the first year rather than a 12 month membership.
ACSSW is also pleased to announce that graduate students may join for FREE and enjoy membership through May 2011. If you are a graduate student, if you supervise graduate students, or if you educate graduate students, please spread the word. There are no hidden fees.
Finally, if you visit the ACSSW website to Get Connected, you can register for emails and a monthly drawing of professional books or gifts. Get Connected today! |
| Practice Points |
 Two Evidence-Based Social Programs That Work
Check and Connect - Dropout Prevention Program
Randomized controlled trials show a sizable decrease in students' dropout rates, and increase in attendance and academic credits earned. Check and Connect is a dropout prevention program for high school students with learning, emotional, and/or behavioral disabilities. Students typically enter the program in 9th grade, and are assigned a "monitor" (e.g. a graduate student, special education teacher, or community member with experience in human services), who works with them year-round as a mentor, advisor, and service coordinator. For more, click here.
Good Behavior Game - Primary Grades Strategy for Decreasing Aggressive Behavior
Randomized controlled trials show major reductions in students' subsequent substance abuse, and behavioral and mental health disorders. The Good Behavior Game is a 1st - 2nd grade classroom management strategy for decreasing aggressive/disruptive student behavior. In some cases, it is implemented in both 1st and 2nd grade (see study 1); in other cases, it is implemented only in 1st grade (see study 2). Read more.
FREE Home-to-School Connections Guide: Tips, Tech Tools, and Strategies for Improving Family-to-School Communication
Edutopia is offering its latest classroom resource guide highlighting new solutions for connecting home and school in order to improve student learning and success. Whether you're a school social worker, teacher, parent, or district administrator, this new guide provides you with relevant and valuable tools and resources for how best to strengthen the bonds between schools, families, and communities. To download free guide click here. |
| Leadership News | |
School Reformers Mull Meaning of Departure
Michelle Rhee became a public face of education reform during her tenure as head of the District of Columbia's schools, but she found out that reform isn't always popular, especially when it involves school closings and teacher layoffs.
The first thing that you need to do to create a personal leadership development plan is to understand the difference between management and leadership." This brief article helps the leader to begin to understand the difference and to do a self-assessment of skills and approach to leadership. |
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| Research Highlights |
Many researchers and research funders want their work to be influential in educational policy and practice, but there is little systematic understanding of how policymakers and practitioners use research evidence, much less how they acquire or interpret it. By understanding what does shape policymakers' and practitioners' decision making and the role of research evidence in those decisions, the research community may be able to improve the likelihood that their work will be used to directly inform policy and practice. For more click here. PDF version. |
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