|
School Social Work NOW
Supporting Innovative Practice, Effective Leadership & Applied Research
March 2011 - Vol 1, Issue 23 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Greetings! | |
Are you "stuck" in a traditional school social work role, a role that is demanding to be changed? Do you need to see what new roles are coming down the road and those that are already changing the face of school social work? As with any profession, keeping abreast of what is new and blending that with what is already in place can be tricky. Are you able to demonstrate how your services have impacted the students and families you work with?
If you're among those school social workers who know they need to keep their skills and knowledge fresh and current, join other forward thinking colleagues at ACSSW's 2nd National Research-to-Practice Summit to be held June 26th-28th at the Hilton Chicago Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale, IL.
School social work, as other areas of education, is being called upon to demonstrate the effectiveness of its prevention and intervention efforts. This means YOU need to know what you're talking about! ACSSW can provide you with some of the tools and practices needed to take up this new challenge. Join like-minded colleagues and learn what their experiences are. Dialogue with university educators and academics. Learn what is on the horizon for school social work!!
This year features:
Sandra Sarmiento, MSW, and Jan Kutter, Team
East Aurora School District 131, IL
Laura Richard, Louisianna State University
Dena Radtke, Coordinator, School Social Work,
Milwaukee Public Schools
Milka Ramirez, Chicago Public Schools
Ami Flammini, IL PBIS Network
And still more! There will be breakouts in addition to panels on projects being done within school districts from across the county by school social work practitioners!! These projects are pertinent to the work school social workers engage in every day and will help participants to understand the usefulness of this type of work.
The opportunities to personally engage in this discussion and the National Research Effort are abundant and are only limited by your time and other commitments. This Summit is a forum in which to learn about current research projects and become familiar with research models you can apply in your setting and practice. Bring your research questions or projects and gain insights and skills by interfacing with colleagues and university level educators and researchers. School teams are encouraged to attend.
Monday night will offer an opportunity to sample the "Big City" highlights of Chicago. Watch this newsletter and the ACSSW Website for more information.
Hope to see you in June!!
President |
|
SSW Jobs Links | |
New this week: Connecticut Jobs Chaska, MN
NYC Charter School Prospect, CT (anticipated)
Washington, DC
Continuing posts: Gorham, ME Wayne, NJ
Evanston, IL (summer) Eau Claire, WI McHenry, IL
NY, NY: Director of Student Services Old Lyme, CT
Brookfield, CT (p-t; long-term sub) Kansas City, MO (p-t)
Tolleson, AZ (LCSW) Illinois Jobs |
|
|
|
|
Practice Points |
 School Social Work Outcomes: Perspectives of School Social Workers and School Administrators In an era of fiscal constraint and increased accountability, consistent perceptions of the expectations, means of funding, and reporting of outcomes between administrators and school social workers is vital. School social workers and school administrators in four school districts in Minnesota were surveyed regarding outcomes expected as a result of school social work services as well as the sources of funding for these services. Both administrators and school social workers reported that increasing school attendance and decreasing discipline problems were the most important outcomes. Data on rate of discipline problems and attendance were most commonly used by school social workers to demonstrate the effectiveness of their services. Almost one-third of the school social workers surveyed reported that they did not present these data to others. For more, click here. A Creative Upside to ADHD?
A diagnosis of attention deficit disorder (ADHD) usually indicates a number of challenges, but a new study suggests there may be benefits as well. As reported in the Journal of Personality and Individual Differences, psychologists discovered adults with ADHD enjoyed more creative achievement than those who didn't have the disorder. "For the same reason that ADHD might create problems, like distraction, it can also allow an openness to new ideas," said Dr. Holly White, assistant professor of cognitive psychology at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida and co-author of the paper. White and Dr. Priti Shah at the University of Michigan gave 60 college students - half of them with ADHD - a series of tests measuring creativity across 10 domains... "We didn't know if that would translate into real-life achievement," said Shah. "The current study suggests that it does." Complete article here.
Schools Tackle Legal Twists and Turns of Cyberbullying
It was just before winter break in Pennsylvania's Hatboro-Horsham school district when Assistant Superintendent John R. Nodecker was alerted to a case of cyberbullying. Some students had created an online poll ranking the "hottest" girls in the district's high school and middle school. The poll quickly took on a negative and harassing tone as people posted comments about students' appearance, gender, and sexual orientation. Nodecker alerted the school board and superintendent, who wanted action taken. He worked with the district's director of technology and determined some of the posts had been made from inside district schools, while others were made from off campus. Read more about how this district tackled the issue. |
| Leadership News |
Positive behavior support (PBS) is being implemented in more than 5,300 schools in the United States. In this article, the authors review the conceptual components, implementation features, and evidence base of PBS; discuss its implementation at the preschool level; and explore implications for school social work practice. Whether starting PBS efforts in schools or districts or becoming involved in existing efforts, school social workers can achieve their goals through PBS and enhance the visibility and status of school social work within their local education agency. Given the popularity of this recent trend, the similarities between PBS and school social work practice, and the emerging evidence base associated with this approach, school social workers are encouraged to provide leadership to existing PBS efforts in their schools or to begin such efforts in schools that have not initiated this approach. Click for the complete article.
Connecting Schools in Ways That Strengthen Learning Supports
Given dwindling budgets, collaborations that can enhance effective and efficient use of resources increase in importance. This is particularly important with respect to efforts at schools to provide student and learning supports. Schools that formally connect to work together can be more effective, realize economies of scale, and enhance the way sparse resources are used for intervention and capacity building. This brief (1) discusses the concept of a family of schools and the type of operational infrastructure that enables schools to connect formally and on a regular basis, (2) highlights examples of how a family of schools can enhance student and learning supports, and (3) suggests key policy implications. Download PDF. |
|
| Research Highlights | |
The Promise and Challenge of Practice-Research Collaborations: Guiding Principles and Strategies for Initiating, Designing and Implementing Program Evaluation Research
While this study involves collaboration between a prison and community agencies, it brings forth ideas to consider in school-community collaborations. Social work researchers and practitioners bring complementary expertise and commitments to their understandings of complex and seemingly intractable social problems. Such expertise and commitments promise much success in efforts to evaluate the human service programs and interventions aimed at these problems (Reback, Cohen, Freese, & Shoptaw, 2002). Unfortunately, in too many cases, this promise goes unrealized. Interpersonal barriers such as the lack of mutual respect prevent or dismantle the practice-research collaborations before meaningful findings about program interventions can be generated (L.J. Johnson, Zorn, Tam, Lamontagne, & Johnson, 2003; Roper, 2002; Taut & Alkin, 2003). Although the literature on the characteristics and benefits of collaboration models (Demarteau, 2002; Mullen, 1998; Roper, 2002; Truman & Raine, 2001) and on evaluative research (Dennis, Perl, Huebner, & McLellan, 2000; Matthews & Hudson, 2001; Raschick & Critchley, 1998; Stevenson, Florin, Mills, & Andrade, 2002) is abundant, surprisingly little has been written about collaboration strategies that can guide a practice-research team through the various activities that occur throughout the research process. This article addresses that gap in the literature. As does any research effort, the evaluation research process unfolds as specific tasks are accomplished systematically at various stages. We suggest that each of these tasks require the use of distinct skill sets and collaborative strategies. Most important, the collaboration strategies specific to one research stage serve as building blocks for the next stage. Full article.
Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy of Socially Phobic Children Focusing on Cognition: A Randomized Wait-list Control Study
Background: Although literature provides support for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as an efficacious intervention for social phobia, more research is needed to improve treatments for children. . . The study is a first step towards investigating whether CBT focusing on cognition is efficacious in treating children with social phobia. Future research will need to compare this treatment to an active treatment group. There remain the questions of whether the effect of the treatment is specific to the disorder and whether the underlying theoretical model is adequate.
Preliminary support is provided for the efficacy of the cognitive behavioral treatment focusing on cognition in socially phobic children. Active comparators should be established with other evidence-based CBT programs for anxiety disorders, which differ significantly in their dosage and type of cognitive interventions from those of the manual under evaluation (e.g. Coping Cat). For discussion of full study click here. An Open Access Journal article. |
|
|
In the News |
Study Finds Kids in Military Families Are Under Stress, Feel Isolated, Depressed
Children of military parents often suffer stress, isolation and depression linked to the deployment of their parents to war zones, according to a three-year study that says the military has failed to address the problem. Researchers interviewed about 60 high school students in Oromocto, N.B., and found that many were taking on adult responsibilities well before they should and sometimes had to deal with their parents' emotional fallout from military service. Deborah Harrison, a sociology professor who led the study, said Thursday that about 1,000 teens also completed a survey and it showed a deep sense of worry when their parents deployed from Canadian Forces Base Gagetown. Troubling for the authors and school officials was that many teens reported feeling isolated in their community and in the military because of the stigma associated with non-physical, mental health problems. Teens said they often don't want to reach out for help because they feel PTSD and other stress problems aren't recognized by their peers or military officials. Click to continue.
US Approach to Teaching Diametrically Opposed to That of Highest Achieving Nations
At the first ever International Summit on Teaching . . . "it was, perhaps, the first time that the growing de-professionalization of teaching in America was recognized as out of step with the strategies pursued by the world's educational leaders. Evidence presented at the summit showed that, with dwindling supports, most teachers in the United States must go into debt in order to prepare for an occupation that pays them, on average, 60% of the salaries earned by other college graduates. Those who work in poor districts will not only earn less than their colleagues in wealthy schools, but they will pay for many of their students' books and supplies themselves." Read more. |
|
Grants & Funding | |
Grants Available to Prevent Dating Violence and Stalking in Secondary Schools
The U.S. Department of Justice STEP Program was created to help middle and high schools develop and implement effective training, services, prevention strategies, policies, and coordinated community responses for student victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking. Deadline is April 6. Read the application guidebook before applying. Complete application packet.
Captain Planet Foundation: Grants for the Environment
The Captain Planet Foundation funds hands-on environmental projects that encourage innovative programs that empower children and youth around the world to work individually and collectively to solve environmental problems in their neighborhoods and communities. Maximum award: $2,500. Eligibility: 501(c)3 organizations. Deadline: June 30, 2011. For more information, click here.
IES Releases FY2012 Funding Announcements for Research and Development Center Competitions
IES has released FY2012 funding announcements for grant competitions in Research and Development Centers. The Special Education Research and Development Center Program (84.324C) includes the following competitions: (1) Special Education Research and Development Center on School-Based Interventions for Secondary Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders, (2) Special Education Research and Development Center on Reading Instruction for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students, (3) Special Education Research and Development Center on Interventions for Families of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and (4) Special Education Research and Development Center on Interventions for Families of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. The Education Research and Development Center Program (84.305C) includes the following competitions: (1) National Research and Development Center on Cognition and Adult Literacy and (2) National Research and Development Center on State and Local Policy. Click for more.
IES Releases FY2012 Funding Announcement for Six Grant Competitions in Education Research and Training Connecting Research, Policy and Practice
IES has released FY2012 funding announcements for grant competitions in education and special education research and training. The six competitions are: Education Research Grants (84.305A); Special Education Research Grants (84.324A); Postdoctoral Research Training Program in the Education Sciences (84.305B); Postdoctoral Research Training Program in Special Education (84.324B); Statistical and Research Methodology in Education (84.305D); and Evaluation of State and Local Education Programs and Policies (84.305E). The Request for Applications for each competition is available at Applications. |
| New Request for Research Assistance | |
New Survey: Factors Impacting School Social Workers
FBAs and BIPs are "naturals" for school social workers. Your participation in this brief 10 minute survey would further the knowledge base about and of school social workers. Dan Koonce, PhD, Technical Assistance Coordinator with the Illinois State Technical Assistance Center-PBIS Network, is principal investigator on this study. If you choose to participate, you will be asked to respond to items regarding the activities you are engaged in as a school social worker. Please read the Consent Form, which explains the experimental procedures and your participation in more detail. Click here to participate: Factors Impacting School Social Workers.
ADHD and Collaboration Processes in Schools
"I am a doctoral student at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Social Policy and Practice seeking school social workers in urban elementary school settings to complete an online survey about ADHD and collaboration processes in schools for use towards research for a doctoral dissertation. Participation is voluntary, confidential and anonymous. Completion of the survey takes approximately 10 minutes and can be done from any computer with internet access. If you are interested, or know of anyone who may meet the criteria for participation and would be interested in completing the survey, below you will find the link to a secure database for completion of the survey." For more information contact: Mery Diaz, LCSW, Doctoral Student, University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Policy and Practice Short survey link or Full survey link
An Examination of Homophobia and Social Work Practice Among a Sample of School Social Workers
Milka Ramírez, MSW, a member of the American Council for School Social Work and the School Social Work Association of America and a school social worker in Chicago, is conducting her doctoral research and would like you to participate in the 30 minute survey. Please take time to support this important research. Click the following link to participate in this essential work: Homophobia & Social Work |
|
ACSSW Activities | |
ACSSW's present major activities include:
- increasing research projects and their application within the school environment,
- developing a national school social work role paper,
- a more long-term goal, establishing a National Center for School Social Work Research, and,
- developing the 2nd National School Social Work Research Summit to be held June 26-28 in Bloomingdale, IL, at the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort.
If you have interest in assisting with one or more of these projects, don't hesitate to contact Judie Shine. ACSSW strives to be inclusive and transparent in all of its activities and welcomes the participation, whether short or lengthy, of its members. |
|
|
