|
School Social Work NOW
Supporting Innovative Practice, Effective Leadership & Applied Research
August 2011 - Vol 1, Issue 39 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Greetings!
A Dialogue Guide designed to stimulate discussion on Postive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) for High School Teams is available online. What is a Dialogue Guide?
Dialogue Guides are models for conducting interactive discussions [about issues] across stakeholders. Each Guide circulates a common set of source materials and suggested procedures for involving various audiences in States and districts. In this manner, stakeholders all over the country can begin interacting in new ways around implementation issues.
This particular Dialogue Guide can assist secondary schools with developing 2nd tier interventions, often a difficult task at that level. This tool can be very valuable to districts and
schools, particularly those just beginning the PBIS process.
Some school social workers are closely watching the NCLB waivers along with the Department of Education's responses to those requests. The Center on Education Policy is closely following these state requests. So far 15 states have expressed interest while 3 have applied. One has been granted (ID), and two have been denied. Click the CEP link above to learn about your state's status.
The Center on Education Policy also has a great deal of state specific information on various topics: student achievement, common core state standards, test score profiles, and more. Visit the website to see how your state fares in each of these areas.
Sight for Students is a VSP charity that provides free vision exams and glasses to low-income, uninsured children. The program operates nationally through a network of community partners who identify children in need and VSP network doctors who provide the eyecare services. Parents and guardians interested in seeking assistance through the program must work through VSP's established network of community partners. Eligibility: There are five basic qualifications a child must meet in order to receive a Sight for Students gift certificate: family income is no more than 200 percent of federal poverty level (see website for chart); child is not enrolled in Medicaid or other vision insurance; child is 18 years old or younger and has not graduated from high school; child or parent is a U.S. citizen or legal immigrant with a social security number; and child has not used the Sight for Students program during the past 12 months.
Time is drawing short! NASW is seeking input on its draft of Standards for School Social Work Services. This is an opportunity to weigh in on this important issue. The public comment period ends at 11 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on September 2, 2011. This is your opportunity to contribute to the growth and ethics of school social work. Visit the link now.
If you have ideas or comments regarding what you'd like to see in future e-letter issues, don't hesitate to contact us. Send your thoughts to: Ideas and Comments.
Judith Kullas Shine
President |
|
Professional Development Opportunities | |
This link includes state, national and international professional development opportunities.
Professional Development Opportunities
If you represent an organization with PDOs of interest to school social workers, please contact us with details. We will consider each request in terms of relevancy, timing, and interest level. |
|
|
|
|
Practice Points | |
 Should Teachers Visit Students' Homes?
The issue of teachers visiting their students' homes generates debate among educators, writes Washington Post education columnist Jay Mathews. While some may see it as intrusive or dangerous, others say it provides invaluable insight into the lives of students. "Home visits by themselves do not correlate into academic achievement. However, if done with academic goals and targets as the objectives, they do work," said David L. Heiber, executive director of Concentric Educational Solutions, which has been visiting the homes of truant students for the past year. Read article.
Curriculum Effective for Reducing Teen Depression, Suicide
Findings in the Journal of School Health show that the percentage of high school students who considered or attempted to commit suicide declined 65% and 67%, respectively, after the implementation of the Surviving the Teens curriculum, which was created by registered nurse Cathy Strunk. A majority of more than 6,000 students said the intervention "helped them to learn suicide warning signs, suicide and depression risk factors, how to cope with stress, steps to take if they or a friend felt suicidal, and how to talk to their parents and friends," Strunk said. Full article.
My Body, My Self: Exploring Girls' Health Today
From television to the web, pressures on young girls to look and feel a certain way are everywhere. Body image often tops the list of what has the most impact on young women's physical and emotional health.
"There's a lot of pressure on girls, it's completely not fair," says 15-year-old Aitana Rinab. "A lot of girls have weight issues, especially at our age. They're like 'Oh I want to be skinnier' and it leads to a lot of serious things." A 2005 Centers for Disease Control study showed 10 percent of high school girls were overweight, yet more than 30 percent already perceived themselves as being overweight. Dr. Moira Rynn specializes in child psychiatry at Columbia University and says a lot of young girls struggle with body image issues. "I'm seeing in my practice that young girls are struggling with their body image," says Rynn. "There are also a lot of challenges with the perception of their weight. So not necessarily in fact that they are heavy or not heavy, but just their overall physical perception of their height, their looks, how they dress, what they wear - I find they're getting a lot of judgment about that. While some girls are able to adjust and stand up as role models for their peers, those pressures can put more vulnerable teens at mental health risk, especially for eating disorders. Click here for more.
ADHD, Autism May Sometimes Share Gene Mutations
Some of the genetic variants implicated in ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) overlap with genes and nerve communication pathways that play a role in autism, a new study finds.
The research may help to explain why people with ADHD, autism and other neuropsychiatric disorders sometimes have symptoms in common, such as impulsivity and restlessness, researchers said.
Instead of finding one or more "ADHD" or "autism" genes, research is beginning to uncover neural pathways that influence the way a brain develops and works, said senior study author Dr. Russell Schachar, a senior scientist and child psychiatrist at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
"What we are beginning to understand is that genes don't code for disorders as they appear in the diagnostic manual. Genes code for proteins that are needed for brain structure and brain function," Schachar said. Read more. |
| Leadership News | |
 10 Steps to Successful Thought Leadership to Elevate Your Career and Your Organization
What is a Thought Leader? A thought leader is a person who identifies trends, common themes and patterns within a particular industry or functional area of expertise to help others identify new opportunities or solutions for growth.
Most people believe that thought leadership is only for senior executives. In the traditional workplace, this still is the case. However, in the new workplace where the sharing of ideas is welcomed regardless of hierarchy or rank, any employee can be a thought leader. In today's business world, the most relevant employees are starting the conversations - and benefitting both individual and corporation. Read full article.
Educational Leadership Is Not About Money
Money is not the Problem. It never was the Problem and it's not the problem now.
Restructure public school systems and other organizations to increase productivity while reducing required resources. Systems thinking can solve not only our educational improvement and funding problems but most of our economic problems.
For at least several decades the annual increases in the cost of public education have risen considerably faster than the increases in taxpayers' incomes. Evenbefore the current fiscal crisis these two rising lines of contingency have been approaching a point at which they cross and public education will price itself out of existence. Its demise will not be because people don't want public education but because they simply can't afford it. Full article. |
|
|
Research Highlights |
Enhancing Social Work Research Education Through Research Field Placements
Abstract: The increase focus on the role of research in the social service sector, pressure for practitioners to engage in research and the demand for integration of research and practice challenges faculties about ways in which to engage social work students in research. This paper evaluates a research based practicum program within a social work faculty at one Canadian university aimed at meeting this need. The objectives of the practicum include providing opportunities to integrate research theory/methods with practice; develop a broad range of research knowledge and skills; reduce negative stereotypes; instill passion and excitement for research; and connect students with agencies to engage in community based research. The mixed methods evaluation of the practicum included semi-structured qualitative interviews with former and current directors (n=2); an online survey with past practicum students (n=15); and a pre- and post-test attitude/skills assessment, a self reflection journal exercise, and a focus group with students currently in practicum (n=7). Findings suggest benefits of the research practicum across stakeholders as well as several challenges and opportunities for program enhancement. Research practicum is an innovative way of engaging students in applied research which can augments research capacity, mitigate negative stereotypes about research, and better prepare future social work practitioners. Read full article.
The Impacts of Budget Reductions on Indiana's Public Schools The Impact of Budget Changes on Student Achievement, Personnel, and Class Size for Public School Corporations in the State of Indiana
Abstract: In recent years, economic downturn and changes to Indiana's school funding have
resulted in significant financial reductions in General Fund allocations for many of Indiana's public school corporations. The main purpose of this statewide study is to examine the possible impacts of these budget reductions on class size and student achievement. This three-year, quantitative study examines budget cutback amounts, teaching position reductions, per-pupil spending changes, class-size data, and studentachievement indicators. Methods of data collection include a statewide superintendent's survey, an evaluation of student achievement indicators, and a collection of public
financial records of participating Indiana school corporations. Currently, year one is complete. A compilation of this data provides current information regarding General Fund budgets, position reductions, and class sizes for Indiana's public schools. Complete article. |
|
|
In the News | |
On-line Toolkit Aimed at Screening Military Families for Deployment Stress
The stress of a parent's military deployment can trigger stress and behavior disorders in children. But too often the community of people supporting those children is unaware that their parents are serving overseas, said Dr. Paula Rauch, director of family support at the Home Base Program. Home Base, a partnership of Massachusetts General Hospital and the Red Sox Foundation, is encouraging pediatricians to ask all families if they are affected by a deployment. The program has developed an online tool kit to help doctors screen children for military-related stress and connect them with follow-up care... The Home Base program estimates that about 13,000 children in the state have a parent who is deployed. Because of a heavy reliance on reservists and members of the Guard, Rauch said the effect of those deployments on communities is dispersed. Children often are the only ones in their class -- sometimes in their school -- who have a parent serving in active duty... The tool kit comes with simple checklists that teenagers or parents of younger children can fill out during check-in for a regular appointment so that their doctor can evaluate whether they are having trouble coping. It also includes prompts for doctors and a primer for parents on how to talk to children about their military experiences or address serious issues that can come with a homecoming, including post-traumatic stress, injury, and substance abuse. More. Toolkit.
Environment Poses a Knotty Challenge in Autism
Parents of children with autism often ask pediatricians like me about the cause of the condition, and parents-to-be often ask what they can do to reduce the risk. But although there is more research in this area than ever before, it sometimes feels as if it's getting harder, not easier, to provide answers that do justice to the evidence and also offer practical guidance. Recent research has taught us more about the complexity of the genetics of autism, but the evidence also has suggested an important role for environmental exposures. It has become a very complicated picture: Genes matter, but we usually can't tell how. Environmental exposures matter, but we usually don't know which... In the 1950s, autism famously was blamed on bad parenting and emotionally remote "refrigerator mothers." As the research advanced, including early important twin studies, the inherited basis of the disorder became clear. In a 2010 article published in an American Psychiatric Association journal, autism spectrum disorder is described as "among the most heritable of psychiatric disorders." Click here for more.
Move On When Ready: A Program to Watch
Students at 14 Arizona schools will have the opportunity to graduate high school two years early under the Move on When Ready Initiative. The program will allow students who pass certain exams to graduate and enroll in community college. Supporters believe the initiative will help move from traditional education to a competency-based educational model, while critics cite the cost for training teachers in the more intense curriculum and question the addition of standardized tests. Read more.
Siblings of Children with Autism at a 20 Times Higher Risk
Studies have suggested that up to 10% of younger siblings of autistic kids will develop the condition. A new study, however, shows the risk is twice that high. In a study of 664 children - the largest of its kind - nearly 20% of younger siblings of autistic children were also diagnosed with autism. That means these younger siblings have a risk of autism roughly 20 times greater than children in the general population, says Sally Ozonoff of the University of California-Davis, author of the study, in today's Pediatrics. About 1 in 110 U.S. children have an autism-spectrum disorder, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The risk is even greater in families with two or more autistic children: Almost one-third of their younger siblings also will develop the condition, the study says. "I was taken aback by that number," says Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, part of the National Institutes of Health. NIH and advocacy group Autism Speaks helped pay for the study. Autism was even more common in the younger brothers of autistic children, the study says. In general, about 80% of autistic kids are boys. Read more. |
|
Webinars | |
Closing the Achievement Gap for African-American Boys
This event is scheduled forTuesday, August 23rd from 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time. Join two leading experts, Oscar A. Barbarin III, Hertz Endowed Chair in Psychology, Tulane, and Aisha Ray, senior vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty at the Erikson Institute, for an in-depth look at preparing teachers to foster social and emotional development in children, with a focus on supporting African-American boys to do well in the early years of school. They'll explain how by holistically addressing the needs of African-American male students, we can close the achievement gap between them and other groups of students. To register and pre-submit questions click link.
Functional Behavioral Analysis and Wraparound
The National Wraparound Initiative is partnering with the Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health (which is a collaboration between the National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health and the American Institutes for Research) to sponsor a series of webinars on implementing high quality wraparound. Webinars include a one hour presentation by a National Wraparound Initiative expert, followed by 30 minutes of discussion. The next webinar on "Functional Behavioral Analysis and Wraparound" will be on August 23rd from 2:00PM - 3:30PM Eastern Time. This webinar will teach families functional assessments to manage their own crises as part of the wraparound process. To register for this webinar please click here. |
|
SSW Jobs Links | |
If linked-to page looks blank, scroll down.
Continuing posts: ConnecticutJobs |
|
Grants & Funding | |
National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) Research & Development Competition
The National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) FY 2012 Research and Development Center Competition announces a research and development competition.
Topics include:
1. Interventions for Families of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders;
2. Interventions for Families of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders;
3. School-Based Interventions for Secondary Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders; and
4. Reading Instruction for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students;
For more information about these funding opportunities, please see the Request for Applications (RFA) and contact the appropriate program officer listed.
Libri Foundation: Books for Children
The Libri Foundation Books for Children Grants donate new, quality, hardcover children's books for small, rural, public libraries across the country. Maximum award: varies. Eligibility: Libraries should be in a rural area, have a limited operating budget, and an active children's department. The average total operating budget of a Books for Children grant recipient must be less than $40,000. Deadline: January 23, 2011. Application Guidelines.
CVS: Caremark Community Grants
The CVS Caremark Community Grants Program is currently accepting proposals for programs targeting children with disabilities that address: health and rehabilitation services; a greater level of inclusion in student activities and extracurricular programs; opportunities or facilities that give greater access to physical movement and play; provision to uninsured individuals with needed care, in particular programs where the care received is of higher quality and delivered by providers who participate in accountable community health care programs. Maximum award: $5,000. Eligibility: nonprofit organizations. Deadline: October 31, 2011. Learn more.
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation Invites School Personnel to Apply
A total of $150,000 in grants will be awarded to school personnel working in 2012 to help school-aged children reduce their cardiovascular risk, increase their physical activity, and/or learn healthy eating habits . . . Deadline: October 14, 2011. Learn More.
Kids In Need Foundation Offers Teacher Grants for Creative Classroom Projects
Grants between $100 and $500 will be awarded to U.S. K-12 teachers working to provide innovative learning opportunities for their students. Deadline: September 30, 2011 Details here.
Sodexo Foundation and Youth Service America Invite Applications for Youth-Led Children's Hunger Volunteer Projects
Twenty-five $500 grants will be awarded to volunteer projects that address the issue of childhood hunger at the community level and are conducted by young people between the ages of 5 and 25 who live in the United States. Deadline: September 16, 2011. Link to Complete RFP. |
|
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 3rd National School Social Work Research Summit to be held in late June 2012 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. |
|
|
