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School Social Work Now!
Supporting Innovative Practice, Effective
Leadership & Applied Research
April 2012 - Vol 2, Issue 26 |
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Greetings! | |
This month is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This was first declared in April 1983, 29 years ago. ACSSW is encouraging school social workers, as experts regarding child abuse, to plan and implement activities and an educational campaign in your school or district. Children who are abused need your help. Perhaps coordinating a fund raiser for your district whose monies will go to a local abuse shelter or a similar worthy cause is something you can consider. Send us your activity ideas and we will post them in the newsletter in April!
The Center for School Mental Health, University of Maryland, shares this information:
Elementary and Secondary Education Act Updates
On Feb. 28, 2012, the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce passed two bills reauthorizing portions of ESEA: The Student Success Act and the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act. Both passed on party line votes of 23-16. The Student Success Act reduces some of the federal mandates of NCLB and gives local and states education departments more autonomy over educational and funding decisions. For example, the Student Success Act proposes to eliminate AYP and allow states to choose improvement strategies for poor performing schools. For more about the Student Success Act click here.
The Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act also aims to reduce federal mandates and give states and local school districts more flexible use of funding. The Act proposes to streamline educational programs and eliminate more than 70 existing elementary and secondary education programs that have not shown evidence of effectiveness. The Act calls for increased parent involvement through the development of Parental Information and Resource Centers, and more comprehensive teacher evaluations developed with the help of parents, school staff, and administrators. Read more about the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act.
During National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day on May 9, you can help raise awareness about the importance of children's mental health by sharing information about trauma and resilience in children. Examples of a data point you can share in email messages, email signatures, or social media networks and blogs are on the website. If you use Twitter to share this message or any message about Awareness Day, use the hashtag #HeroesofHope to join the conversation! Learn More about National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day.
The 3rd National ACSSW Practice to Research Summit is being planned for June 24-26, 2012 in Bloomingdale, IL, a Chicago suburb. Persons who attended previous Summits were pleased with the activities and critical conversations that took place. ACSSW is very honored to have Dr. Marlene Wong as our Monday keynote speaker. Dr. Wong will speak to Local, National and International Lessons Learned from Crisis Intervention and Disaster Recovery in Schools. Some of the topics that will be addressed this year are: homelessness and an award winning program to address it, psychological first aid, GLBT concerns, social justice and school social work, and more. More details will be available soon but reserve those dates--June 24-26. You won't want to miss this experiential professional event. It's not your "average" learning experience!!
Judith Kullas Shine
President |
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Recommended Read for April |
 Ethical Decision Making in School Mental Healthby James C. Raines & Nic T. Dibble
Ethical predicaments are endemic for mental health professionals working in a host setting like schools. New interventions, evolving technologies, and a patchwork of ethical guidelines and legal codes create a constant stream of new ethical dilemmas. Quick answers and simple solutions are rare, but with the seven-stage model presented here, readers will learn to apply an ethical decision-making process that minimizes their liability while better protecting their students.
OUP-Raines/Dibble Amazon-Raines/Dibble |
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Practice Points | |
Keeping Teen Moms in School--A School Social Work Challenge
How are social workers at dedicated school-based programs for teen mothers helping prevent students from dropping out?
While teen birth rates have steadily declined over the last several years, one in 10 new mothers is a teenager, and teen pregnancy rates in the United States are still nine times higher than those in most other developed countries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and the CDC cite pregnancy as the No. 1 reason teen girls drop out of high school.
According to these organizations, only about 50% of teen mothers have a high school diploma compared with 90% of girls who did not have a teen pregnancy. Fewer than four in 10 (38%) teen girls who have a child before they turn 18 earn their high school diploma. Fewer than 2% of teens who have a baby before the age of 18 obtain a college degree by age 30.
Along with the active involvement of school social workers, programs designed to prevent teen mothers from dropping out of school share several other components. Learn these components.
A Systemic Approach to Implementing Response to Intervention in Three Colorado High Schools
Implementing RTI in high schools presents unique challenges that require educators to work across traditional boundaries.. . The National High School Center continues to receive inquiries about how to support high school implementation of response to intervention (RTI).1 Given the National High School Center's previous work on the topic . . . we wanted to better understand the conditions that contribute to or inhibit implementation of tiered frameworks in high schools and the role that district- and state-level leaders play in how these frameworks take shape in high schools. Although this brief uses some aspects of our previous work as a way to frame this conversation, the purpose of this piece is not to create an in-depth portrait of how schools implement RTI but rather to discuss the state and district policies and activities that affect the implementation of RTI across the system-at the state, district, and high school levels. Read full brief.
Educational Opportunity for Military Children and ESEA
For half a decade now, Congress has failed to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, better known as No Child Left Behind. The principal stumbling block has been how to rewrite the law's accountability requirements for student achievement. That's certainly a debate worth having. But the continuing disagreement has had an unfortunate consequence. It has foreclosed an opportunity to help one the most neglected populations in public education: military students.
The vast majority of the 1.2 million school-aged military children attend public schools. While there are schools that are models of how to support military students, most are still not equipped to help these students manage the stresses of military life: adjusting to new schools year after year because of their parents' changing deployment orders; dealing with a revolving door of friendships; handling the possibility of a parent's death. Worse, many school districts, including some near military bases, have no idea if there are military students in their classrooms, let alone how many. How can schools support military students if they don't know who they are? Full article here.
Managing Anger (Before It Manages You!)
"Anger is a normal, human emotion. Nearly everyone feels angry from time to time, and this is not necessarily a bad thing. Anger can actually have its positive side. Anger can alert you that something is wrong, or needs to be changed. When channeled properly, anger can motivate you to work harder and accomplish your goals. Anger, by itself, is not automatically good or bad. It's what we do with it that matters. Uncontrolled anger can be harmful to your relationships, your job, and your health. Learning to manage anger before it manages you can lead to a more healthy lifestyle." Read the full article on Liana Lowenstein's website. |
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Leadership News | |
Leadership Development: 7 Key Trends for the 21st Century
Leadership development is one of those topics that everyone talks a lot about but, all too often, does very little to actually follow up on.
That's why this new study from Bersin & Associates titled High-Impact Leadership Development for the 21st Centuryis important. It [was] published in three parts ... and according to the company's press release, it "identifies critical trends that currently drive leadership development and are shaping a new breed of leader - trends that high-impact organizations should be prepared to address to remain competitive in the 21st Century." Read about the 7 Trends and "specific practices that drive . . . results." Click here for more information.
Leadership Characteristics That Facilitate School Change
Leadership to promote and implement educational change has not been uniform. Knowledge about the qualities of the individuals who have successfully implemented such strategies has been minimal. If the educational community has knowledge of successful strategies and programs, why is there limited implementation? Did the leader make the difference? What are the characteristics these people possess that enabled them to change their districts and schools?
Although knowledge is limited on what types of leaders are needed, there are a number of assumptions about leadership. In educational organizations there is an assumption that leaders of educational change should be both leaders and managers. "We expect both leadership and management from the same individual" (Manasse, 1986, p. 153) . . .
Information about leaders who have guided or provoked their organizations to change is also beginning to emerge. These leaders began with having a vision, developed a shared vision with their co- workers, and valued the organization's personnel. Leaders who changed their organizations were proactive and took risks. They recognized shifts in the interests or needs of their clientele, anticipated the need to change and challenged the status quo. For a more in-depth discussion, click here. |
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Research Highlights | |
Starting School at a Disadvantage: The School Readiness of Poor Children
Poor children in the United States start school at a disadvantage in terms of their early skills, behaviors, and health. Fewer than half (48 percent) of poor children are ready for school at age five, compared to 75 percent of children from families with moderate and high income, a 27 percentage point gap. This paper examines the reasons why poor children are less ready for school and evaluates three interventions for improving their school readiness.
Poverty is one of several risk factors facing poor children. Mothers living in poverty are often unmarried and poorly educated, they have higher rates of depression and poor health than more affluent mothers, and they demonstrate lower parenting skills in certain dimensions. In fact, the gap in school readiness shrinks from 27 percentage points to 7 percentage points after adjusting for demographic, health, and behavioral differences between poor and moderate- and higher-income families. Even so, poverty remains an important influence on school readiness, partly through its influence on many of the observed differences between poor and more affluent families. Higher levels of depression and a more punitive parenting style, for example, may result from economic stress and so models controlling for these factors may understate the full effects of poverty on school readiness.
In addition to poverty, key influences on school readiness include preschool attendance, parenting behaviors, parents' education, maternal depression, prenatal exposure to tobacco, and low birth weight. Complete paper here. |
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In the News | |
. . . a new documentary about real life teen bullying, called "Bully", is opening amidst controversy about its rating. "Bully" spotlights five families dealing with a problem the U.S. Department of Education says impacts one in three middle and high school students. But profanity in "Bully" prompted an "R" rating from the Motion Picture Association of America. That prevents a large portion of director Lee Hirsch's target audience, kids under 17, from seeing the film unless accompanied by a parent.
"The Canadian Ratings board gave the film a PG, precisely because they wanted kids to be able to see it. The MPAA has taken a difference stance," notes Entertainment Weekly senior editor Thom Geier. Petitions and appeals failed to change that stance, and Hirsch refused to edit out the profanity, so "Bully" is being released unrated. That means individual theater chains have to decide whether to show it. Hirsch hopes audiences receive "Bully"'s message, regardless of the film's rating. More.
Study: Poverty, Low Education Attainment Lead to Teen Pregnancy
A report released [last week] by Auburn University shows that the high poverty levels and low educational attainment among women have a direct correlation to the region's high number of teen births. . . According to the Auburn report, 16.4 percent of people living in the South are defined as poor. Among children under the age of 17 in the South, 22.8 percent lived in poverty in 2009. The poverty rate in West Virginia was 17.8 percent in 2009.
But poverty leading to teen child bearing isn't a new thing. In 2001, Darroch Singh released a study that analyzed data from Canada, France, Great Britain, Sweden and the U.S. and concluded that "childbearing was more likely among women with low levels of income and education than among their better-off peers." That study also noted that a "comparatively widespread disadvantage" in the U.S. could explain why teens have higher pregnancy and birth rates than other developed countries. Continue.
Culture Clash at the PTA
At P.S. 295 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, a decision to raise the cupcake price at a bake sale from 50 cents to a dollar generated unexpected anger, reports Kyle Spencer in The New York Times. In a neighborhood whose median household income leaped to $60,184 in 2010 from $34,878 a decade before, the change pitted cash-short parents against volunteer bakers and divided a PTA executive board where newcomers serve alongside poorer immigrants who have lived in the area for years. Such disputes are increasingly common where changing demographics can cause culture clashes, and PTA leaders are caught between trying to get as much as possible from parents of means without alienating lower-income families. Sometimes, battles are over who should lead the PTA itself: Many gentrifiers bring professional skills and different expectations of how to get things done, while those who improved the school enough to attract gentrifiers become guardians of its traditions. So along with cross-cultural exchanges and international festivals, school diversity can mean raw feelings about race and class. "It's never just about the cupcake," explains Jeffrey Henig of Teachers College at Columbia University, who has written extensively about this topic. "The cupcake is the spark. Read more.
New Non-Profit Autism Research Group Launched
The Autism Research Group (ARG) announced today the launch of its pioneer non-profit organization highlighting its mission of placing individuals on the autism spectrum and their families first. ARG is founded on the principal of using science to improve the quality of life for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) as well as their families and caregivers. Individuals with ASD have the right to live life to the fullest and this right transcends social, cultural, and economic barriers.
"Our organization does research that matters to families of children with autism and our mission is to share the results with the world. ARG's research findings will allow more families to access effective treatment," says ARG Executive Director Jonathan Tarbox, PhD, BCBA-D. More. |
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Webinars |
The Institute of Education Sciences will host a series of funding opportunities webinars in April - August, 2012. These webinars will focus on a wide range of topics for applicants to the FY 2013 grant programs, including the application process, grant writing, and overviews of specific funding opportunities. Full descriptions of the webinars are available and registration is now open. For further information and to register, click here.
ARCHIVED & AVAILABLE
This Teen Screen Webinar has been archived and is now available for your viewing. Listen to a discussion on the signs and symptoms of eating disorders, the latest treatment strategies, and co-managing these disorders with the clinical team to avoid relapse and achieve a successful outcome. Access archive.
ARCHIVED & AVAILABLE
Many schools and communities are struggling to find effective ways to prevent both bullying and suicidal behavior among youth. This webinar will provide the latest research and science on the relationship between bullying and suicide and will outline some of the shared risk and protective factors. The webinar also discusses the main principles of a comprehensive whole school approach to bullying prevention. This presentation was interactive, with opportunities to ask questions. Access here. |
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SSW Job Links | |
New this week: Arlington Heights, IL (bilingual Sp.) Budd Lake, NJ Burr Ridge, IL
Danvers, MA Gary, IN Midlothian, IL Minneapolis, MN
Northampton, MA Oklahoma City, OK Randolph, MA (autism)
Round Rock, TX (.5) Shawnee Mission, KS (SPED) Wichita, KS
Continued this week: Arlington Heights, IL Berwyn, IL Bronx, NY
Cedar Rapids, IA Cheyenne, WY (summer school) Cumberland, RI Eau Claire, WI
Highland Park, IL (3 PT interns) Long Island City, NY Millbury, MA
Milwaukee, WI New Orleans, LA New York, NY
Providence, RI Springfield, PA Willmar, MN
Connecticut (Various Locations)
IL PBIS Network, Research and Evaluation Director |
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Grants & Funding | |
Search Tool Helps Users Find Grants to Fund Youth Programs
The Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs has created an online Web Tool that allows users to search for federal grant opportunities by youth topic or federal agency. The tool uses a filter to search for grants that are likely to fund youth programs. To learn more and determine if you are eligible, click here.
Elmer's and Kids in Need Foundation Teacher Tool Kit Grants
The Kids In Need Foundation, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free school supplies to economically disadvantaged school children and underfunded teachers, has announced the second year of a teacher grants program sponsored by Elmer's Products. K-12 teachers across the United States are eligible to apply for one of approximately two hundred and fifty Elmer's Teacher Tool Kit grants. Grants will range from $100 to $500 for projects to be completed during the 2012-13 school year.
Grants will be awarded to teachers who wish to conduct classroom projects selected from a catalog of more than five hundred projects currently in the Kids In Need Guide to Award Winning Projects. Grant awards will be based on financial need, description of how the particular project meets the educational needs of students and satisfies state standards or school curriculum requirements, and the number of students who will benefit from the project. Deadline: TBA. More information and RFP form.
ING Unsung Heroes Award
ING Unsung Heroes began in 1995as a way for ING to demonstrate its commitment to the education community. Grants are given to K-12 educators utilizing new teaching methods and techniques that improve learning. Each year, educators submit applications for an ING Unsung Heroes grant by describing projects they have initiated or would like to pursue. Each project is judged on its:
innovative method, creativity, and ability to positively influence the students. All K-12 education professionals, whether or not they are clients of ING, are eligible. Specifically, these individuals must be: (1) Employed by an accredited K-12 public or private school located in the United States, or (2) Full-time educators, teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, orclassified staff with effective projects that improve student learning. Deadline: April 30, 2012. Details here.
The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes
The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, founded by author T. A. Barron in honor of his mother, celebrates outstanding young leaders. Each year the Barron Prize honors 25 inspiring young people who have made a significant positive difference to people and our planet. These outstanding young leaders have focused on helping their communities and fellow beings and/or on protecting the health and sustainability of the environment. Maximum award: $2,500. Eligibility: youth 8-18. Deadline: April 30, 2012. Nomination information here.
OJJDP Announces Mentoring Research Funding Opportunity
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has announced the following funding opportunity: Mentoring Best Practices Research. OJJDP will fund as many as six research studies to enhance help fill gaps in the knowledge about the effectiveness of mentoring as a prevention strategy for youth who are at risk of involvement or already involved in the juvenile justice system. OJJDP is also interested in research that will help identify the components of a mentoring program that have the greatest impact on risk factors known to lead to delinquency and/or increase in the incidence of juvenile delinquency and offending. Deadline: 11:59 p.m. E.T., on April 30, 2012. Complete information. FAQs.
Youth Literacy Grant
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation's Youth Literacy Grants program will provide multiple grants up to $4,000 to applicants that provide literacy programs to students performing below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading. Schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations located in a state in which a Dollar General store operates are eligible to apply. Deadline: May 16, 2012. More information and application.
NFL Fuel Up to Play 60
The National Football League's Fuel Up to Play 60 will award grants up to $4,000 to K-12 schools enrolled in their wellness program. Grants may be used to support a variety of programs, activities, and tools including student engagement and motivation, family engagement, in-school promotions, staff development, and nutrition and physical education materials. The deadline to submit applications is June 1, 2012. For more information and to apply click here. |
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ACSSW Activities | |
ACSSW's present activities include:
- increasing research projects and their application within the school environment;
- developing a national school social work role framework paper;
- establishing a National Center for School Social Work Practice, Leadership and Research, a long-term goal,
- hosting the 2nd Louisiana State-wide School Social Work Conference, winter 2013, in New Orleans, LA. Exact dates to be determined.
- developing the 3rd National School Social Work Research Summit to be held June 24-26, 2012, in Bloomingdale, IL (a Chicago suburb) at the Hilton Chicago/Indian Lakes Resort.
If you have interest in participating in any of these activities, contact Judie Shine. ACSSW strives to be inclusive and transparent in all of its activities and welcomes, whether lengthy or short, the participation of its members. |
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