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School Social Work Now!
Supporting Innovative Practice, Effective
Leadership & Applied Research
April 2012 - Vol 2, Issue 29 |
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Greetings! | |
Over the last two years or more, much has been published about bullying and its effects on students. Local districts, states, agencies, and the federal government are all examining the issue and developing policies and action plans to stem the tide. This week in the news was an incident so appalling that I mention it here rather than below, "In the News."
A ten year old boy with autism was bullied by school staff. His father, being told that his son was hitting his teacher and acting in ways not typical, and after having meetings with the school, wired his son. What he discovered is horrifying. No child should ever be subjected to this, much less by adults who are charged with his care and education. ACSSW publicly denounces such actions. To learn more click: Akian. Follow-up.
You are invited to join school social work leaders, practitioners, university professors, and researchers at the 3rd National ACSSW Research-to-Practice Summit, Evidence-Based Practice in Action. This interactive event will be held June 24-26, 2012 in Bloomingdale, IL, a Chicago suburb.
This Summit is designed for independent thinking school social workers, those who enjoy critical conversations, seek out what is important to the practice of school social work, and who understand that research and evidence-based interventions are foundational to success. Challenge yourself!
Download the ACSSW Summit Brochure now. This is not your "average" learning experience. Earn up to 12.25 CEUs. Take advantage of the "Early Bird" and other discounts. Register online now!!
The first full week in May is National Children's Mental Health Awareness Week. This week is dedicated to promoting positive mental health, well-being, and social development for all children and youth. To learn more and plan mental health awareness activities in your area please visit the National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health website. 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. Learn More about National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day.
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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Professional Development | |
ACSSW's 3rd National Research-to-Practice Summit
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Practice Points | |
Test Drug Eases Behavioral Symptoms Seen in Autism
In adult mice, an experimental drug eases two of the core behavioral symptoms of autism spectrum disorders, a new study shows. A single injection of the compound curbed repetitive behaviors and improved sociability, researchers report in the April 25 Science Translational Medicine.
Although it's too soon to say whether the drug will work in people with autism, similar medicines are already being tested in humans for a related neurological condition known as fragile X syndrome. "This may be a case where you have a mouse finding that can actually lead to human studies in a fairly short amount of time," says psychiatrist and molecular neuroscientist Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele of Vanderbilt University in Nashville. No currently available drugs treat the core features of autism spectrum disorders. More.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder Explained
ODD is defined by a recurrent pattern of developmentally inappropriate levels of negativistic, defiant, disobedient, and hostile behavior toward authority figures. his behavior often appears in the preschool years, but initially it can be difficult to distinguish from developmentally appropriate, albeit troublesome, behavior. Children who develop a stable pattern of oppositional behavior during their preschool years are likely to go on to have oppositional defiant disorder during their elementary school years. Children with oppositional defiant disorder have substantially strained relationships with their parents, teachers, and peers, and have high rates of coexisting conditions such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and mood disorders. Children with oppositional defiant disorder are at greater risk of developing conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder during adulthood. Psychological intervention with both parents and child can substantially improve short- and long-term outcomes. Research supports the effectiveness of parent training and collaborative problem solving. Read full article here.
Facebook Social Media Resource
Facebook has released a new resource, "Facebook for School Counselors," intended to help schools use the social-networking website and teach students how to use the site responsibly. The resource was released in collaboration with The Internet Keep Safe Coalition and The American School Counselor Association. The guide includes information about school policies, responding to online incidents and identifying risky online behavior.
While targeting school counselors, it is useful to school social workers, school psychologists, librarians in school media centers, and administrators. You can find this resource, courtesy of Nic Dibble, WI State School Social Work Consultant, at: Facebook for School Counselors. |
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Leadership News | |
12 for 2012: Issues to Move Education Forward in 2012
This document from the Education Commission of the States (ECS) identifies 12 important education issues to pay attention to in 2012. School social workers, as leaders in the schools, need to be aware of what these issues are and what influence can be exerted by school social workers in resolving the issues.
While sharing 4 common themes, the 12 policy areas highlighted in the report also share 4 common threads:
- Potential power: Are there wide-reaching implications for getting state-level results?
- Biggest challenges.
- Positive signs.
- Further reading. Click here to learn more.
from UCLA
Leadership Changes: Minimizing the Downside
Anyone who works in education has experienced the problem of leadership change. A new chief state school officer, a new district superintendent, a new board majority, a new principal. New leadership almost inevitably brings significant systemic changes. While often the desire for change is the reason that a new leader has been brought aboard, too often the changes bring an end to promising work begun under the previous leader. When this happens:
* significant investments are lost;
* progress related to some major facet of school improvement and transformation often is undermined;
* staff and other stakeholders are reinforced in their belief that efforts to make significant changes are likely to end when the next new leader is appointed; and,
* the new leader's agenda for change may be seen as shortsighted.
The emphasis in this brief set of notes is on highlighting strategies for minimizing such an impact. Minimize the downside. |
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Research Highlights | |
from the National Association for the Education of African American Children with Learning Difficulties (AACLD)
Civil Rights Data Highlights Educational Inequities for Students
The U.S. Department of Education recently released new data, titled Part II of the 2009-2010 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), shows the challenges minorities and students with disabilities across the country face in attaining the free and appropriate education guaranteed under federal law. This new data shows a strong correlation to achievement gaps in the United States - namely the connection between educational access, race and poverty.
Among the key findings:
- African-American students, particularly males, are far more likely to be suspended or expelled from school than their peers. Black students make up 18% of the students in the CRDC sample, but 35% of the students suspended once, and 39% of the students expelled.
- African-American students represented 21 percent of students with disabilities in the data analyzed; yet they represented 44 percent of students who were subjected to mechanical restraint in school.
- African-American and Hispanic students are far more likely than white students to repeat a grade. Shockingly, more than half of all 4th graders retained at the end of the 2009-10 academic year-56 percent-were black, according to the data, which account for about 85 percent of the nation's public school population.
- More than 70 percent of students arrested or referred to law enforcement were Hispanic or African-American.
- Not only are teachers in high-minority schools paid less than their colleagues in low-minority schools, they are often less experienced.
- African-American children are less likely to have access to high-level curriculums.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan stated in a press release, "the undeniable truth is that the everyday educational experience for many students of color violates the principle of equity at the heart of the American promise. It is our collective duty to change that."
The data was collected from nearly 7,000 school districts and is part of an ongoing information-collection effort by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. The full data can be accessed here.
A Meta-analysis of After-school Programs that Seek to Promote Personal and Social Skills in Children and Adolescents
A meta-analysis of after-school programs that seek to enhance the personal and social skills of children and adolescents indicated that, compared to controls, participants demonstrated significant increases in their self-perceptions and bonding to school, positive social behaviors, school grades and levels of academic achievement, and significant reductions in problem behaviors. The presence of four recommended practices associated with previously effective skill training (SAFE: sequenced, active, focused, and explicit) moderated several program outcomes. One important implication of current findings is that ASPs should contain components to foster the personal and social skills of youth because youth can benefit in multiple ways if these components are offered. The second implication is that further research is warranted on identifying program characteristics that can help us understand why some programs are more successful than others. Original paper. |
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In the News | |
Physical Activity Increases Learning Capacity
Educators say there is a growing body of research showing that physical activity -- even something as subtle as chewing gum -- helps not only a child's health but also a child's ability to learn because of increased blood and oxygen flow and the creation of new brain cells. . . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a paper in 2010 urging more physical activity for students because of the health and academic benefits.
"There is substantial evidence that physical activity can help improve academic achievement, including grades and standardized test scores," the CDC report concluded. Studies involving millions of students in California and Texas demonstrated the connection. Researchers from Harvard and the University of Illinois also have shown how scores and learning improved with more physical activity. Find out more. |
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Webinars | |
The Research Council of the American School Health Association will host, An Introduction to Secondary Data Analysis for Research on Children and Adolescents, to help individuals learn how to use free data sets like the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and the National Longitudinal Survey on Adolescent Health (Add Health). This event will be held Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 1 pm ET. For more information and to register click here.
Leadership: Keys to Juvenile Reform
On May 9, 2012, at 2 pm ET, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's (OJJDP's) National Center for Youth in Custody (NC4YC) will present the Webinar, "Leadership: Keys to Leading Juvenile Justice Reform." While looking specifically at juvenile justice,pPresentations will focus on universal concepts of collaborative leadership, leadership in culture change, and leadership in empowering youth and families in the rehabilitative process. Online registration.
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: Cheyenne, WY (summer school) Middleton, WI (.8 FTE) Riverton, NJ
Continued this week: Berwyn, IL Brookline, MA Brooklyn, NY Burr Ridge, IL
Central Falls, RI Danvers, MA Gary, IN Julian, CA
Lower Kuskokwim, AK (3 positions) Midlothian, IL New Orleans, LA
Randolph, MA(autism) Shawnee Mission, KS Topeka, KS Tucson, AZ Wichita, KS
Connecticut (Various Locations) IL PBIS Network, Research and Evaluation Director |
| Call for Papers | |
SSWR 2013
Deadline: April 30, 2012 The Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) announces its Seventeenth Annual Conference "Social Work for a Just Society: Making Visible the Stakes and Stakeholders" which will convene in San Diego, CA, January 16-20, 2013. You are invited to submit abstracts for one of the three types of presentations of original research: (1) oral paper presentations; (2) organized symposia; and (3) poster presentations. The conference will also include workshop and roundtable sessions for which you can submit abstracts. Click here for more information.
Special Edition of Social Work and Christianity: Towards A Christian Critique of Evidence-based Practice in Social Work
Deadline: September 1, 2012
Guest Editors: Michael S. Kelly, Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work & Cynthia Franklin, University of Texas-Austin
Evidence-based Practice (EBP) is now entering its second decade in social work scholarship and practice. This special issue seeks to add a Christian perspective to the literature on the implementation of EBP in social work practice, policy, and education. Many scholars and practitioners hail EBP's impact on client outcomes and argue that it represents a deepening of our ethical commitment to empowering practitioners with a process and tools that lead to the best possible client care, while other scholars point out the limitations of the EBP approach. This special issue of Social Work & Christianity seeks to expand the epistemological and practical discussions about EBP to add a further (and we believe, necessary) complication to the debate over EBP in social work: namely, how can EBP be practiced in the multitude of Christian social work contexts we see around the world? This special issue seeks to further debate the pros and cons of using EBP in social work by asking simply, "How can Christian social workers incorporate EBP into their work?" Papers for this special issue are encouraged to look at EBP as a process that integrates clinical expertise, client circumstances, research evidence, and client values and to formulate a paper discussing one or all of those dimension from a Christian perspective. Papers can employ a variety of methodologies, though special emphasis will be given to papers that use a conceptual lens to build a foundation to either critique or defend EBP from a Christian social work perspective. Papers can be up to 20 pages, double-spaced and in APA style (6th Ed.). Contact Michael Kelly at Loyola University Chicago with any questions and to submit papers as email attachments. |
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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.
Target Store Grant Program
Target stores will provide grants ranging between $700 and $2,000 through the Store Grant Program to schools and nonprofit organizations. Applicants that provide art, cultural experiences, and early reading programs to students between Kindergarten and 12thgrade are eligible to apply. Deadline: April 30, 2012. For more information and to apply click here.
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, or classified 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.
Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program Grant Competition
The Department of Education recently announced the FY 2012 ESSCP grant competition. Grantees under this competition will use funds to support counseling programs in target elementary, K-12, or secondary schools. Schools will establish or expand school counseling programs through hiring qualified school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, with a goal of expanding the range, availability, quantity and quality of school counseling services. School counseling services will use a developmental and preventative approach. This is a 3-year grant program and each annual award ranges from $250,000 - $400,000. Deadline: May 25, 2012. For more information view the Federal Register.
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.
OJJDP: Underage Drinking Research Funding
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has announced the Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws Field-Initiated Research and Evaluation Program funding opportunity. This program will support methodologically rigorous research and evaluation studies that inform policy and practice consistent with the Department of Justice's mission. OJJDP will fund field-initiated studies to understand the factors that influence the prevention of underage drinking, the enforcement of underage drinking laws, and individuals' and communities' attitudes and behaviors about underage drinking. Applications deadline: 11:59 p.m. E.T. on June 4, 2012. More information.
CVS/Caremark Community Grants
CVS/Caremark Community Grants are currently accepting proposals for programs, targeting children under age 21 with disabilities, which address health and rehabilitation services or enabling physical movement and play. Maximum award: $5,000. Eligibility: non-profits located in states that also have CVS stores. Deadline: October 31, 2012. More info. |
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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.
- presenting 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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