|
School Social Work NOW!
Supporting Innovative Practice,
Effective Leadership, and Applied Research
Vol 4, Issue 6
|
|
|
Great sadness sweeps us again this week. The senseless shootings by young teens in Nevada and Massachusetts continue to stun us as individuals and as a nation. The deepest sympathies of ACSSW go out to the families, friends, loved ones, and school communities of the victims who were shot or killed. One cannot know the thoughts and hearts of the shooters' parents, but one cannot help also feeling for them, to know that their young child has killed another and, in one case, taken his own life. Please keep all in your thoughts and prayers.
* * * * *
The next ACSSW professional development offering is around the bend! Basic information is available on the ACSSW website and the new brochure is expected to be there by Tuesday! This will be an informative conference in an exciting city!! Put in your request to your school district now! Encumber the funds while they are still there to help you become a stronger, more knowledgeable school social worker.
SAVE THE DATES! February 10-11, 2014
ACSSW National School Social Work
Mental Health Institute
NEW ORLEANS!
* * * * *
Mix It Up at Lunch Day is October 29th. By taking a risk this one day, students can cross the lines of division in a safe, controlled environment, meet new people, and help build an inclusive and welcoming school community. Check it out!
Judith Kullas Shine
President
|
|
Recommended Read for October
|
 The Leadership Challenge Workbook by James Kouzes & Barry Posner This leadership classic continues to be a bestseller after three editions and twenty years in print. It is the gold standard for research-based leadership, and the premier resource on becoming a leader. This new edition, with streamlined text, more international and business examples, and a graphic redesign, is more readable and accessible than ever before. The Leadership Challenge, Fourth Edition, has been extensively updated with the latest research and case studies, and offers inspiring new stories of real people achieving extraordinary results. The authors' central theme remains the same and is more relevant today than ever: "Leadership is Everyone's Business." Their "five practices" and "ten commitments" have been proven by hundreds of thousands of dedicated, successful leaders. This edition, with almost one-third new material, emphasizes the global community and refocuses on business leaders.
B&N - Kouzes Better World Books - Kouzes
|
|
NASBE Recognizes the Importance of Social and Emotional Learning
The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) recently published the first in a series of policy documents titled "From Policy to Practice." The series will provide guidance and direction for schools nationwide, and the focus of the premiere issue is on social and emotional learning. NASBE notes that "the recognized need for public schools to support students in areas beyond academics is not new, but recent developments in social-emotional learning (SEL) go beyond what has come before-and are starting to show improvements in both student behavior and academic outcomes. The brief, titled Social-Emotional Learning, looks at the scope of SEL policies and initiatives in states that promote students' social-emotional well-being and character growth. Full Policy Brief.
To date, the vast majority of the research on issues surrounding school violence has focused on students, and to a lesser extent, parents and teachers (see Metropolitan Life Insurance & Harris Poll, 1993/1994, and National Center for Educational Statistics, 1991, 1992, for examples of large-scale surveys). In light of the absence of data regarding school social workers and violence, researchers at the University of Michigan in collaboration with NASW undertook the first national study of school social workers that focused explicitly on the topic of school violence.
The survey collected data from school social workers on the following four areas related to school violence: (1) direct questions about violence in schools including their perceptions of school violence as a problem and reports of specific violent events (see Astor, Behre, Fravil, & Wallace, 1997 for a detailed multivariate analysis on these questions); (2) questions about their personal victimization, safety, and precautions taken to protect themselves; (3) questions about current violence prevention or intervention programs in their schools, including their involvement with these programs; and (4) questions about their current school violence training and future education needs. This article reports the major descriptive findings about personal victimization, safety, and precautions; existing training; and future training needs. An earlier article reported the results related to violent events in the schools (Astor et al., 1997). Complete article.
Assessing the Adaptive Behaviors of Youths: Multicultural Responsivity
...This article updates definitions, discusses theories and assessment criteria, revisits the different adaptive behavior instruments presented in the 1983 Allen-Meares and Lane article, presents several additional instruments used in today's schools, and examines important psychometric properties relevant to the growing diversity of U.S. schools. Furthermore, it appraises the importance of cultural competence and provides practical suggestions for how social workers may ensure culturally sensitive assessments... In the absence of a set definition of adaptive behavior or a standard set of assessed behaviors, it is important to draw attention to the supporting theoretical frameworks and perspectives that undergird adaptive behavior assessment. Learn more.
|
|
|
|
App - Psych Drugs Free for a limited time
|
|
Continued
University Positions-
|
|
Come to NOLA
| |
SAVE THE DATES!
February 10-11, 2014
NEW ORLEANS!
School Social Workers:
Inspiring HOPE. . .
Advocating for JUSTICE
Learn More Now!
|
|
 |
|
|
Free Guides for School Social Workers
Columbia University Teachers College Press published 4 guides geared to support teachers, administrators, student personnel staff, and parents. For a limited period, and as supplies last, TCP has agreed to provide FREE copies of the guides to social workers and educators working with military kids in schools including: teachers, school administrators, PPS workers, and military parents. School social workers should be aware of this wonderful, time-limited, FREE offer from TCP. Many school social workers will benefit from these guides.
The process is simple. Each individual desiring a free book would need to click on the link, select the type of book s/he desires, and fill out name, mailing address, etc. on the Qualtrix form after selecting the book desired. The book will be mailed in a few weeks.
|
Abstract: Practice articles are critical to scholarship in the counseling field. This article provides readers with practical guidelines for the content and organization of practice articles, with the broad objective of developing a framework for presenting such contributions that may be consistently utilized within the counseling literature. A consistent format could be useful in making sure that manuscripts devoted to practice have a structure that is accessible to authors, reviewers, and readers. Full article.
October 30, 2013; Noon, CT
The Center for Missing and Abducted Children's Organizations (CMACO) will host Are You A Guiding Force on Your Non-Profit Board? This 90-minute Webinar, geared toward board members of nonprofit organizations, will explore such topics as the evolution of board structures and systems, how board members interact with staff, and the importance of ongoing recruitment and orientation. More info. Register.
|
|
Survey Shows 1 in 5 Iowans Have 3 or More Adverse Childhood Experiences
In the Iowa study, there was more emotional abuse than physical and sexual abuse, while adult substance abuse was higher than other household dysfunctions.
This survey echoed the original CDC ACE Study in that as the number of types of adverse childhood experiences increase, the risk of chronic health problems - such as diabetes, depression, heart disease and cancer - increases. So does violence, becoming a victim of violence, and missing work days. See more.
Within a Few Years, Low Income Students Will Be the Majority of Students in Public Schools
PEN: A new report from the Southern Education Foundation finds that a majority of public school children in 17 states -- a third of the nation -- were eligible for free or reduced-price lunches in the school year ending in 2011. Thirteen of the 17 states were in the South; the remaining four were in the West. Poor students are concentrated in the nation's cities, yet over 40 percent of all public school children in the nation's suburbs, towns, and rural areas are also low-income. During the last decade, as the number of poor students grew substantially in all regions, public school expenditures increased, but at a markedly slower rate and with considerable differences between regions... The trends of the last decade suggest that schools and communities must address the primary question in American education today: What does it take to provide low-income students with a chance to succeed in public schools? Complete Research Report.
|
|
All Districts Must Report Victims of Harassment and Bullying to the Office of Civil Rights in the USDOE
School districts are now required to provide information to the federal government about students who are victims of bullying. Beginning this academic year, school districts must report all student victims of harassment and bullying to the Office of Civil Rights in the U.S Department of Education. Systems previously were only required to report information about students who were victims of a dangerous offense such as assault, sexual assault, robbery, indecent liberties or homicide. Read more.
First Tennessee Bullying Count Confirms 5,478 Cases
Tennessee's first statewide count of school bullying incidents found 5,478 cases last school year, shocking the lawmaker who asked for the study. The Department of Education report turned up 7,555 reports of bullying. Investigations confirmed acts of bullying in 73 percent of reports.
"The numbers, they're quite shocking," said Sen. Bill Ketron, R-Murfreesboro. "I was thinking there'd be less than a thousand reports of bullying captured. Over 5,000? That's huge. And that's just what was reported." More.
Boys Struggle to Receive Adequate Care for Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are commonly thought to be a problem for girls and women, but an estimated 10 million American men have an eating disorder at some point in their lives, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. Psychologists and psychiatrists who treat eating disorders say those numbers are on the rise. The condition can be life-threatening.
"Over the last five, six years, I've been seeing younger and younger boys who are struggling with these problems," says Roberto Olivardia, a clinical psychologist affiliated with Harvard Medical School, who has been working with boys and men with eating disorders for nearly two decades. Continue.
from Education Week
Budget Deal Would Allow Alternate-Route Teachers to be Deemed "Highly Qualified"
The federal government didn't shut down over the question of whether teachers in alternative-certification programs should be considered "highly qualified"-but the bill to end the budget stalemate addresses the question anyway. The legislation, which is expected to be approved by both houses of Congress very soon, would allow teachers participating in alternative-certification programs (for example, Teach for America) to be considered "highly qualified" for an additional two years, through the 2015-16 school year.
Some background: Under the still-not-reauthorized No Child Left Behind Act, teachers are supposed to have a degree in the subject they're teaching, plus state certification. But it's always been a big point of contention whether teachers currently in alternative-route programs should count. In writing regulations for the NCLB law, the Bush administration, essentially allowed teachers in a recognized alternative-route program to be considered highly qualified. Read more.
|
CVS Caremark Community Grants
CVS Caremark Community Grants give funds to nonprofit organizations for programs targeting children with disabilities, programs focusing on health and rehabilitation services, public schools promoting a greater level of inclusion in student activities and extracurricular programs, and initiatives that give greater access to physical movement and play. Maximum award: $5,000. Eligibility: nonprofit organizations with programs targeting children with disabilities; public schools with programs for children under age 18 with disabilities. Deadline: October 31, 2013. Requirements & Application.
Fuel Up to Play 60
The NFL Fuel Up to Play 60 Playbook focuses on school breakfast and increased physical activity -- because students who eat well and move more learn better! Your school can apply for funding to support one Healthy Eating Play and one Physical Activity Play from the 2013-14 Playbook (see website). Maximum award: $4,000. Eligibility: schools participating in the National School Lunch program. Deadline: November 1, 2013. Learn more & apply.
Children's Foundation Medical Grants for Children in Need
These grants are designed to cover financial expenses for a child's medical needs beyond a family's health benefit plan. Families can directly apply online for these grants of up to $5,000. Details.
Do Something Seed Grants
Do Something Seed Grants for youth can be used towards project ideas and programs that are just getting started, or to jump-start a program and realize ideas for the first time. These grants can also be used towards projects that are already developed and sustainable, towards the next steps of a project and organization as it looks to expand and grow impact. Maximum award: $500. Eligibility: community projects that are youth-led and driven. Deadline: rolling. Application.
|
|
Building a Comprehensive Assessment System for Early Childhood Programs
October 29, 2013; 11 a.m., CT
A comprehensive system for early childhood education should include three major components. The curriculum should document what we will teach children from birth through age eight years; the assessment component should tell us whether or not the children are acquiring the knowledge and skills we are teaching; and the program evaluation component should provide information on the effectiveness of the relevant early childhood program. This one-hour webinar will focus on the assessment component. The presenter will describe a comprehensive assessment system for early childhood programs and the importance of including measures that are developmentally appropriate and culturally and linguistically responsive. Register.
We Serve, Too: Supporting and Engaging Spouses, Parents and Significant Others
October 30, 2013; Noon, CT
While most Service members spend their entire careers training for deployments, their families and friends usually do not. Typically, no one is trained to handle the emotional challenges of the deployment experience. But spouses, partners, significant others, or parents of a Service member or veteran, play key roles in supporting their loved one-both while he/she is deployed and once he/she returns home.
What do you need to know about the differences in supporting and engaging a military family versus supporting and engaging the family of a veteran? What resources are currently out there for these families? And what are the gaps in services that you might be able to provide?
In this session, you will:
- Become aware of the stressors and emotions that families encounter throughout the deployment life cycle
- Learn about the resources available to military families and families of veterans that will help them increase their family resilience and improve their quality of life
- Explore ways to engage this often underrepresented group in national service as a means to employ their extensive skill sets and enhance their sense of community
This webinar is free, but requires advanced registration.
|
|
|
|
