School Social Work NOW!

  Supporting Innovative Practice,

  Effective Leadership, and Applied Research

Vol 4, Issue 8       

Free Guides for School Social Workers

Treatment of Maladaptive Aggression in Youth (T-MAY)

Psychotropic agents, particularly second-generation antipsychotics and mood stabilizers, are increasingly prescribed to youth on an outpatient basis for the treatment of overt aggression, a symptom that may have multiple causes.  These large-scale shifts in treatment practices have occurred despite potentially troubling side-effects and a lack of supportive empirical evidence.  With the increase in the prescription of psychotropic agents outside of FDA-approved indications, concerns have been raised over treatment decision-making, appropriate use of alternative therapies, long-term management, safety of multiple drug regimens, and successful parental engagement and education.  Given its indistinct etiology and variability in frequency and severity of symptoms, as well as the presence of overlapping comorbidities, treating and managing aggression is generally difficult and complex.  To address this clinical need and improve outcomes for children and adolescents with maladaptive aggression, a steering committee was established to spearhead a consensus development and quality improvement initiative for clinicians treating such children and adolescents.  Learn more.

Why I Wrote the Nation's First Parent-Trigger Law  

I wrote the nation's first parent-trigger law. I acted because I understood that education is the civil rights issue of our time and the key to the American dream.  I'm the daughter of a mother who attained only a 6th grade education, but who understood that education is what lifts us out of poverty.

As a Democratic senator representing the diverse, heavily Latino East Los Angeles-eastern Los Angeles County community and the chair of both the state Senate's education and prison oversight committees, I understood that if we do not educate, we will incarcerate. California locks away a disproportionate number of Latino and African-American youths, and, nationwide, nearly 70 percent of inmates are high school dropouts.  Continue.

How Kids Cope with Change: New Findings on Adaptability    

Adaptable young people are more likely to participate in class, enjoy school more, and have higher self-esteem, a unique Australian-first study into adaptability suggests.

In a comprehensive analysis of 969 high school students from nine Australian secondary schools, researchers from the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney found that adaptability - the ability to adjust to new and changing situations and conditions - is essential for young people's well-being.

The results, published in the latest issue of the Journal of Educational Psychology, show adaptable students were more likely to report greater life satisfaction, and a greater sense of meaning and purpose in their lives.  More.

The Real 21st Century Problem in Public Education    

So much has been said about new "21^st century" skills, standards, and learning requirements, that they have become virtually synonymous with "college and career readiness" (a similarly poorly defined goal). The purportedly new demand for higher-level and different skills has further increased the pressure for more tests and higher stakes attached to them.

A new study showing explosive growth in student poverty suggests, though, that we have misidentified the problem. What if we have actually been teaching the right skills in U.S. schools all along - math and reading, science and civics, along with creativity, perseverance, and team-building? What if these were as important a hundred years ago for nurturing innovative farmers and developers of new automobiles as they are now for creating the next generation of tech innovators? What if these are the very characteristics of U.S. schools that have made us such a strong public education nation, and the current shift toward a narrower agenda just dilutes that strength? What if, rather than raising standards, and testing students more, the biggest change we need to address is that of our student body?

The October 2013 Southern Education Foundation Study indicates clearly that poverty, which has long been the biggest obstacle to educational achievement, is more important than ever. It is our true 21st century problem.  Full article here.

Autism, Meditation and Stress 

Thursday, November 14th, 1-2 p.m. ET  - Free

Can a simple, easily-learned, evidence-based meditation technique be an effective tool for reducing the symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)? A distinguished panel of experts explores the research, clinical applications, and uses of Transcendental Meditation for reducing stress and stress-related disorders, improving brain function, and enhancing quality of life among children and teens with ASD.  More information.  Click to register.