Schools Archives - Page 3 of 8 - National Wraparound Initiative (NWI)

Report: Success Plans – Promising Tools for Customizing Student Supports and Opportunities

April 25, 2019 | Emily Taylor

A report published this month by the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Education Redesign Lab, focuses on Student Success Plans, a personalized tool for “capturing the full range of strengths and needs of children and youth in order to connect them with tailored, seamless, and equitable services and opportunities”. Along with the authors’ vision for Success Plans and recommendations for stakeholders, the report includes an overview of the emergence of personalized learning strategies and plans. There is also a companion toolkit for communities interested in creating and implementing Success Plans.

Read more about the research»

Trauma-Informed Schools Terms Dictionary from Connecticut

March 6, 2019 | Emily Taylor

Connecticut’s Trauma-Informed School Mental Health Task Force created “Developing a Common Language in Connecticut: A Dictionary of Terms Related to Trauma-Informed Schools” to address the need for a common language for school-based practitioners, community-based providers and state government stakeholders to use. They followed the structure used in the “Glossary of Terms Related to Trauma-Informed, Integrated Healthcare,” published by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network in 2018.

Access the new resource from Connecticut»

Mental Health Trial Bringing Mindfulness Program to Schools in England

February 21, 2019 | Emily Taylor

The British Department of Education and Department of Health and Social Care are beginning a three year trial program focused on mental health in up to 370 schools in England. A universal prevention and intervention program, the trials will test five interventions:mindfulness, relaxation, strategies for safety and well-being, and an existing intervention from Canada called “the guide” and another from Sweden known as “youth aware of mental health.” The trials are being led by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families.

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Research on Benefits of Mindfulness Education in School

February 1, 2019 | Emily Taylor

A recent study compared groups of sixth graders in a Boston-area school: one group participated in an eight week mindfulness curriculum taught by Calmer Choice, a Massachusetts nonprofit, and the other group took computer coding during that time.The mindfulness group reported being less stressed and and having better self control after the program. About half of the participants agreed to brain scans as well. The results indicate that the mindfulness group responded less to negative stimuli after the course.

Read more about the study»

Federal Commission on School Safety Resource Guide

January 16, 2019 | Emily Taylor

The Federal Commission on School Safety issued a 177-page report on school safety in December. Based on months of research including site visits to successful programs and expert testimony, the report offers findings and recommendations in three sections: Prevent; Protect & Mitigate, and Respond & Recover. The Prevent section includes recommendations on incorporating mental health programs in schools with details on existing programs and research based practices.

Read the report»

Visit the school safety website for more details on the commission including field visits, listening sessions, etc.»

Research: How Early Head Start Prevents Child Maltreatment

November 1, 2018 | Emily Taylor

Child Trends has published a research-to-practice brief on a study on the role of programs that serve families with infants and toddlers like Early Head Start (EHS) in reducing child abuse and neglect. The study found that participating families had positive short-term outcomes that led to lower risk of child welfare involvement in the future. The brief also includes recommendations for early childhood programs.

Read the research brief»

Making the preschool magic last as children get older

August 29, 2018 | Emily Taylor

This article from Hechinger Report profiles the success of Christopher House, a nonprofit in Chicago that runs a charter elementary school and several preschools. From the preschool on, Christopher House focuses on supporting the needs of the entire family. Based on the academic performance of its students, the approach is successful.

Read more about schools providing intensive family support»

Child Trends Research: High-Quality Connections Can Protect At-Risk Youth

August 22, 2018 | Emily Taylor

This Child Trends research, funded through a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), focused on youth with dual involvement with child welfare and juvenile justice systems, and the relationship between child maltreatment and later delinquent and criminal behavior, as well as the impact potential protective factors. The results suggest that increasing the quality of these youths’ connections to their families, schools, and communities can reduce their engagement in criminal behavior, and reduce recidivism.

Read more and download the full report»

New Policy Brief on 2017 NCTSN System Framework for Trauma-Informed Schools

August 9, 2018 | Emily Taylor

A new policy brief is now available on the key elements of the 2017 NCTSN System Framework for Trauma-Informed Schools. Trauma-Informed Schools for Children in K-12: A System Framework also delineates the public health implications of trauma exposure and the benefits of trauma-informed schools.

Read the new info brief»

Research: Training Teachers to Focus on Positive Behavior Improves Student Outcomes

July 25, 2018 | Emily Taylor

A recent study, Supporting Teachers and Children in Schools (STARS), led by the University of Exeter Medical School and published in Psychological Medicine, evaluated the impact of a teacher training program that focused on relationship building and ignoring “low-level” unwanted behavior. Based on evaluation of survey responses from teachers, parents and students, the researchers measured improved mental health, behavior and concentration among students.

Read more about the study»