Creating Safe and
Productive Learning
Environments for Students
CREC Teachers Academy
August 2011
Introduction: How do I Know
What I Know?
Brief background
Experience Education
My “day” job at the Connecticut State
Department of Education
Bureau of Accountability and Improvement School Climate Improvement, Bullying and
Character Education
The Role of Positive Climate on
Optimal Learning: Safe and
Productive Schools
Core reason: create climate that ensures
every student is physically, emotionally and intellectually safe and has the optimal chance for high academic achievement
Align practices with brain-based research on
creating learning environments that support student engagement and attainment
Students must be present to learn…it is
Absenteeism and
Academic Success
Learning requires that
students
be in class
Absent because of sickness
Absent because of “vacations” Absent because of being fearful
“Opt out” to visit the nurse or guidance
Learning requires that
educators
be
present, available and use
engaging
and
ethical
teaching methods
Adult actions and reactions determine student
Lessons Learned from My
Own Bullying Case Load
Six years worth of data…trends are clear Bullying knows no demographic boundaries Bullying takes ALL forms without patterns Bullying affects all grade levels
Very slight increase in the middle school years
Bullying overwhelmingly involves children with special needs
(IEPs & 504 Plans)
Children who are “different”
The family perceptions about what is happening to the child is in
Known Risk Factors:
Everyone Is Affected
Perpetrators of mean-spirited behaviors
More likely to experience failure and crime
Targeted Individuals
More likely to be socially isolated, depressed and absent from school
Those individuals who are “bystanders”
Ultimate Remedy for Bullying
To Create and Maintain
Positive School Climate
…
Environments that do not support any
form of mean-spirited behaviors
(physically, emotionally and
intellectually)
A Positive and Respectful
School Climate is one that is
physically, emotionally and
intellectually
safe
for
all
school community
members… which is the
Safety vs. Violence: A
Continuum
Early manifestations by students and/or adults
Exclusion Teasing
Name-calling Ridicule
Sarcasm
Threatening and/or Real “bullying” behavior Extreme physical violence
Dangerous “Weapons” In
School: Direct Negative Impact
on Learning
Words! The silent and most devastating
weapons used by school community members
Putdowns and slurs
Degrading language heard daily by 90% of
school community
Girls/women
Gay/lesbian/bi-sexual/transgender individuals Special education students
National School Climate
Standards: Finalized March 2010
“There is growing appreciation that school climate – the quality and character of school life1 – fosters children’s
development, learning and achievement. School climate is based on the patterns of people’s experiences of school life;
it reflects the norms, goals values, interpersonal
relationships, teaching, learning and leadership practices, and organizational structures that comprise school life.”
1This definition of school climate was consensually developed by members of the
National School Climate Council (2007). The terms “school climate”, “school
“School climate is ‘much
like the air we breathe’ – it
tends to go unnoticed until
something is seriously
wrong.”
School Culture
Culture as…
Descriptive of
current situation
School Climate: It is
All
About the
Quality of
Relationships
Defined
as:
how well the people
within the school treat each other
Physically Emotionally Intellectually
Actions [+/-]
Verbal and non-verbal exchanges [+/-] Tone of voice [+/-]
Use/abuse of inherent power advantages [+/-]
Adult Adult
Adult Student
Student Student
Levels of School
Climate
Personal
(one to one interactions)
Adult Adult
Adult Student
Student Student
Classroom
(tends to have the mostpositive climate)
School
(tends to have the least positiveclimate)
Community
(tends not to have enoughWhy “School
Climate” ?
Issues with nomenclature
“Character/Moral Education” “Values Clarification”
“Citizenship” and “Religious Education”
Politically correct: everyone is supportive No one questions the “content” of lessons Not a separate subject - integrated into all
subject matter
School Climate Discipline Climate
Adults Often Ignore
“Bullying” Behavior
Adults in school do relatively little to stop
bullying behavior at school
Adults overlook or wait to intervene when
initial instances of mean behaviors or language occur
Adults in school who are physically present
during acts of meanness
Uninvolved or ignored 71% of observed incidences
What is “Bullying”?:
Abuses of Power
“Bullying” is a public activity needing a
stage on which to perform…when the
audience is not there, the show closes
Power imbalance, measured by effects it
has on the
vulnerable target
It’s about
power
and not about
conflict
Conflict resolution and peer mediation are
Solving “Bullying” by
Passing State Anti-Bullying
Laws
Columbine As Crucible . . .
First of the
Bookend
Research
Since 1974, 65 American “rampage” school
shootings have occurred:
1970s 3 shootings
1980s 5 shootings (1 per year from ’85 – ’89)
Honor the “
Spirit
” (intent) of the
law, not merely the “
Letter
” of
the law to create truly
physically,
emotionally and intellectually
safe and positive learning
environments
for every single
school community member,
student and adult alike.
Even the “experts” do not
agree about what
“
Bullying
”
looks
,
feels
and
sounds
“Bullying” is about Abuses of
Power
One person’s “bullying” is another’s…
“Kids will be kids”
“They were only joking around”
“Oh, they’re really friends”
“It’s not bad enough yet”
They’re just roughhousing”
“That is just teasing”
What Is “Bullying”:
The Difficulty With
Definition
No standard or consistent definition
45 States…45 different definitions
Most involved acts of harassment or intimidation
that continue with regularity for a certain period of time (usually six months or more)
At the core, “bullying” is about power abuses
Wideness or narrowness determines
Sample Definitions
“Intentionally harmful behavior that occurs repeated
over time.” (JAMA 2001 research study)
“Any overt acts by a student or group of
students directed against another student with the
intent to ridicule, harass, humiliate, or intimidate the other student while on school grounds, at school sponsored activities, or on a school bus, which acts are committed more than once against any student during the school year. (My italics)
Such policies may include provisions addressing bullying
And More Definitions…
“Harassment, intimidation, or bullying”
means any intentional written, verbal, or physical act that a student has exhibited
toward another particular student more than once and the behavior both:
(1) Causes mental or physical harm to the other student
(2) Is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive that it creates an intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment for the other student.”
And, More…
“Bullying” means any severe or pervasive physical or verbal act
or conduct, including communications made in writing or
electronically, directed toward a student or students that has or can be reasonably predicted to have the effect of one or more of the following:
(1) Placing the student or students in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s or students’ person or property,
(2) Causing a substantially detrimental effect on the student’s or students’ physical or mental health;
(3) Substantially interfering with the student’s or students’ academic performance, or
(4) Substantially interfering with the student’s or students’ ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by a school. Bullying as defined in this subsection (b) may take various forms, including without limitation one or more of the following: harassment, threats,
Looking For Bullying: We Miss
What is Right Under Our Noses
To understand how difficult
intervening whenever “bullying”
occurs…
As you watch the short video clip…
Count the number of ball passes that
Two Questions…
How many of you are parents,
aunts, uncles or mentors of
children?
How many of you are
A
TOXIC
School Concept: A
True Conversation Closer
No school wants to have any of it
**
No parent/guardian will admit their child
is one
**
No child will own up to being one
**
** Bullying, Bully, “Bullier”, Bullying Behaviors
Everyone avoids these terms except
Another Way to Think
About This…
Think about individuals in your lives…
Have they every been
MEAN
to anyone?
You?
Peers?
Siblings?
Adults?
‘BULLY’ and ‘BULLYING’ are OUT!!!
“
Mean
” Is A Better Term/Concept
No one knows what “bullying” looks, feels
and sounds like
We miss what is right under our noses
Everyone knows what “mean” looks,
feels and sounds like
If “mean” is the standard, we are much more
likely to help make it safer
“Empathy” As True
Antidote For
Meanness
Having compassion for others
Includes animals and property
Being able to perceive the feelings
of others
Learning to be empathic diminishes
levels of meanness
Core concept in both emotional and
Mean-Spirited Behavior in
Boys and Girls
American “culture
*
” raises boys and girls
in different ways
* Culture can be interpreted as any/every message one receives from the time we wake up in the morning until we go to sleep. Those message come directly in
conversation among individuals (adults and peers), from the media, from the sporting arena, from academic
The Boy Code: The
Gender
Straightjacket
“Boys will be boys”
“Boys should be boys”
Shame for expressing feeling and emotions
other than anger and aggression
Violation of male stereotypes
Great fear of embarrassment and
Act Like A Man: The
Trying too hard
Rosalind Wiseman,
Talking with Boys: Strategies
“Timed Silence”
Connect and share through “action”
Shooting hoops
Playing a board game
Riding a bike
Going for a walk
“
The Girl Code”
Caucasian Code
Even for girls of color… “White Privilege” prevails
Thin Pretty Nice
No fighting
No arguing
No outward expression of violence
Girls ARE becoming more physically violent…just not
Girls: Relational
Aggression (
Ruining
Relationships)
Act out anger laterally because they cannot
easily challenge the male/female hierarchy
The choice of popularity
Wish to be part of the group
Fear of being isolated, shunned and alone
The choice of status
Target
Perpetrator
Fear of being targeted themselves for stepping in
Act Like A Woman:
The Girl Code
Shy
Fat
Acne
Pretty
Confident
Hangs out with right guys
Nice on the outside
Rosalind Wiseman,
Talking with Girls: Strategies
Do not ask what is going on…unless you
can give lengthy and undivided attention
Talk about positive friendships
Use literature to explore relationship
issues
Targets Of “Bullies”
Are
Vulnerable
A public activity requiring a willing audience
Active: “egging on”, laughing, etc.
Passive: standing by watching, but not
encouraging
Power struggle
Relationship between the aggressor and
target is always uneven
Boys identify those they do not know or like
Girls identify those within their friendship
Research On
Playground
Supervision
Adult perceptions of successful intervention
Adults believed they were intervening in 50% of incidences Adults actually intervened in approximately 20% of
incidences
When effectiveness of intervention considered, it fell to
12-15% of incidences
Children’s ability to intervene successfully is
significantly higher than adults
Effective student intervention was double that of adults Lessons learned from research
Adults need to listen and intervene more often
“Negligent Privacy”
“Negligent privacy occurs when those who supervise and monitor children do not remain vigilant and unwittingly
provide the opportunity for victimization to occur. Negligent privacy can occur on a playground filled with second graders, in a crowded high school cafeteria, during
a youth group camping trip or even 10 feet away from a teacher in a classroom. Simply put, negligent privacy
occurs when adults are not paying close attention to children under their care.”
Addressing Those Who
Act in Mean-Spirited
Ways
Apply appropriate identified disciplinary
measures from policies
Respond quickly and firmly to any retaliation
toward targets and/or witness(es)
Enforce policies consistently and fairly
Students believe honor students, athletes, and students
with positive relationships with adults receive less severe punishment than known “bullies”
Inconsistent application leads to diminished
school connectivity:
“School Connectedness”…The
Other Bookend Research
Funded by the Military
Looking at “student mobility”
Conducted by
Johns Hopkins University
The University of Minnesota
Occurring simultaneously with the
“When students feel they are a part
of school, say they are treated fairly
by teachers, and feel close to people
at school, they are healthier and
more likely to succeed.”
“Improving the Odds: The Untapped Power of Schools to Improve the Health of Teens.” April 2002
The Power Of
School
Connectedness:
Simple Measures
I feel close to people at this school
I am happy to be at this school
I feel like I am part of this school
The teachers at this school treat
students fairly
I feel safe
(
physically, emotionally
Factors Associated with
School Connectedness:
THE
SCHOOL
School size mattered (larger than 1,200
students matters)
…classroom size did not
School type is not associated with
connectedness
…public, private, parochial
Location of school is not associated with
connectedness
Factors Associated with School
Connectedness:
SCHOOL POLICIES
No single school policy was associated with
connectedness
A climate of harsh discipline is associated with
lower school connectedness
It is possible to write policies to make connectedness
not happen
Zero tolerance policies tend to be unevenly
applied
The more punitive the policies, the less
Factors Associated with School
Connectedness:
SCHOOL CLIMATE &
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
The single strongest association with connectedness was
school climate
Kids feel engaged when the classroom environment is seen as a safe place
1) Physically
2) Emotionally (no peer cruelty/”bullying”) 3) Intellectually/academically (no ridicule for taking academic risks: not made to feel a
Toward A Solution
We have a desperate need to
reconnect
and value one another. The solution will
be:
Complex
RTI Framework utilizing Tiers I, II and III
(prevention/intervention continuum) Multidimensional
Long-term
Known Needs and Remedies
Perpetrators
Develop a sense of empathy for others
Must be removed from the social group and earn their way
back
Close supervision
Targeted individuals
Develop healthy and meaningful friendships
Do not ask them to change who they are Do not have to own what is being portrayed
Bystanders
Deal With the Individual Who Is
Being Mean: Do Not Blame the
Target
Isolate those individuals being mean
rather than protecting and supervising
the target
Social access is required in order to hurt
others
Those being mean must earn the right
to rejoin the social group
Long term: help them develop empathy
Popularity: Two Sides
Of The Coin
Bad/”Evil” Popularity: Getting
noticed
Very odd notion of “popularity”
“The meanest to everyone” “People live in fear”
“They have all the power and will
retaliate”
Good Popularity:
Teach THIS concept
When a student is genuinely liked because
she/he is nice to everyone
Creating A Caring Majority:
Tapping Into The Here-To-Fore
“Silent Majority”
20% of the population begins change
Shared primary goal:
100 % of school
population must be safe
Give students permission to stand up for
each other
Adult role- modeling
The Story about Marcus. . .
Cultural Change
Paradigm Shift
Developing Common
and
Systemic
Language That
Works:
“
We don’t do
And…
Adult
Adult
Actions and Reactions
Actions and Reactions
Determine
Determine
Student Outcomes:
Student Outcomes:
The Foundation
The Foundation
for
for
We can create these kinds of
schools, but only if we
demonstrate
leadership
– only if
we stand up and speak up for
civility and respect.
We can create schools where
every
single
school community member
A Useful Reflection:
Stories of favorite
teacher
Think back to experiences in
your
schooling…
elementary, middle or high
Recall your
most favorite teacher of all
time
Precisely
…what did that teacher do to inspire,
motivate and make learning engaging for you?
Share with your colleagues the word or
Success For Students
In School
Single
most important factor
determining success is
students’ perception that
Administrators MOST
Difficult Task: The Adults
Recognizing
and confronting
inappropriate adult interpersonal
conduct
Words
Actions
Abuse of power
Non-verbal exchanges
The “Golden Rule” as the ultimate measure:
Treat others the way in which you would wish to be treated
The Standard for the Treatment
of Others
Successful School Climate
Improvement Requires:
Systemically implementing a comprehensive
prevention/intervention continuum of practices (Tiers I, II & III in a RTI/SRBI Framework)
Teach and model school-based expectations for
conduct
Identify interfering behaviors early
Manage these behaviors appropriately
Such behaviors must not be overlooked or ignored Appropriate continuum of support (medical, social
