Fostering mutual understanding among residents in order to make Orange County a better place for

1. Fostering mutual understanding among residents in order to make Orange County a better place for ALL people to live, work and do business.

2. Mediating Conflict • Dispute Resolution • Mediation Certificate Program • Community-based Centers • Court Mediations • Police and Community Reconciliation Program

3. Developing Diverse Leaders • Parent Leadership Institute • Community Leadership • BRIDGES Summer Leadership Youth Camps • OC Youth Organizers Internship • School, Community and Policing Awards

4. Creating Safe & Inclusive Communities • Police / Community Relations • Hate Crime Tracking and Victims Assistance • Community Conflict Intervention • Capacity Building for diverse communities, schools and neighborhoods

5. Building Understanding and Respect • Cultural Competency and Diversity • Training • Living Room Dialogues • Walk In My Shoes Conferences • Facilitating Intergroup Collaboration

6. BRIDGES is a multi-year program with the mission of improving inter-group relations by partnering with schools and communities to create, and sustain a safe, inclusive and equitable campus climate that respects society's diversity.

7. History of the Bridges Program What is Blackface? • Type of character performance in which performers paint their faces black (with burnt cork or greasepaint makeup) in a manner that presents a crude caricature of African features. • Commonly used by white performers who would employ black stereotypes in their performance, by 1840 African-American performers were also performing in blackface makeup. • Show-business phenomenon in the U.S. in the late 1820s through the 1930s. It was often associated with the Negro minstrel show tradition of comedy and musical entertainment.

9. Program Goals Safe Inclusive Equitable a campus where everyone feels physically and “socially” safe, free from bullying and harassment. everyone feels respected and accepted regardless of their background – age, gender, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, religion, etc. – and youth voices are valued by decision makers. all students have an equal and adequate education.

10. Agenda • Vision and Goals for Safe Schools • What does the research say? • Perceptions of Safety among Staff and Students • Crafting a Comprehensive Approach • Resources

11. Positive School Climate

12. What is “climate”? Safety (e.g. rules and norms; physical safety; social-emotional safety); Relationships(e.g. respect for diversity; school connectedness/engagement; social support– adults; social support – students; leadership); Teaching and Learning (e.g. social, emotional, ethical and civic learning; support for learning; professional relationships); Institutional Environment (e.g. physical surrounding).

13. What are the Results of a Positive, Sustained School Climate? • Positive youth development • Effective risk prevention • Health promotion • Student learning and academic achievement • Increased student graduation rates • Teacher retention Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence Institute of Behavioral Science University of Colorado at Boulder

14. What are the biggest challenges to safe schools that you see in schools today? Share with 1-2 people sitting next to you.

15. Safe Schools: “Schools are key mechanisms in determining what is socially valued as legitimate knowledge versus what is seen as merely popular.  As a result, schools are at the center of struggles over a politics of recognition over race/ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, ability and religion.” (Binder, 2002; Fraser, 1997) It is estimated that 160,000 children miss school every day due to fear of attack or intimidation by other students. National Center for Education Statistics 3 1 25 percent of students surveyed reported that one of their most serious concerns was fear of bullies. -CA Dept. of Ed, Safe Schools and Violence Prevention Office Are in the best interest of students, teachers, parents and staff – everyone in the campus community Increase the ability of schools and districts to teach and meet their educational goals Increase the ability of students to learn • Students who feel safe at school are more likely to have higher GPAs • Students who feel safe at school are more likely to plan to go to college. Increase attendance 3 Common reasons listed for truancy: • Bullying • Racial or cultural conflicts • Fearing violence California Safe Schools Coalition 2 4 CA Dept. of Ed, Safe Schools and Violence Prevention Office

16. Perceptions about Safety 2/3 of victims felt that school staff responded poorly when reporting bullying. What % believed the report was handled very well? 70% of teachers believe that adults intervene almost all the time when bullying is taking place What percentage of students agreed? Among incoming freshmen, what % believed their teachers were interested in trying to stop bullying? For Administrators? 35% 25% 6% 25% Source: National Dropout Prevention Center, Clemson University

17. What are your first reactions to these stats? Share with 1-2 people sitting next to you?

18. Students in schools with a Gay-Straight Alliance: • heard fewer homophobic remarks, • experienced less harassment due to sexual orientation and gender expression, • more likely to report incidents to staff, • less likely to feel unsafe because of their sexual orientation or gender expression, • were less likely to miss school • reported a greater sense of belonging to their school community. GLSEN 2009 School Climate Survey

19. Importance of the Right Tools • 98% said they thought it was “their job” to intervene when they witnessed bullying incidents. • Only 58 % reported that their school had implemented formal bullying prevention activities such as school teams, a committee, or a prevention program. • less than 40 % of staff reported being directly involved in formal bullying prevention activities. • The lowest overall level of staff involvement (in formal bullying prevention activities) was in high schools (24%). National Education Association

21. Importance of Connectedness and Relationships • Perception of connectedness to school, colleagues and administrators is a predictor of staff willingness to intervene in bullying • Staff who were more connected to their school were more likely to feel comfortable intervening in all forms of bullying. • connectedness is a powerful predictor of and/or is associated with adolescent health and academic outcomes, violence prevention, student satisfaction and conduct problems “These findings support the use of school-wide climate enhancing programs that promote close relationships across administrators, teaching staff, ESPs, parents, and students. Creating a supportive environment within a school can model positive social interactions for students, which may in turn reduce the likelihood of bullying.” -NEA NEA and Center for Social and Emotional Education

22. The presence of supportive staff contributes to a range of positive indicators: • fewer reports of missing school, • greater academic achievement, • higher educational aspirations and • a greater sense of belonging to their school community. GLSEN 2007 School Climate Survey

23. Comprehensive Approach to Positive Campus Climate • Teachers • Staff • Administrators • Parents • Students • Community • Students were more likely to report bullying events to their friends and families than to an adult at school (Waasdorp and Bradshaw, in press). • Students may turn to ESPs (e.g., school nurses, transportation staff, teacher’s aides) as a means of support. (NEA)

24. Researchers Agree… • Multi-component, whole-school intervention and prevention efforts • Improve school climate by involving all students, parents, and staff in the effort • Multiple levels of supports for students, including universal activities for all students and staff NEA

25. Provide more targeted programs for children who have a high risk for exhibiting behavior problems, • Provide individually tailored programs and support services for students already exhibiting difficulties due to their involvement in bullying. • Collect data to guide decision making, inform program selection, identify training needs, and identify hot spots in the school • Avoid policies that only react and don’t address prevention NEA

26. Can you think of a time when you have taken on a campus wide initiative – what were some of the successful strategies you used? Share with 1-2 people sitting next you.

27. Recommendations for Teachers and Administrators • Discuss the link between school safety and student academic achievement with students, parents, and colleagues. • Intervene if you hear bias-related comments and slurs. Use each comment as an opportunity to provide education and reaffirm school policy. • Request training on preventing harassment and discrimination, and ask to help publicize school policies on harassment. Safe Schools Research Brief 7 California Safe Schools Coalition • www.casafeschools.org

28. Treat all forms of bias-related harassment and slurs as serious and preventable. • Find out about community resources and information for students/families of diverse backgrounds • Integrate representations of diverse people into existing curricula. • Set the climate in your classrooms early and as often as necessary, letting students know that bias-related harassment and slurs are not acceptable. Adapted from Safe Schools Research Brief 7 California Safe Schools Coalition • www.casafeschools.org

29. Resources California Department of Education, Safe Schools and Violence Prevention Office: School Attendance Improvement Handbook, 2000 California Safe Schools Coalition: Safe Schools Research Brief 7 Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado at Boulder: Safe Communities ~ Safe Schools FACT SHEET , June 2010 National Education Association: Findings from the National Education Association’s Nationwide Study of Bullying: Teachers’ and Education Support Professionals’ Perspectives, 2011 www.ochumanrelations.org www.nea.org www.casafeschools.org www.cde.ca.gov www.schoolclimate.org www.colorado.edu/cspv www.glsen.org

30. www.ochumanrelations.org