Building the 5 Essential Elements Through Student Assistance Programs: The Proof is in the Data Prevention First

1. Building the 5 Essential Elements Through Student Assistance Programs: The Proof is in the DataPrevention First Patricia Berry,M.A. CSAP Essential Concepts for School ecschool7@gmail.com Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

2. Why is the 5E Framework Important? • The 5 Essential Elements – 5E – is a framework of essential supports and contextual resources for school improvement. • Research - schools strong in most of the essential supports = at least ten times more likely than schools weak in most of the supports to show substantial gains in both reading and mathematics. • Schools strong in at least 3 of the 5 supports made significant improvements in attendance. Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

3. Approach Building the 5 Essential Elements Holistically • No one program, tool, or narrow intervention approach will be sufficient to build organizational strength in the 5 Essentials. • Progress can advance along numerous paths, and no one course is obviously best for all schools. Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

4. Agenda – One Path • Student Support Teams in School Improvement • 5 Essential Elements / Supports Background • Data Sources and Questions • The 4 Elements Directly Supported by Student Assistance Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

5. Guiding Documents / Resources • Essential Supports for School Improvement – Consortium on Chicago School Research – University of Chicago (The Consortium on Chicago School Research - http://ccsr.uchicago.edu/publications?cat=3&content_id=46) • Pennsylvania Student Assistance Program Components and Indicators Handbook – University of Pittsburgh, 2000. • The Illinois 23 Standards for Student Assistance Practices (Department of Human Services and Prevention First) • Illinois Association of Student Assistance Professionals Annual Reports 1999 through 2013 Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

6. 5E Background • 1988 school reform law, • Formed local school councils • Selected principals who brought very different leadership styles to school-reform efforts and attacked a broad set of problems in highly diverse ways Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

7. 5E Background • The idea of the “five essential supports for school improvement” was developed in the mid-1990s as a way to capture and summarize evidence-based findings on widely agreed-upon characteristics of good schools. The initial framework was used in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to guide school-improvement planning and self-assessment efforts. Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

8. 5E Background • Consortium on Chicago School Research (CCSR) took the lead in developing the framework. • Chicago Public Schools provided data. • Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, the Chicago Police Department, and Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago provided both expertise and datasets. Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

9. THE ROLE OF STUDENT SUPPORT TEAM MODELS IN SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT David Osher, Ph.D., Vice President American Institute for Research, promotes the use of student support teams in improving school climate. Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

10. AIR and Student Support Teams • February 27, 2013 U.S. House of Representatives Education and the Workforce Committee Hearing on “Protecting Students and Teachers: A Discussion on School Safety” • Recommendations were included based on a 2008 report of work and findings in the Cleveland School District. • Develop an early warning and intervention system to identify potential mental health issues, and employ student support teams to address identified needs. • Student Assistance Programs are referenced in the Cleveland School report as one type of student support team that can be implemented. Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

11. The Role of Student Support Team Models in School Improvement • Student Assistance is an evidence-based student support team model. • Non-cognitive / life issues. • Student Assistance has a foundation of 23 evidence-based standards of practice identified in a University of Pittsburgh 2000 study, and validated by the Center for Prevention Research and Development (U of I) 2001. Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

12. Three Student Assistance Service Levels • Universal Level – the school population as a whole / all students and adults • Selective Level – students at higher risk due to population characteristics. (students with incarcerated parents, abused and neglected students, students in changing families) • Indicated Level – students who are demonstrating indicators of social emotional distress impacting success in school. (Institute of Medicine) • Point of need service rather than failure to meet expectations Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

13. The Data • Data was collected by the Illinois Association of Student Assistance Professionals beginning in 1994. The Student Assistance Center at Prevention First assumed that process in 2007. • 2000 initiated the inclusion of questions relating to the 5 Essential Elements. • Voluntary self reports. Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

14. The questions…. As a result of having Student Assistance services in your building. Please check all that apply. • A reduction in school related problem behaviors occurred • Communication improved between staff/ students/ parents • Parent education about support services increased • Staff attitudes toward helping students improved • Student support services improved • More positive relationships between students and non-familial adults occurred Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

15. The questions…. As a result of having Student Assistance services in your building. Please check all that apply. • Community resource utilization has improved • Life skill lessons are included in the school day • At-risk students are more effectively identified • Additional effective intervention/action plans for students are implemented • Staff morale has improved • School climate has improved • Student conduct & attendance policies have been reviewed and/or revised Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

16. The Elements, the Data, and SAP Strategies Four Elements Impacted by SAP Strategies • Effective Leadership • Parent / Community Ties • Professional Capacity • Supportive Environment/ Student Centered Learning Climate Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

17. Effective Leadership – Distributive and Inclusive “A corollary of inclusive leadership is that parents, community members, and faculty enjoy a real sense of influence over school policy.” • SAP policy/procedure recommendations leading to earlier identification of students in distress. • Particular focus on policies / procedures connecting students / families to school-based and community support systems. • 46% respondents reported reviewing and/or revising student conduct & attendance policies. Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

18. Effective Leadership – Distributive and Inclusive “Evidence must constantly be brought to bear on what is working and what is not (and why not) if the ongoing multiple reform activities are to culminate in fundamental improvements in students’ lives.” (CCSR) Student Assistance Programs have access to several evidence-based data tools and processes that allows them to assess service effectiveness and provide effectiveness data for school wide evaluation efforts. Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

19. Parent Community Ties • “Schools should draw on a network of community organizations to expand services for students and their families.” • Policies and procedures that allow ‘need to know’ information exchange with community services to collaboratively address needs of students / families. Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

20. Parent Community Ties - Standards of Practice include • “Specific parent communication strategy established”; • “Formal parent involvement procedure established”. • Supports and provides linkages for students and parents to access school and community services; • Procedures promote student access to and compliance with school and community services and treatment recommendations; • Confidentiality guidelines are well delineated with team members demonstrating respect for and understanding of parent’s and student’s privacy rights. Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

21. Parent Community Ties - School staff must reach out to parents and community to engage them in the processes of strengthening student learning.” YER includes: • How many families / guardians met in person with a representative of the SAP? • How many families / guardians not meeting in person received a phone call from the SAP? • How many families / guardians not meeting in person or by phone received a letter, form, or pamphlet about their child from the SAP? (Please include support group notifications.) • How many families / guardians received general information such as pamphlets or brochures or letters in a general information distribution? • What is the total number of parents who participated in a prevention program this year? Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

22. Parent Community Ties • 83% of respondent schools reported communication improved between staff/ students/ parents. • 61% of respondents stated parent education about support services increased. • 57% of respondents stated that community resource utilization improved. • 74%of respondents stated student support services improved. Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

23. Parent Community Ties Schools should draw on a network of community organizations to expand services for students and their families. (CCSR) Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

24. Professional Capacity(CCSR) • Quality of Human Resources - Teachers’ knowledge of subject matter and awareness of students’ needs and learning styles are central to effective teaching and learning. (CCSR) • 86% of respondents report at-risk students are more effectively identified. • 71% of respondents report staff attitudes toward helping students improved. Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

25. Professional Capacity • Sense of collective responsibility for all students in the school, not just those students in a teacher’s classroom. • Strengthening professional community which “refers to close collaborative relationships among teachers, which are focused on student learning and coupled with strong norms governing teachers’ responsibility for all students. Extensive collaboration fosters sharing of expertise to address the core problems of practice”. YER • 83% of respondents report communication improved between staff/students/parents. Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

26. Supportive Environment/ Student Centered Learning Climate The most basic requirement is a safe and orderly environment that is conducive to academic work. (CCSR) YER • 72% of respondents report a reduction in problem behaviors • 74% of respondents report student support services increased Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

27. Supportive Environment/ Student Centered Learning Climate • Teachers’ and principals’ personal concern for students and support from peers can build social capital for students, which provides a network of social relationships that offers moral support, infor­mation, and access to resources to help the individual reach his or her goals. (CCSR) • 70% of respondents report more positive relationships between students and non-familial adults occurred Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

28. Students connected to a positive adult in the building Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

29. Contextual Resources • “A context unique to each school—a climate of relational trust, a school organizational structure, and resources of the local community”. Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First

30. Conclusion – Thank You for Joining • www.prevention.org • Resources • Archived webinars, tools, and other helpful information. Essential Concepts for School for Prevention First