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The rapid rollout of a hugely ambitious plan to reduce elementary school class sizes in California over two decades ago should serve as a cautionary tale for how quickly the state should implement universal preschool, a long-sought-after goal of children’s advocates and their allies in the Legislature. It may also give incoming Gov. Gavin Newsom some cover for not moving aggressively to implement universal preschool, which he said he was committed to on the campaign trail. He articulated...

This video segment originally appeared in "Trauma and Toxic Stress," part of the KET series, "You Are Not Alone," a series focused on youth mental health. KET visits Arnett Elementary school in Erlanger, Ky., which is working toward becoming “trauma informed,” to learn more about their efforts to help improve students’ mental and emotional wellbeing. To view the entire series: https://www.ket.org/youth-mental-health/not-alone-series-overview/ Learn more about KET's programs and educational...

A look at raw numbers of who is most likely to be suspended from school indicates that black students and students with disabilities* are at the top of the list. For example, 23 percent of black students and 18 percent of students with disabilities were suspended from high school during 2011-12 school year, compared with fewer than 7 percent of white students overall. Combine the categories of black and disability with gender and the statistics are even more troubling. Almost 34 percent, or...

"You’re sassy!” “Who cares?” “OMG, here she goes!” These were the comments and questions I endured from classmates and faculty. [For more on this story by A’NIYA BANKSTON, go to https://hechingerreport.org/student-voice-sometimes-my-voice-alone-wasnt-enough/ ]

School discipline is something few people really like to discuss. Let’s be honest – the topic is rife with negative connotations. The conversation usually focuses on negative behaviors , and an inordinate amount of time is usually spent on determining the appropriate punishment. “We need to hold kids accountable,” we say. “They must suffer the consequence of their choices.” We are also perpetuating inequity in the system. Take for example the disproportionate suspension and exclusion rates...

https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/1812951/8AC98B3B7964F5E9E4BAEFBAABA98D43 With the increased awareness of the impact of trauma on people’s lives, school professionals are beginning to consider what this means in their specific settings. There is a growing evidence-base documenting the impact of child neglect and abuse (as well as other forms of trauma) on the health, mental health, and behavior of children and adults. There is a growing realization that students across the nation are coming to...

Nowadays, no one would argue about the importance and value of social-emotional learning being taught in schools. From parenting blogs to education publications, SEL is supported by mounting research and is widely encouraged. However, many still consider these skills soft, and I beg to differ. Teaching skills and creating a school climate where students feel safe to take academic risks and feel valued and connected to their community as well as empowered and encouraged to take positive...

“Young people used to follow a path right out of school to the factory with just a little bit of job training, [but] those jobs are not there anymore,” said Neil Ridley, director of the State Initiative at Georgetown University’s Center for Education and the Workforce . “High school shouldn’t be seen as just a pipeline anymore; it’s a building block.” Sprawled across 65 sun-drenched acres, Skyline High School is an anomaly in the relatively affluent and white neighborhood where it resides.

Patricia Jennings, associate professor at the University of Virginia and author of the new book The Trauma-Sensitive Classroom , says that childhood trauma can have severe immediate and long-term consequences for students’ cognitive, social and emotional development. There is some hopeful news in the sobering research about kids and trauma. “We know enough about the science to know that teachers can make a huge difference,” said Jennings. “The school environment is one of the places where...

For decades, the federal Free and Reduced-Price Lunch (FRL) program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been used as a proxy to identify economically disadvantaged students. Participation in that program has been limited to students from low-income families, defined as those earning below 185 percent of the federal poverty line. FRL has been widely used in state school funding formulas and accountability systems to identify at-risk children. But in 2010 Congress enacted two changes...

Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of trauma, such as physical or sexual abuse, neglect or family dysfunction. And what is one of the most important factors in building resilience? Healing, hopeful, honest and trusting relationships. Those relationships are the heart of the work we do and the people we serve. The National Council for Behavioral Health’s 9th Trauma-Informed, Resilience-Oriented Approaches Learning Community is a year-long initiative that provides you with...

When Maddy Nadeau was a toddler, her mother wasn't able to care for her. "I remember Mom was always locking herself in her room and she didn't take care of me. My mom just wasn't around at the time," she says. Every day, her older sister Devon came home from elementary school and made sure Maddy had something to eat. "Devon would come home from school and fix them cold hot dogs or a bowl of cereal — very simple items that both of them could eat," says Sarah Nadeau, who fostered the girls and...