Tag Archives: school climate

5/23-5/24 Safe & Supportive Schools Webinar Event: “Implementing New Programs—The Impact of Current Practice”

The Safe and Supportive Schools Technical Assistance Center (SSSTA), supported by the Office of Safe and Healthy Students in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, announces its next Implementation Webinar Series event, “Implementing New Programs—The Impact of Current Practice.” It will be offered twice to accommodate schedules:

  • Session 1: Wednesday, May 23, 2012, 4:00 pm − 5:30 pm Eastern Time
  • Session 2: Thursday, May 24, 2012, 11:00 am − 12:30 pm Eastern Time

When schools assess the programs and practices they have in place to improve school climate, new programmatic efforts are sometimes implemented to address a school’s needs and strengths. The selection of new programs can be well intended and positively influenced by data collection, current practice and organizational realities. However, current practices and organizational realities can also impede the implementation process. Dr. Sara Truebridge, education consultant and researcher with an expertise in resilience and educational reform, will explore the “delicate dance” that can be required when new programs are inserted into existing organizational realities. It also will feature related work by Wisconsin’s Safe and Supportive Schools grant program.

Read More

Announcing the Relaunch of Stop Bullying website

stopbullying.gov  unveiled a revitalized Stop Bullying website – www.stopbullying.gov – on March 30, 2012 to encourage children, parents, educators, and communities to take action to stop and prevent bullying.

The website provides a map with detailed information on state laws and policies, interactive webisodes and videos for young people, practical strategies for schools and communities to ensure safe environments, and suggestions on how parents can talk about this sensitive subject with their children. The site also explores the dangers of cyberbullying and steps youngsters and parents can take to fight it.

“We’ve come a long way in the past year in educating the public about the health and educational impacts that bullying can have on students. But simply being aware of the problem is not enough,” said Secretary Duncan. “Everyone has a role to play, and StopBullying.gov features ways we can all take action against bullying.”

Research shows that bullying is physical and emotional abuse. Students who are bullied are more likely to struggle in school and skip class. They are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, be depressed, and are at higher risk of suicide.  There is a Get Help page, which is directly linked to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which means young people can get immediate help for themselves or others if needed.

The enhanced site responds to feedback from the March 2011 White House Conference on Bullying Prevention and the September 2011 Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention Summit that awareness alone will not prevent bullying. The site now gives concrete steps that students, parents, educators and community members can take to prevent and stop bullying.

“Bullying is not just an education or health problem, it is a community problem,” said Secretary Sebelius. “We are committed to working together at the federal level to help communities, schools and families address it as a single problem.”

Follow StopBullying.Gov on Twitter or Facebook for more information on how to take action to stop bullying.

Source: U.S. Department of Education & U.S. Department of Health and Human Services