What's going on?! This week, we will learn about the LPS Trauma Training project. Thank you, Cheryl Turner, for answering the following questions about your project:
What is the LPS Trauma Training project? (Please describe what the project does or what your job assignment is.)
Lincoln Public Schools is looking to improve their academic environments and learning how to help students with unresolved trauma increase their overall success. There are two contracts currently in place, totaling approximately 10-15 hours per week.
Contract one involves a 3-year process to provide Trauma training to all LPS certified staff. This is a 2.5 hour training that incorporates information regarding the understanding of trauma and how it impacts students and their behaviors. It provides basic steps to support students and to increase successful interactions when students are demonstrating concerns. This training provides information on youth from all walks of life no matter their socioeconomic status, race or ethnicity, or cultural background. It defines trauma in such a manner that schools can begin to understand it can impact anyone. Every school in the district will have a presentation at their school, and special presentations have been done for school psychologists, social workers, and healthcare staff. Initially, this project was started in 2014 with a pilot project at five Title One schools and was expanded to a 3-year, district-wide training in the 2015-2016 school year. This contract will be completed in the 2017-2018 school year.
Contract two involves implementing the next steps in becoming “Trauma Sensitive Schools”, the framework for the district-wide training being completed. This contact started during the 2015-2016 school year at Culler Middle School and expanded to a six school pilot project in the 2016-2017 school year. This contract allows for the completion of the “Trauma Sensitive School Checklist”, a formal assessment of the policies and practices; classroom strategies and techniques; collaborations with mental health and community resources; and family partnerships. The completion of this assessment is done in the first quarter and requires spending a full day in the school as a “student” observing and experiencing the school environment. Based on this experience, three specific areas of increased need are identified. A feedback session is provided with the next steps for teachers and administration. I will return to the schools this spring and repeat this process to evaluate the progress that has been made in these identified areas. The plan is to move this project district-wide starting in the 2017-2018 school year, utilizing LPS staff to complete the assessment process and utilizing me as a consultant.
Who are the members of the LPS Trauma Training project? (Please provide a job title and brief description of what they do.)
I am working with an identified Trauma Team at LPS. This team is being led by Russ Uhing, Director of Student Services; this team also includes various administrators from Lincoln Public Schools, social workers, and school psychologists. I am the only member of the team from CCFL.
When did the LPS Trauma Training project begin, and how long is it for?
This project initially began in the fall of 2014. With current contracts, this project will span a total of 4 years. The plan is for LPS to become self-sustaining in the future processes with my retention as a consultant.
What inspired this project, and how has it evolved?
This project began after an administrator attended a community training I had provided on trauma and the brain. Five Title 1 schools were facing increasing difficulties with students and increasing levels of trauma and poverty within the school systems. The schools initially identified that the environment was increasing stress for students and decreasing their overall abilities to be successful. These five schools were the initial project. Because they saw such an increase in success with students at the end of the first year, the training was expanded to become a mandatory district-wide training. Culler Middle School was the first to approach the district office with the question about “next steps” after receiving initial training. In the fall of 2015, Culler became the first school to complete a "Trauma Sensitive Schools" walkthrough process. Administration and teachers were able to take the identified areas of need and saw significant movement within their school. Increased success with students and decreased suspensions and out of classroom percentages resulted. This has led to the current formalized pilot project at Culler, Lefler, Dawes, Huntington, Hartley and Elliot.
Any challenges in the project?
Anytime you are working towards a significant culture shift, you will always face challenges. These projects and training have been well received. However, teachers find themselves with such high levels of academic demand that they often feel the time necessary to develop relationships and utilize practices identified are not possible; therefore, they are feeling torn about which should be the focus of their classroom.
What’s the most exciting or best part of getting to work on or being part of this project?
This has been an amazing opportunity to observe a school environment move from chaotic to calmer, to watch students beginning to respond to their academic and social pressures in a more regulated manner, and to see the increases in overall success that are leading to teachers and administrators being more successful. As the number of students suspended or spending time out of class decline in these environments, the teachers and administrators are able to spend more time teaching and less time being a disciplinarian. It has been a win-win for all involved.