June 2006

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In This Issue: Focus on SEL, Diversity, and Cultural Competence

Letter from CASEL’s Executive Director

Spotlight on Research

Spotlight on Practice

Resources: Places to find terrific teaching materials, resources and websites that address cultural competency, diversity, tolerance, sexual orientation guidelines, minority studies, evidence-based programs, and more.

 

Data on Diversity: Reports that provide data about demographics, health care for diverse students, and trends in communication with diverse families

 

Other News and Data You Can Use: Reports on child well-being, evidence-based programs, and the new GLEF e-newsletters.

 

New Books

 

Conferences

 

Grants


This e-newsletter is intended to keep you up-to-date on some of the latest SEL research and best practices. The FCASEL (“Friends of CASEL”) listserv manages subscriber information. To subscribe or unsubscribe, go to: http://www.casel.org/listservs/index.php or send an e-mail to Cynthia Coleman at colemanc@uic.edu with “subscribe FCASEL” or “unsubscribe FCASEL” in the subject line.

 

From CASEL’s Leadership 

 

At CASEL we believe that children have universal developmental needs and that all children can benefit from social and emotional learning in the five core areas of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. However, how those needs and skills are expressed may vary dramatically from one culture to the next. The increasingly diverse makeup of students in this country (latest census data indicate that 45% of children under five are minorities) demands that teachers attend to these differences. Rotheram-Borus and Tsemberis (1989) made this point years ago, when they noted at least four areas addressed by SEL programs where ethnic groups can differ:

  • Active vs. passive manner of coping: Existing programs usually assume the positive value of active coping.
  • Group vs. individual orientation: Programs usually teach an affiliative approach emphasizing autonomy and an inner-directed approach to solving problems.
  • Emotional expressiveness vs. emotional restraint: Typically expressiveness and openness about feelings are more valued.
  • Authoritarian vs. egalitarian attitudes: Egalitarian attitudes are preferred.

These differences in cultural assumptions between SEL interventions and the students they target can yield unintended negative consequences; appropriate adaptation is the key. When students’ diverse cultures and perspectives are taken into account, SEL programming can facilitate effective relationships and optimize learning for all students.

In this issue of CASEL Connections, we share research, practices, and resources that will help you increase your awareness in this area and the cultural competence of everyone in your school—adults and children alike. As Gerry Tirozzi, Executive Director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), wrote to us after our last issue on adolescence,  “In many schools where diversity and income are widely divergent, establishing commonalities in student and staff social and emotional learning forms a common knowledge base upon which to move forward and learn together.”

In closing, let me share wisdom on this topic from conversations with two CASEL leaders, Linda Lantieri, educator and founder of the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program, and Janice Jackson, Boston College professor of education and former senior administrator in the Milwaukee, San Diego, and Boston Public Schools.

From Linda:

SEL programs have evolved by and large through a Eurocentric lens at both the research and program development levels, but the five SEL competencies might be expressed differently in different cultural contexts. For example, some African Americans may hesitate to use I-messages because of their cultural upbringing. In terms of classroom management, a teacher who is perceived to behave in a less authoritative way (by offering choices, for instance) may be ineffective with a class of students who expect a more directive approach due to their cultural upbringing. The challenge today is for teachers to be aware of their own cultural leanings and how they fit—or don’t fit—with their students’ cultural beliefs and behaviors.

From Janice:

Different ethnic/cultural groups sometimes respond to social situations in different ways. A common situation involves fighting. Kids who are told not to fight back by people at school sometimes get a different message at home. There are generational and socioeconomic differences on this issue as well. It is important that kids are taught consistently and that teachers know students’ families and family context. At the same time, you can’t assume that someone’s cultural background overrides his or her individuality.

As teachers we need to be prepared to reach all students: It is not a choice who we teach. SEL is all about understanding self and others. We need to put our own identities on the table. By doing so we open the door to understanding.

Mary Utne O’Brien
Executive Director

P.S. Your overwhelmingly positive responses to the GLEF question about the value of SEL prompted a special article in Edutopia (http://www.edutopia.org/community/spiralnotebook/?p=41). And now, GLEF has added a weekly online newsletter devoted to SEL!  Check it out at http://email.e-mailnetworks.com/ct/ct.php?t=1304900&c=726881809&m=m&type=3.

REFERENCE CITED: Rotheram-Borus, M.J. & Tsembaris, S. J. (1989).  Social competency training programs in ethnically diverse communities. In L. bond & C. Swift (Eds.), Primary prevention and promotion in the schools (pp. 297-318). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.


Spotlight on Research

School Climate Surveys Identify Varied Experiences of Subgroups

SEL research has established that a safe, caring, and connecting school climate is strongly associated with student school engagement and academic success. Recent school climate surveys indicate that African-American, Hispanic, and white students; low-income, rural, and urban students; and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students (LGBT) have varied experiences with regard to school climate, and thus may have different opportunities for school success.

Nearly a third of black and Hispanic students (vs. approximately 15% of white students) surveyed about the learning environments at their schools consider the atmosphere to be very disruptive to learning: high dropout rates, students promoted without learning, schools short on funds, and a climate of profanity and disrespect. Their parents report serious academic and social problems at an even higher rate. These minority families report that they want high standards and a safe, orderly school climate—the basics of SEL as we define it. See Reality Check 2006: Issue No. 2: How Black and Hispanic Families Rate their Schools, in the Education Insights series from Public Agenda. http://www.publicagenda.org/specials/realitycheck06/realitycheck06_main.htm

A report from the Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE) yields a generally positive picture from a survey of 32,000 students, 6-20 years old, in 13 states, and from 110 ethnicities. A majority of the students reported that they feel safe (62.7%) and enjoy learning at their schools (70%). The students were asked about school safety; bullying; trust, respect, and the ethos of caring; racial self-concept; and general school climate. Significant differences in perception were found between ethnic groups; e.g., 33.8% of African-American students felt that their teachers were fair vs. 47.4% of Hispanic students and 41.6% of white students.

CUBE’s recommendations to schools include:

  • Yearly school climate assessments.

  • Incorporate findings into district and school report cards, along with yearly goals for improvement.

  • Focus on specific areas for improvement.

  • Include parents in strategies to improve school climate.

  • Establish clear policies, endorsed by the Board of Education, to create positive school climate.

http://www.nsba.org/site/docs/38100/38081.pdf.

Surveys conducted by the Education Alliance of nearly 3,000 students and 370 staff in 19 West Virginia schools in cities, towns, and rural areas found that “African-American students, regardless of their academic performance and the demographics of their schools, are more likely to give low ratings to their schools in terms of academic expectations, caring and mentoring relationships, and staff fairness.” Students and staff differed in their perceptions of school climate, with students rating their schools lower than school staff on all eight aspects of schooling addressed in the survey. Students in rural settings were generally more positive than those in cities. Recommendations address race and poverty as predictors of a more negative educational experience. Through Different Lenses: West Virginia School Staff and Students React to School Climate (2006) at http://www.educationalliance.org/Downloads/Research/ThroughDifferentLenses.pdf

The 2005 National School Climate Survey (NSCS) documents the experiences of 1,732 students from all 50 states who self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT). Results reveal the predominance of derogatory terms such as “faggot” and “dyke,” heard by 75.4% of students at school. LGBT students are twice as likely as the general population of students to report that they are not planning to pursue post-secondary education, an outcome seen by the authors as most likely due to their negative perceptions of the school environment. Trained staff, Gay Student Alliance Clubs, and anti-bullying policies help to reduce harassment. http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/news/record/1927.html.

Effect of Peer Exclusion on School Achievement

Eric Buhs and colleagues link peer exclusion to a reduction in classroom participation, and chronic peer abuse to an increase in school avoidance. Both predict lower student achievement. The effects of peer exclusion can persist over many years, much like chronic stress. Schools that teach inclusiveness and appreciation of differences, issues addressed by most high-quality SEL programs, reduce the likelihood of peer exclusion becoming an ingrained pattern in the classroom.

Source: Buhs, E., Ladd, G., & Herald, S. (2006) Peer exclusion and victimization: Processes that mediate the relation between peer group rejection and children’s classroom engagement and achievement, Journal of Educational Psychology, 98 (1), 1-13. http://www.apa.org/journals/releases/edu9811.pdf.

Adapting Prevention Programs to the Culture

What happens when scientifically based SEL programs are implemented in cultures different from the culture in which they were developed? The authors of this report (“The cultural adaptation of prevention interventions”) found that adaptation appears to the norm; for example, over half of SAMHSA’s 44 model programs have been modified as they have been applied. Adapting a program to the culture of the community requires sensitivity to surface structure (i.e., role models used in teaching lessons) and to deep structure (i.e., core values, norms, etc.), as well as to cultural nuances and unique community characteristics. Hybrid models that blend fidelity to science and cultural relevance are called for until program developers build cultural fit into their designs by engaging community leaders and stakeholders in the design process.

Source: Castro, F.G., Barrera, M. Jr., & Martinez, C. (2004). The cultural adaptation of prevention interventions: Resolving tensions between fidelity and fit. Prevention Science, 5 (1), 41-45.

Diverse Ages in the Classroom Reap Benefits

Older Americans have knowledge, experience, and time. Younger Americans need one-on-one tutoring, skill development, and attention. An experimental study using older adult volunteers as reading tutors in Baltimore K-3 classrooms found positive outcomes for both the volunteers and the students. The volunteers experienced fewer falls and less use of canes than the control group. The third grade students had significantly higher reading scores and far fewer incidents of misbehavior. Sounds like a win-win! http://www.experiencecorps.org/news/releases/2004_4_07_JHU.html

Rebok, G., Carlson, M., Glass, T., McGill, S., Hill, J., Wasik, B., Ialongo, N., Frick, K., Fried, L., & Rasmussen, M. (2004). Short-term impact of experience corps participation on children and schools: Results from a pilot randomized trial, Journal of Urban Health, 81 (1), 79-93.

Executive Summary of the research: http://www.experiencecorps.org/images/pdf/Hopkins.pdf


Spotlight on Practice

SEL Programs that Address Cultural Diversity

CASEL is pleased to identify for our readers a number of SEL programs that address diversity and cultural awareness. This is only a sampling—there are many more excellent programs than those we list here. Please see CASEL’s program guide, Safe and Sound: An Educational Leader’s Guide to Evidence-Based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Programs

  • Resolving Conflict Creatively Program: (RCCP) addresses biases, stereotyping; includes a peer mediation component, problem-solving skills, and broad coverage of citizenship. (K-8) CASEL Select Program 
  • Responsive Classroom serves diverse students through its emphasis on community and communication in 6 major components: classroom organization, morning meeting, rules of respect and consequences, academic choice, guided discovery, and family communication strategies. CASEL Select Program.

See the April 2006 Responsive Classroom Newsletter, which includes an article by Carol Davis and Alice Yang, Welcoming Families of Different Cultures.

  • Second Step from the Committee for Children (CfC),. is a violence prevention program that includes visual materials representing children from different ethnic groups. The most extensive evaluation of Second Step was a two-year study that considered its effects on children of different minority backgrounds. Results showed decreased physical aggression and increased prosocial skills for those students who received Second Step lessons. (Pre-K-9) CASEL Select Program
  • Steps to Respect  also from CfC, is a bullying prevention program that includes multicultural materials. (grades 3-6)
  • Americans All addresses the diversity of America by teaching the values of democracy, our nation’s history, with special emphasis on immigration, migration, slavery, and cultural heritage, and considerations of prejudice and stereotypes. (K-12)
  • Literacy and Values (Voices of Love and Freedom) is a multicultural, literature-based character education and SEL program that addresses issues of prejudice and discrimination through reading, writing, and role-playing. (K-12)
  • Our Whole Lives is a sexuality education program from the Unitarian Universalist Association designed for use in secular settings. It challenges stereotypes with regard to family structure, sexual orientation, and gender roles. (K-1, 4-12)
  • Facing History and Ourselves uses crimes against humanity, such as slavery, genocide, and the Holocaust, as a way to confront moral issues in a historical context and build community, communication, and awareness of choices. This is not a multi-year program, but it is a powerful civics education program that incorporates social awareness for adolescents. (6-12)
  • Aban Aya: (Sociometrics PASHA, contact jjcard@socio.com) is a prevention program designed for use with African American youth. It incorporates culturally based teaching methods and materials. It is currently being prepared for public dissemination, available August 2006.

Culturally Competent Leadership: Preparation, Practice, and Policy

What do America’s ever-changing demographics mean for school leaders?  How can present and future leaders acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and attributes to serve all of the children in their schools?  Preparing and Supporting Diverse, Culturally Competent Leaders: Practice and Policy Considerations (http://www.iel.org/pubs/diverseleaders.pdf) describes foundational capacities leaders need to effectively guide their learning communities. See this far-reaching report for consideration of the following themes:

  • Educational leaders who are not culturally competent cannot be fully effective.

  • Culturally competent leaders work to understand their own biases and patterns of discrimination.

  • Culturally competent leaders learn from their relationships with families and communities.

  • Culturally competent leadership develops over time and needs to be supported from preparation through practice.

  • State and local policies need to build urgency about preparing culturally competent leaders.

When Caring Becomes Believing: Teaching Diverse Adolescents

Cynthia “Mama J” Johnson contends that we must confront ineffective practices, such as tracking, low expectations, and personal assumptions that inhibit learning for diverse students. Educators must elevate their relationship to students from caring to believing, that is, believing in the potential of all students and strengthening students’ sense of empowerment. Read about the importance of culturally responsive teaching to validate and affirm the strengths of all students at the website of the National Association for Elementary School Principals (NAESP): http://www.naesp.org/ContentLoad.do?contentId=1845

Income Differences as a Form of Diversity

In her work and on her website (www.ahaprocess.com/), Ruby Payne, Ph.D, emphasizes the need for teachers to understand cultural differences across income groups that affect student learning. She suggests specific instructional strategies to maximize the learning success of economically disadvantaged students. Although not tested by research, her work is very popular among front-line educators and was featured in the May 3rd issue of Education Week: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2006/05/03/34payne.h25.html?qs=@0+Ruby+Payne&levelId=1000

Turning Cultural Dissonance into Cultural Responsiveness

Research shows that teacher disapproval can have profoundly negative effects on children’s learning, especially if it is rooted in unacknowledged and unrecognized insensitivity to cultural differences. With most U.S. teachers being white and English-speaking and a growing minority of students nationwide being non-white and speaking limited English, it is essential for educators to learn the cultural and social characteristics of their students and beware of misreading students’ behaviors.

Recommendations are that teachers consider the principles of  “culturally responsive classroom management”:

  1. Recognize their own ethnocentrism—the judgments and assumptions they make about students from their own cultural point of view.

  2. Know and understand their students' cultural heritage.

  3. Understand social, economic, and political issues and values in different cultures.

  4. Adopt the attitude that students from minority cultures can learn.

  5. Create genuinely caring classrooms where all students are appreciated and accepted.

Read Respecting Differences, by Susan Black in The American School Board Journal, Jan. 2006 at http://www.asbj.com/2006/01/0106research.html

For an in-depth article that addresses the five recommendations delineated above, see: Weinstein, Carol S., Tomlinson-Clarke, Saundra, & Curran, Mary. Toward a conception of culturally responsive classroom management, (2004). Journal of Teacher Education, 55 (1), 25-38.

From Culture Wars to Common Ground

Looking for a way to create a safer learning environment, public school officials in Modesto, California tried a bold experiment, requiring ninth graders to take a course on world religions and religious diversity. An anonymous survey conducted three years later found that students’ respect for individual beliefs and basic First Amendment rights increased after taking the course. 

See: Lester, E. & Robert, P. (2006), Learning about World Religions in Public Schools: The Impact on Student Attitudes and Community Acceptance in Modesto, California at http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/PDF/FirstForum_ModestoWorldReligions.pdf

Stories from Schools that Model Cultural Competency and Community

Escuela Tlatelolco and the Three C’s: Community, Culture, and Caring. By focusing on social justice and respect for the students’ cultural roots, this Denver school (7-12) successfully prepares most of its Latino/Latina students for college. http://www.connectforkids.org/node/3777 

John Stanford International School (K-5) nurtures citizens of the world in an environment of respect and acceptance. Teaching interconnectedness between students and the world is done at this Seattle school through language immersion, global themes, and an embrace of diversity supported by Second Step and Steps to Respect. Principal Karen Kodama explains that international art projects and festivals aren’t enough; “compassion, acceptance, and a sense of responsibility to the world are essential traits for global citizenship.” http://email.e-mailnetworks.com/ct/ct.php?t=1189035&c=674047483&m=m&type=3

At Annandale High School in Northern Virginia, a community with a large immigrant population, skilled teachers lead discussions that draw upon students’ varied cultures, values, and social and economic experiences. These vibrant discussions enrich the academic environment for everyone and prepare students for the diversity of American society. See: Kugler, E. What we owe immigrant children, Education Week, (May 17, 2006), at www.edweek.org or http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2006/05/17/37kugler.h25.html?qs=What+we+owe+
immigrant+children&levelId=1000


Resources

Culturally Responsive Practices for Student Success: A Regional Sampler. Jennifer Klump and Gwen McNair, Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, 2005. This 75-page booklet provides definitions, contexts, and examples of culturally responsive teaching. With the minority achievement gap getting increasing attention as a result of NCLB, culturally responsive and effective practices are identified as those that:

  • Foster a climate of caring, respect, and the valuing of students’ cultures

  • Build bridges between academic learning and students’ prior understanding, knowledge, native language, and values

  • Allow educators to learn from and about their students’ culture, language, and learning styles to make instruction more meaningful and relevant to their students’ lives

  • Integrate local knowledge, language, and culture into the curriculum

  • Hold students to high standards

  • Make classroom practices challenging, cooperative, and hands-on, with less emphasis on rote memorization and lecture formats

  • Build trust and partnerships with families, especially those marginalized by schools in the past.

http://www.nwrel.org/request/2005june/culturally.pdf.

For an annotated bibliography of the resources for the above, including major findings, implications, and recommendations, see: Research-based Resources: Cultural Competency of Schools and Teachers in Relation to Student Success, at www.nwrel.org/request/2005june/annotatedbib.pdf.

Terrific Teaching Materials

Educators for Social Responsibility (www.esrnational.org). ESR’s Online Teacher Center provides free lessons, including Dealing with Stereotyping, Prejudice, Discrimination, and Scapegoating; Migration Service Learning Lesson; US Immigration Policy; and Globalization 101. http://www.esrnational.org/otc/view_lessons.php?action=grade&gradeid=23

Anti-Defamation League (www.adl.org) provides lesson plans on bias, cultural diversity, and cultural identity. Teacher training is available online with A World of Difference Institute Program at http://www.adl.org/education/edu_awod/awod_framework.asp. A free online continuing education course supports the Making Diversity Count high school curriculum. http://www.adl.org/PresRele/Education_01/4903_00.htm

Teaching Tolerance (http://www.splcenter.org/center/tt/teach.jsp) has been pioneering anti-bias education for over twenty years. Visit their website at www.teachingtolerance.org to subscribe to their magazine, order teaching materials, visual aids,  research grants, etc. For classroom activities around diversity, see: http://tolerance.org/teach/activities/index.jsp.

Rethinking Schools Online (http://www.rethinkingschools.org), a leading voice in the school reform movement, addresses multicultural education, along with a range of other topics. See the new book by Rethinking Schools editor Bill Bigelow, The Line Between Us: Teaching about the Border and Mexican Immigration (http://www.rethinkingschools.org/publication/mx/).

Center for Research on Education, Diversity, and Excellence,  http://www.cal.org/crede/. Conducting and publishing research about cultural minority students is the focus of CREDE’s work at the University of California at Santa Clara.

National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems, www.nccrest.org. The mission of NCCRESt is to support state and local school systems to assure a quality, culturally responsive education for all students. See the Practitioner Brief Series at http://www.nccrest.org/publications/briefs.html, and particularly “Addressing Diversity in Schools: Culturally Responsive Pedagogy” for specific activities and practices.

Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice, Cultural Competence, http://cecp.air.org/cultural/default.htm, addresses children at-risk and includes a Q&A page about Cultural Competence, what it is, what the research says, etc.

Educator’s Reference Desk: Studies and resources that address the educational needs of specific minority groups African-American, Native American, Asian American, and Hispano-American) are available at http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/res.cgi/Specific_Populations/Minority_Groups.

Resources on Sexual Orientation

Public Schools and Sexual Orientation: A First Amendment Framework for Finding Common Ground  (http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/PDF/sexual.orientation.guidelines.PDF) presents a foundation on which to discuss harassment in schools. The fundamental concept that public schools belong to all Americans and that the role of school administrators is to protect the common good supports the imperative of making schools safe for all to learn. Tips are provided for school officials, parents, and students for addressing differences within the framework of the First Amendment. This outstanding material helps groups from all parts of the political and cultural spectrum find common ground on behalf of kids.

Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) (http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/home.html) is a national education organization working to ensure safe schools for ALL students, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. The website offers articles, programming and training information, policy information, conference dates, etc.

The Trevor Project provides free lessons for schools to address the higher risk of suicide in the population of gay students. Information at http://www.connectforkids.org/node/4120 and downloadable teaching guide at http://www.thetrevorproject.org/education.aspx.


Data on Diversity

The New Demography of America’s Schools, Foundation for Child Development, 2005. This report emanates from a workshop at the Migration Policy Institute that addressed data on school-age immigrant children with limited English proficiency. Includes excellent charts and visuals, and recommendations for schools. http://www.fcd-us.org/PDFs/NewDemographypresentationfinal.pdf

Caring Across Cultures: Achieving Cultural Competence in Health Programs at School Survey Results, Center for Health and Care in Schools, provides a survey for health care providers and educators about serving the needs of diverse students, at http://www.healthinschools.org/sh/cultresults.asp

School Communication in Parents' Native Language. Child Trends databank reports that the use of interpreters for conferences and meetings and the availability of translated memos and newsletters is much more likely in schools (K-3) where the students are from families of limited English proficiency and at or below the poverty line than those schools with less poverty. Overall, 64 percent of such children attended schools that provided both these services. http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/indicators/104CommunicateNativeLang.cfm


Other News and Data You Can Use

George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) now publishes five weekly e-newsletters, including one on Social and Emotional Learning. This is a great way to stay up-to-date on developments in SEL. Subscribe at: http://email.e-mailnetworks.com/ct/ct.php?t=1304900&c=726881809&m=m&type=3

Changes in the National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP):
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has announced it will "broaden the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices, creating a resource for the latest information on the scientific basis for and practicality of specific programs and interventions. The new procedures will help reduce the significant lag-time between the generation of new scientific knowledge and its application by community-based prevention and treatment programs and providers."  Http://www.samhsa.gov/news/newsreleases/060314_NREPP.htm
and http://modelprograms.samhsa.gov/pdfs/FRN%20posting%20March1406.pdf

The Health and Well-Being of Children: A Portrait of States and the Nation, 2005. US Department of Health and Human Services. This report provides data on child health and well-being, including socio-emotional needs, by state. http://www.mchb.hrsa.gov/thechild/index.htm

2006 Child Well-Being Index. Foundation for Child Development. This annual composite score measures trends over time in quality of life of America’s children and young people across 7 domains (Family Economic Well-Being, Health, Safety/Behavioral Concerns, Educational Attainment, Community Connectedness, Social Relationships, Emotional/Spiritual Well-Being). http://www.fcd-us.org/CWBIndex2006.html


New Books

Beyond Acting White, Reframing the Debate on Black Student Achievement. E. Horvat, & C. O’Connor,  (2006). See a review of this book that recommends that educators stop using the excuse of “avoiding acting white” for black student underachievement and consider more ways to engage all students at http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/local/14606908.htm. See the book at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0742542734/sr=8-1/qid=1149020268/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-9526468-
2975937?%5Fencoding=UTF8

Courageous Conversations About Race: A Field Guide for Achieving Equity in Schools. G. Singleton,  & C. Linton (2005). This book can “help educators understand and engage in the discourse around race that affects the success of any curriculum, instructional methodology or program implementation….Exercises and prompts assist school and district leadership teams in articulating those innate behaviors, beliefs and attitudes that impair our ability to be effective in closing the racial achievement gap.” --Dennis Sparks, National Staff Development Council. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761988777/104-9526468-2975937?v=glance&n=283155

Creating a Safe and Friendly School, Lunchroom, Hallways, Playground, and more… Articles by Educators (2006) offers 17 problem-solving articles with practical tips that help children manage their behavior during the school day. Available at www.responsiveclassroom.org.

Cultural Proficiency: A Manual for School Leaders, 2nd Edition. R. Lindsey, N. B. Kikanza, & R. Terrell (1999, 2003). This resource comes highly recommended by CASEL Leadership Team member Janice Jackson. Available at: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761946446/104-9526468-2975937?v=glance&n=283155.

Once Upon a Time…Storytelling to Teach Character and Prevent Bullying, Lessons from 99 Multicultural Folk Tales for Grades K-8, Elisa Davy Pearmain (Character Development Group, 2006) at www.CharacterEducation.com. This collection of stories includes tips for storytelling, discussion ideas, and ways to encourage self-reflection.


Conferences

American School Counselor Association: Winds of Change, June 24-27, 2006, Chicago, IL (http://www.schoolcounselor.org/files/Chicago06_brochure.pdf).

Strengthening Relationships, Increasing Achievement: 12th Annual Summer Institute: Integrating Excellence and Ethics (K-12), June 26-29, 2006, at the Center for the 4th and 5th Rs at SUNY Cortland, NY. www.cortland.edu/character/institutes.htm.

2006 Annual Youth Leadership Conference “Ethics in Action”,  a conference for students, grades 9-12,  July 13-15, University of Utah, www.communityofcaring.org.

School Resource Officers Conference. July 16-21, 2006. Palm Springs, CA. Http://www.nasro.org/conference.asp

School of the 21st Century, July 17-28, New Haven, CT. http://www.yale.edu/21C/

Family-School Relations during Adolescence: Linking Interdisciplinary Research and Practice, July 20-21, Durham, NC  http://www.childandfamilypolicy.duke.edu

2nd Annual National Innovation Forum in Best Practices in School Leadership, July 25-27, 2006. Cleveland, Ohio. http://www.csuohio.edu/theacademy/National%20Innovation%20Forum3.htm

Oxford Symposium in School-based Family Counseling. August 6-11, 2006. Oxford, England. Http://www.soe.usfca.edu/institutes/ccfd/oxford_symposium.html

National Dropout Prevention Center Conference. August 22-25, 2006. San Antonio, TX. Http://www.dropoutprevention.org/conferen/conferen.htm

CSMHA 11th Annual Conference on Advancing School-Based Mental Health.
September 28-30, 2006 Baltimore, MD http://csmha.umaryland.edu

International Positive Psychology Summit. October 5-7, 2006. Washington, DC. Http://www.gallup.com

International Association for Truancy and Dropout Prevention Conference, Oct. 7-11, Baltimore, MD. Http://www.iatdp.org

What Works in Schools: The Art and the Science of Teaching. ASCD. Oct. 13-15, 2006, Orlando, FL, www.ascd.org/teachingandlearningconf

International Bullying Prevention Conference, Nov. 2-3, Atlanta, GA. http://www.stopbullyingworld.com/


Grants

For a detailed listing of EXISTING GRANT OPPORTUNITIES (updated each week), visit: http://www.publiceducation.org/newsblast_grants.asp

"Teaching Tolerance Grant Program" provides support to K-12 classroom teachers who implement tolerance and youth activism projects in their schools and communities.

  • Maximum Award: $2000
  • Eligibility: Classroom teachers, educators, community organizations, and churches
  • Deadline: open

http://www.tolerance.org/teach/grants/guide.jsp

"The Matching Book Grant Program" from the Literacy Empowerment Foundation has increased the size of its matching grants to $10,000. Multicultural book collections are available.

  • Maximum Award: $10,000 (with a purchase of $10,000 of books per school)
  • Eligibility: all
  • Deadline: July 15, 2006

http://www.lefbooks.org/

"Beyond Words: The Dollar General School Library Relief Program" was created to benefit public school libraries in communities affected by disasters. The fund will provide grants for books, media, and/or equipment that support learning in a school library environment.

  • Maximum Award: $15,000.
  • Eligibility: Public school libraries that have incurred substantial damage or hardship due to a natural disaster, fire or an act recognized by the federal government as terrorism.
  • Deadline: open

http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslawards/dollargeneral/disasterrelief.htm

"Programs Targeting Children with Disabilities"

CVS/pharmacy Community Grants are currently accepting proposals for programs targeting children under age 18 with disabilities that address: health and rehabilitation services; a greater level of inclusion in student activities and extracurricular programs; opportunities or facilities that give greater access to physical movement and play.

  • Maximum Award: varies.
  • Eligibility: Public schools with programs for children under age 18 with disabilities.
  • Deadline: applications accepted through October 2006.

http://www.cvs.com/corpInfo/community/community_grants.html

"Student Peace Prize"

The Student Peace Prize, the only peace prize in the world to and from students, is awarded every second year on behalf of all Norwegian students. It highlights the role of students in the struggle for peace, democracy and human rights.

  • Maximum Award: an invitation to come to Norway to accept the prize at the Peace Prize Ceremony during 2007, and travel throughout Norway to meet with important organizations and decision makers.
  • Eligibility: nominee must be a student or a student organization that has made an outstanding contribution to peace, democracy or human rights.
  • Deadline: September 20, 2006.

http://ga1.org/ct/51w2-xY1PqRR/peaceprize


What Is CASEL?  

CASEL—the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning—is dedicated to the development of children’s social and emotional competencies and the capacity of schools, parents, and communities to support that development. Based at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), CASEL is working to create a world in which young people will have the academic knowledge and skills they need to achieve their goals and will also be caring, engaged citizens prepared to participate fully in society. CASEL’s mission is to establish integrated, evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL) from preschool through high school.

What Is SEL?

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process of developing fundamental social and emotional competencies or skills in children and creating a caring and supportive school climate. A large number of school-based programs and practices are designed to do this. Many evidence-based school programs that focus on positive youth development, problem prevention, service-learning, and character education can be considered SEL. They work to develop students’ social and emotional competencies and create ways to nurture and support students. The resources in this e-newsletter cover a wide range of topics under the umbrella of school-based SEL programming.


Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
Department of Psychology (M/C 285)
University of Illinois at Chicago
1007 West Harrison St.
Chicago, IL 60607
312-413-1008
Fax 312-355-4480 
CASEL@uic.edu 
www.CASEL.org