Connectedness: Fostering Protective Factors for Student Success

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ConnectednessFostering Protective Factors for
Student Success

• Cynthia Schiebel
• Austin, Texas
• 512-445-0153 cschiebel_at_austin.rr.com

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Thanks for Showing Up
Thanks for Showing Up!
Foundation
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Agenda

• Risk Factors
• Protective Factors Developmental
  Assets
• Strategies to increase Connectedness

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Leading Research Sources

• Risk Protective Factors, Social Development
  Strategy
• http//staff.washington.edu/sdrgy
• Developmental Assets
• www.search-institute.org
• Center for Disease Control Prevention
  School Connectedness Strategies for Increasing
  Protective Factors Among Youth.
• www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth
• Positive Youth Development
• http//smhp.psych.ucla.edu

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• American teens can have stronger health and
  educational outcomes.
• Increasing school connectedness can make it
  happen.
• Robert Blum MD, PhD

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• Risk Factors

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Risk Factors

• Community
• Family
• School
• Individual/Peer
• (Hawkins Catalano)

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• Protective Factors

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3 Main Protective Factors

• Caring Support
• High Expectations
• Meaningful participation
• (Bonnie Bernard, 1991, 1992, 1996)

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Social Development Model

• BONDING
• Family-School-Community-Peers
• Opportunities
• Skills
• Recognition
• Increased Bonding Decreased Risk

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• 40 Developmental Assets

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40 Developmental Assets

• External Assets (1-20)
• Support
• Empowerment
• Boundaries Expectations
• Constructive Use of Time

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40 Developmental Assets

• Internal Assets (21-40)
• Commitment to Learning
• Positive Values
• Social Competencies
• Positive Identity

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Principles of Asset Building

• Everyone can build assets
• All young people need assets
• Relationships are key
• Asset building is an ongoing process
• Consistent messages are important
• Intentional repetition is important

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• Putting it all together

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Capture
Pair
Share
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• Strategies for Connection

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School Connectedness

• the belief by students that
• adults and peers in the school
• care about their learning
• as well as about them as individuals.
• CDC School Connectedness Strategies for
  Increasing
• Protective Factors Among Youth

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Factors that Increase School Connectedness

• Adult Support
• Belonging to a Positive Peer Group
• Commitment to Education
• School Environment
• CDC School Connectedness Strategies for
  Increasing
• Protective Factors Among Youth

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6 Strategies to Increase School Connectedness

• decision-making processes
• family involvement
• skills
• positive learning environment.
• professional development
• relationships

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Improvement Strategies

• Teach Skills 4 components
• Facilitate Discussions 4 steps
• Foster Assets Great Places to Learn

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Climate Assessments

• Western Alliance for the Study of School Climate
• Sample Data Indicators
• Daggett Learning Criteria (K-8) (HS)
• Southern Regional Education Board (SREB)
• TPII includes risk and protective factors
• UCLA New Directions in Student Support
• California Healthy Kids Survey
• Search Institute

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• Upside-down Snowman

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Next Steps

• Influence your heap
• Train/Educate/Support all stakeholders in
  Strength-Based Approaches
• Train/Educate/Support Youth in Leadership,
  Character and
• Service Learning

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Capture
Pair
Share
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At a time when the traditional structures of
caring have deteriorated, schools must become
places where teachers and students live
together, talk with each other, take delight in
each others company. My guess is that when
schools focus on what really matters in life,
the cognitive ends we now pursue so painfully
and artificially will be achieved somewhat more
naturally. It is obvious that children will
work harder and do things even odd things
like adding fractions for people they love and
trust. Nel Noddings