SOCIAL COMPETENCIES
An Integrated Approach to Linking
Student Learning and Wellbeing
Background Paper
an d
Strategic Implementation Plan
Social Competencies Unit
Students and Communities Division
Department of Education & Training
Page 3
Published by the Social Competencies Unit, Victorian Department of Education and Training.
 State of Victoria, March 2002
All rights reserved. Except under the conditions described in the Copyright Act 1968 of Australia and
subsequent amendments, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical and photocopying, recording or
otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright holder.
Address inquiries to:
Social Competencies Unit
Department of Education & Training
GPO Box 4367
Melbourne 3001
For Further Information
www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/socialcomp
Acknowledgements
This resource has been developed by the Office of School Education, Department of Education &
Training, Victoria, 2002.
Project Management
Sandra Mahar
Authors
Sandra Mahar & Lyndall Sullivan
Contributions
This publication was developed by the Social Competencies Unit of the Department of Education &
Training (DE&T).
Page 1
CONTENTS
Page No.
PREAMBLE
Defining Social Competence
3
Strategic Intent
6
The Challenge for Victoria
6
Schools as Social Capital
8
Implications for Schools
9
A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR SOCIAL COMPETENCIES
Strategic Implementation Plan
11
Policy Alignment
12
Research and Development
18
Learning and Teaching
19
Consultation
21
Accountability
21
Pilot Schools Initiative
23
Production of Resources
24
Professional Development
24
Quality Assurance Measures
25
Whole School Approach
The Social Competencies Design Model - Principles
The Model
Elements of the Model
12
14
15
16
APPENDICES
Whole School Reform Design Models
27
Whole School Programs
29
Intervention Programs for ‘At Risk’ Students
32
Social Competencies and the Crowded Curriculum
33
Footnote References
34
Page 2
PREAMBLE
Defining Social Competence
Although definitions of social competence vary there is broad consensus1 that it involves the ability
to integrate cognitive, emotional and behavioural realms in order to:
 establish and maintain a range of positive social relationships
 manage interpersonal difficulties and refrain from harming self and others
 contribute collaboratively and constructively to peers, family, school and the wider community.
At its simplest level, social competence can be described as being able to get on with other people.
It involves the ability to establish, maintain and develop constructive social relationships. Through
thinking and feeling, the socially competent person is able to ‘select and control which behaviours
to emit and which to suppress in any given context, to achieve any given objective set by themselves
or prescribed by others.’ 2
Amato 3 refers to the widely varied forms of competence which ‘allow people to survive and
function within a particular environment and cultural milieu’. The capacity to effectively engage in
such a increasingly complex and changing world requires skills such as effective use of language,
efficient time management, negotiation with others, higher level cognitive functioning and
emotional self-regulation.
The term social competencies usually refers to component areas of social competence. These
competencies are learned through a developmental process involving both formal and informal
means including children’s observational learning. It is generally agreed that social competence is
domain specific and developmental. 4
The term domain-specific refers to the environmental/cultural context in which different types of
competencies are required. Very different social competencies are required and valued in different
contexts with some behaviours which are regarded as dysfunctional and disapproved of in one
context, being considered as functional and approved of in another.5 It is therefore simplistic to
define social competence only in terms of specific skills or specific outcomes particularly when the
latter are valued very differently by different groups and cultures. 6
In the context of social competencies, the term developmental refers to the age-referenced,
progressive capacity to learn and undertake increasingly complex and integrated levels of social
behaviour. The many interrelated facets of child development and their implications for learning
and social behaviour are comprehensively discussed by Katz (1997). 7
Component areas of social competencies include:
1
Bremner & Topping, 2000
Scottish Office: Education & Industry Department, 1998
3 Amato, 1987
4 Scott, 2000
5 Bremner & Topping, 2000
6 ibid
7 Katz, 1997
2
Page 3








communication in a range of social relationships
perception and interpretation of social cues
social problem-solving
responsible decision-making
constructive conflict resolution
recognition and appropriate expression of emotion
flexible coping skills
self-management.
Amato8 notes a distinction between ‘the competent self’ and the ‘equipment for competence’
(knowledge and skills). The competent self is characterised as having ‘a core of interrelated
personal attributes which play a crucial role in the person’s effectiveness in interaction with the
environment’. ‘While the equipment for competence is specific to a particular situation and a
particular culture, the basic, internalised features of the competent self are common across situations
and cultures’.
A wide array of family and social influences shape the development of competence and the capacity
for a child to become ‘skilful, confident, optimistic and resourceful’. 9 Positive interaction with the
environment can lead to a ‘positive feedback loop, linking early mastery attempts, successful
performance, feelings of efficacy, self-perceptions of competence, and enhanced intrinsic
motivation for future mastery’. By contrast, repeated experience of lack of success in bringing
about desired effects can lead children ‘to approach new tasks with expectations of failure, feelings
of helplessness and self-perceptions of incompetence’.10
Schools, through their material and social resources, thus have the potential to either facilitate or
limit children’s development of valued forms of competence and achievement of their potential.
Effective partnerships with families and the community are an important means of optimising the
use of these resources.
Any specific teaching of social competencies will inevitably comprise only one part of children’s
social learning. The school environment is an entire ecological dimension in which explicit teaching
occurs within a multitude of other social, emotional and intellectual influences. School attunement
to the complexity and variety of its potential influences on students is therefore needed before
learning and social competence can be effectively integrated and supported. In particular,
attunement to the need for establishing whole-school norms of respect for individual differences will
be critical to avoid barriers to developing social competence.
8
Amato, 1987
ibid
10 ibid
9
Page 4
Without such attunement and recognition, socio-cultural factors such as race, ethnicity, gender and
socio-economic status can inadvertently become barriers. Non-verbal cues, culture-specific forms of
expression, unintended/unconscious role modelling, choice of words and emotional tone of
communication will all influence students’ social learning and acquisition of social competencies.
When schools achieve such awareness and attunement, they are better able to support the intended
pro-social learning provided by the school’s formal education program. Student attainment of
social competencies will therefore be influenced by how well schools can identify and respond to
the many factors which impact on children’s social and intellectual development.
This paper therefore addresses the concept of social competence and the role of schools in
promoting the social development and competence of all students. The context for considering this
role extends to the whole of the education system and to the broader society in which students and
their families are embedded.
Page 5
THE SOCIAL COMPETENCIES INITIATIVE
Strategic Intent
The Office of School Education (OSE) has the central goal that ‘all students will leave school
literate, numerate, socially competent and will progress to further education or employment.’11
In recognition of this goal, the Social Competencies Strategy Team was established in the Learning
and Teaching Innovation Division of OSE in May 2001. The creation of this team with focal
responsibility for addressing social competencies recognises that children’s learning, social
functioning and wellbeing are interconnected. The initiative strengthens the Department of
Education & Training’s (DE&T) capacity to enhance student wellbeing and acknowledges that
students are better prepared for learning when they are in a supportive and engaging environment. 12
The educational goals for social competencies, as for literacy and numeracy, need to be seen as
holistic and integrated. They apply across all cohorts of students, across all age groups, all Key
Learning Areas and facilitate positive developmental outcomes.
The social competencies initiative introduces the concept of social competence as integral to
successful educational provision for all students in Victorian government schools. Many schools
already make substantial contributions to the social skills, competencies and cultural understandings
both of their students and their wider communities. The current social competencies initiative aims
to specifically value and encourage these contributions as the essential basis for education.
The Challenge for Victoria
International Context
The OECD paper The Wellbeing of Nations: The Role of Human and Social Capital13 acknowledges
that human and social capital are related to economic growth as well as to individual and social
wellbeing. When OECD Education Ministers met in 2001, the focal theme of ‘investing in
competencies for all’ highlighted the competencies required for effective participation in a
knowledge society and for life long learning.
Concerns about aggressive and violent behaviours within schools, families and communities have
arisen worldwide. Reports have raised awareness of the need to develop pro-social competencies
and societal norms of non-violence. An expression of this concern was shown when the United
Nations General Assembly (UN) unanimously voted to proclaim the first decade of the twenty-first
century: "The Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World (20012010)." The UN proclamation invited each member state to take the necessary steps for the
principles of non-violence to be taught at every level of society.14
11
Director , Office of School Education, DE&T, 2000
DE&T 1999
13 OECD 2001
14 UN General Assembly Calls for Decade of Peace and Nonviolence, 1998
12
Page 6
Concern in the UK about the results of ‘social exclusion’ have led to government recognition of the
need for ‘a more holistic, more preventive and more personal approach.15
National Context
At the national level, the Australian National Goals for Schooling16 acknowledge the importance of
schools in providing a supportive and nurturing environment which promotes students’ personal
development and social engagement as preparation for life in an increasingly complex world.
The National Goals emphasise that when students leave school they need to have the capacity for
analysis and problem solving, self confidence, optimism and high self esteem and to ‘be active and
informed citizens with the ability to exercise judgment and responsibility in matters of morality,
ethics and social justice; the capacity to make sense of their world, … and to make rational and
informed decisions about their own lives and to collaborate with others.’
Victorian Context
In Growing Victoria Together,17 the Victorian Government outlined its broad vision for achieving a
balance of economic, social and environmental goals and a renewed valuing of human capital. The
Premier’s educational targets18 and DE&T’s Corporate Plan19 also emphasise the need to ensure
‘that all Victorians have the knowledge and skills to participate as responsible, informed and
productive citizens in our society.’20
Through its study of risk and protective factors affecting the health and wellbeing of young
Victorians,21 the Government accepted the need for greater focus on prevention and early
intervention initiatives to serve the needs and wellbeing of young people.22 This study indicated that
young people are increasingly subject to negative social experiences, including violence and crime,
which result in social, personal and economic costs.
DE&T’s work to advance the education goals and targets set by the Government thus need to
address the broad social and emotional environment in which learning and teaching occur. This
need is further acknowledged in the Government’s paper, Knowledge, Innovation, Skills and
Creativity23 that emphasises the central importance of the learning relationship between students
and teachers and the development of individuals’ interpersonal skills for access to the future
knowledge economy. Accordingly, Victoria’s social and educational goals require the building of
‘developmentally friendly’ educational structures and services which in turn contribute to societal
cohesion and ‘developmental prevention.’24
15
Bright, 2000
16
The Adelaide Declaration on National Goals for Schooling in the Twenty-First Century, 2000
17
Victorian Government, Growing Victoria Together, 2002
18 Victorian Government: Premier’s Targets
19 DE&T Corporate Plan 2000
20 ibid
21 ibid
22 Department of Human Services, Improving the Lives of Young Victorians, 2000
23 DE&T, Knowledge, Innovation, Skills and Creativity, 2001
24 Department of Human Services, Improving the Lives of Young Victorians, 2000; National Crime Prevention (1999).
Page 7
Schools as contributors to ‘social capital’/ social cohesion
Social capital is as
vital as language for
human society.
It
enables us to build a
strong, active civil
society.
It makes
democracy work and
it leads to better
economic outcomes.
Social capital refers to ‘features of social organisation, such as networks,
norms and trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual
benefit’.25 An alternative concept is social cohesion, described as ‘the
presence of basic patterns of cooperation, social action and core sets of
collective values.’26 Human capital refers to the skills, knowledge,
attitudes and attributes which can contribute to social capital.
People are social beings who are bound together in communities and must
create a set of values and rules in order to communicate effectively.27
Graycar and Nelson have noted that there is nothing ‘natural about these
Cox. E. 1995
values and rules but they must be accepted by the society in order for the
society to be a civil place in which to live. Although people place primacy
on their rights as individuals and their freedom to choose how to live, this is done within a social
context.’ 28
Australian social commentator, Eva Cox, highlights social capital as ‘what makes groups of people
a society’ and as ‘a measure of the resilience of our connectedness.’ 29 According to Cox,30 high
levels of social capital allow us to:




‘work together collaboratively and respect each other’s values and differences
resolve disputes civilly by recognising different interests do exist but trying to do so within a
framework which takes account of common good, not just sectional interests
recognise that building trust requires fairness and equity and that involves opposing prejudice
or exploitation
ensure that building groups with internal cohesion is not affected by the exclusion and
demonisation of others’.
Clear parallels can be seen between this depiction of social capital/social cohesion and the
component areas of social competence as defined in this paper.
Schools and their networks are well placed to contribute ‘social capital’ to their communities,
particularly by strengthening social connectedness through ‘bonding’ and ‘bridging,’ as referred to
by social commentator, Robert Putnam. 31 Bonding, as characterised by Putnam, involves making
connections with people similar to oneself, bridging, on the other hand, involves making
connections with people who are different. While bonding affirms existing connections, bridging
can build new and more diverse forms of ‘social capital’, which can contribute to societal stability
and flexibility. Bridging is therefore more challenging and involves ‘higher-level,’ more developed
aspects of social competence such as perspective taking, social and cultural interpretations and
empathy.
25
Putnam, 1993
O’Connor, 1998
27 Graycar & Nelson, 1999
28 ibid
29 Cox, 1999
30 ibid
31 Putnam, 2001
26
Page 8
In the school context, this may be evident when school community members with divergent values
and beliefs come together to develop a shared vision for the school.
Although both these forms of social connectedness support DE&T’s policies for students’ social
development, the more demanding level of bridging, is more likely to contribute to achievement of
goals of engagement, inclusivity and the valuing of diversity. A school environment which offers
opportunities for understanding others and creates supportive connections also contributes to
building community social capital.
Implications for Schools
The Premier’s targets in literacy, numeracy and retention have set challenges for the system and
school communities. Achievement of these targets requires a school education system which draws
upon all its existing strengths and resources and which is receptive to innovation. The introduction
of the social competencies initiative is a clear acknowledgement of the intrinsic linkages between
student learning and wellbeing. These linkages are well established through research, as is the
recognition that the culture of a school plays a key role in student engagement, retention and
educational outcomes.
Fundamental to all DE&T education policies, programs and services is the commitment to
inclusiveness and the valuing of diversity. Thus the way social competence is embodied in a
particular school will reflect the school’s unique population, its social/cultural character and a
valuing of its individuals. The social competencies initiative will assist schools to better integrate
and embed this commitment in the learning and wellbeing of all their students.
Education and health professionals generally agree that it is essential to begin developing social
competencies at a very young age, with research indicating that aggression that is not remedied at an
early age generally leads to later violence and other anti-social behaviours.32 Evidence suggests
that the quality of children’s social competence as early as the kindergarten year ‘accurately predicts
academic as well as social competence in later grades.’33
Some of the problematic social, emotional and behavioural indicators which confront schools have
been identified in Victoria’s survey of the health and wellbeing of young people: Improving the
Lives of Young Victorians in Our Community (2000). The survey noted ‘a strong link between the
number of risk and protective factors in a young person’s life and the things they do and the
problems they face.’34
The risks in adolescence and adulthood have been identified as academic failure, dropping out of
school, juvenile delinquency, and later mental health problems.35 Such risks have been identified for
significant proportions of young people in Victoria.36
32
Slaby et al., 1995
Pelligrini & Glickman, 1990
34 Department of Human Services, Improving the Lives of Young Victorians, 2000
35 Katz, et al,1995
36 Department of Human Services, Improving the Lives of Young Victorians, 2000
33
Page 9
In a world where children and young people increasingly experience negative social influences,
schools can provide a counter-balance by helping students to develop social skills and competence
including skills and values of cooperation, conflict resolution and relationship-building.
The need for a holistic, positive social environment for learning is evident in DE&T’s strategic
approach to addressing issues of bullying, harassment and violence in schools. Acknowledging that
these problematic behaviours are a whole-of-society issue, in 2000, DE&T launched a preventionoriented on-line resource for schools which focuses on a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach
to creating safe and supportive school environments.
Schools with low levels of violent behaviour have been distinguished from those with high levels by
a positive school climate where nurturance, inclusiveness and community feeling are evident.
Students who feel valued and appreciated by at least one adult at school will be less likely to act out
against the school ethos of non-violence.37
A school’s capacity to develop socially competent students requires understanding, sensitivity,
responsiveness and proactiveness in relation to:
 the whole-school culture and practice at both explicit and ‘hidden’ levels
 cultural diversity within the school community
 how teaching and learning practices and processes affect student engagement
 how students develop both cognitive and social self-regulation ie progressively taking
responsibility for both their academic and social learning
 the need for a curriculum developed within a universal, prevention focused curriculum
 the need for intervention strategies which address the needs of both individual students and
particular groups of students
 the development of collaborative and cooperative relationships between school, families and
community members
 the promotion of positive communication styles and associated behaviours
 the impact of adult role-modelling, particularly at the less ‘conscious’ levels.
The social competencies initiative will therefore assist schools to establish community partnerships
which seek to enhance the life outcomes of all students, prevent at-risk behaviours and address
broad social issues of concern.
37
Walker, 1995
Page 10
STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
The strategic plan outlines a whole of OSE approach to the implementation of the social
competencies initiative at system and school implementation levels. It involves eight inter-related
areas comprising:
Policy Alignment
An examination of existing policy relevant to social competencies to achieve an integrated whole-ofDE&T position and the development of a contextualised policy statement
Research and Development
Identification of high quality, evidence-based literature to inform DE&T policy and practice in
relation to Social Competencies
Learning and Teaching
Identification of exemplar programs, practices and initiatives which contribute to embedding social
competencies within a whole school approach.
Consultation
Consultation to obtain system and stakeholder understanding and commitment
Accountability
Development of system and school level accountability measures which adequately reflect the
complex processes and aims for social competencies
The Pilot Schools Initiative
Support the implementation of a three year, research-based pilot schools initiative to demonstrate
implementation of the Social Competence Whole School Improvement Model
Production of Resources
A range of resources will be developed to build social competence through whole school
improvement
Professional Development
A professional development strategy for the system and Victorian schools
Implementation Issues: Quality Assurance
Issues of ownership and understanding, coordination and resourcing need to be addressed as integral
to successful system and school uptake.
Page 11
POLICY ALIGNMENT
An examination of existing policy relevant to social competencies to achieve an integrated whole-ofDE&T position and the development of a contextualised policy statement
In line with the conceptualisation of social competence as a DE&T whole-system investment in
student learning and wellbeing, a range of departmental policy positions need to be aligned and
coordinated. Issues of learning and teaching, teacher quality and morale, school operations, student
behaviour management, community and family partnerships, accountability and pathways to further
education and employment all contribute to social competence and hence to students’ capacity to
participate as effective and fulfilled members of their community.
The development of a policy on social competencies which unifies all aspects of students’
educational experience and attainment in a whole school approach, will therefore be developed.
Whole-school approach
The concept of a whole school approach is sometimes understood simply as the implementation of a
subject or a particular focus across all year levels. The grounding of social competence as part of
intrinsic school functioning and ethos, however, calls for a much broader notion of a whole school
approach.
In recent years a range of ‘whole school’ programs has emerged from both within Australia and
internationally. Seeking more than piecemeal or short-term improvements for students, these whole
school programs include a reform process that involves the reexamination and change to all parts of
school life - ‘from attitudes and culture to leadership, parent and community involvement,
curriculum, facilities and financing.’38
Whole school programs that include school improvement, reorganisation, restructuring and
reculturing present an integrated view of the reform process. They are based on the concept that the
way to successfully improve school performance is to ‘simultaneously change all elements of a
school’s operating environment so as to bring each element into alignment with a central, guiding
vision.’ 39
Turning Points 2000: Educating Adolescents in the 21st Century ,40 is a major US report on middle
years schooling which examines progress following recommendations to improve middle years
schooling which were published in the 1989 report: Turning Points: Preparing American Youth for
the 21st Century. The Turning Points 2000 report seeks to link high quality research to best practice
in the middle years of schooling through a whole school design model where ‘each element
influences the expression and reinforces the impact of other elements.’ The authors note, that in the
case of any true system, ‘this design system cannot be separated into self-contained components,
where each can be addressed independently of the others’….but instead ‘must be dealt with
holistically and systemically to ensure success.’ ‘The danger with complex reform strategies, like
the Turning Points design, is that schools may tackle one or a few of the guiding principles while
ignoring the rest. Such well-intended efforts can lead to disaster.’
38
McChesney 1998
Keltner 1998
40 Jackson & Davis, 2000
39
Page 12
Two examples of whole school reform models are presented in DE&T initiatives for early and
middle years of schooling and student wellbeing:
 The General Design for a Whole School Approach to School Improvement (Hill and Crevola)
 The Four Integrated Levels of Activity model outlined in the Framework for Student Support
Services in Victorian Government Schools.
These two major models have operated with different emphases: the Hill & Crevola whole school
design model focuses on teaching and learning, whilst the Framework for Student Support Services
in Victorian Government Schools focuses on student wellbeing.
One example of the difference in focus is the description each provides on the issue on intervention
services for students:
Hill & Crevola: Intervention and special assistance
‘Targeted support for students who are not making satisfactory progress
in their learning is provided in an integrated and holistic framework.’
Framework for Student Support Services: Early Intervention:
‘Targets those at risk of ongoing social, emotional and/or physical harm
in order to reduce the intensity, severity and duration of the risk behaviour.’
Intervention: ‘Provides effective treatment and support for students in
crisis, ensures access to affordable and appropriate counselling care and
treatment services.’
In its approach to reforming the Middle Years, DE&T has emphasised the need for an inclusive and
engaging learning environment that builds positive relationships, enhances transitions and values
home and community partnerships. Middle Years research confirms that students’ interactions and
experiences in school have enduring impact on their academic success and later psychosocial
adjustment.41
Both the Hill & Crevola and the Framework for Student Support Services models emphasise the
interconnectedness of their elements and the need for these elements to be addressed
simultaneously. Hence a school wishing to address concerns about attendance or engagement is
unlikely to achieve long-term significant outcomes unless its approach to these issues is grounded in
a whole school approach.42
41
42
Haynes, et al, 1997
DE&T, Changing the Middle Years: Reflections and Intentions, 2000
Page 13
The Social Competencies Design Model
The following model for a whole school approach to developing social competencies draws on and
extends the Hill & Crevola and Framework for Student Support Services models. This Social
Competencies Design Model is offered as a tool for policy development and review and is
underpinned by the following principles:
1.
Wellbeing is intrinsic to learning:

Students are better prepared for learning when they are in a safe, supportive and engaging
environment

How children learn is as important as what they learn

Student resilience is promoted through relationship with at least one caring adult
2.
Students’ learning occurs mainly in the context of social relationships

Peer relations contribute significantly to social and cognitive development

The curriculum should incorporate students’ personal and social issues

Learning is enhanced through social and emotional dynamics between students
3.
Cognitive, emotional and behavioural domains are interlinked

Learning is facilitated or hampered by emotions

Emotions shape learning and memory

Mood and motivation are linked
4.
Schools are a major social learning environment

The school years occur during critical human development and learning

A ‘stages of schooling’ approach can effectively support students’ developmental growth

Teacher modelling and teaching of pro-social behaviour is vital

Student behaviour management and discipline procedures can contribute to long-term
social goals
5.
Students learn best when they experience a sense of belonging and significance

A culture of inclusiveness strengthen students’ sense of connection

Social connectedness builds resilience

A sense of significance emerges for students when they feel they have something to
contribute
6.
Schools can contribute to social capital

School partnerships can encourage norms and networks of civic engagement

Planned activities in ‘bonding’ and ‘bridging’ contribute to social cohesion

Community social capital can be a by-product of ties, norms and trust created at school
Page 14
Social Competencies Design Model:
A Whole School Approach
Leadership &
Teamwork
School Culture
& Ethos
School
Organisation
& Operations
Promoting Wellbeing &
Resilience
Preventing Harm
Principles
Partnerships
Resources
Informed by evidence based
research
Accountability
Learning &
Teaching
Page 15
Elements of the Model
The Social Competencies Design Model highlights principles and themes common to both the Hill
and Crevola and the Framework for Student Support Services models, including a whole school
approach where the elements are understood to be mutually interactive.
The components
underpinning each element of the model are outlined to guide school communities in reviewing
and auditing their current approach to social competence.
The Seven Interrelated Elements of the Social Competencies Design Model
School Culture and Ethos
Both explicit and hidden
 Norms and customs
 Values and beliefs
 Modelling
 Emotional Wellbeing
School Organisation and Operations
Attuned to educational purpose
 Structures
 Working Arrangements
 Decision-making
 Planning & contingency management
 Policy Development & Implementation
Leadership and Teamwork
 Visionary and Pragmatic
 Exemplary Practice
 Professionalism
 Staff Wellbeing and Morale
 Collegiality
 Professional Learning Teams
Partnerships
Home, School Community and Service
Providers
 Shared Focus
 Support
 Broad Perspective
 Representing Community
 Diversity
 Valuing Contribution
Learning and Teaching
Comprehensive Curriculum
 High Quality
 Inclusive
 Innovative
 Engaging
Resources
 Coordinated
 Strategic
 Optimising human, financial and
technological contributions
Accountability
Continuous School Improvement
 Benchmarks
 Standards and Targets
 Reporting Processes
 Monitoring and Assessment
 Evaluation
Page 16
Elements of the Model: Promoting Wellbeing and Resilience: Preventing Harm
The model contextualises all services and interventions as occurring within a preventive, whole
school approach. Under this model, services provided by Student Support Service Officers,
(SSSOs), contracted professionals or agency workers would form an integral part of the school’s
prevention-focussed education program.
For example, a school using the services of a social worker to address truancy issues would ensure
that any short-term interventions also support long term prevention-focussed outcomes. Eber has
noted that, ‘without universal conditions to improve behaviour and academic learning for every
child, effective interventions will be less likely to be achieved for the children with the greatest
needs.’ 43
Restoring Wellbeing
Postvention
Primary Prevention
Early Intervention
Intervention
Specialised Services
Example: Speech Pathology
Intervention
Restore Wellbeing
Access Support
Early Intervention
Targeted students
Example: Reading Recovery Program
Strengthen Coping and Reduce Risk
Primary Prevention
Build Belonging and Promote Wellbeing
Universal – applying to all students
Example: Literacy program
The Social Competencies Design Model aligns with other international whole-school reform
models. Although these models may vary in their emphases, they share the following common
characteristics:
 a comprehensive approach which aims to address all core academic subject areas, types of
school organisation, all year levels and alignment of resources
 incorporates best-practice research
 aims to assist every student achieve high educational outcomes
 involves ongoing evaluation aimed at continuous improvement
 provides schools and their communities with a shared vision, focus and framework that shapes
and directs reform efforts
 involves high quality professional development
 acknowledges the importance of partnerships between the school, its parents and the
community.
43
Eber, 1999
Page 17
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Identification of high quality, evidence-based literature to inform DE&T policy and practice in
relation to Social Competencies
A major review of research and associated literature has been undertaken to inform the
development of a policy on Social Competencies. There is a diversity of research which confirms
that there are multiple influences on the social, emotional and educational development of
children. A growing body of literature also indicates that ‘cognitive, social and emotional
processes are inextricably linked.’44
Major research projects in recent years covering such issues as anti-social and criminal behaviour,
suicide, drug and alcohol abuse and mental illness have identified common antecedent risk
factors.45 These converging factors include poor social skills, low self-esteem, lack of empathy,
inadequate problem-solving skills and lack of family, school and community connectedness.
Conversely, research has identified a range of generic protective factors which operate across
individual, family, school and community domains. They include attachment to family, school
and peers, a sense of spiritual and communal belonging, positive school experiences, and
successful cognitive, emotional and social developmental outcomes.46
International research has found that the introduction of universal, prevention-focused programs
that teach interpersonal skills may reduce the initiation of substance use by improving social
competence and providing young people with more adaptive means of gaining approval from
peers.47 A recent US study, for example, examined the mechanisms by which social competence
may be associated with substance use. The study concluded that poorly competent adolescents
turn to smoking and alcohol use because ‘they perceive that there are important social benefits to
doing so, such as having more friends, looking grown up and ‘cool’ and having fun.’48
Findings from research by Griffin et al49 indicated that social competence had a protective effect
on smoking and drinking because adolescents who were more socially confident, assertive and had
better communication skills were less likely to believe that there were important social benefits
associated with substance use.
Australian research acknowledges that quality of school life has been accorded special significance
by educators because it is viewed as ‘important in its own right and also because of the
relationship between student’ quality of school life and their academic achievement.’50
The introduction of social competencies into school curricula has been undertaken in a variety of
ways by education systems and schools. Schools are regularly offered a range of topic-specific
programs which are promoted by individuals and organisations as a means of addressing issues
44
Cove and Love, 1996
Commonwealth Government, Pathways to Prevention, 1999; Victorian Government, Suicide Prevention – Victorian
Task Force Report, 1997;
46
Commonwealth Government, Pathways to Prevention: 1999; Victorian Government, Suicide Prevention – Victorian
Task Force Report, 1997; Department of Human Services, Improving the Lives of Young Victorians, 2000.
45
47
Griffin et al 2001
ibid
49 ibid
50 Mok & Flynn, 1997
48
Page 18
such as low self esteem or poor social skills. Research indicates that although such programs can
be moderately effective, the limited evidence for generalization and maintenance of gains has been
identified as a cause for concern51.
Ensuring externally developed programs are used within a whole school design model is likely to
produce both short and longer term desired outcomes. It allows schools to reflect the
developmental nature of acquiring social competencies within the unique array of influences and
factors that are school specific.
LEARNING AND TEACHING
Identification of exemplar programs, practices and initiatives which contributes to embedding
social competencies within a whole school approach.
For students to become socially competent and effective learners, school communities need to
acknowledge that a complex interplay of influences is in operation. This complexity is recognized
in DE&T’s definition of curriculum as ‘all the arrangements a school makes for students’ learning
and development. It includes the content of courses, student activities teaching approaches and the
ways in which teachers and classes are organized. It also includes decisions on the need for and
use of facilities.’52
These influences manifest as school culture and ethos; they exist at overt, formal and
acknowledged levels, as well as at more informal, implicit, less tangible or unacknowledged
levels.
Educational and psychological research places emphasis on the emotional and relationship context
in which learning occurs and the processes whereby social competence is acquired.
It is has also been recognized that learning is facilitated or hampered by emotions and that
emotions have an important shaping influence on learning and memory. Thus a school
environment that teaches and models the skills and values of cooperative, effective communication
and pro-social engagement with others is providing access to education at the broadest level.
In advice to schools on the promotion of social competence, the Scottish Office: Education and
Industry Department encourages teachers to look beyond the provision of discrete personal and
social activities and to ‘look more widely at how you (the school) structure the whole school
experience for pupils. Both formal and informal aspects of the school curriculum have a major
contribution to make in this respect.’53
Other research recognises the need to address multiple contexts which influence children,
including the key people in their lives – parents, teachers and other community members.
Targeting only one area for improvement is likely to have limited success. 54 Broad prevention
51
Beelman, et al 1994
Ministry of Education, Victoria, The School Curriculum and Organisation Framework: P-12, 1988
53 The Scottish Office: Department of Education and Industry, 2000
54 Commonwealth Government, Pathways to Prevention, 1999
52
Page 19
initiatives, by contrast, have been noted to produce positive changes beyond areas which were
specifically targeted.55
Acknowledgement of the valuable role of communities in supporting and interacting with their
schools has long been part of Victorian educational policy. School-community partnerships can
contribute both to broad prevention of harm and promotion of resiliency. Communities are
increasingly attuned to their capacity to contribute to social capital through schools and to enhance
‘developmental assets’ and protective factors which are critical for young people’s successful
growth and development.
Amongst suggested strategies for communities seeking to support children is the need to ‘resist the
temptation to create new programs to address concerns and instead, to focus on the integration of
asset building into existing missions and commitments’. 56
In the launching of the second phase of DE&T’s strategic approach to address bullying and other
problematic behaviours in schools, reference was made to research which demonstrates the
ineffectiveness of short-term, reactive approaches to complex societal problems. Such research has
consistently indicated that multiple and interconnected influences operate to generate either
positive or negative outcomes for young people. 57
Research suggests that in order to achieve enduring gains for students, schools are encouraged to
adopt comprehensive, prevention-focused, whole-of-school approaches to creating positive school
environments.
Exemplar programs and processes which illustrate approaches to embedding social competencies
as part of the learning and teaching environment will be sought and documented from across the
system, schools, individuals and organizations.
55
ibid
Search Institute, Healthy Communities, Healthy Youth, 1998
56 National Crime Prevention (1999) Pathways to prevention: Developmental and early intervention approaches to crime in
Australia.
Human Services (2000), Improving the Lives of Young Victorians in Our Community – A Summary Report
57 Scottish Office: Education and Industry Department
56
Page 20
CONSULTATION
Consultation to obtain system and stakeholder understanding and commitment
A staged consultation process will be undertaken during various stages of this initiative to ensure
whole-of-DE&T coordination and alignment. Broader consultation processes involving regions,
schools and the wider community will be put in place to ensure representative views of
stakeholders are presented. Identified key stakeholders include:
 parents, teachers, students and school community members
 relevant community organisations, educational bodies, researchers and expert views
 other government departments and agencies such as VicHealth.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Development of system and school level accountability measures which adequately reflect the complex
processes and aims for social competencies
The implementation of a social competencies policy initiative requires accountability measures to
be put in place to measure schools’ progress in this area.
However, research suggests that the effective acquisition of social competencies represents a
culmination of complex developmental and contextual influences rather than the result of skillspecific teaching alone. The demonstration of social competence involves complex emotional and
cognitive processes that are frequently not visible or easily captured through measurement.
The Scottish Office identifies social competence not as a single attribute or ability which is present
within individual students to varying degrees – rather it is ‘a constellation of knowledge,
understanding, skills and emotional response, all of which interact differently according to the
situation the child is in.’58
Measurement Issues: System and School Accountability
Within the context of education, measurement and accountability for student social competencies
comprises two component levels:
 System
 Schools
System level
DE&T’s 2001 enhancement process drew attention to the need for improved organisational and
structural governance to serve the Government’s broad educational and social goals. In particular,
the need for organisational synergy and proactive and strategic directions in order to support
schools in preparing students to ‘fully participate in the rapidly changing, yet crystallizing,
Page 21
knowledge economy.’59 In response, OSE noted ‘the need to develop new approaches to enhance
the social and academic development of students in schools.’ 60
DE&T’s undertaking of the challenge to ‘think creatively and strategically about its structure and
organisational governance’61 will be evident in the exemplary leadership and educational
inspiration needed to ensure that government social and education goals are fully met. This will
entail the development of system accountability measures which reflect statewide policy and:
 express clear, logical and achievable goals
 communicate successfully to achieve cooperation and commitment
 guide and support schools through comprehensive and strategic resourcing
 develop measures which adequately reflect the complex, systemic nature of social competence.
DE&T provides guidelines to schools to assist in the development of school charters. Schools
determine their goals and priority areas and the related measures covering: Student Achievement,
Curriculum Provision, Environment, Management and Resources. Achieving the Government’s
broad-scale aims for all Victorians will require advice and support to be provided to schools on
how to embed social competencies into all accountability areas and to provide appropriate
measurement tools to assist the process.
School Level
For schools addressing the broad issue of social competence, accountability measures need to
reflect both statewide policy and local school community expectations for a positive and socially
competent learning environment. DE&T’s accountability requirements for schools are outlined in
the School Charter guidelines. The school charter, the school annual report and the triennial
school review constitute DE&T’s integrated accountability framework for Victorian government
schools.
An integrated whole school approach to social competencies will also be reflected in the school’s
Codes of Practice, Student Code of Conduct and associated protocols and practices.
The way a school deals with student behaviour and management issues is an indicator of the
school’s success in weaving together learning, teaching and social competence. Through parent,
staff and student surveys, data can be collected for review purposes.
In conjunction with the Standards and Accountability Division, accountability measures will be
developed for social competence, within the School Accountability Framework.
59
DE&T Circular 123/2001
Director, Office of School Education, 2001
61 DE&T Circular 123/2001
60
Page 22
PILOT SCHOOLS INITIATIVE
Supporting the implementation of a three year, research-based pilot schools initiative to
demonstrate implementation of the social competence design model
A pilot schools program will be undertaken and implemented during 2002 and will comprise the
following elements:
 A comprehensive professional development program for pilot schools to develop shared
knowledge and understandings of social competence. This will include presentations,
workshops and professional readings from the broad research collection and examples of
system reform processes and current school programs, practices and initiatives.
 The Social Competencies Design Model will be presented as a means of viewing social
competence at its broadest level. The model will assist schools in undertaking a structured
audit aimed at identifying the school’s current successes, gaps in current service delivery and
targeted areas for improvement. Input and involvement by parents, students and external staff
and agencies that support the school will be built into the process as a means of ensuring that
key stakeholders are appropriately involved.
 A small-scale research program will be commissioned. The research will be designed to meet
the unique needs of participating schools through the participation of school teams, with
regional support.
 Encouragement of teachers to recognise what they are currently doing to assist students
develop social competence is an important aspect of the initiative and will assist staff in
developing confidence and further their professional growth.
 Pilot schools will share their experiences and involvement in the program at the statewide
social competencies conference, scheduled for November 2002.
 The Social Competencies Strategy Team in consultation with the Standards and
Accountability Division will provide support for pilot schools throughout the process,
including the monitoring and review of school achievements as part of the pilot project
evaluation process.
 A comprehensive resource package for schools will be developed which will draw on the
research undertaken by the Strategy Team and from the pilot project. The resource package
will be made available to all schools with the aim of ensuring transferability of learnings to
non-pilot schools.
Page 23
PRODUCTION OF RESOURCES
A range of resources will be developed to support whole school implementation of social
competencies
Resources will be developed for each of the staged implementation phases of this initiative. The
resources will include:
 a policy statement, discussion papers and data show presentations for DE&T, OSE, regions,
schools and the broader community
 a professional development module for regions, schools and the broader educational
community
 trial strategies and materials including examples of successful programs and practices
 support materials for pilot schools
 compilation of pilot schools action research results and successful outcomes
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Developing a professional development strategy for Victorian schools
A professional development strategy will be developed for the staged introduction, implementation
and evaluation of this initiative. The strategy will include a communication strategy, timelines and
expected outcomes.
Page 24
QUALITY ASSURANCE MEASURES
Consideration of a range of system and school level issues in order to maintain the integrity and
successful implementation of the Social Competencies initiative.
System Issues
Without a whole-of-DE&T understanding and ownership of the social competencies initiative
there is potential for the initiative to remain at a fragmented ‘project’ level.
The proposed framework presents social competence as intrinsic to a complete education and
supportive of DE&T’s contribution to the broad social and economic outcomes envisaged by
government.
Coordination
Coordinating mechanisms need to be put in place to ensure comprehensive consultation
processes are undertaken and broad-based support is achieved.
School Issues
In recent years schools have received incentives to assist in the implementation of DE&T
initiatives. The Early Years strategy provided human and financial resources, a comprehensive
professional development program and is directly linked to system accountability expectations; the
ISDES and Middle Years strategy also provide incentives linked to accountability processes.
These incentives have reinforced a view in some schools that to successfully implement any new
initiative will require the provision of similar incentives. A communication strategy will therefore
need to be developed to ensure that schools value the messages underlying this initiative and
realise the benefits for students in the development of social competencies.
Use of externally developed programs
Schools are offered a range of commercially developed programs which are promoted by
individuals and organizations, often as a means of addressing difficult issues. Examples include
programs to:
 address bullying behaviour
 develop classroom and behaviour management strategies
 address a range of student discipline programs
 develop social skills
 develop assertiveness or conflict resolution skills
 train students in peer mediation
The programs are generally presented as a ‘one size fits all’ model, can be very costly and may
even, at times, conflict with evidence-based research, DE&T policy or advice.
Research indicates that schools often note immediate results from using these programs and are
thus likely to continue with them. However, solutions that are generated outside the array of
influences and factors unique to a school are likely to meet with only partial success. Although
specific issue programs can be moderately effective, the limited evidence for generalization and
Page 25
maintenance of gains has been identified as a cause for concern. 62 Similarly, single-focus attempts
to deal with student-based problems such as misbehaviour may neglect subtle and contextual
influences, and may actually counteract the intended positive social outcomes.63
Any effective use of topic-specific programs thus requires that they be contextualised within a
broader, long-term understanding of the developmental nature of acquiring social competencies.
Use of consultants and external providers
With the introduction of school global budgets and enhanced self-management, schools have the
ability to select from a range of consultant and external service providers to support their
programs. In order to ensure educational goals are well served by purchase of such services, it is
necessary for these to be aligned with DE&T policy objectives, particularly in relation to
integrative goals such as social competencies.
In using external services, schools also need to be cognisant of their own expertise, professional
judgment and capacity for innovation. Use of external consultants and program providers, both at
DE&T system and school level, is most effective when these external services are contextualised
within the school and system provision.
Teacher Training Institutions and Professional Associations
Successful implementation and sustainability of the initiative would be improved by ensuring the
incorporation of social competence into undergraduate and graduate diploma courses in university
and teacher-training institutions. It is anticipated that partnerships with academic institutions and
professional associations will enhance the initiative.
62
63
Beelman, et al 1994
Commonwealth Government, Pathways to Prevention, 1999
Page 26
APPENDICES
WHOLE SCHOOL REFORM DESIGN MODELS
The Framework for Student Support Services in Victorian Schools – Teacher
Resource 64
Department of Education, Employment and Training
The design model outlines four interrelated levels to group together the wide range of activities
currently being undertaken by schools and related support services. The levels of primary
prevention, early intervention, intervention and restoring wellbeing (postvention), overlap and
span the range of provision of care from the support needed for all students to crisis situations.
The Middle Years Reform Model – Hill & Crevola 65
Developed by researches at the Centre for Applied Educational Research , University of
Melbourne, the model forms a basis for redesigning the Middle Years of Schooling. Each of the
nine elements of the design is an intrinsic component of successful reform and the elements need
to be addressed simultaneously. The nine elements are: leadership and coordination, standards and
targets, monitoring and assessment, classroom teaching strategies, professional learning teams,
school and class organisation, intervention and special assistance, home school and community
partnerships.
The Scottish Office: Taking a closer look at promoting social competence 66
This resource provides a range of whole-school auditing processes for school communities
including preparing for audit, taking account of key stakeholders, the audit process and using
social competence project resources. It includes an effectiveness survey that has the particular aim
of helping schools judge the effectiveness of any potential approaches in the promotion of social
competencies.
America’s Choice Design Network67
(formerly the National Alliance for Restructuring Education).
This program encourages schools and districts to adopt a comprehensive, research-based design
aimed at achievement of common standards in education.
ATLAS Communities 68
This is a project of the US based Center for Educational Development Inc. It offers a school
reform design that seeks to provide an educational experience of continuity from preschool to high
school and innovative, challenging learning experiences to promote high student achievement at
local and state levels.
64
Department of Education & Training, 1999
Hill & Crevola, 1997
66 Scottish Office
67 America’s Choice Design Network, 1998
68 Education Development Centre Inc
65
Page 27
Co-NECT Schools 69
Co-Nect (US) outlines a comprehensive school reform model that emphasises a research base,
community accountability for results, learning by doing, and practical application of critical
thinking skills.
Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound 70
Expeditionary Learning is a design for school reform that draws on the adventure and service
based program founded by educator Kurt Hahn. The program seeks to make schools safe,
engaging communities where all students are expected to achieve more than they thought possible.
Ten design principles and five core guide the teaching and learning involved in this model.
Modern Red Schoolhouse 71
The Modern Red Schoolhouse design is aimed at high achievement for students through school
policies and practices that provide alternative ways for students to learn and varying amounts of
time in which to learn. To accomplish these goals, Modern Red Schoolhouse design offers
technical assistance in all elements of the design, for which most schools are expected to establish
task forces dedicated to supporting the central goal of high achievement for all students.
69
Co-Nect Schools
Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound
71 Modern Red Schoolhouse
70
Page 28
WHOLE SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Guidance Curriculum for the Comprehensive School Counselling Program
72
Public Schools of North Carolina, State Board of Education, Office of Instructional and
Accountability Services, Division of Instructional Services.
The comprehensive school counselling program refers to a sequential, developmental program
designed to benefit all students in preparation for their futures. It includes a curriculum organised
around three areas essential for students’ growth and development: academic development, career
development and personal/social development.
Teachers use subject areas to integrate the areas of competencies and work as a team to establish
benchmarks for the counselling curriculum competencies. An example of personal/social
development includes competency and objective statements:
Acquire the attitudes, knowledge and interpersonal skills to help understand and respect self
and other.
 Develop a positive attitude toward self as a unique worthy person
 Manage feelings
 Distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate behaviours
 Establish self-control
 Demonstrate how to make and keep friends
Make decisions, set goals, and take appropriate action to achieve goals
 Employ a decision-making and problem-solving model
 Develop effective coping skills for dealing with problems
 Apply conflict resolution skills
Understand safety and survival skills
 Distinguish the difference between appropriate and inappropriate physical contact
 Use problem-solving and decision-making skills to make safe and healthy choices
The curriculum program is delivered primarily by teachers and supported by parent and
community efforts. Local schools enhance each lesson with unique parent and community
involvement components.
Turning Points 2000 73
This publication outlines recommendations for educating adolescents in the 21st century which
include curriculum grounded in rigorous, public academic standards, relevant to the concerns of
students and based on how students learn best. What students should know and be able to do form
the basis for the curriculum.
Components include the essential knowledge, critical thinking and problem-solving skills and the
use of Habits of the Mind74 to teach self-discipline, flexibility, reflectiveness, dependability and
perseverance.
72
73
North Carolina State Board of Education
Jackson and Davis, 2000
Page 29
The resource presents a design model to guide schools in achieving success for every student and
covers areas such as organising relationships for learning, democratic governance to improve
student learning, creating safe and healthy school environments and the importance of forming
parent and community partnerships.
The Northeast Foundation for Children (NFFC) of Greenfield, Massachusetts, US –
the Responsive Classroom 75
The NEFC is a private, non-profit, educational foundation which promotes the Responsive
Classroom as a means of integrating the teaching of social and academic skills at elementary and
middle school level. The approach to learning and teaching fosters safe, challenging and joyful
classrooms and schools in the K-8 years. Developed by classroom teachers, the approach consists
of practical strategies that bring social and academic learning together throughout the school day.
The program is underpinned by principles which include the following:




The social curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum
How children learn is as important as what they learn: process and content go hand in hand
The greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interaction
There is a set of social skills children need in order to be successful academically and socially:
cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy and self-control
 Knowing the children we teach – individually, culturally and developmentally – is as important
as knowing the content we teach
 Knowing the families of the children we teach and inviting participation is essential to
children's education
 How the adults at school work together is as important as individual competence: lasting
change begins with the adult community.
According to Elliot,76 when effectively implemented, the responsive classroom strategies improved
students’ social skills, reduced problem behaviours and served as an ‘enabler’ of improved
academic achievement.
74
Costa and Kallick, 2000
The Northeast Foundation
76 Elliot, 1998
75
Page 30
Positive Discipline 77
Developed by Dr Jane Nelsen and associates (US) the resources draw on the theories presented by
Adler and Dreikurs and is a whole school prevention approach that aims to prepare children for
responsible citizenship. The program encourages the development of:
 intrapersonal skills - the ability to understand personal emotions, develop self discipline and
self control and to learn from experiences
 interpersonal skills - the ability to work with others through listening, communicating,
cooperating, negotiating, sharing and empathising
 systemic skills - the ability to respond to the limits and consequences of everyday life with
responsibility, adaptability, flexibility and integrity
 judgment skills - the ability to develop wisdom and evaluate situations according to appropriate
values.
The resource package includes resources for teachers and parents, covering the pre-school through
to adolescence years and has been used by Australian schools.
Success For All 78
Success for All is a research-based, school-wide program developed by the Success for All
Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation linked with Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, US,
and dedicated to the development, evaluation, and dissemination of proven reform models for
schools. The Success for All program uses prevention and intensive early intervention to achieve
and maintain success through the pre-school to middle years.
The Comer School Development Program Model 79
Developed through the Yale Child Study Centre, US, this program aims to improve the
educational experience of poor minority youth by building supportive bonds among children,
parents, and school staff to promote a positive school climate where children feel comfortable,
valued, and secure. Positive bonds amongst school staff and parents are used to nurture children's
total development, including their academic learning.
Program Achieve
80
Developed by Michael E. Bernard, the program is presented in a six volume curriculum of
lessons for Years 1 to 12. The lessons are designed to encourage both cooperative learning
and individual application. Each volume contains eight content areas with three lessons for
each area teaching important attitudes, feelings, behaviours and ways of thinking germane to
that area. Content areas are: Confidence, Effort and Persistence, Happenings, Thoughts,
Feelings, and Behaviour, Self Acceptance/Self Esteem, Goal Setting, Time Management and
Organisation, Making Friends and Handling Conflict.
77
Nelsen et al, 2000
Success for All Foundation, 2000
79 Yale Child Study Center
80 Bernard, Michael, 2001
78
Page 31
INTERVENTION PROGRAMS FOR ‘AT RISK’ STUDENTS:
Positive Adolescent Choices Training Program (PACT) 81
PACT, developed by Hammond of Wright State University, Ohio, USA, is a skills development
program designed to reduce the chances that at-risk, multi-ethnic adolescents groups will become
victims or perpetrators of violence.
Self Enhancement Inc.
82
This is a violence prevention program developed in Oregon, USA, for grades 2-12 which provides
structured, goal-oriented personal development and violence prevention services to inner city
youth. The program is guided by principles of continuity of service, comprehensiveness,
relationship and parent involvement.
First Steps
83
First Steps, administered by the Indiana (USA) Bureau of Child Development, serves families of
children 0-3years with disabilities and or developmental vulnerability by bringing families
together with professionals in health, education and social service agencies.
81
Hammond, 1989
Self Enhancement Inc
83Indiana Bureau of Child Development
82
Page 32
SOCIAL COMPETENCIES AND THE CROWDED CURRICULUM
How would a social competencies initiative fit into an already crowded
curriculum?
Schools often experience pressure to ‘solve’ social issues through learning and teaching programs.
‘Hot topics’ are a ready source of reactive demands on schools. Such topics have included truancy,
issues of sexuality, and programs to address negative social behaviours including bullying,
harassment and discrimination.
Schools are also subject to pressures to adopt the ‘latest ideas’ in education, often promoted in the
form of curriculum ‘packages’ and other externally developed programs. Under such pressures,
schools may react in one of the following ways:
 adding such programs on to a Key Learning Area
 introducing them into a welfare or pastoral care program
 attempting to introduce a new subject or initiative into the timetable.
Any of these approaches tends to be ‘piecemeal’, leading to the experience of a ‘crowded
curriculum.’
Social competence
should not be seen
simply as a set of skills
to be taught to
students. Any teaching
of specific social skills
should occur within a
broad context where
‘social competence’ is
embedded in whole
school experience.
Educational research emphasises that the promotion of children’s
social, emotional and behavioural wellbeing needs to be
undertaken through an integrated, whole of school systemic
approach.
Social competence is not another program to be incorporated into
the curriculum nor is it reducible to the teaching of a set of social
skills. Social competence is a broad-reaching concept and its
effective implementation will involve a strategic, whole school
approach.
Page 33
FOOTNOTE REFERENCES
Amato, Paul R. (1987). Children in Australian families: the growth of competence. Australian Institute of Family Studies,
Prentice Hall, Sydney.
America’s Choice Design Network (1998). National Center on Education and the Economy. USA. Online reference:
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/atrisk/at6lk60a.htm
Audrey Cohen College System of Education (n.d.) Purpose-Centred Education. College of Education. Wayne State
University. USA. Online reference: http://www.coe.wayne.edu/TSC/audrey.html
Australian Institute of Criminology (2001). ‘Young Australians and Domestic Violence’. Trends and Issues in Crime and
Criminal Justice, no. 195, Canberra, 2001
Beelman, A., Pfingsten, U., & Losel, F. (1994). Effects of Training Social Competence in children: A Meta analysis.
Journal of Clinical Child Psychology 23, 3, 260-271.
Bernard, M. (2001). Program Achieve – You Can do It! San Francisco, USA.
Bremner, W. & Topping, K. (1998). Promoting Social Competence. Networking curriculum resources for social and
emotional development in Scotland. University of Dundee in collaboration with the Scottish Executive.
Bright, J. (2000). Tackling Social Disadvantage – Forces for Change. IPAA Victoria Seminar. Leadership and Innovation
in the Public Sector.
Center for Action Research, Bureau of Sociological Research (n.d.). Preparing Instructional Teams to Teach Effective
Citizenship Education. University of Colorado, Colorado, USA. Online reference:
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/EPTW/eptw8/eptw8g.html
Center for Educational Development Inc. Atlas Communities. USA Online reference: http://www.edc.org/ATLAS/
Colorado Institute for Conflict Resolution and Creative Leadership: Child Development Program: Boulder, Colorado,
USA. Online reference: http://www.weinholds.org/ChildrensMentalHealthChildDevelopmentProgram.htm
Co-Nect Schools. Online reference: http://www.co-nect.com/conect/co-backg.htm
Costa A., & Kallick B. (2000). Habits of Mind: A developmental series. Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development. Alexandria, Virginia, USA.
Cove, P.G. & Love A.G. (1996). Enhancing Student Learning: Intellectual, Social and Emotional Integration, ERIC
Digest.
Cox, E. (1995). Boyer Lectures: A Truly Civil Society. Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Commission.
Cox, E. (2000). Success For All, presented at Curriculum Corporation’s 7 th National Conference – World-Class
Curriculum, 2000.
Cunningham, C., Cunningham, L., Martorelli, V., Tran, A., Young, J., & Zacharius, R. (1997). The effects of primary
division, student-mediated conflict resolution programs on playground aggression. Chedolce-McMaster Hospitals and
McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
Department of Education, Employment and Training (2000). Corporate Plan 2000. Melbourne, Australia.
Department of Education, Employment and Training (2000). The Office of School Education: Realignment, April, 2000.
Department of Education, Employment and Training (2000). DE&T Enhancement, March 2001, Circular 123/2001.
Department of Education, Employment and Training (2001). Knowledge Innovation. Skills and Creativity, 2001.
Department of Education, Employment and Training (2000). Changing the Middle Years – Reflections and Intentions.
Melbourne, Australia.
Department of Education, Employment and Training (1999). Framework for Student Support Services in Victorian
Government Schools: Teacher Resource. Melbourne, Australia.
Page 34
Department of Education and Training (2000). Adelaide Declaration on National Goals for Schooling 2000. Adelaide,
Australia.
Department of Human Services (2000). Improving the Lives of Young Victorians in Our Community. Melbourne, Australia.
Department of Human Services (1997). Suicide Prevention Victorian Task Force Report, July 1997, Melbourne, Australia.
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