Leaving No Child Behind (or out of school): Effective Approaches to
Preventing Poor School and Community
Outcomes and Promoting Healthy
Development
David Osher, Ph.D.
Center for Effective Collaboration & Practice, The American
Institutes for Research www.air.org/cecp

Resources
Leave No Child Behind
Relationship Between Schools, Communities,
& Effective Prevention Strategies
3 Level Approach
Choosing Evidence-based Interventions
14 Ingredients

Where To Go For:
Resources,
Links,
Overheads, &
Updates

Safe, Drug Free, & Effective Schools: What Works
Addressing Student Problem Behavior (3 parts plus video)
Teaching and Working With Children with Emotional and Behavioral Challenges (Sopris West)
Early Warning, Timely Response
Safeguarding Our Children: An Action Guide
Safe, Supportive, & Successful Schools: Step by Step
(Sopris West)
Promising Practices in Children’s Mental Health (13 vols.)
Exploring the Relationship between and Juvenile
Justice Outcomes (7 vols.).

Behavioral Health Technical Assistance Center
(SAMHSA)
Safe and Drug Free School Coordinators TA Center
(SDFS)
Neglected and Delinquent Youth TA & Evaluation
Center (Office of Elementary and Secondary
Education)
Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family
Mental Health (SAMHSA)
Center for Integrating Prevention and Education
Research (NIH).

Gates Small School Initiative
California Class-size Initiative
Eisenhower Professional Development
Program
Consumer’s Guide to School Reform
Alternative Education
Early Childhood Behavior
AIR-LFA Partnership.

The Logic of Leaving No Child
Behind
Adapted from: Beth Doll, University of Nebraska

Adapted from: Beth Doll, University of Nebraska

The Old View II: Blame the Fish’s
Mother, Family, or Community
Adapted from: Beth Doll, University of Nebraska

Key Provisions in relationship to
Principles of Effectiveness & Coordinated
3-Level Approach
Increased Accountability ( see
Evaluation & Chapter 1 )
Performance Measures;


Annual testing 3-8
Annual statewide progress objectives


Disaggregate by





Poverty
Race
Ethnicity
Disability
LEP
States required to establish uniform data system on school safety & drug use.

Key Provisions in relationship to
Principles of Effectiveness & Coordinated
3-Level Approach
Focus on Evidenced-Based Interventions ( see
Effective, Science-based Strategies &
Appendix A )

Specifies Principles of Effectiveness

E.g., What Works Clearing House.

Leaving No Child Behind:
Parental & Student Choice (see Parent
& Community Involvement & Chapters
1, 3 )



Academic Failure
Persistently Dangerous Schools
Victims of Violent Crime.

Leaving No Child Behind: Other
Relevant Provisions
Expansion of School Counseling
Demonstration Programs to Secondary School
Expansion of who can “counsel”
Counseling where students need it – not just at school
SDF $, After-school $, school emergency assistance $ can be used for counseling and mental health services.

Leaving No Child Behind:
Increased Flexibility (see Risk &
Protective & Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 )

Transfer to Title 1 or other programs <
50% of monies under :
 Teacher Quality State Grants
 Safe and Drug-Free Schools
 Innovative Programs
 Educational Technology.

Relationship Between Schools,
Communities, & Effective Prevention
Strategies

Does Prevention Make a Difference?
3
2
1
0
6
5
4
Antisocial
Personality
Disorder
Drug Use
GBG No
GBG
Impact of Good Behavior Game in 1 st & 2 nd Grade on most aggressive children at ages 19-21.

Risk Factors

Individual



Social (Family, Peers)
Institutional (Schools;
Facilities)
Societal
Protective Factors




Individual
Social
Institutional
Societal

Societal
Macrosystems
Proximal
Social Contexts
Close
Interpersonal
Relations
Individual
Factors
A nested ecological system of influences on youth behavior. Adapted from “Prevention of
Delinquency: Current status and issues” by P. H.
Tolan and N. G. Guerra, 1994, Applied and
Preventive Psychology, 3, p. 254.

Prevention
Where to Intervene
Child
Welfare
Youth
Development
Justice
Heath
Substance
Abuse
Services
Schools Mental
Health Recreation
18

PREVENTION OVER TIME AND SPACE: INTEGRATING
PREVENTION SCIENCE STRATEGIES
DEVELOPMENTAL
EPIDEMIOLOGY: directed at early proximal targets
INTEGRATED
STRATEGIES
COMMUNITY
PREVENTION: directed at community
& school proximal targets
MORE IMMEDIATE
RISK: directed at more recent proximal targets
COMMUNITY /
SOCIETAL: directed at policies & laws as proximal targets
Sheppard G. Kellam, M.D.

58.7
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2.7
Odds ratio
The Impact of First Grade Teacher Capacity on 7 th Grade Behavior
(Kellam, Ling, Merisca, Brown, & Ialongo, 1998)
Well-managed standard classroom
Chaotic standard classroom

45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Out of School
Suspension
Advancement Project, 2000
In-school
Suspension
G.W. Carver
North Dade

40
30
20
10
0
70
60
50
Black White
South Carolina School Crime Incident Report, 1998-99
Disturbing School
Weapons
Drugs
Threatening Official

School-wide
Team
Principal
Teacher
Mental Health
Professional
Student Support
Team
Dwyer & Osher, 2000

Understand the Links Between
Psychological, Social, Ethical, and
Academic Development
Improve Learning Improve Behavior
Improve Behavior Improve Learning

Connect with Every Child:
National Longitudinal
Study of Adolescent Health (ADD Health)
Students who Feel Connected:




Less likely to use alcohol or substances
Experience less emotional distress
Attempt suicide less
Engage in less deviant and violent behavior
Blum, 2001

Provide Individualized
Intensive Supports
Provide coordinated, intensive, sustained, culturally appropriate, child and family focused services and supports.
Intervene Early
Create services and supports that address risk factors and build upon protective factors for students at risk for severe academic or behavioral difficulties.
Build a Schoolwide Foundation
Support positive discipline, academic successes and mental/emotional wellness: Positive school climate, full-services-school, appropriate individualized instruction, social skills training, and strong family involvement
.

Building Blocks
Few
Some
Intensive Intervention
Early Intervention
All
Foundation
Universal Intervention
Adapted from: National Resource Center for Safe Schools
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory - 101 SW Main Street, Suite 500 Portland, Oregon 97204

The Logic of Universal
Intervention
• You cannot identify all at risk
• Children affect each others’ behavior and development
• No stigma
• No self-fulfilling prophecies
• No homogenous grouping
• Per Child Cost Less.
All
Universal Interventions

Small schools;
Well managed classrooms;
Positive (not harsh) discipline policies;
Overlapping and integrated social groups;
Impact of the Child Development Project
See Every Child Learning: Safe and
Supportive Schools (Learning First Alliance)
See Child Development Project ( Appendix A ).
Blum, 2001

Valuing all families;
Effective outreach (e.g., FAST);
Culturally competent approaches (e.g.,Lincoln
Elementary School, Salt Lake City);
Support for family participation (e.g., Keyes for Networking); and
Positive interactions with families (e.g.,
Cleveland Elementary School, Tampa, FL).

Teach, model, practice, coach, reinforce, generalize
PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies)
Second step
Stop and think
“Stop and teach” (George Bailey)
Responding in Peaceful and Positive Ways (RIPP)
Culturally competent approaches (e.g., Gwen
Cartledge)
See Safe & Sound
See PATHS; Second Step; I Can Problem Solve etc.
( Appendix A )

Provide Positive Behavioral Supports
High behavioral standards and strong supports for students and adults to realize these standards;
Workable school and classroom behavior plans;
Positive behavioral strategies;
Supporting appropriate behaviors (e.g.,
Helping students stay on task); and
Teaching and modeling skills.

Sugai & Horner, 2000

High academic standards and strong supports for students and adults to realize these standards;
Strong curricula approaches;
Strong teaching approaches (e.g., Class-Wide Peer
Tutoring);
Engaging curricula and teaching;
Culturally competent curricula and teaching;
Individualization; and
Use of multiple modalities (individual, group, experiential, technology, etc.).

Early Intervention
Selective
Indicated
Selective interventions for individuals who is a member of a subgroup of the population whose risk of illness or poor outcomes is above average (e.g., single teenage mothers)
Indicated interventions for individuals who exhibit a risk factor or condition that identifies them, individually, as being at high risk for the development of illness or poor outcomes

High Scope Preschool Curriculum
Regional Intervention Program (RIP)
First Step to Success
Primary Mental Health Project
Functional Assessment (See
Student Problem Behaviors )
Addressing
Effective Mentoring
STEP
PACT (Positive Adolescent Choices Training)

I mpact of Combined Selective Intervention
Social Development Research Group
(Public Schools in Seattle High Crime Areas)
•
Intervention
– Teacher training (5 days in service grades 1-6)
– Developmentally Appropriate Parent education (grades 1-3, 5-6)
– Social competence training for children (grades 1, 6)
•
Impact at age 18 (compared to nonrandomized controls)
– Less
• anti social behavior (Violence/Delinquency: 48%: 60%)
•
Heavy Drinking: 15%: 26%
•
School Misbehavior (p=.02)
– More
•
Commitment to school (p=.03)
•
Attachment to school (p=.006)
•
Academic Achievement (p= .01) Hawkins,1999

Intensive Intervention and
Treatment
•Individualized
•Address multiple risk factors & cross multiple domains
•Linguistically & culturally competent
•Child & family driven
•Intensive & sustained.

Wraparound
MST
Multi-dimensional Treatment Foster
Care
Appropriate Medication Management.

1.6
1.4
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
Arrests, SC,
1 year
Re-arrest,
MO, 5 year

The program must have documented effectiveness and be based on sound theory
The program can be easily integrated with existing school practices.
The program must have data that demonstrates effectiveness or ineffectiveness with particular student groups.
Data must indicate that the program has a positive impact on student achievement.
Program developers/sponsors must demonstrate that subscribing schools receive sufficient technical assistance.
Program components must focus on promoting positive solutions to behavioral and emotional problems.

X Intervention works with
Y Students
In Z context
When you do:
 a

 b c

Moving From Research to Practice:
Institutionalizing Changes in
Structure, Practice, Culture
Sustaining System-,
Community-, State-wide
Becoming Core &
Going to Scale
Sustainability
Effectiveness
Efficacy

14 Ingredients of School Improvement ( Safe,
Successful, & Supportive Schools: Step by
Step )
Address the needs of your school and community
Be strategic and comprehensive
Be systemic
Don’t do it alone
Understand and manage change
Build a learning community

Involve the entire community
Value and address diversity
Assess and address your strengths and challenges
Take time to choose evidence-based programs and practices

Build capacity
Employ Data
Evaluate outcomes
Focus on the long haul .