Supporting Students with Emotional and Behavioral Problems

Prevention and Intervention Strategies

by
Lee Kern, Ph.D.
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Michael P. George, Ed.D.
Centennial School of Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
and
Mark D. Weist, Ph.D.
University of South Carolina

Contents

• About the Forms
• About the Authors
• Foreword Tim Lewis
• Foreword Susan Rodger
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• School Behavior Problems and Models of Prevention and Intervention
• Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support
• Assessing the Classroom Environment
• Managing Classroom Behavior
• Effective Instructional Practices
• Promoting Student Social Skills
• Preparing for Intensive Intervention
• Conducting a Functional Behavioral Assessment
• Developing an Assessment-Based Support Plan
• Measuring Behavior Change
• Enhancing Student Connectedness to School
• Interventions to Address Mental Health Needs
• Index

Enhancing Student Connectedness to School

THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDENT CONNECTEDNESS

In one of the largest studies on student health, the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Resnick et al., 1997), more than 36,000 students from 7th through 12th grades were surveyed on risk, protective, and personal adjustment factors. A range of individual, family, and school factors were found to be associated with positive student adjustment including school connectedness, family–child connectedness, high expectations among parents for school achievement, and student involvement in religious activities. Notably, student connectedness to school was found to be the most powerful factor in protecting male and female students from substance use, early sexual involvement, excessive school absences, and exposure to injury and violence (Resnick et al., 1997). Another large-scale study of more than 11,000 students in Canada also found engagement in school (i.e., being involved in school) to be a critical factor in students staying in school (Archambault et al., 2009), illustrating the importance of this construct and its relevance across nations.

GENERAL THEMES IN PROMOTING STUDENT CONNECTEDNESS

Strategies described in this and the following sections are based on the presumption that 1) the school is committed to enhancing student connectedness and 2) there is a team of interdisciplinary staff (e.g., school psychologist, counselor, assistant principal, teachers, nurse, parent[s], school resource officer, others) that is meeting regularly and guiding implementation and ongoing quality improvement of student support, prevention, and intervention in Tiers 1, 2, and 3. This team may be the same as the schoolwide positive behavior support (SWPBS) team, or it may be a separate team that is explicitly focused on enhancing school connections and mental health issues. This team should be operating with and using up-to-date literature and strategies to promote student connectedness to school.

The CDC (2009) identified four critical themes to enhance student connectedness:

1. support offered to students by adults,
2. student belongingness to a positive peer group,
3. student commitment to education,
4. a positive school environment.

TIER 1 STRATEGIES TO INCREASE STUDENT CONNECTEDNESS

The Wingspread Declaration on School Connectedness identified 60 strategies to promote student connectedness that reflect key theme areas. These theme areas include clear and inclusive opportunities for decision-making for students and staff, mechanisms for families to provide guidance to schools, increased opportunities for families to be actively involved in their children’s schoolwork and achievement, adequate professional development for staff to enable skills in responding to diverse needs of students, and trusting, open, and caring relationships among school administration, staff, students, and their families.

Parent or Family Involvement in School

In general, the more parents and other family members are involved in school and their child’s education, the better the outcomes are for individual students. Parent or family involvement also benefits the school overall, as it helps to improve the climate. Teachers and school leaders should reflect on the style of staff members’ interactions with family members.

Enhancing Protective Factors

Enhancing student connectedness to school relates to a long history of important research on protective factors for positive youth development. Mulloy (2014) proposed that protective factors are either internal (e.g., self-esteem, problem-solving ability) or external (e.g., positive life events, high levels of social support), and can interact dynamically to promote greater resilience. She described the following specific protective factors that schools can employ to increase student connectedness:

• Supportive and caring teachers
• Consistently high but also achievable school expectations
• Orderly and safe school environments
• Clear and consistently communicated schoolwide expectations for student behavior
• Opportunities for meaningful student engagement
• Specific support for student social-emotional well-being

Improving Classroom Environments

The classroom environment has an important influence on students’ feelings of connectedness. For example, Cooper (2013) found that Latina/o students performed better in classrooms that were perceived as safe and affirming. Classroom teachers may want to review the Developmental Assets Framework.

Enhancing Student Aspirations

The Quaglia Institute for Student Aspirations (QISA, 2014) focuses on increasing engagement in school by enabling students to pursue their aspirations and feel a sense of empowerment and leadership within the school environment. QISA describes eight conditions that promote student aspirations:

1. belonging
2. heroes
3. sense of accomplishment
4. fun and excitement
5. curiosity and creativity
6. spirit of adventure
7. leadership and responsibility
8. confidence to take action.

TIER 2 STRATEGIES TO INCREASE STUDENT CONNECTEDNESS

In addition to the Tier 1 strategies, there are specific Tier 2 strategies that can be used to increase connectedness to school for students showing early signs of experiencing challenges.

Reducing the Impact of Risk Factors

Students with risk factors should be identified for Tier 2 support. Systematic screening for risk factors in schools is a critical need and should be completed regularly. Specific strategies, including those focused on mentoring and reducing conflict, are critical for these students.

Mentoring Programs

A significant amount of research supports the effectiveness of structured mentoring programs to enhance school engagement. A mentor can be defined as an adult who makes a commitment to being involved in a consistent relationship with a young person.

TIER 3 STRATEGIES TO INCREASE STUDENT CONNECTEDNESS

For students presenting concerning problems, focused interventions in the form of individual, family, and/or group intervention may be warranted. These students are likely to be poorly engaged in school and may benefit from support in various forms.

INCREASING RELATIONSHIPS AMONG SCHOOLS AND OTHER YOUTH-SERVING SYSTEMS

Strategies that improve student wellness and emotional or behavioral functioning ultimately increase the likelihood that students will succeed academically and graduate from school. This involves schools working collaboratively with other youth-serving systems based on a shared agenda.

SUMMARY

Student connectedness to school is a powerful protective factor that promotes success in school and beyond. Teachers play a critical role in promoting student connectedness through positive relationships with students, using strategies to enhance student engagement and connection to school.