Emphasize trauma-informed care
Children living in poverty are disproportionately impacted by violence and trauma, with estimates of 50 - 80 percent having experienced a serious trauma, such as abuse, neglect, or experiencing or witnessing violence.
Undertake comprehensive training to enable your school to more effectively address the effects of trauma on learning. Implement a trauma-informed approach, ensuring staff are supported in developing skills and understanding how to provide support.
To get started:
Educate staff and faculty relative to the research concerning the impact of poverty and trauma on learning.
Design a variety of trauma-informed programs that you can adopt or adapt to fit the needs of your school community. Ensure relevant policies and procedures are developed or revised.
Provide ongoing staff training and support, as well as strategies for self-care, to ensure the program is implemented effectively.
Colleges of education can ensure that coursework for aspiring teachers and administrators includes trauma-informed research and practices.
Best Practices / Innovative Programs
Fall Hamilton Elementary School in Nashville, Tennessee, has taken a whole-school approach, including having a full-time trauma-informed practitioner on staff.
The Department of Education in Oregon began a pilot program in 2016 to implement trauma-informed strategies in schools. The Gladstone school district has created a culture of care in K-8 by shifting instructional and disciplinary practices. A trauma-informed approach has teachers connect with students with empathy and the reasons behind behavior.
