Reducing Expulsion: The Intersection of State Leadership ... · Strike #1: Older Boys • Boys 3½...

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Let’s TalkHost - Debi MathiasDirector, QRIS National Learning Network dmathias@buildinitiative.orgwww.buildinitiative.orgwww.qrisnetwork.org November 1, 2017

Session Contributors

CareyMcCann

NikkiEdge

Let’s Talk about Expulsion and Suspension and the Role of

Quality ImprovementNikki Edge, University of Arkansas

Carey McCann, BUILD InitiativeQRIS National Learning Network, Let’s Talk Series

November 1, 2017

Today’s Talk

• What is expulsion and suspension?• Arkansas’s story• Role of QRIS in a state strategy• Let’s Talk…

Definitions

We don’t call it expulsion…

• Please pick your child up early today• Don’t bring her in tomorrow• Why don’t you have him join us for half

days for the next few weeks• Our program just isn’t right • We can’t provide the services that he

Exclusionary Practices

• Remove from activities that include other children

• Remove in the short-term or limit the time a child attends the program

• Dismiss a child permanently

• Encourage families to voluntarily terminate services, “soft expulsion”

SRI International’s Program Leader’s Guide to Supporting All Children’s Success

• Terminating enrollment because of challenging behavior or health condition

• Reductions in the amount of time in attendance at the setting

• Other services are limited on the basis of challenging behaviors, e.g. denying outdoor time, withholding food, and using food as a reward or punishment

Stepping Stones to Caring for Our Children,Third Edition

Caring for Our Children

Research tells us…

Why Focus on Expulsion and Suspension? • Suspension and expulsion are stressful and negative

experiences that can impact child outcomes

• Expulsion or suspension early in a child’s education predicts later expulsion or suspension in school

• Young students who are expelled or suspended are as much as 10 times more likely to: Drop out of high school Fail a grade Be incarcerated

How Often?

10.4% of Pre-K teachers expelled 1 or more in past year

K-12 Pre-K Child Care

Rate per 1,000

Strike #1: Older Boys• Boys 3½ times more likely than girls• 4-year-olds 50% more likely than 3’s

Strike #2: Black Children• Expelled at 2x the rate of White

children; 5x the rate of Asian children• Make up 18% of enrollment, but 48%

of children suspended more than once

Strike #3: Setting• High teacher-child ratios• High teacher stress• Long school day• Too little or too restrictive structure• No consistent availability of a mental

health consultant• Private and faith-based child care

Three Strikes

Infant ToddlerA study in Chicago found that 42% of birth to three child care programs expelled at least one child in the previous year because of behavior

A study of Philadelphia found that 26% of child care programs had expelled at least one child in the past year and that toddlers were just as likely as preschoolers to be asked to leave the child care setting

Three Dimensions of Expulsion to Consider

1. Lack of Knowledge about Child Development

• NSECE study found only 20% of providers reported receiving training on facilitating social-emotional growth in the past year

• Workforce needs knowledge and skills to Understand how children’s emotional responses may

reflect cultural expectations and learning Communicate classroom expectations in a child’s first

language Support social-emotional learning Examine their own cultural socialization and practices Distinguish concerning behaviors from developmentally

appropriate behaviors

2. Implicit Bias: Understanding Racial Disparities in Expulsion Rates

• Underprepared teachers are more likely to use punitive and rejecting disciplinary techniques and over-identify children, especially children of color, for disciplinary action and expulsions

• At kindergarten entry, Black and White parents equally rated their children’s persistence, approaches to learning, and social interactions, but teachers rated Black students as having a distinct disadvantage relative to White students

• Disproportionate levels of discipline by race• Mixed impact when background information on

familial stressors is made available

3. Trauma Behavior Connection• Approximately 10 to 14 percent of children from

birth to age 5 experience emotional, relational, or behavioral disturbance

• Children experiencing trauma arrive at school less ready to learn

• Exposure to violence can diminish concentration, memory, organizational, and language abilities

• Quality of early learning settings is even more important

Reflections

• “Expulsion is not a child behavior. It’s an adult decision.” –Walter Gilliam

• Eliminating expulsion is the goal, not necessarily the policy

• It is not a single-factor problem -requires a multi-pronged approach and supports

Why does it feel complex?• Subjectivity in what behavior is considered

challenging• Many types of exclusionary practices• Program characteristics may provoke or

contribute to children’s behaviors• Increased understanding of how implicit

bias affects children of color• Lack of supports for an underprepared

workforce

Arkansas Story

Arkansas’s Efforts to Reduce Suspension and Expulsion

• Plan development• Roll-out of new policy and

‘BehaviorHelp’ triage and support system

• Experience/lessons learned to date

Arkansas Expulsion and Suspension Workgroup

• Influenced by federal guidance

• Multi-disciplinary Workgroup

• First meeting held on January 7, 2015.

Internal to DHS/DCCECE:- Licensing - QRIS- State-funded Pre-K Program- CCDF Unit/Family Support

External Partners: - DHS Division of Behavioral

Health- Professional Development

Contractors (trainers, TA, ECMHC)

- Experienced ECE Professionals- Special Education- Head Start Collaboration- Project Launch

Fair and Appropriate

Policies

Setting goals and tracking

Strong Family Partnerships

Universal developmental and behavioral

monitoring, screening, and

follow-up

Access to specialized

consultation

High-Skilled Workforce

New Policies & Supports • Longstanding DHS/DCCECE policy limits

suspension and expulsion for children enrolled in state pre-k programs– “No child shall be expelled without permission

from the DCCECE”– New monitoring and support efforts started in

2015; expanded in 2016

• Similar policy rolled out July 1, 2016 for programs receiving child care vouchers

Developing a Support System Informed by the Social-Emotional Learning Pyramid

Source: Center for the Social and Emotional Foundations of Early Learning, www.vanderbilt.csefel.edu

You Can’t Ask for What You Don’t Know You Need

• So how do we get the right kinds of supports to a teacher (and family)?

• Challenges:– Perception that the ‘problem’ lies within the child– Little understanding of connection between

behavior and child’s experiences/environment– Belief that _____ won’t work with THIS child

• Identified need for single point of entry and on-site support

Identifying Providers ofSpecialized Supports

• Who is going on-site that knows about:– Developmentally appropriate practice (schedules,

routines, transitions, learning centers, toys, curriculum, building relationships)

– Teaching social-emotional skills– Responding to common behavioral challenges– Supporting children and families with more

significant behavioral and emotional concerns

• Identified TA providers and ECMH Consultants

BEHAVIORHELP

Tier 2: Behavior described as more serious and/or teacher frustration is high;

Short term TA by team of experts in developmentally appropriate practice and/or social-emotional supports

Tier 1: Concerns described sound developmentally normal and frustration is not excessively high;

DCCECE Specialists share information and resources

Provider/Parent complete online form and interview with DCCECE staff

Tier 3: Behavior frequent and extreme and/or identified trauma history or multi-system involvement;Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation

Triage Specialists

• Staff of the DHS/Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education

• All have other roles (family support, pre-k specialist, etc.)

• Receive online requests for support and contact teacher/director/referral source to complete structured interview within 2 days

• Provide support or assign to TA or ECMHC• Attend weekly staffing with TA and ECMHC

leadership

Key Questions in Triage

• What do we know about the center (licensing history, QRIS rating, type of center)?

• What do we know about the teacher (training, experience, how long with child, etc.)?

• What else are we hearing (frustration level, ‘red flags’ related to behavior management, etc.)?

• What is known about the child/family (child care history, behavior, difficult experiences, etc.)

Technical Assistance

• Provided by professional with experience in developmentally appropriate practice and strategies to support social-emotional development– Varied background, other duties may include ECE

training, general TA, QRIS coaching, etc.

• Services are flexible and short-term (usually 2-10 visits)

• Focused on building skills of teacher and creating a more supportive classroom environment

ECMHC• Services provided by licensed mental health professional trained as

consultant to child care• Visits occur 1 to 2 times per week for 3 months.

Child-Specific Consultation Services:• Meet with parent and teacher together; obtain consent.• Observe and assess child in the classroom setting.• With teacher, develop individual child behavior and classroom

management solutions.• Screenings and referrals for community resources for child/family.• Provide modeling/coaching to support teacher in implementation of

support plan.• Meet with teacher, director, parent in one-on-one meetings, and

informal classroom discussions.• Provide support for the well-being of the teacher/director

Financing – Tapping Existing Resources

• Triage specialists pulled from within various units within DHS/DCCECE

• Shifted resources to expand ECMHC to several new sites

• All other services funded by redeploying existing staff and resources

• TA and ECMHC funded through CCDF and state pre-k quality improvement dollars

BehaviorHelp

Preliminary DataJuly 1, 2016 – May 31, 2017

AR Provider Practices 2016

57% called parent (past

month)

9% expelled

43% suspended or expelled

Provider Perceptions

• Almost half (48%) agree a non-expulsion policy will be a big change for their program– One-third (35%) were ‘concerned’

• Most (90%) agreed the training helped them understand why children should not be expelled

• Most (83%) reported they expect to use BehaviorHelp this year

BehaviorHelp Referrals by County (N = 233)

N = 233

Child and Family

ECE Program

Responding to ECE Providers Concerns

• “I’ve been to _______ training, but that won’t work for this child. Nothing works.”

• “There has to be a center better able to meet this child’s needs”

• “Do you think his behavior could have something to do to with what happened to him?”

• “I’m afraid this teacher will quit….I’m afraid parents are going to start pulling their children”

BehaviorHelp Triage

A-State (TA)71%

Project Play (ECMH)

Both1%

1 2 3 4 5

BEHAVIORHELP REFERRALS BY AGE

Female

White Males Majority of Those Referred

White AfricanAmerican/Black

Biracial Other

Behavior Description

66.0%57.4%

100.0%

Trauma

– Violent deaths of parents or siblings

– Abandonment– Abuse and Neglect– Foster care– Divorce and extreme

custody dispute

– Parent deployment– Parental arrest– Serious accident– Parent Alcohol abuse

Referrals referenced difficult or traumatic events in one-third of cases:

‘Jessie’

• Aggressive and disruptive behavior• Multi-system involved• History of trauma

SUCCESSES

“I didn’t think you were going to call. You called us so quickly.”

• Utilization of response system increasing• Expulsion avoided in >90% of case• Improved coordination with partners and programs to

address challenging behaviors• Weekly staffing with Response Team and DHS

leaders• Co-training of Response Team• Sharing cases• Support to EC Special Ed

• Teacher received help in a reasonable amount of time after making Help Request.

• BehaviorHelp staff respected teacher’s knowledge/opinions.

91% • Teacher feels better able to manage behavior concernsbecause of support received.

93% 81%

I would describe my partnership with the BehaviorHelp team as rewarding and educational. My coach helped me with ideas for the classroom, ways to communicate with my parents, and she showed me some techniques I used personally. I would recommend the BehaviorHelp team to any of my colleagues.

Participants said they would use BehaviorHelp again and would recommend BehaviorHelp to other teachers.

CHALLENGES

• Needs may outweigh resources available; funding• Promotion and understanding of prevention model;

ongoing classroom support needed• Changing community attitudes toward children with

challenging behavior• Increasing parental involvement• Volume of referrals for children with extensive

trauma • Need for mental health treatment referral partners

trained in evidence-based treatments

Developing a State Strategy & the Role of Quality Improvement

Governance

State Goals and Road Map

Policy

State Policy & Protocols on

Expulsion

Policies related to Program

Characteristics

Child Care Assistance

Work Conditions

Supports

Hotline/Triage

Training & Coaching

IECMH Consultation

Alignment of TA Providers

Services

Developmental Screening &

Referral

Early Intervention &

Special Education

Health, Mental Health, and

Family Support

Cross-cutting: Family Partnerships and Racial & Gender Equity

COMPONENTS TO CONSIDER WHEN DEVELOPING A STATE STRATEGY TO REDUCE EXPULSION

Governance

Policy

Expulsion

Characteristics

Work Conditions

Supports

Hotline/Triage

Training & Coaching

IECMH Consultation

Services

Referral

Special Education

Family Support

COMPONENTS TO CONSIDER WHEN DEVELOPING A STATE STRATEGY TO REDUCE EXPULSION

PollQuestion: How many types of technical assistance

providers do you have visiting early learning programs?

Response: Enter number into the chat boxExamples• Quality Improvement specialists• Health consultants• ECMH consultants• Infant Toddler specialists• Pyramid Model coaches• Coaches tied to specific initiatives or trainings, literacy, CLASS…• Licensors • Who else?

TA Provider Strategy• Coordination among TA providers Knowledge of social-emotional development,

implicit bias, effective responses to challenging behaviors, the use of discipline, etc. Role in increasing programs’ capacity for

promoting adult-child interactions, building partnerships with families, and decreasing the likelihood of expulsion Role in responding to at risk situations

• Specific Role of State Quality Improvement Specialists

State Self-Assessment Policy Strategy Tool

Building a Comprehensive State Policy Strategy to Prevent Expulsion

from Early Learning Settings

https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/building-comprehensive-state-policy-strategy-prevent-

expulsion-early-learning-settings

Policy Strategy Tool

Outlines the Research &

What Increases the Likelihood of Expulsions

Assesses State Context,

Strengths and Areas of

Opportunity

Encourages State Goals and a Multifaceted Approach be Developed

Suggests Collecting Data & Monitoring

Progress

Governance

Policy

Expulsion

Characteristics

Work Conditions

Supports

Hotline/Triage

Training & Coaching

IECMH Consultation

Services

Referral

Special Education

Family Support

COMPONENTS RELATED TO QUALITY IMPROVEMENTWHEN DEVELOPING A STATE STRATEGY

Using the Tool• Flexible in how it can be used• Encourages a team approach• Provides a rating system for each policy

recommendation • Offers a way to prioritize action steps• Encourages the use of data

How QRIS is Included in the Tool• Strategy I. Clear Goals and Progress Monitoring

• Governance: Identify or develop a cross-system public and private leadership team to design, implement and monitor the State’s multifaceted strategy

• Strategy II. Fair & Appropriate Policies Child Care Assistance: base rates & tiered reimbursement tied

to the cost of quality across QRIS ratings

• Strategy III. Strong Family Partnerships Use family and provider/teacher relationship standards and

indicators across the QRIS tierso Resources include OPRE’s tool on Family and Provider/Teacher

Relationship Quality, Strengthening Families, and the Parent, Family and Community Engagement Center’s framework and materials

How QRIS is Included in the Tool

• Strategy V. Highly Skilled Workforce• Progression of social-emotional knowledge and skills• Promote adult-child interactions• Ratings that incentivize the use of early learning

standards, building relationships with families, and accessing expulsion prevention supports

• Improve Work Environments and Well-being

• Strategy VI. Access to Specialized Consultation• Alignment across Technical Assistance Providers

Reflections• Does your state have an effort to decrease

expulsion in birth to five programs? Is the effort multifaceted?How is Quality Improvement or QRIS leadership

involved? Are feedback loops being establish/reinforced

• What is your role in decreasing the likelihood of expulsion in early learning?

• How are you going to contribute to increasing racial and gender equity?

Summary• Hold two scenarios in mind • Build reinforcing messages, expectations,

and practices across supports• Identify new strategies and bring

intention to established strategies• Consider all available helpers• Keep equity at the forefront & look out

for unintended consequences

Questions? Comments?

Thank you!

Nikki Edge, University of Arkansasnaedge@uams.edu

Carey McCann, BUILD Initiativecmccann@buildinitiative.org

Debi Mathias, Director QRIS NLN dmathias@buildinitiative.orgBUILD Initiativewww.buildinitiative.orgQRIS National Learning Networkhttp://qrisnetwork.org/

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Reducing Expulsion: The Intersection of State Leadership ... · Strike #1: Older Boys • Boys 3½...

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