Positive Relationships – School Success

PRESENTER

Minnesota School Psychologists AssociationJanuary 27, 2011

Kathleen Minke, Ph.D., NCSPNASP President, 2010-11

NASP represents school psychology and supports school psychologists to enhance the learning and mental health of all children and youth.

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NASP Priorities 2010-2011• Equip school psychologists at the state and local levels to

protect and promote practice and title.

• Promote understanding and adoption of NASP Standards documents to enhance our services to children, schools, and families

• Expand availability of quality continuing professional development that is affordable and accessible

• Increase cultural competence and cultural and linguistic diversity of school psychology

• Support the preparation of the next generation of competent school psychologists

• Support the ongoing development of the evidence-based practices that support our services through scholarship and research

Positive Relationships–School Success

• Relationships are the foundation for the success (or failure) of everything we do Student-student Student-adult Colleague-colleague Educator-parent School-family School-community School psychologists-allied

professionals School psychologists-policymakers 4

Children’s relationships with each other and the adults in their lives…

• Research clearly demonstrates the relationship between social-emotional factors and academic achievement (e.g., Downer & Pianta, 2006; Elias & Haynes, 2008).

Children’s relationships with each other and the adults in their lives…

Creating Positive School Climates

• Promotion of self-regulation, friendship skills• Prevention and intervention with bullying• Connected relationship with teachers

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Children’s relationships with each other and the adults in their lives…

• Relationships with teachers serve as a protective factor Early in school career At transition points Into high school

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Relationships with teachers… All good teachers know how to do one thing very

well -- they know how to read a story. They know that each student arrives at their door with a unique, intriguing and incomplete story. And the very best teachers know that they have been given an opportunity to script confidence on those blank pages, to help edit the mistakes, and most importantly to help write a happy ending. You will have the power to help make a child happy or sad, to feel confident or unsure, to feel wanted or discarded. That is both the beauty and the challenge of our profession.

Anthony J. Mullen, 2009 National Teacher of the Year.

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Positive relationships among the grown-ups…

• Relationships with and among teachers

• Family-school relationships

• Relationships with administrators

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Relationships Among Educators

• Collaborative, trusting relationships yield greater job satisfaction, increased confidence, more effective implementation of curricular reforms

• Not the same thing as “just getting along”

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Family-School Relationships

• Families have a profound impact on academic, social, and emotional development of their children (Parke & Buriel, 2006).

• Positive school-home relations are an important characteristic of effective schools; instrumental in comprehensive school reform efforts (e.g., Comer, Haynes, Joyner, & Ben-Avie, 1996).

Family-School Relationships

• There is increasing evidence of a CAUSAL relationship between parents’ participation and achievement

• Parents’ efforts increase child engagement in academics that, in turn, leads to improved achievement

The CORE Model of Collaboration

Connected

Optimistic

Respected

Empowered

The CORE Model of Collaboration• THINKING DIFFERENTLY

Ecosystemic approach CORE beliefs

• TALKING DIFFERENTLY 7 Communication Strategies

• BEHAVING DIFFERENTLY Proactive outreach strategies Conferences and Problem-solving Meetings

Main message…

Without first learning FROM families about their strengths, resources, beliefs, and needed supports,

no programs FOR families will be successful.

The CORE Model of Collaboration• THINKING DIFFERENTLY

Ecosystemic approach CORE beliefs

• TALKING DIFFERENTLY 7 Communication Strategies

• BEHAVING DIFFERENTLY Proactive outreach strategies Conferences and Problem-solving Meetings

CORE Model: Talking Differently

7 Communication Strategies Attend to non-verbal communication

Listen to understand: reflecting and summarizing

Model the collaborative role: avoid labeling, jargon and advice giving!

Search for strengths

Reframing

Delivering/Receiving negative information

Blocking blame

Listen to understand: reflect/clarify/empathize

An empathic response:Helps the other feel heard and

understoodUsually involves both content

and affectNEVER involves judgmentDoes not introduce the

speaker’s point of view

Build Empathic ResponsesMain content (what the person said or

implied): ____________________

Affect/Feelings (stated or implied):_____________________

Combine content and affect into brief response (paraphrase):______________________

Add “checkout” (Is that right?), if needed (invite the other to keep talking)

Empathy Practice

Parent (speaking quickly and in great distress): My son is driving me crazy. At ten years old you

would think he could be responsible for himself at least a little bit! He can’t accomplish a single thing unless I’m standing right there, nagging him all the way through.

Homework is a nightmare! I feel like I’m the one with homework and we struggle for at least two hours before it is done. This can’t go on. He’s not learning and I’m out of patience!

How can I help him?

Empathy Practice Responses

“It sounds like you’re very frustrated that he can’t be more independent completing his jobs and you sound worried that what you’re doing now isn’t helping either one of you. Is that close?”

OR“Parenting Johnny sounds like a real

challenge and you’ve been working really hard to meet that challenge. But now it seems you feel you’re at a roadblock and you’re looking for new ideas.” [Questioning look]

Empathy Practice

“Yes, that’s it exactly. I could handle everything else if I got him on the right track with homework.”

[This would lead to more exploration of homework and what she is already doing.]

Empathy Practice

“Yes, that’s it exactly. I’ve been feeling so helpless and overwhelmed since Johnny’s father has been in the hospital for these past two months.”

[This will lead to an entirely different discussion.]

The CORE Model of Collaboration• THINKING DIFFERENTLY

Ecosystemic approach CORE beliefs

• TALKING DIFFERENTLY 7 Communication Strategies

• BEHAVING DIFFERENTLY Proactive outreach strategies Conferences and Problem-solving Meetings

Proactive Strategies for Reaching Out to Families

• The school-wide team• The physical plant• Written communications

(policies and personal)

• Activities at school

Proactive Strategies:Getting information FROM families• Family members as participants on

the school-wide team?

• School climate data from families?

• Input from families in planning, implementing, and evaluating the school-wide discipline plan?

Proactive Strategies:The Physical Plant

How welcoming to families does the school appear?

Are visitors a priority?

Create an Inviting Physical Plant

What are some ways to send the message that families are welcome here?

Welcome signs, mission statement, and school map in languages common among students

Someone/everyone to greet visitors

Arrange office in an inviting wayGreet all visitors promptly and courteously

Written Communications:Forms and Policies

What reading level is required to interpret the documents?

Is there jargon that can be removed or better explained?

How do we ensure that families with limited written English literacy have access to this information?

To what extent do documents encourage:Parental choices and optionsTwo way communication

Teacher to Parent Messages

• Invitations Should be specific (not just sent

home in newsletter)

Should be “non-institutional”

Should make clear how the activity affects the parent’s own child.

Written Communications:Personal

• “Good news” notes are usually welcome and helpful.• Avoid using notes home or

emails to communicate about problems.• Communicate about concerns

early and directly.• Concentrate on your main

goals.• Consult with others when

needed.

Relationship-building activities

• Examine Current Opportunities Orientation/Back to School Night Workshops Good news phone calls Newsletters Communication systems Contracts/agreements Student progress reports Information on supporting

students at home

Relationship-building Activities• Start of the year questionnaire:

For parents:What are your hopes and goals for your

child for this school year?What gets your child excited about

learning?How has your child changed over this past

summer?

For students:What did you learn this summer?What do you want to learn this year?

Relationship-building activities

• Needs Assessment/Evaluation Survey those in attendance at

eventsWhat could be done differently to

encourage more parents to come?

Survey parents when they register their children

Ask parents for their views at conferences

Positive relationships among the grown-ups…

• Relationships with and among teachers

• Family-school relationships

• Relationships with administrators

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Positive relationships among the grown-ups…

• What principals care about… Struggling students Continuum of services Instruction High stakes testing Mandates (state and federal) Time

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Positive relationships among the grown-ups…• What school psychologists bring to the

table…

Knowledge of: Learning and development Research based strategies Using data and outcomes Prevention and early intervention School wide behavior and academic supports School wide mental health services Safe and healthy schools Home-school-community partnerships

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New Practice Model

Organizational Principles

• Outlines the organizational conditions that must be met in order to ensure effective delivery of school psychological services for children, families, and schools.

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Why We Need a Practice Model• Provides a more organized and coherent

framework to advocate for and communicate about school psychological services, particularly with school administrators and policymakers.

• Provides a concrete tool for advocating for roles and job preservation.

• Promotes consistency of practice by delineating what services might reasonably be expected to be available from school psychologists.

• Provides direction for excellence in delivery of services.

• Provides guidance for continuing professional development.

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Resources Currently Available

• NASP Model for Comprehensive Integrated SP Services: Profile of School Psychology Practices and Services—Self Assessment (online version coming soon)

• NASP Model for Comprehensive Integrated SP Services: Profile of School Psychology Practices and Services—State Assessment (online version coming soon)

• Regional Meeting PowerPoint (for state leaders to access)

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Coming soon…

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2011 NASP ConventionSan Francisco, February 22-25

• Theme: “Positive Relationships—School Success”

• More than 1,000 workshops, presentations, and posters

• Keynote speaker: Linda Darling-Hammond, Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education at Stanford University; education advisor to President Obama

• Other featured speakers: Bob Pianta, David Osher, Kevin Dwyer, George Bear, Sue Sheridan, Alex Thomas, and more www.nasponline.org/conventions/index.aspx

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2011 NASP Summer Conferences

http://www.nasponline.org/conventions/summer-conferences/index.aspx

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Recent NASP Publications

Over 300 new and revised handouts on CD-ROM

Reflects new Standards and offers new case studies

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NASP Membership

• Thank you NASP members! • The new membership year started July

1; please renew if you haven’t already do so

• Not yet a member? Join us!• Pay in three installments if you want• Get the most of the fabulous resources

available to members• Stop by the NASP table or visit the

NASP website, www.nasponline.org, for information

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Thanks for playing!

Contact: minke@udel.edu