Meeting with our local police officer regarding the
behavior of one of our elementary students, our concern for his well-being, and
that of his already over-stressed family, prompted a journey that forged
collaborative relationships and deepened knowledge about the importance of
children’s health in the context of school.
As educators, our daily priorities include analyzing data
to close student performance gaps, designing professional development to
support implementation of our new evaluation system, and supporting staff in
deepening understanding of the Common Core State Standards. However, the
reality is that many of our students do not arrive ready to learn; and are
hampered by deep-seated health issues that affect their childhood and
adolescence. In our quest to “close the gap” for all students, our
understanding of the importance of
health and our connections with health care services may be bridges to success
for the children we serve.
Facing seemingly insurmountable challenges in educating
the child and recognizing the fragility of a family in need, we stepped beyond
our school to launch a Community
Connections Team. We invited
representatives from the police, schools, county health department, medical
providers of low income health care, Child Protective Services, postal service,
churches, housing agencies, and every other link to help that we could
identify. As the meetings grew in size and enthusiasm, collaborative
relationships emerged, along with products, such as a Community Resource Guide
and a survey to identify needs and gaps for families.
Partners in the health care field expanded our knowledge
to encompass emerging work in the area of Adverse Childhood Experiences
(ACES). We learned that the National
Center for Disease Control (CDC) is also involved in this effort, and that the
Federal Maternal Child Health Program had recently directed states to provide
support through the county health departments. As we interacted with others
engaged in this work, we applied data gleaned from the significant Kaiser
Permanente study to better understand the dynamics at play in the schools.
The ACES work helps us to understand that adverse
childhood experiences, such as emotional and physical neglect, physical abuse,
sexual abuse, domestic violence and parental substance use have lasting impact
on the child. It is now recognized that
these events, often referred to as childhood trauma, influence the brain with
long-term effects. As the young brain develops stress hormones flood the
child’s system, causing actual structural changes. Areas related to
emotional regulation and cognitive processing are affected, which then become
manifest in learning and behavior.
Trauma can have impact even before the child is born, as maternal stress
hormones affect the growing fetus.
Work by prominent leaders in the field offer insight into
our students’ behavior. Notably, Dr.
John Medina, a developmental molecular biologist and an affiliate Professor of
Bioengineering at the University of Washington School of Medicine, presents
ground-breaking work that provides new direction for supporting our students’
success.
Dr. Medina’s book “Brain Rules” details a fascinating
view of the effects of multiple factors on our brains and offers implications
for school and workplace. In his chapter describing the physical impact of
stress on the brain, we recognize that many of our students experience great
difficulty learning for reasons beyond the scope of our schoolhouse walls.
Chronic stress, including parental conflict, divorce, and other common
situations, affect our children and teens in profound ways.
In light of this research, the Compassionate Schools
model, referenced below, provides a tangible means to work with students
affected by adverse childhood experiences. For example, in Walla Walla, where
collaborative efforts between the university, schools, health care, and
community resource partners are in place; significant and positive results are
emerging. Most recently, at Lincoln Alternative High School, which has embraced
the Compassionate Schools model, graduation rates have increased five-fold,
discipline referrals and expulsions have plummeted and achievement scores have
risen. As Lincoln High School, Principal Jim Sporleder notes in a blog, “Accountability
and consequences are foundational to our model. We would be doing our students
a disservice if these weren’t in place. The difference for us, we seek for the
cause, acknowledge the stress, offer support, teach strategies to learn how to
self-regulate, and we teach our students about their brain and how stress
impacts their inability to problem solve or take in new knowledge. The
conversation depends on where the student is in their journey of
understanding.” This understanding of the impact of trauma on the brain and
learning, as well as the partnerships within the community make success for
increasing numbers of students possible.
Results from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance
Survey taken in Washington State in 2011 indicate that 74% of Washington
residents have experienced at least one Adverse Childhood Experience, and 28%
have three or more. This survey
measures health status of adults, but the translation of ACES to younger
generations can easily be recognized in the children. As these students’
teachers, principals, and district administrators seek to “close the gap” for
the children and young adults, awareness of the impact of trauma on the
developing brain provides critical insight. In our quest to ensure success for
every student, the nexus between the worlds of education and health offers both
hope and results.
For more information, here are additional resources.
Hertel, R, Johnson, M. M., Kinkaid, S. O.. & Wolpow,
R. (2009). The
Heart of Learning and Teaching: Compassion, Resiliency, and Academic Success.
Olympia, WA: Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public
Instruction Compassionate Schools (OSPI).
Medina, J, (2008). Brain
Rules. Seattle, WA: Pear Press.
Resource
List from the Washington State Department of Health.
Kathryn
McDaniel
Public Health Nurse Supervisor
Family Medical Center
Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic, Walla
Walla
Karin
Manns
Principal, Monte Cristo Elementary and
Director of Teaching & Learning,
Granite Falls School District
