Safe Schools & Communities Resources and Research

Can kids learn empathy on an iPad? This is the somewhat unfair but inevitable question surrounding this week’s release of a new tablet game called IF. Designed for 6 to 12 year olds, IF aims to help kids manage their emotions, cope with stress and conflict, even deal with bullies....

For full post, click title above or here:

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/family/2014/02/trip_hawkins_s_next_act_if_you_can_a_startup_for_social_emotional_learning.html

"Los Angeles’ top juvenile court judge is objecting to a planned diversion of $13 million to school police there from state funds earmarked to provide special learning assistance to disadvantaged kids.

An unprecedented new California funding plan is poised to distribute billions across the Golden State, which has long been beleaguered by inequities in educational support in low-income communities and waves of budget cuts in more recent years. Earmarked funds are supposed to be slated specifically for low-income and foster-care kids, as well as students classified as still learning English as a second language.

In a June 6 letter to the Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles County Presiding Juvenile Court Judge Michael Nash said this particular pot of money should not be diverted to support the L.A. district’s own school police force, which has an annual budget of around $57 million.

Nash expressed “great respect” for recent efforts to reduce school suspensions and referrals to police, but said he did “not see a reasonable nexus between law enforcement and specifically improving the educational experience and outcomes for our most vulnerable student populations.”

“On the contrary,” the judge said, “there has been a wealth of research that indicates that aggressive security measures produce alienation and mistrust among students which, in turn, can disrupt the learning environment.

“This explains why, as part of a nationwide discipline reform process that has gained significant traction of late, there is a specific focus on reducing police involvement in routine school discipline matters,” Nash wrote."...

For full post, click on title above or here: 

http://jjie.org/l-a-judge-objects-to-school-police-getting-millions-reserved-for-struggling-students/107078/

"MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership has released "The Mentoring Effect: Young People's Perspectives on the Outcomes and Availability of Mentoring. The publication links mentoring to significant life outcomes for youth and highlights a substantial gap that exists in America: one in three young people will reach adulthood without having a mentor. A nationally representative survey of youth informs this report, which reveals that at-risk youth with mentors are much more likely to attend college, participate in extracurricular activities, take on leadership roles, and regularly volunteer in their communities. The publication outlines opportunities for the public, private, and philanthropic sectors to integrate mentoring as a key youth development strategy."

For more information and to download full report, click on title above or here: http://www.mentoring.org/mentoringeffect/the_mentoring_effect_full_report/

 

THE FIRST TIME THAT principal Jim Sporleder tried the New Approach to Student Discipline at Lincoln High School in Walla Walla, WA, he was blown away. Because it worked. In fact, it worked so well ...

http://acestoohigh.com/2012/04/23/lincoln-high-school-in-walla-walla-wa-tries-new-approach-to-school-discipline-expulsions-drop-85/

"No Bully’s mission is to bring innovative, sustainable solutions to bullying and harassment in schools.
 

No Bully® is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.  It began in San Francisco in 2003 as a collaboration of educators, psychologists and lawyers committed to preventing the current generation of students from enduring the bullying that they experienced when they were in school. Today, No Bully is helping schools in California and across the nation - from Hawaii to Delaware - stop bullying and transform into learning communities which are inclusive of everybody."  

For more information, click on title above or here: 
http://www.nobully.com/

From Common Sense Media: "Our free materials are designed to empower students to think critically, behave safely, and participate responsibly in our digital world. Use our interactive SCOPE & SEQUENCE  to find the lessons that are just right for your classroom. These cross-curricular units spiral to address digital literacy and citizenship topics in an age-appropriate way. Browse by grade band or click a category to highlight lessons that address that topic."

For the main page on Digital Literacy and Citizenship, click title above or here: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/curriculum

For the link to the Scope and Sequence described in the introductory paragraph, please visit:  http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/scope-and-sequence

"Many well-meaning researchers and experts have written a number of books for adults that detail the nature and extent of cyberbullying, and offer suggestions for parents, educators, and other adults to effectively respond to the problem. In fact, Dr. Patchin and Dr. Hinduja have written three books just like this! Words Wound is different. This book represents their effort to speak directly to teens. They’ve long argued that it takes a coordinated community effort to address cyberbullying, and teens can and should be a big part of that. And they want to be.

Whether teens are being cyberbullied or simply sick of seeing the drama play out online every single day, Words Wound offers real-world advice that they can put into practice today. The book includes dozens of stories from teens who have experienced cyberbullying or who have worked in their respective schools to stop it in creative and meaningful ways. Readers are able to learn directly from those who have been wounded by cyberbullying, but also from many who refused to put up with it at their schools. Teens will come to deeply appreciate the serious harm that comes with cyberbullying, but more importantly learn the strategies they need to be part of the solution. Specifically, it encourages and empowers them to combat cruelty with kindness, and to harness the power of positive peer pressure to persuade all teens to act with respect toward others.

For full post, click on title above or visit here: http://cyberbullying.us/words-wound-delete-cyberbullying-make-kindness-go-viral/  

By Myra Hamilton: "Children consistently delight and surprise us, and make us hoot with laughter. It’s only natural to want to share these moments with friends and family. But the trend of posting information about our young children on social media sites raises an important issue: don’t children deserve some privacy?"...

For full post, please click on title above or here: http://theconversation.com/posting-a-childs-life-for-the-world-to-see-is-a-privacy-issue-20887

"Each Mind Matters unites the hundreds of organizations working together to create health systems that serve minds and bodies, and the millions of Californians who refuse to stay silent while untreated mental illness takes an unnecessary toll on our families and communities. Together, we are creating a California where Each Mind Matters."
http://www.eachmindmatters.org/

Californians for Justice is a statewide grassroots organization working for racial justice by building the power of youth, communities of color, immigrants, low-income families, and LGBTQ communities.  Led by students, we organize to advance educational justice and improve our social, economic, and political conditions.

http://caljustice.org/