School climate is an overarching term used to describe students’ and educators’ experience in a school. According to the US Department of Education, a positive school culture fosters safety, promotes a positive academic, disciplinary and physical environment, and encourages trusting and caring relationships between adults and students. Positive school culture is related to higher rates of attendance, graduation and achievement. At OSSE, we believe that in order for students to learn, both adults and students must feel safe and cared for. To increase educator capacity in building a stronger school culture, we use a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) approach to organize interventions into three tiers that support educators and students.
At OSSE, our team offers trainings, resources and technical assistance through the tiered approach in the following focus areas: trauma, restorative justice, positive behavioral interventions and supports, social-emotional learning, and equity. Our trainings are for classroom teachers, student support teams, deans, coaches and administrators who want to improve school climate. Choose an icon below to learn more about our focus areas and sign up for upcoming trainings.
What are Multi-Tiered Systems of Support?
A Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS) is a three-tiered public health prevention framework that can be used to navigate the current reality whether it is through remote, blended, or non-blended schedule. The framework organizes interventions into three tiers based on the intensity of need. The critical components of this approach include a focus on evidence-based interventions, data-based decision making, problem-solving protocols, and a team-based approach. The three tiers of support allow states, districts and schools to strategically align their support to match the needs of students using data and resources available (Freeman, Miller, & Newcomer, 2015). MTSS encourages data-driven decision making for establishing social-emotional culture and behavioral supports needed for a school to be an effective learning environment, and to determine how and when support intensifies with each tier. Two examples of MTSS include Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and Response to Intervention (RTI).
What is PBIS?
According to the Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, PBIS is an evidence-based three-tiered framework for improving and integrating all of the data, systems, and practices affecting student outcomes every day. It is a way to support everyone to create the kinds of schools where all students are successful. PBIS is a commitment to addressing student behavior and educator mindset through systems change. When it’s implemented well, students achieve improved social and academic outcomes, schools experience reduced exclusionary discipline practices, and school personnel feel more effective. At OSSE, our team offers trainings on how to implement PBIS in your classroom, school, or district using the implementation cycle.
| Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Training and Resources Resource: Supporting a Safe & Predictable Recovery |
|
| Tier 3 - Few | Asynchronous Training: Functional Behavior Assessments: An Overview and a Bridge to Function-Based Positive Behavior Support Plans Resource: Preventing Restraint and Seclusion in Schools |
| Tier 2 - Some | Asynchronous Training: Building Systems and Using Data to Support Tier 2 Interventions - Part 1 | Part 2 | Resources Resource: Adapting Check-In Check-Out |
| Tier 1 - All | Asynchronous Training: Positive Behavior Supports for the Virtual Classroom | Virtual Classroom Resources Resource: Creating a PBIS Behavior Matrix |
What is Response to Intervention?
Response to Intervention (RtI) is a school-based, multi-level prevention system of identification and intervention for students at academic or behavioral risk. Find out more about OSSE’s work with RTI and Student Support.
What are Trauma-Informed approaches?
Trauma-Informed Care is an organizational structure and treatment framework that involves understanding, recognizing, respecting and appropriately responding to the effects of trauma at all levels. Trauma-Informed Care emphasizes physical, psychological and emotional safety for students and educators while promoting environments of healing and recovery rather than practices that may inadvertently re-traumatize. Trauma-Informed Care calls for a change in organizational culture, where an emphasis is placed on understanding,
- Trauma - A shocking experience that poses a real or perceived threat to life or safety.
- ACES - A quantifiable way to understand toxic/chronic stress. Adverse childhood experiences are potentially traumatic events that can have negative, lasting effects on health and well-being. These experiences range from physical, emotional, or sexual abuse to parental divorce or incarceration of a parent or guardian.
| Trauma-Informed Trainings and Resources Resource: Building a Trauma Sensitive School |
|
| Tier 3 - Few | Training: Trauma Informed Care-Advanced Training Resource: Psychological First Aid for Schools |
| Tier 2 - Some | Training: Coping with Secondary Impact of Trauma Resource: Educator Wellness Workbook |
| Tier 1 - All |
Training: Trauma Informed Care an Introduction |
Register for OSSE’s upcoming trainings
What is Social Emotional Learning?
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) encompasses many aspects of the whole child and adult. Through SEL, adults and children can learn to manage emotions, show compassion for others, maintain positive relationships, and make positive decisions. According to the Collaboration for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), there are five components of social-emotional learning in classrooms, schools and communities. They include self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, relationship skills, and social-awareness. These topics should be embedded through a curriculum and also through school-wide practice and policies.
At OSSE, we work to increase teacher capacity in SEL by offering trainings that develop both the adult and student social-emotional competence through a culturally responsive lens. Please join us at one of our trainings below to enhance your SEL skills.
| Social-Emotional Learning Trainings and Resources Resource: Implementing SEL at Every Tier |
|
| Tier 3 - Few | Resource: Self-Monitoring to Build Self-Awareness |
| Tier 2 - Some | Training: Mindfulness as a Mental Health Support Resource: Culture of Care Webinar Series |
| Tier 1 - All |
Training: Educator Wellness and SEL
Resource: SEL Discussion Series Resource: Teaching Conflict Resolution Skills Resource: Relationship Building Toolkit
|
Register for OSSE’s upcoming trainings
What is Restorative Justice?
Restorative Justice is a culture and set of practices that engage a community in building relationships and repairing harm through mutual, inclusive dialogue, understanding, and cooperation. A whole-school approach to Restorative Justice is more than a set of interventions aimed at students, but rather a way of being that touches all members of the school community and their relationships with each other.
| Restorative Justice Trainings and Resources Resource: Restorative Practices: Fostering Health Relationships |
|
| Tier 3 - Few | Training: RJ and In-School Suspension |
| Tier 2 - Some | Training: RJ, Mental Health and SEL Resource: Trauma-Informed Restorative Discipline |
| Tier 1 - All | Training: Virtual Community Building Circles Resource: Whole School Implementation Guide |
Register for OSSE’s upcoming trainings
Why focus on Equity?
Equity in education refers to all students receiving the same caliber of education regardless of their race, ethnicity, economic status, special education status or other factors. Now more than ever we are called as educators to ensure that our schools illuminate and eliminate barriers for students furthest from opportunity to succeed. This work is inextricably tied to school climate and culture as we build environments that are physically, emotionally and psychologically safe and affirming for all students. Through critical reflections of data, leveraging student voice, and culturally responsive approaches, educators can increase equity in their school systems.
Trainings
- Equity Through a Data Lens
- The “I” in Implicit Bias
- Multi-Level Interventions to Reduce Disproportionality
- Culturally Responsive Instruction
- Becoming Culturally Responsive Book Study