Second StepSecond StepA Violence Prevention A Violence Prevention

ProgramProgram

Scheri DuBon Scheri DuBon LAUSD Local District 8 Health Education LAUSD Local District 8 Health Education

Programs/Programs/Title IV AdvisorTitle IV Advisor(310) 354-3524(310) 354-3524

Scheri.dubon@lausd.netScheri.dubon@lausd.net

Second Step Training Goals

To help staff understand what it means to use a social skills approach to youth violence prevention.

To prepare staff to use Second Step curriculum with students.

Why did LAUSD choose Second Step?

Meets Federal and State Mandates Only violence prevention curriculum rated as

exemplary by the United States Department of Education

Most widely used. Universal curriculum

In addition to being “Teacher Friendly”

Safety and Learning Correlation Closing the Achievement Gap District Goals Developmental Assets Brain Research

Safety and Learning

Correlation between level of perceived safety and API scores

Teaches students how to mediate their emotions so they can calm down and get back to learning

Closing the Achievement Gap

Ensure that “disagreements are handled with discussion and with respect for alternative positions”

“promote respect for the uniqueness of each person as well as for the ways we are similar”

AEMP/Closing the Achievement Gap Branch, 2004

District Goals

Improved student achievement in English Language Arts

Improved student achievement in Math Successful and timely re-designation of EL students Improved attendance rates Improved graduation rates Focused and coherent professional development

Developmental Assets

See Handouts Based on success not failure Not a curriculum Second Step promotes 31 of the 40 Assets

Brain Research

“Students must feel physically safe and emotionally secure before they can focus on the curriculum.”

David A. Sousa

How The Brain Learns, 2001

What the Bleep Do We Know!?

Safety in our Schools

“ Trying to create a safe school climate without teaching students social-emotional skills is like trying to educate our students without teaching them to read.”

Kevin DwyerSchool PsychologistNational Expert on School Safety

Reasons Children Fail to Act Pro-socially

Lack of modeling Lack of practice Desired behavior inhibited by emotional

responses Inappropriate beliefs about aggression

Skill Based Program: PreK-8

Based on research showing that people who engage in child abuse, domestic violence, and other kinds of criminal behavior lack the following skills:

Empathy Impulse Control Problem Solving Anger Management

Empathy

Students are taught to: Understand the feelings of others Understand points of view that are different

from theirs Respect all people regardless of differences Treat others with kindness

Impulse Control

Students are taught to mediate their emotions by:

Learning to identify their feelings Learning how to interrupt their automatic

reactions through calming down techniques Practice these skills in a variety of

challenging social-emotional situations

Problem-Solving

Students are taught to solve problems in ways that are:

Safe Fair Take into account everyone’s feelings Will work

Anger-Management

Students are taught to: Identify where in their bodies they feel angry Interrupt the anger cycle through calming

down methods Use positive problem-solving methods Assess how well they handled their anger

Implementation

See Handouts Scope and Sequence Lesson Teaching Time Guidelines Lesson Section Breakdown

Social Skills Teaching Strategies

See handout Modeling Coaching and Cueing Storytelling Group Discussion Role-Play Facilitation* Transfer of Learning

Resources

Committee for Children www.cfchildren.org

Developmental Assets

www.search-institute.org

Unit Review Activity

Unit Card What is the goal of your unit? What key elements are taught in your unit? What language concepts are taught in your

unit? What Transfer of Learning ideas or Extension

Activities Ideas would you use?