Trauma Informed Leadership

Leadership and Trauma Informed Schools                   By: Dr. Yolanda Peay

The demands associated with educational leadership in urban schools continue to become more complex and multi-faceted. Leaders of urban schools recognize the need for long term effective change and understand that when it comes to meeting the needs of all students, when you get to the heart of it, leadership is servitude. Working in an urban setting is a choice, when I began my teaching career in 2001, I made a commitment to go where I was needed the most and to give back to my community. The current global pandemic associated with COVID 19 coupled with the racial tensions that have brought the inequities of racial injustice that Black people experience in America everyday have gained support and made headlines around the world, have only solidified just how much our students today are subjected to outside factors that, if not addressed, have the potential of negatively impacting their academic success. The demands are high, educational funding and resources are depleting fast, and some educational policy makers today, like the previous United States Secretary of Education, Betsy Devos have never taught, or taken the time out to hear the voices of those students who are disregarded and unheard in our public education system.

 When I began teaching twenty years ago, I quickly understood just how important it was to build meaningful relationships with my students and families. When I became a principal, I quickly understood how important it was to build partnerships with the community. The African proverb, “it takes a village to raise a child,” took on an entirely different meaning when I transitioned into leadership. I entered the profession with the hope of igniting change and touching the lives of those students who would be written off by society as a statistic. I would define a statistic as someone who falls into the low systematic expectations created by members of a well-off society who believe that the less fortunate are bound for failure. For example, a child of color who lives in poverty and falls victim to the “school to prison pipeline,” would be considered a statistic.  There is absolutely no doubt about it, our current educational system is in desperate need of major reconstruction. It is time to tear down systems designed for the failure of some and the success of others and create new equitable systems.

Understanding the effects of trauma in an educational system already designed for failure is crucial to ensuring and promoting the academic success of all students, especially, students of color. All students need to be supported; however, students of color have a higher probability of experiencing trauma from living in poverty, generational trauma, community trauma, and racial trauma. Educational leaders must understand trauma in order to identify it and also be prepared to counteract it by weaving school-wide supports into everyday interactions with students.

Trauma Statistics

Bücker et al. (2012) reports, “there is a high prevalence of subsyndromal symptoms in school-aged children with trauma and an attention impairment, which may contribute to cumulative deficit early in cognitive development’ (p.756). Those students who have experienced trauma during the early stages of brain development and growth may not gain as much from learning in a typical classroom setting as their peers who did not experience trauma. Possibly, impacting how they acquire and process new information. Trauma can negatively impact children’s brain development, how they interact with others, and how they feel about themselves. “For school-aged children, the detrimental effects of stress are formidable, impeding their physical, social, emotional, and academic development” (Terrasi & Crain de Galarce, 2017, p. 35). In fact, according to The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, one out of four children in school performance are impacted by an experienced traumatic event (2008). For example, six out of twenty-four students in a classroom academic performance have negatively impacted by a traumatic experience. The low number of child abuse cases reported while schools were closed during the COVID 19 global pandemic is especially cause for concern. Consequently, school leaders must; (1) understand trauma, (2) recognize the prevalence of exposure to trauma and (3) understand how trauma impacts academic success and behavior. Only then can school leaders pave the way for trauma-informed schools. Being aware of what trauma looks like can increase the chances of all students learning as much as they can during instruction. The challenge is educating students while simultaneously providing them with the mental, physical, and emotional supports they need to feel encouraged and be successful. It is not an impossible task if you are willing to do the work. Trauma informed schools can help level the playing field.

 School shootings, suicides, poverty, and an overexposure to traumatic events have forced concerned educators to look at teaching and learning through a different lens. In order to ensure the success of every child, mental health must also be acknowledged and addressed during the school day. School leaders must ensure that there are school-wide supports available, some examples include social emotional learning, creating safe spaces where students can express their feelings, corrective consequences, breaks, etc.

Trauma Defined

There is trauma and there is also complex trauma. Emotional and psychological trauma can include complex experiences of abuse, maltreatment, neglect, illness, death of a loved one, domestic violence, and even bullying. “Children who live in a consistently dysfunctional environment often manifest symptoms of what is known as complex trauma, which is the cumulative effect of traumatic experiences that are repeated or prolonged over time” (Terrasi & Crain de Galarce, 2017, p. 36). Both types of traumas can cause damage to the brain as a result of a deeply distressing event which causes stress. To be clear, trauma is not discriminatory. Students from urban, rural, and suburban schools have experienced trauma. However, “schools in high-poverty communities are more likely to serve families that have experienced trauma” (Anderson, 2016, p. 20). This is because, “lifetime prevalence of having witnessed violence is higher among African American (57.2%) and Hispanic (50.0%) youth than Caucasian (34.3%) youth” (Rigard, Laracy, Dupaul, Shapiro, and Power, 2015, p. 11). Also, “given that trauma is determined by how one responds to an event rather than the details of the event itself, it is important to keep in mind that what may be traumatic to one child may not be traumatizing to another” (Wright, 2017, p. 142). 

Psychological trauma results from four violences; cultural, structural, direct, and natural (Farrell & Taylor, 2017). Cultural trauma includes racism, gender inequality, and discrimination (p. 63). Structural trauma includes poverty, unemployment, hunger, and disability (p. 63). Direct trauma includes war, gender-based violence, child abuse & neglect, displacement, criminal activity, human trafficking, and political violence (P. 63). Natural trauma is caused by natural disasters. During COVID 19 and the Black Lives Matter Movement, with all of the racial tension across the United States that students have witnessed and/or protested against, it is very likely that students of color were exposed to cultural, structural and direct trauma. Leaders are tasked with equipping teachers and school staff with the supports needed to address all three violences with their students. Focusing on Social Emotional Learning heavily the first three weeks of school prior to instruction and thereafter is encouraged because it has many benefits.

ACES’s or adverse childhood experiences, was a research study conducted by the American health maintenance organization Kaiser Permanente and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 1995-1997. ACE’s “explored the exposure to childhood maltreatment and family dysfunction and its subsequent impact on health outcomes” into adulthood (p. 64). There are three types of ACE’s: abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. Abuse includes physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Neglect includes physical and emotional neglect. Household dysfunction includes mental illness, substance abuse, divorce, an incarcerated relative, and a mother treated violently. An ACE score is dependent upon a tally of the three different types of abuse and high score indicates a higher risk for adulthood health problems. Such health problems could include but are not limited to, smoking, alcoholism, drug use, depression, cancer, stroke, severe obesity, and suicide attempts. “Economic hardship is the most common adverse childhood experience (ACE) reported nationally and in almost all states, followed by divorce or separation of a parent or guardian” (Sacks, Murphey, and Moore, 2014). The four most common ACE’s found in New York State among children ages birth through seventeen, as reported by Sacks, Murphey, and Moore (2014) included; (1) economic hardship, (2) divorce, (3) violence, and (4) domestic violence. 

The Impact of Trauma on Schooling

            The impact of trauma varies and is extensive. “Traumatized children are likely to frighten easily, experience anxiety in unfamiliar situations, be clingy, difficult to soothe, aggressive, and/or impulsive” (Wright, 2017, p. 143). They may also experience a loss in developmental skills, display immature behaviors and lack energy (pp. 143 - 144). It is important that educators understand that these behaviors are out of their students’ control. More importantly, when children operate in overwhelming states of stress, the stress response system may become the normal mode of functioning” (p. 144). In other words, children who have experienced trauma are always in survival mode, operating in a state of hyperarousal. Therefore, Children who have experienced trauma may react differently to incidents, situations, or events in school than children who have not experienced trauma. For example, a traumatized student may experience more outburst in class because they deem everyone else as a potential threat, which is why establishing relationships is important. “Broadly speaking, the problem is that when stress hormones repeatedly flood the brain, they have a negative effect on a range of executive functions, weakening children’s concentration, language processing, sequencing of information, decision making, and memory” (Terrasi & Crain de Galarce, 2017, p. 20).  

 If teachers are unaware of the impacts of trauma on students, when displayed, their unwanted behaviors may be taken at face value. “To compound the problem, teachers who are unaware of the dynamics of complex trauma can easily mistake its manifestations as willful disobedience, defiance, or inattention, leading them to respond to it as though it were mere misbehavior.” When students struggle to focus on tasks or complete assignments, teachers might interpret it as laziness or lack of motivation” (Terrasi & Crain de Galarce, 2017, p. 20). Both situations are problematic because they have the potential of negatively impacting academic functioning. For example, a student who has experienced trauma may have an outburst in class when simply being redirected in front of their peers by the teacher. If the teacher does not have a relationship with the student and he or she is unaware of the trauma that the child has experienced they are most likely going to make a split-second decision to have the child removed from class. I’ve seen it done plenty of times before. The teacher needs to regain control of the class and the child does not understand how to express the frustration that they’re feeling. The miscommunication or lack thereof hurts their relationship. If not addressed appropriately, students are most likely to receive punitive consequences, which may result in a negative attitude toward school and staff. Your perspective changes once you understand that the entire incident could have been prevented. Schools should serve as a safe space for students, when a child’s behavior due to trauma is misunderstood and handled inappropriately, students are not successful. In the worst-case scenario, no one wins, the chances of them falling victim to the school to prison pipeline increases. For students to feel safe and learn they have to also be given opportunities to reflect on their behavior so that it can be addressed and corrected.

Trauma Informed care

            Trauma informed care allows educators to provide care for and better understand students who have experienced trauma. Trauma informed care, according to the University of Maryland School of medicine in Baltimore, involve three E’s; events, experiences, and effects. The events that caused trauma must be recognized, the trauma account from individualized experience must be acknowledged, and the effects of trauma on mental health must be considered. There are six principles of trauma informed care according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: (1) safety, (2) trustworthiness and transparency, (3) peer support and mutual self-help, (4) collaboration and mutuality, (5) empowerment, voice, and choice, (6) cultural, historical, and gender issues. Trauma informed care can be delivered school wide through MTSS, multi-tiered support systems that address both academic and behavioral needs. MTSS is a systemic, continuous improvement framework in which data-based problem-solving and decision making is practiced across all levels of the educational system for supporting students. Having systems in place to provide trauma informed care is especially important in urban settings “because students from racial/ethnic minority and low socioeconomic backgrounds may disproportionately experience some potentially traumatic events, provisions of trauma informed care in schools may maximize disparities in academic, behavioral, and psychosocial outcomes related to the experiences of trauma” (Ridgard et al., 2015, p. 12). Staff members in trauma informed schools can identify trauma and they have school-wide supports in place to address it.

Positive Relationships

            As an educator with decades of experience working with students of color, I have learned that relationships do matter. As an educational leader I recognize the importance of Social emotional learning (SEL) being woven into everyday instructional practices. It has been my experience that students do not gain as much from a learning environment with a teacher that they do not have a positive respectful relationship with. In the words of Rita Pierson, “kids don’t learn from people they don’t like,” and “every child deserves a champion.” Giving students opportunities to address, understand, and manage their emotions through responsible decision making and corrective consequences is crucial throughout the school day. Without these opportunities’ students are unable to reach their full potential. Understanding and addressing trauma in schools requires a shift in perspective and mindset. For example, “rather than viewing traumatized children as “at risk” or labeling their responses to trauma as behavioral challenges, it is important to recognize that these adaptations may be keeping children safe in other, more scarier parts of their lives” (p. 145). As an educational leader, I recognize that sometimes students of color have no choice but to be resilient, they have already demonstrated the ability to recover quickly from difficulties and are therefore more than capable of achieving success if given the right supports. It is important that educators realize and understand that resilience is not a weakness it is in fact a strength, a representation of endurance, persistence, and the need to push beyond limits. Davidson & McEwen (2012) believe that when students who have experienced trauma are “given the right environmental conditions and appropriate interventions, the severity of trauma symptoms can be reduced (as cited in Terrasi & Crain de Galarce, 2017). Therefore, expectations should not be lowered, as educators we may not be able to undo trauma, but we can help children heal. It is also important to be aware of our own biases.

Teacher Role

            Teachers bare the challenge of educating children and addressing outside factors that may have a negative effect on their academic success. In order to be successful in the classroom teachers must be able to build meaningful relationships with their students, especially those who have experienced trauma. “As children who have experienced trauma become more trusting, they frequently become more outwardly focused, less temperamental and demonstrate more positive emotions” (Wright, 2017, p. 145). Simple strategies that could be used to assist teachers in building positive relationships with students who have experienced trauma include being proactive and asking questions about their well-being, interests, and feelings rather than waiting on an unwanted behavior to occur first. It is also important to remain positive in stressful situations, to give students the opportunity to correct their behavior, and provide positive feedback. As a rule of thumb, I typically ask teachers to maintain a 3:1 ratio of positive to negative statements regarding student behavior in the classroom. Also, it is not always what you say but how you say it that makes the difference.  For example, instead of asking “what is wrong with you?” teachers should ask “how can I help you?” Students may also benefit from a quiet space away from their peers where they can reflect on their behavior. Reflection centers that have fidget toys and reflection sheets that provide students with think time are also good resources to have available. Teachers should also provide opportunities for students to discuss their behavior and help them create goals that will allow them to address misbehavior. Without this crucial conversation piece students will more than likely repeat the behavior. Likewise, Souers (2018) recommends six strategies that can be used to help reach students who have experienced trauma:

1. Identify what a behavior is expressing.
2. See worth from each student and build on his/her strengths.
3. Remember, kids can’t learn if they don’t feel safe.
4. Work from a team perspective.
5. Consider whether a basic need isn’t being met.
6. Give students grace.

As a leader it is also equally important to recognize how important it is that teachers practice self-care to prevent burn out. It takes a lot of work and dedication to educate our youth, especially considering all the outside factors that must be addressed in the classroom in order for learning to actually occur. When working with students who have experienced trauma, there must be organizational structures in place to address the whole child and teachers simply cannot do it alone. Educational leaders must also remember that during the current pandemic teachers have also experienced trauma. Many teachers were asked to transition from brick and mortar to online learning in a matter of a few weeks while still supporting their children and families during COVID 19. Teachers were expected to continue to engage students and support parents during the process with limited resources and supports. They were looked upon as heroes who rose to the occasion, however, as the time comes for school to go back to “normal,” as educators, in regard to reopening, we are forced to consider the stability of economy before our own safety and well-being. Teachers play an important role in addressing trauma in their students’ lives, however, they must be recognized and supported int the classroom for doing the work needed to make change happen in America’s educational system. Teachers it is okay to set boundaries, you matter too.

Trauma-Informed Leadership

Schools are like a second home to students, school age children are typically in school for six to seven hours a day, Monday through Friday. “Because children spend so much time at school, they have many opportunities to learn and practice the given social, emotional, and behavioral skills” needed for students who have experienced trauma to thrive. School leaders can ensure that that their schools are trauma informed by replicating trauma support systems (Anderson, 2016).  Anderson (2016) suggests several steps that educational leaders should take to create trauma informed schools.

1. Get to know the community and schools you serve.
2. Build teacher and parent capacity for understanding the effects of trauma.
3. Use data to drive interventions.
4. Engage community partnerships.
5. Make space and time for wellbeing.

School leaders must play a direct role in implementation of trauma informed schools by setting realistic practical goals for their organization(s). Teachers also benefit from the professional development that is necessary to not only help them develop a better understanding of trauma but one that also offers practical behavioral management strategies that can better address the needs of students in the classroom who have experienced trauma. I founded Peay & Associates Consultant Group LLC for this reason. It is necessary for leaders to identify the additional people, resources, and supports needed for consistent school-wide implementation of trauma informed instructional practices. School-wide strategies that address the academic and behavioral needs of students are crucial to student success. Leaders should engage the families of those students who have experienced trauma. Go the extra mile and provide opportunities for healing with willing family members as well. It is important to note that although strategies can be adopted, there are no one size fits all models currently available. Different schools have different populations that they serve and therefore will have different areas of needs.  Implementation models must fit the needs of students who have experienced trauma, the students should not be expected to fit into a model. Flexibility and accountability are a must, creating a trauma informed school is an ongoing process and teachers should understand that the implementation of strategies inside the classroom must be consistent and are not optional. In order to implement the strategies listed above, leaders must be visible and offer a direct line of ongoing support.

Trauma Informed Schools

According to the Treatment and Services Adoption Center (TSA), in order to create a trauma informed school, all staff members must be proactive in their ability to recognize and respond to the needs of students who have experienced stress from trauma. The school culture must be positive, clear expectations must be communicated and students need to be provided with the supports necessary to meet those expectations. TSA recognizes that strategic planning is crucial to building knowledge and communication in the following areas.

• Impact of trauma on students
• Trauma services in school
• Threat assessment
• Student behavior
• Secondary traumatic stress
• Bullying and cyberbullying

Student behavior, in particular, is an area that schools struggle with. Most schools have a student advocacy team or task force that assists with school-wide behavior. The SAT supports teachers, students, and families in dealing with academic and behavioral deficits in school.  Discipline policies and behavioral expectations must be communicated clearly and consistently implemented. For example, A code of conduct that families sign off on at the beginning of the year, school-wide expectations, corrective consequences, and opportunities for students to be acknowledged for positive behavior works. However, when behavioral issues arise the SAT or task force may need to look into the situation on a case-by-case basis. Often, there are outside factors that must be considered and addressed. Although sometimes expulsion is necessary, it is important that there are other options available, like check in/checkout, behavioral plans, circles, counseling, and additional instructional support. This is because sometimes sending a student home only makes the behavioral problem worse when they return. It has been my experience working with students and families that sometimes the direct or indirect cause of misconduct is the home environment. According to TSA, expulsion should only be considered if the safety of others is at risk. 

Positive Behavioral Intervention Systems and Supports (PBIS) is a behavioral intervention strategy that recognizes positive behavior and can be implemented under MTSS. Students receive rewards and recognition for meeting school-wide expectations. When PBIS is implemented correctly through research-based behavioral strategies, misconduct and unwanted behaviors begin to decrease. Behaving appropriately becomes the norm and behaving inappropriately is looked upon as abnormal behavior in a positive school culture.

Summary

Trauma is an area that is of deep concern to me because most of the students that I serve, have experienced trauma, especially generational trauma. While some districts are celebrating academic success, as a leader in an urban school, I am worried about the physical safety and emotional well-being of my students outside of school. One thing that I have learned as an educator is relationships are essential to organizational success and educational leadership. A leader sets the example, models it, and assists their organization(s) in being the example. Even during a global pandemic, A leader assures and reminds their staff that during racial unrest and injustice, despite the trauma that they have experienced, and their students have experienced, when being exposed to news about another Black life being taken unjustly, that they are the difference that is needed to make change happen. People create change. Until we understand trauma and provide the supports needed to heal, students of color in particular, will continue to face obstacles to reaching success. My goal, as the founder of Peay & Associates Consultant Group LLC, is to create agents of change. I Founded Peay & Associates Consultant Group LLC, with the goal of assisting schools with providing equitable behavioral and academic outcomes for all students.

“Be the change you wish to see in the world”

~ Mahatma Gandhi

Definitions

ACE’s – Adverse Childhood Experiences, an ACE’s assessment is used to identify specific types of traumas that children have experienced. There are three types of ACE’s: abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction.

 Corrective Consequences – Consequences that are given as a result of a misbehavior that allows students to address and correct misbehavior.

 Equity – fair not necessarily equal, everyone receives what they need to be successful.

 Generational Trauma – generational challenges passed down from one generation to the next

 Interventions – individualized behavioral and academic supports needed to provide equity in the classroom

 Leadership – an action, modeling the example to be followed, the act of leading and guiding others

 MTSS – Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, replaced RTI, targeted behavioral and academic supports

 Organizational Culture – values, expectations, and practices that determine behavior within an organization

 PBIS – Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, school-wide systems that support wanted behaviors

 School to Prison Pipeline – discipline policies in schools that target “minority” or disadvantaged students to become incarcerated due to severe punishments, bias, and discrimination.

 Urban Schools – Schools located in cities.

References

Anderson, T. (2016).  Five steps for trauma-informed educational leadership.  Education Week, 16 (15), 20.  Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2016/12/14/five-steps-for-trauma-informed-ed-leadership.html

Bücker, J., Kapczinski, F., Post, R., Ceresér, K. M., Szobot, C., Yatham, L. N., . . . Kauer-Sant'Anna, M. (2012). Cognitive impairment in school-aged children with early trauma.Comprehensive Psychiatry, 53(6), 758-764. doi:10.1016/j.comppsych.2011.12.006

 Cureton, J.L, & Jones, K.L. (2014).  Trauma Redefined in the DSM-5: Rationale and

Implications for Counseling Practice, 4(3), 257 - 271.  Retrieved from http://tpcjournal.nbcc.org

 DePrince, A., Weinzierl, K., & Combs, M. (2009). Executive function performance and trauma exposure in a community sample of children. Child Abuse & Neglect, 33(6), 353-361. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2008.08.002

 Dorado, J.S., Martinez, M., McArthur, L.E. et al. School Mental Health (2016) 8: 163. https://doi-org.ezproxy.niagara.edu/10.1007/s12310-016-9177-0

 Farrell, D., & Taylor, C. (2017). The Teaching and Learning of Psychological Trauma -- A Moral Dilemma. Psychology Teaching Review, 23(1), 63–70. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1146420&site=ehost-live

 Plumb, J. L., Bush, K. A., & Kersevich, S. E. (2016). Trauma-sensitive schools: an evidence-based approach. School Social Work Journal, 40(2), 37+. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com.ezproxy.niagara.edu/apps/doc/A459724039/AONE?u=nysl_we_niagarau&sid=AONE&xid=545c6c2a

 Positive relationships and stress-management tools can counter harmful effects on the brain. (2016, February 21). St. Louis Post-Dispatch [St. Louis, MO], p. S8. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com.ezproxy.niagara.edu/apps/doc/A443858971/STND?u=nysl_we_niagarau&sid=STND&xid=763b742b

 Quidé, Y., O'Reilly, N., Watkeys, O. J., Carr, V. J., & Green, M. J. (2018). Effects of childhood trauma on left inferior frontal gyrus function during response inhibition across psychotic disorders. Psychological Medicine, 48(9), 1454-1463. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.niagara.edu/10.1017/S0033291717002884

 Ridgard, T. J., Laracy, S. D., DuPaul, G. J., Shapiro, E. S., & Power, T. J. (2015). Trauma-informed care in schools: A social justice imperative. Bethesda: National Association of School Psychologists. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1731542953?accountid=36783

 Sacks, V., Murphey, D., and Moore, K. (2014). Adverse childhood experiences: national and state level prevalence (Report No. 2014-28). Bathesda: Child Trends.

 Souers, K. (2017).  Responding with care to students facing trauma.  Educational Leadership; Mental Health in Schools, 75 (4), 32  Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/dec17/vol75/num04/Responding-with-Care-to-Students-Facing-Trauma.aspx

 Terrasi, S., & de Galarce, P. C. (2017, March). Trauma and learning in America's classrooms: all teachers confront the need to create safe and supportive environments for students who have had adverse childhood experiences. Phi Delta Kappan, 98(6), 35. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com.ezproxy.niagara.edu/apps/doc/A489813822/AONE?u=nysl_we_niagarau&sid=AONE&xid=88b63543

 Treatment and Services Adoption Center; Resiliency, Hope, and Wellness in Schools.  (2019, April 21).  What is a trauma-informed school?+Retrieved from https://traumaawareschools.org/traumaInSchools

 Trauma-informed care: What it is, how to use it. (2018). Case Management Monthly, 15(8), 4-5. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/2090595299?accountid=36783

 Wright, T. (2017). Supporting Students Who Have Experienced Trauma. NAMTA Journal, 42(2), 141–152. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1144506&site=ehost-live