CREC Full Day School Climate Jo Ann Freiberg August 2011

Creating Safe and
Productive Learning
Environments for Students

CREC Teachers Academy
August 2011
Dr. Joann Freiberg

Introduction: How do I Know
What I Know?


Brief background





Experience
Education

My “day” job at the Connecticut State
Department of Education



Bureau of Accountability and Improvement
School Climate Improvement, Bullying and
Character Education



Professional Development
“Bullying” Complaints
© JAF 1999 - 2011

2



The Role of Positive Climate on

Optimal Learning: Safe and
Productive
Schools
Core
reason: create
climate that ensures

every student is physically, emotionally
and intellectually safe and has the optimal
chance for high academic achievement


Align practices with brain-based research on
creating learning environments that support
student engagement and attainment



Students must be present to learn…it is
a necessary prerequisite

© JAF 1999 - 2011

3

Absenteeism and
Academic Success


Learning requires that students be in class







Absent because of sickness
Absent because of “vacations”
Absent because of being fearful
“Opt out” to visit the nurse or guidance

Learning requires that educators be
present, available and use engaging and
ethical teaching methods


Adult actions and reactions determine student
outcomes
© JAF 1999 - 2011

4

Lessons Learned from My
Own Bullying Case Load


Six years worth of data…trends are clear






Bullying knows no demographic boundaries
Bullying takes ALL forms without patterns
Bullying affects all grade levels

Very slight increase in the middle school years
Bullying overwhelmingly involves children with special needs
(IEPs & 504 Plans)




Children who are “different”

The family perceptions about what is happening to the child is in
a separate universe from what is objectively happening at
school
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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

Known Risk Factors:
Everyone
Is
Affected
Perpetrators of mean-spirited behaviors




Targeted Individuals




More likely to experience failure and crime

More likely to be socially isolated, depressed
and absent from school

Those individuals who are “bystanders”


Experience guilt and trauma over feeling
powerless to intervene and help

© JAF 1999 - 2011

6

If Only It Was This
Easy!

© JAF 1999 - 2011

7

Ultimate Remedy for Bullying
To Create and Maintain
Positive School Climate…
Environments that do not support any
form of mean-spirited behaviors
(physically, emotionally and
intellectually)
Healthy and happy
“Climates of Respect”
© JAF 1999 - 2011

8

A Positive and Respectful
School Climate is one that is
physically, emotionally and
intellectually safe for all
school community
members… which is the
antithesis of a school that is

“violent”
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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

Safety vs. Violence: A
Continuum
Early
manifestations by students and/or adults









Exclusion
Teasing
Name-calling
Ridicule
Sarcasm

Threatening and/or Real “bullying” behavior
Extreme physical violence



Homicide
Suicide

© JAF 1999 - 2011

10

Dangerous “Weapons” In
 School:

Direct
Negative
Impact
Words! The
silent and
most devastating
weapons
used by school community
on
Learning
members



Putdowns and slurs
Degrading language heard daily by 90% of
school community






Girls/women
Gay/lesbian/bi-sexual/transgender individuals
Special education students
Racial groups
Religious groups
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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National School Climate
Standards: Finalized March 2010
“There is growing appreciation that school climate – the
quality and character of school life1 – fosters children’s
development, learning and achievement. School climate is
based on the patterns of people’s experiences of school life;
it reflects the norms, goals values, interpersonal
relationships, teaching, learning and leadership practices,
and organizational structures that comprise school life.”
This definition of school climate was consensually developed by members of the
National School Climate Council (2007). The terms “school climate”, “school
culture” and “learning environment have been used in overlapping but sometimes
quite different ways in the educational literature. Here, we use the terms
interchangeably.
1

© JAF 1999 - 2011

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“School climate is ‘much
like the air we breathe’ – it
tends to go unnoticed until
something is seriously
wrong.”
H. Jerome Freiberg, 1998
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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School Culture


Culture as…
Descriptive of
current situation
 Mission or goal


© JAF 1999 - 2011

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School Climate: It is All
About the Quality of
Defined as: how well the people
Relationships



within the school treat each other




Physically
Emotionally
Intellectually





Adult
Adult

Adult
Student

Actions [+/-]
Student
Student
Verbal and non-verbal exchanges [+/-]
Tone of voice [+/-]
Use/abuse of inherent power advantages [+/-]
Adult

a

child

c

a
C

© JAF 1999 - 2011

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

Levels of School
Climate
Personal (one to one interactions)
Adult
Adult

Adult
Student

Student
Student
Classroom (tends to have the most






positive climate)
School (tends to have the least positive
climate)
Community (tends not to have enough
systemic focus)

© JAF 1999 - 2011

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Why “School
Climate” ?


Issues with nomenclature











“Character/Moral Education”
“Values Clarification”
“Citizenship” and “Religious Education”

Politically correct: everyone is supportive
No one questions the “content” of lessons
Not a separate subject - integrated into all
subject matter
School Climate  Discipline Climate
Focus on Climate > Intervening with Bullying
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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Adults Often Ignore
“Bullying” Behavior






Adults in school do relatively little to stop
bullying behavior at school
Adults overlook or wait to intervene when
initial instances of mean behaviors or
language occur
Adults in school who are physically present
during acts of meanness




Uninvolved or ignored 71% of observed
incidences
May be unintentional due to lack of
knowledge about what to look for
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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What is “Bullying”?:
Abuses of Power






“Bullying” is a public activity needing a
stage on which to perform…when the
audience is not there, the show closes
Power imbalance, measured by effects it
has on the vulnerable target
It’s about power and not about conflict


Conflict resolution and peer mediation are
not appropriate as means of addressing
bullying
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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Solving “Bullying” by
Passing State Anti-Bullying
Laws

Missouri’s Law only pertains to “Cyber-Bullying”

© JAF 1999 - 2011

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

Columbine As Crucible . . .
First
of
the
Bookend
Since 1974, 65 American “rampage” school
shootings
have occurred:
Research
1970s 3 shootings











1980s
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999


5 shootings (1 per year from ’85 – ’89)
3 shootings
2 shootings
3 shootings
3 shootings
4 shootings
4 shootings
4 shootings
5 shootings

(Columbine: April 20, 1999)

© JAF 1999 - 2011

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…And Since 2000…







2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005

4
6
2
3
0
2

shootings
shootings
shootings
shootings
shootings
shootings












© JAF 1999 - 2011

2006 4
shootings
2007 5
shootings
2008 3
shootings
2009 0
shootings
2010 1 shooting
2011 1 shooting
22

The Reason for Legislation
Honor the “Spirit” (intent) of the
law, not merely the “Letter” of
the law to create truly physically,
emotionally and intellectually
safe and positive learning
environments for every single
school community member,
student and adult alike.
© JAF 1999 - 2011

23

Even the “experts” do not
agree about what
“Bullying”
looks, feels and sounds
like…
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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“Bullying” is about Abuses of
Power


One person’s “bullying” is another’s…








“Kids will be kids”
“They were only joking around”
“Oh, they’re really friends”
“It’s not bad enough yet”
They’re just roughhousing”
“That is just teasing”
And, so many more…..
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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


What Is “Bullying”:
The Difficulty With
Definition
No standard or consistent definition
45 States…45 different definitions






Most involved acts of harassment or intimidation
that continue with regularity for a certain period
of time (usually six months or more)
At the core, “bullying” is about power abuses

Wideness or narrowness determines
how many children involved: 5% - 30%

© JAF 1999 - 2011

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Sample Definitions




“Intentionally harmful behavior that occurs repeated
over time.” (JAMA 2001 research study)
“Any overt acts by a student or group of
students directed against another student with the
intent to ridicule, harass, humiliate, or intimidate
the other student while on school grounds, at school
sponsored activities, or on a school bus, which acts
are committed more than once against any student
during the school year. (My italics)


Such policies may include provisions addressing bullying
outside of the school setting if it has a direct and negative
impact on a student’s academic performance or safety in
school.” (Connecticut General Statutes 10-222d)

© JAF 1999 - 2011

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And More Definitions…


“Harassment, intimidation, or bullying”
means any intentional written, verbal, or
physical act that a student has exhibited
toward another particular student more than
once and the behavior both:
(1) Causes mental or physical harm to the other
student
(2) Is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive
that it creates an intimidating, threatening, or
abusive educational environment for the other
student.”
(Ohio HB 276)
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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And, More…


“Bullying” means any severe or pervasive physical or verbal act
or conduct, including communications made in writing or
electronically, directed toward a student or students that has or
can be reasonably predicted to have the effect of one or more of
the following:
(1) Placing the student or students in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s

or students’ person or property,
(2) Causing a substantially detrimental effect on the student’s or students’
physical or mental health;
(3) Substantially interfering with the student’s or students’ academic
performance, or
(4) Substantially interfering with the student’s or students’ ability to participate
in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by a school.
Bullying as defined in this subsection (b) may take various forms, including
without limitation one or more of the following: harassment, threats,
intimidation, stalking, physical violence, theft, public humiliation, destruction
of property, or retaliation for asserting or alleging an act of bullying. This list
is meant to be illustrative and non-exhaustive.” (Illinois SB 3266)

© JAF 1999 - 2011

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Looking For Bullying: We Miss
What is Right Under Our Noses


To understand how difficult
intervening whenever “bullying”
occurs…
As you watch the short video clip…
 Count the number of ball passes that
occur among the students with
WHITE SHIRTS


© JAF 1999 - 2011

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© JAF 1999 - 2011

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Two Questions…
How many of you are parents,
aunts, uncles or mentors of
children?
 How many of you are
raising/mentoring “BULLIES”?


© JAF 1999 - 2011

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A TOXIC School Concept: A
True Conversation Closer

No school wants to have any of it**
 No parent/guardian will admit their child
is one**
 No child will own up to being one**






** Bullying, Bully, “Bullier”, Bullying Behaviors

Everyone avoids these terms except
the Target’s family
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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Another Way to Think
About This…



Think about individuals in your lives…
Have they every been MEAN to anyone?






You?
Peers?
Siblings?
Adults?
Anyone????

© JAF 1999 - 2011

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‘BULLY’ and ‘BULLYING’ are OUT!!!

“Mean” Is A Better Term/Concept


No one knows what “bullying” looks, feels
and sounds like




Everyone knows what “mean” looks,
feels and sounds like




We miss what is right under our noses

If “mean” is the standard, we are much more
likely to help make it safer

If it’s mean…Intervene!!!!
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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

“Empathy” As True
Antidote For
Meanness
Having
compassion for others








Includes animals and property

Being able to perceive the feelings
of others
Learning to be empathic diminishes
levels of meanness
Core concept in both emotional and
social intelligence
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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Mean-Spirited Behavior in
Boys and Girls
American “culture*” raises boys and girls
in different ways
* Culture can be interpreted as any/every message one
receives from the time we wake up in the morning until
we go to sleep. Those message come directly in
conversation among individuals (adults and peers), from
the media, from the sporting arena, from academic
settings and everywhere else imagined…
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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© JAF 1999 - 2011

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

The Boy Code: The
Gender
“Boys will
be boys”
Straightjacket



“Boys should be boys”



Shame for expressing feeling and emotions
other than anger and aggression



Violation of male stereotypes
Great fear of embarrassment and
humiliation, feeling stupid or foolish
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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Act Like A Man: The
Boy Code
Weak
Unathletic
Sensitive
Mama’s boy
Trying too hard

Funny
Strong
In control Aggressive
Tough
Money
Athletic
Car
Confident
Girls

Gay
Acts like a
girl
Geeky/Nerd
Cries

Being Different!
Rosalind Wiseman,
Queen Bees & Wannabes

© JAF 1999 - 2011

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Talking with Boys: Strategies



“Timed Silence”
Connect and share through “action”






Shooting hoops
Playing a board game
Riding a bike
Going for a walk
ANYTHING, but sharing with eye contact
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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“The


Caucasian Code






Girl Code”

Even for girls of color… “White Privilege” prevails

Thin
Pretty
Nice
 No fighting
 No arguing
 No outward expression of violence


Girls ARE becoming more physically violent…just not
giving up being covert and insidious

© JAF 1999 - 2011

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



Girls: Relational
Aggression
(Ruining
Act out anger laterally because they cannot
easily
challenge the male/female hierarchy
Relationships)
The choice of popularity





Wish to be part of the group
Fear of being isolated, shunned and alone

The choice of status




Target
Perpetrator
Fear of being targeted themselves for stepping in
to help other targets
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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Shy
Fat
Acne

Act Like A Woman:
The
Girl
Code
Pretty
Happy
Confident
Hangs out with
right guys
Nice on the
outside

Money
Thin
In Control
Popular
Athletic

Too
opinionated
and causeoriented
Gay

Being Different!
Rosalind Wiseman,
Queen Bees & Wannabes

© JAF 1999 - 2011

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Talking with Girls: Strategies







Do not ask what is going on…unless you
can give lengthy and undivided attention
Talk about positive friendships
Use literature to explore relationship
issues
Recognize and intervene with insidious
and silent behaviors
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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Targets Of “Bullies”
Are Vulnerable


A public activity requiring a willing audience









Active: “egging on”, laughing, etc.
Passive: standing by watching, but not
encouraging

Power struggle
Relationship between the aggressor and
target is always uneven
Boys identify those they do not know or like
Girls identify those within their friendship
circles
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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Research On
Playground
Supervision


Adult perceptions of successful intervention







Children’s ability to intervene successfully is
significantly higher than adults




Adults believed they were intervening in 50% of incidences
Adults actually intervened in approximately 20% of
incidences
When effectiveness of intervention considered, it fell to 1215% of incidences

Effective student intervention was double that of adults

Lessons learned from research



Adults need to listen and intervene more often
Adults need to empower students to

© JAF 1999 - 2011

intervene

47

“Negligent Privacy”
“Negligent privacy occurs when those who supervise and
monitor children do not remain vigilant and unwittingly
provide the opportunity for victimization to occur.
Negligent privacy can occur on a playground filled with
second graders, in a crowded high school cafeteria, during
a youth group camping trip or even 10 feet away from a
teacher in a classroom. Simply put, negligent privacy
occurs when adults are not paying close attention to
children under their care.”
Weakfish: Bullying Through the Eyes of a Child by Michael Dorn, p. 62
Safe Havens International, Inc.
www.safehavensinternational.org
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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Video: Social Cruelty







Addressing Those Who
Apply
appropriate
identified disciplinary
Act
in
Mean-Spirited
measures from policies
Ways
Respond
quickly and firmly to any retaliation
toward targets and/or witness(es)
Enforce policies consistently and fairly




Students believe honor students, athletes, and students
with positive relationships with adults receive less
severe punishment than known “bullies”

Inconsistent application leads to diminished
school connectivity:




Distrust in faculty
Increased cynicism
Decreased willingness to follow school rules
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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“School Connectedness”…The
 Funded
Other
Bookend
Research
by the Military




Conducted by





Looking at “student mobility”
Johns Hopkins University
The University of Minnesota

Occurring simultaneously with the
research on the rampage school shooters
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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The Power Of
Connection To School
“Improving the Odds: The Untapped Power of Schools to
Improve the Health of Teens.” April 2002

“When students feel they are a part
of school, say they are treated fairly
by teachers, and feel close to people
at school, they are healthier and
more likely to succeed.”








School
Connectedness:
Simple
Measures
I feel close to
people at this school
I am happy to be at this school
I feel like I am part of this school
The teachers at this school treat
students fairly
I feel safe (physically, emotionally
and intellectually) in this school

© JAF 1999 - 2011

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Factors Associated with
School Connectedness: THE
SCHOOL






School size mattered (larger than 1,200
students matters)
…classroom size did not
School type is not associated with
connectedness
…public, private, parochial
Location of school is not associated with
connectedness
…urban, suburban, rural
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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Factors Associated with School
Connectedness: SCHOOL POLICIES





No single school policy was associated with
connectedness
A climate of harsh discipline is associated with
lower school connectedness






It is possible to write policies to make connectedness
not happen

Zero tolerance policies tend to be unevenly
applied
The more punitive the policies, the less
connected students feel
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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Factors Associated with School
Connectedness: SCHOOL CLIMATE &
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
The single strongest association with
connectedness was school climate
Kids feel engaged when the classroom
environment is seen as a safe place
1) Physically
2) Emotionally (no peer cruelty/”bullying”)
3) Intellectually/academically (no ridicule
for taking academic risks: not made to feel a
failure …this is often the least attended
to
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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© JAF 1999 - 2011

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Toward A Solution


We have a desperate need to reconnect
and value one another. The solution will
be:


Complex







RTI Framework utilizing Tiers I, II and III
(prevention/intervention continuum)

Multidimensional
Long-term
Culturally and ecologically grounded
Never-ending
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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Known Needs and Remedies


Perpetrators







Targeted individuals






Develop a sense of empathy for others
Must be removed from the social group and earn their way
back
Close supervision
Develop healthy and meaningful friendships
Do not ask them to change who they are
Do not have to own what is being portrayed

Bystanders


Need to be empowered to become “allies”
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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

Deal With the Individual Who Is
Being Mean: Do Not Blame the
Isolate
Targetthose individuals being mean
rather than protecting and supervising
the target






Social access is required in order to hurt
others

Those being mean must earn the right
to rejoin the social group
Long term: help them develop empathy
toward others
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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Popularity: Two Sides
Of The Coin


Bad/”Evil” Popularity: Getting noticed




Very odd notion of “popularity”

“The meanest to everyone”
 “People live in fear”
 “They have all the power and will
retaliate”

Good Popularity: Teach THIS concept




When a student is genuinely liked because
she/he is nice to everyone
The legacy of Alex
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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







Creating A Caring Majority:
Tapping Into The Here-To-Fore
20% of the population begins change
“Silent Majority”

Shared primary goal: 100 % of school
population must be safe
Give students permission to stand up for
each other
Adult role- modeling
Adults cannot do it alone

© JAF 1999 - 2011

62

The Story about Marcus. . .


Cultural Change



Paradigm Shift



Years to Fully Realize
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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Developing Common
and Systemic
Language That
We
don’t
do
Works:

“

that in our

And…
If it’s mean…
intervene!!!
© JAF 1999 - 2011

65

Adult Actions and Reactions Determine
Student Outcomes: The Foundation for
Building Safe & Productive Learning Settings

© JAF 1999 - 2011

66

We can create these kinds of
schools, but only if we
demonstrate leadership – only if
we stand up and speak up for
civility and respect.
We can create schools where every
single school community member
feels respected and valued.
© JAF 1999 - 2011

67









A Useful Reflection:
Stories of favorite
teacher

Think back to experiences in your schooling…
elementary, middle or high
Recall your most favorite teacher of all
time
Precisely…what did that teacher do to inspire,
motivate and make learning engaging for you?
Share with your colleagues the word or
phrases which come to mind
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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Success For Students
In School

Single most important factor
determining success is
students’ perception that
their teacher(s) like(s) them

© JAF 1999 - 2011

69

Administrators MOST
Difficult Task: The Adults


Recognizing and confronting
inappropriate adult interpersonal
conduct






Words
Actions
Abuse of power
Non-verbal exchanges
Unfair/biased treatment
© JAF 1999 - 2011

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© JAF 1999 - 2011

72

The Standard for the Treatment
of Others

The “Golden Rule” as the ultimate measure:
JAF 1999 - 2011
Treat others the way in© which
you would wish to be treated

73

Successful School Climate
Improvement Requires:


Systemically implementing a comprehensive
prevention/intervention continuum of practices
(Tiers I, II & III in a RTI/SRBI Framework)






Teach and model school-based expectations for
conduct
Identify interfering behaviors early

Manage these behaviors appropriately

Such behaviors must not be overlooked or ignored
Appropriate continuum of support (medical, social
and/or psychological) should be identified and utilized

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Mandates Make It Difficult…
The IDEAL, However…
The school must be a true
“destination”
Every school community member, adult and
student, should leave his or her house in the
morning with a smile, go through the entire
school day wearing that smile and arrive
back home looking forward to returning to
school the following day
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A Call To Action:
Improving School Climate

Improving school climate is among the
most effective ways of improving the
lives of youth, preventing violence
and creating physically, emotionally
and intellectually safe, supportive and
positive learning
environments

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Synopsis: The Bottom
Line
In other words, what we
need to do is to create
and maintain healthy
climates of respect
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Climates of Respect:
True Professional Learning
Communities
Not an add-on: a necessity
Schools and community
organizations should be
modeling the best, not
perpetrating the worst

Jo Ann Freiberg, Ph.D.
www.joannfreiberg.com
joann.freiberg@ct.gov
joann.freiberg@gmail.com
CSDE: (860) 713-6598
Cell: (860) 778-8527
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