Dignity for ALL Students Act

(DASA)

Carol Bush
Professional Development Specialist
Center for School Improvement and Professional
Development
Orleans/Niagara BOCES

Intended Outcomes
To understand how school climate and culture
have an impact on student achievement and
behavior.
To enhance the understanding of diversity and
multi-cultural environments and examine
personal biases.
To identify prevention and intervention strategies
and ideas for interacting with families of victims
and aggressors.

What exactly is school

climate/culture?
School climate/culture is

Quality and character of school life

Based on student, parent, and school personnel
experiences
Reflects

Norms, goals, and values

Interpersonal relationships
Instructional practices
Organizational structures

Impacted by
Perception of personal safety (physical, instructional,
social environments)
Interpersonal relationships
Teaching and learning

Effects of Bullying on
School Climate and Culture
Creates a climate of fear and disrespect
Students may not feel safe or connected to their
school
Students may perceive a lack of control/caring
from adults
Interferes with student learning

Effects of Bullying on
Student Achievement
Research shows that bullying effects academic
achievement just as much as poverty
Minority students are at greater risk of decreased
academic achievement when bullied in comparison to
nonminority students
Bullying negatively impacts academic achievement in the
following ways
Decreased classroom participation
Decreased attendance rates/increased school avoidance
Lower grades on standardized tests and overall GPAs
(up to 1.5 letter grade decrease)
Increased drop-out rates

So what do we do about
this?
Create a positive learning environment
Create an environment inclusive of all students
and free from personal biases
Equip students and school personnel with
prevention and intervention strategies
Communicate and work together with families of
victims and aggressors

Characteristics of a Positive
Learning Environment
What does a positive learning environment look
like?
What does it sound like?
How does it feel when youre in that type of
environment?

Characteristics of a Positive
Learning Environment
Caring, firm but fair attitude.
Students know what to expect
from you.
Classroom procedural rules.
High expectations for students.
Students are given
responsibilities in the
classroom.
Students have potential for
success.
Classroom climate of
cooperation.
Positive group identity.
Students accept diversity.

Consistent follow-up and

enforcement of the rules.
Preparedness and organization.
With-it-ness having eyes in the
back of your head.
Your focus in the classroom
(switching from group to
individual ).
Variety in teaching styles
Appropriate pacing and smooth
transitions.
Cooperation with parents.

Environmental Aspects to Consider

Physical Environment
Safe, clean, and comfortable
Inviting (seating arrangements, wall posters, color,
positive quotes etc.)

Instructional Environment
High academic expectations with strong student
supports
Well managed classrooms

Emotional Safety
Sense of belonging
Safe to take risks and express emotions

Steps you can take

Get to know students

Establish respect as an expectation
Collaboratively identify classroom norms
Collaboratively identify behavior consequences
Reinforce positive behavior
Outlets for expression
Class meetings

Benefits of a Positive
Learning Environment
Creates a climate of safety, control, and a sense of
community within the classroom
Better communication exists within the school
community
Positive learning environments improve academic
achievement in the following ways
Increased classroom participation
Increased attendance rates/decreased school
avoidance
Higher standardized test scores and overall GPAs
Decreased drop-out rates

Creating an Inclusive
Environment
Understand the needs of targeted populations
Recognize the important role diversity and
multiculturalism play in education
Be aware of your own personal biases

Understanding Targeted Populations

Students with Disabilities
Walk a mile in their shoes
What would it be like to have autism?

Immigrants
What are the cultural barriers?
Similarities and differences?

LGBTQ
What kind of harassment is most common? Verbal? Cyberbullying?
Is it possible that these comments are being made unintentionally?

Students in foster care or have incarcerated parents

What would it be like to grow up without your parent(s)? Brothers
and sisters?
What if students are not comfortable in their new home?

Importance of Diversity in Education

Prepare for ever-changing world
Promote a culture of acceptance
Creates curiosity and propels personal growth

What is a bias?
Bias is:
Showing prejudice against (someone or
something) unfairly (verb)
Prejudice in favor or against one thing, person or
group compared with another, usually in a way to
be considered unfair. (noun)

Where do biases begin?

Personal experiences
From our families, peers, the media, popular
culture, school, religious institutions, and so on
Whether or not shared values exist
Whether people from this background have any
control over the things that make them different
from us
Perceived power of the group

What are your biases?

What are your biases?
When you observe a student doing X you think
Im so glad this student is in my classroom

When you observe a student doing Y you think

I wish this student would be absent.

Buffers for Biases

Be aware of your biases
Be aware of cultural differences
Keep every student in mind

Prevention and Intervention

Three-tiered system
Intervention/Discip
line

Prevention/Educa
tion

Prevention Strategies

Assess bullying
Create policies and procedures
Build a safe environment
Educate students and staff
Honesty, tolerance, and respect (character ed.)
Educating the whole child
Sensitivity awareness and early warning signs
Safe and responsible use of the internet and
technology
Engage students
Empower students
Provide adequate supervision

Intervention Strategies

Suspicions of Bullying
On the Spot Intervention
Classroom Intervention
Individual Intervention

Suspicions of Bullying

Intensify your observations of the child

Confer with colleagues
Talk to or survey students
Collect information from students
Contact parents

On the Spot Intervention

Teachable Moment
Stop the bullying
Support student who has been bullied
Name bullying behavior & refer to school rules
Engage the bystanders
Impose immediate & appropriate
consequences
Take steps to ensure bullied student will be
protected from future bullying

Intervention on Classroom
Level
Post and enforce school wide rules against
bullying
Hold regular class meetings
Hold meetings with students parents
Engage students in role-playing

Intervention on the
Individual Level
Supervise students activities
Ensure that all staff intervene on-the-spot when
bullying occurs
Hold meetings with students involved in bullying
Hold meetings with parents of involved students
Develop individual intervention plans for involved
students

Prevention and Intervention

at Multiple Levels
Community

School

Classroom

Individual

Community
resource fairs

Establish antibullying task

force

Pro-active
relationship
building

Mentoring

Community
liaison on the
bully task force

Clearly
disseminate
rules and
consequences

Consistent
enforcement of
rules

Develop
individual
intervention
plan

Partnering with
universities/uni
versity
organizations to
provide
mentors, social
work, etc.

Adopt
restorative
practices to
help strengthen
relationships

Anti-bullying
classroom
activities

Limit
unsupervised
time

Misdirections in Bullying
Prevention and Intervention
Simple, short-term solutions
Program du jour approaches
Group treatment for children who bully
Anger management or self-esteem
enhancement
for children who bully
Zero tolerance policies for bullying
Selecting inappropriate supplemental materials
Peer mediation/conflict resolution to resolve
bullying issues

Communication with
Families and Communities
Families and communities are the most untapped
and underutilized resources for school districts.
Families and communities are students first
teachers
Families and communities can shed light on
student behaviors
Family and community involvement supports
student growth

Communication with
Families and Communities
Communication should occur through multiple formats
District and school meetings/workshops
District website
Questionaires/surveys
DASA Coordinator email
School newsletter
Communication committees

Be available
Be informative
Be receptive
Figure out problems together
Don't assume
Hold meetings somewhere other than the school
Invite families in to share their cultures, experiences, etc.

Websites of Interest

www.stopbullying.gov
www.cyberbullying.us
www.ncpc.org/cyberbullying
www.bullyingpreventioninstitute.org
www.welcomingschools.org
www.ikeepsafe.org
www.pacerteensagainstbullying.org/#/home
www.tolerance.org
www.cdc.gov
www.olweus.org

Intended Outcomes
To understand how school climate and culture
have an impact on student achievement and
behavior.
To enhance the understanding of diversity and
multi-cultural environments and examine
personal biases.
To identify prevention and intervention strategies
and ideas for interacting with families of victims
and aggressors.

Questions?
Carol Bush
Professional Development Specialist
Center for School Improvement and Professional
Development
Orleans/Niagara BOCES
cbush@onboces.org
716-731-6800 x3755