‘Am I safe here and do you like me?’ Understanding complex trauma and attachment disruption in the classroom

Elementary and special education teachers and school counsellors currently provide support to children presenting learning disabilities and behavioural problems symptomatic of the more hidden diagnosis of complex trauma resulting from abuse or severe attachment disruption. Specific disorders such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) may be diagnosed in such children, but not the aetiology of complex trauma, resulting in missing information in the development of remedial and behavioural interventions. The evolving field of trauma counselling provides important information to special education teachers and school counsellors who work with children who have experienced trauma. In this review article authors Linda O'Neill of the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), Francis Guenette who is a doctoral student at the University of Victoria and Andrew Kitchenham of the University of Northern British Columbia summarise attachment, neurobiological, and complex trauma research that can be used in school settings to understand better the needs of these children. They conclude by suggesting that teachers and school counsellors would benefit from training on the consequences of childhood trauma and attachment disruption to develop interventions that will be effective and to identify what types of behaviours children can control and those they cannot.     

Adolescents With Disabilities: The Need for Occupational Social Skills Training

In this article, occupational social skills are defined and their importance is highlighted. The lack of occupational social skills has been estimated to be responsible for almost 90% of job loss. Although a number of commercial social skills instructional programs are available, none address social skills as they relate to specific occupations. We offer 4 different ways to develop appropriate occupational social skills training.     

Pupil profiling: some policy issues from school‐based practice∗

Theoretical writings on policy analysis have often dealt with the problem of adjudicating value issues as well as the problem of complexity. Since both these problems are ultimately epistemological in character, this paper explores their structure from a less familiar non‐foundational, coherentist epistemological framework, within the context of the synoptic/anti‐synoptic debate in policy analaysis. The paper argues against a sharp distinction between fact and value in policy choice, and recommends the gradual replacement of ubiquitous folk psychological simplifying assumptions in favour of scientific ones, where predictions systematically lapse, as a step towards dealing with complexity.     

Classroom materials

Your Energy World Published by U.S. Department of Energy

Blue Wings Flying by Elizabeth DeHuff Pictures by Dorothea Sierra Addison‐Wesley Publishing Co. Readding, Mass. 01867

Early Childhood Filmstrips Series Part I: About Myself Myself and Other People — Alike and Different My Family and Other Families—Alike and Different Everyone Needs Many Things by Ruth Jaynes, Beatrice Woodbrldge & Nancy Curry Bowmar/Noble Publishers, Inc. 4563 Colorado Los Angeles, CA 90039

“Man and His Gods: An Inquiry Into The Nature of Religions” Published by The Center for Humanities, Inc. 2 Holland Ave. White Plains, NY 10603

Alcohol: Facts, Myths and Decisions Published by Science and Mankind, Inc. Communications Park, Box 200 White Plains, New York 10601     

Self-Regulating Informational Text Reading Comprehension: Perceptions of Low-Achieving Students

Students who struggle with learning may not have the metacognition needed to support the multiple processes required to understand what is read in informational text. Instruction for these students, therefore, should include methodologies that promote self-regulation of critical thinking processes. Fifty-eight low-achieving students were provided Self-Regulated Strategy Development instruction for the TWA (Think before reading, think While reading, think After reading) strategy approach. Students were explicitly taught to establish goals, self-monitor performance, use positive self-instructions, and self-reinforce. We examined these students' perceptions in regard to application of the self-regulation procedures. Students' worksheets and comments as well as perceptions documented in post-instruction interviews were used to gain insight into students' metacognitive awareness of the self-regulation procedures taught and learned.     

Broadening access to the curriculum through using technology to link home and school: a critical analysis of reforms intended to improve students' educational attainment

This article reports on a UK study identifying innovative practice in the use of ICT to link home and school and its potential for enhancing learning. It is set in the context of recent political tensions and the mismatch between ICT use in the home and traditional educational systems. The theoretical framework draws upon curriculum theories and reviews what is already known about home use of ICT. A survey was administered to schools identified for innovative models of practice in both teaching and learning, and management and administration. From the 115 responses, eight contrasting case-study schools were selected. Three exemplars highlight a shift in practices: a move towards self-directed learning; greater flexibility and autonomy for students; and improved communication between home and school. We argue that technology could support a broader access to the curriculum, but that policy-makers should be aware of the digital divide issues. Young people's home use of technology suggests a rich experience involving exploratory activities, access to knowledge and the opportunity to publish their views. Curriculum reform is essential in order to maximize the potential of technology. It demands a shift away from current curriculum and pedagogy towards critical thinking and knowledge construction.     

A study of color in dissertations and theses

This study examined the occurrence of color in dissertations and theses produced at the Pennsylvania State University over a nine year period. Since the most common preservation method for dissertations and theses is monochromatic microfilming, traditional treatment may result in a loss of information encoded in color in these resources. Results indicate a significant increase in the use of color over the time period studied. Variations in the amount of color use by discipline were also observed. Implications related to monochromatic microfilming and recommendations for long term preservation are discussed.     

Measuring Socioeconomic Status at the School Level

Why is there an increased need for quantitative indicators of student socioeconomic status at the school level? What alternative approaches have been used to measure SES? Can principals accurately estimate the SES distribution of their student populations? How do their estimates correlate with other indexes o f family SES?