National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE): Trauma Sensitive Schools Training Series

How to access the program?

Access training package here: https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/trauma-sensitive-schools-training-package 

What is the program? 

The Trauma-Sensitive Schools Training Package offers school and district administrators and staff a framework and roadmap for adopting a trauma-sensitive approach school- or district wide. The Training Package includes a variety of resources for educating school staff about trauma and trauma-sensitive practices and for providing school leaders with a step-by-step process for implementing a universal, trauma-informed approach using package materials. School and district leaders are encouraged to begin by reviewing the Implementation Guide for an overview of the package components and their intended use. 

Who is the program for? 

The Trauma-Sensitive Schools Training Package is primarily for school and district leaders to plan and implement approaches to establish trauma sensitive schools.  

How is this program implemented? 

The Trauma-Sensitive Schools Training Package and its resources can be accessed online. The packages are made up of training modules, guides, toolkits and power point slides. The Implementation Guide summarizes the intent of the Trauma-Sensitive Schools Training Package, describes the components, and provides suggestions for how and when to use the package materials. 

The 3 components of the Trauma-Sensitive Schools Training Package are:  

• Understanding Trauma and Its Impact. This component of the Training Package includes resources for educating all school staff about the prevalence of trauma, its impact on children and youth, and implications for schools. 
• Building Trauma-Sensitive Schools. This component of the Training Package includes resources for introducing all school staff to the concept of trauma-sensitive schools, why it is important to adopt a trauma-sensitive approach, and trauma-sensitive practices for use in the classroom and schoolwide. 
• Leading Trauma-Sensitive Schools. This component of the Training Package is intended for school leaders and introduces a framework and process for adopting a trauma-sensitive approach schoolwide, including guidance for how to roll-out other package components. 

What is the practice that is supported? 

According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) a trauma informed approach in general is the ability for all parties to recognize and respond to the impacts of trauma on children, staff, caregivers, and service providers. Given the impacts and prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) like experiencing violence, schools play an important role in providing systems of support for children who have experienced trauma. The purpose of a trauma informed approach is to create a school-wide environment that addresses the needs of students, staff, administrators, and families who may be at-risk of experiencing symptoms related to trauma.   

What outcomes does the practice produce? 

• Improve student behavior and attendance 
• Improve student attitudes towards teaching, learning, and school climate 
• Increase school staff knowledge about addressing trauma and  
• Decrease trauma related symptoms in students 

What is the evidence? 

Tabone, J. K., Rishel, C. W., Hartnett, H. P., & Szafran, K. F. (2020). Examining the effectiveness of early intervention to create trauma-informed school environments. Children and Youth Services Review, 113, 104998. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.104998 

In this study, evaluators analyzed the effectiveness of a trauma informed early intervention program aimed at reducing the symptoms of trauma among elementary aged students. Classrooms receiving the intervention program and classrooms in the control group (94 total classes) were compared using a baseline observation before implementation and a follow-up observation at the end of the school year. The results of the study showed that classes receiving the trauma-informed intervention had a significant increase in emotional support by the end of the school year while the control groups had no increase in the same domain. Classes receiving the intervention also saw improvement in instructional support and classroom organization while the control groups saw a decline or no change in both of those domains.  

McIntyre, E. M., Baker, C. N., & Overstreet, S. (2019). Evaluating foundational professional development training for trauma-informed approaches in schools. Psychological Services, 16, 95–102. https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000312 

This study examined the extent of knowledge growth of teachers after attending a 2-day foundational professional development training on trauma-informed approaches within their school settings. Using a pre and posttest design, the results showed that teacher’s knowledge of trauma-informed approaches increased significantly after the training. The results showed that 70% of the 183 teachers in the study had mastered the content after the training compared to 20% before the training. The results also showed that knowledge growth in training was also positively associated with a teacher’s acceptability of trauma-informed approaches and their perception of systems fit. 

Dorado, J., Martinez, M., McArthur, L., & Leibovitz, T. (2016). Healthy Environments and Response to Trauma in Schools (HEARTS): A Whole-School, Multi-level, Prevention and Intervention Program for Creating Trauma-Informed, Safe and Supportive Schools. School Mental Health, 8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-016-9177-0 

Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of a tiered trauma-informed program at elementary and middle school campuses. The evaluation examined the change in knowledge for teachers and staff, student engagement, and the impact of intensive treatments for students referred. The results showed that after educator training and the trauma-informed program being on campus for at least one school year, educators’ knowledge in five domains increased, including how to help traumatized children learn in school. Student engagement also improved which was shown by an increase in the percentage of time students were on task and a decrease in student misbehavior. That results also showed that students receiving intensive interventions had significant improvements in their ability to adjust to trauma.  

What are the costs associated with implementing this program? 

The training modules and resources can be accessed online for free.  

What resources are helpful for understanding this program? 

• Access training package here: https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/trauma-sensitive-schools-training-package 

Any training or interventions from this list should be used in accordance with established staff development standards and adopted professional development policies of the Local Education Agency (LEA) per §21.451 and §21.4515 of the Texas Education Code (TEC), as well as the LEA’s grief and trauma-informed care policy and procedures in accordance with §38.036 and §38.351. While this training satisfies the statutory training requirements of §38.036, it is best practice for staff to receive ongoing training which may include job embedded professional development, coaching and annual training opportunities.  

Rating: Research-Informed 

Secondary components: Early Mental Health Prevention and Intervention; Positive, Safe, and Supportive School Climates