The Heart of Learning: Compassion, Resiliency and Academic Success

What is the practice/tool? 

This is a handbook for teachers written and compiled by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and Western Washington University staff. This book contains valuable information that will be helpful when working with students whose learning has been adversely impacted by trauma in their lives. This resource is specifically designed to educate about trauma-informed care. One of the primary goals of The Heart of Learning and Teaching: Compassion, Resilience, and Academic Success is to help educators learn as much as possible about the interconnectedness of issues critical to student academic success in today’s schools. These include a deeper understanding of learning and teaching, as well as the concepts of compassion, compassionate schools, resiliency, and school-community partnerships. 

Who is the practice/tool for? 

This handbook is useful for all educators including teachers, administrators, school counselors, and student support staff. 

How is this practice/tool implemented? 

The Heart of Learning and Teaching: Compassion, Resiliency, and Academic Success is organized into six chapters.  Each chapter contains a list of working definitions and real-life examples from school-community members working compassionately on the front line. This book should be used too as a supplement for current continuous education and program development.  

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 practice? 

The PDF of The Heart of Learning: Compassion, Resiliency and Academic Success can be accessed and downloaded online for free.  

What resources are helpful for understanding this practice/tool? 

• Downloadable The Heart of Learning: Compassion, Resiliency and Academic Success PDF: https://www.k12.wa.us/student-success/health-safety/mental-social-behavioral-health/compassionate-schools-learning-and/heart-learning-compassion-resiliency-and-academic-success 

Rating: Research-Informed 

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