Collaborative Learning for Educational Achievement and Resilience (CLEAR)
From the Adverse Childhood Experiences study, new trauma-informed methods for staff have been created to provide public school staff with more skills in helping students who are struggling to get access to the content as a result of their adverse or traumatic experiences. Partnering with Dr. Christopher Blodgett from Washington State University’s Child Trauma Center, school employees at Lincoln Elementary School will receive training over the course of the next three to five years. This training comes from the scientific practices that Dr. Blodgett and his team have developed, grounded in the evidence that these techniques help students self-regulate in order to be ready for learning. Schools that have already been trained are demonstrating very positive results with their students. The program is called Collaborative Learning for Educational Achievement and Resiliency (CLEAR). Dr. Blodgett’s researched practices demonstrate lower discipline incidents with students, more on-task behaviors, higher student engagement, and increased teaching time.
Utilizing the work from Washinton State University's Child and Family Research Unit, the district will evaluate the training to determine whether these trauma-informed practices result in a positive impact on students and how such training could be applied to all district employees. The district has developed a long-range implementation plan that evaluates the progress before incorporating the next step. The district is also looking to partner with local funders for the program and training. This investment will result in a significant long-term change for students who have traditionally struggled to stay engaged in their education. By shifting our practice to understand what has happened to students, as related to their behavior, we can better help students stay in school, be engaged in the content, and graduate to become the productive community members they want to be.
- Dr. Chris Blodgett
- Monthly staff development
- Certified coach and consult for classrooms
- Three-year process
- Annual staff vote to participate