Six Pathways to Healthy Child Development and Academic Success : The Field Guide to Comer Schools in Action

by James P. Comer

• ISBN13: 9781412905091
• ISBN10: 1412905095
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-05-18
• Publisher: Corwin Pr

Summary

"Meets the highest standard of evidence for comprehensive school reforms that improve student achievement." Review of Educational Research, 2003 "In a refreshing departure from todaya??s focus on academic testing, Comera??s SDP is designed to foster the development of the whole child. In Comera??s schools, children are taught not only academics but the skills and behaviors they need to be successful in school and in life." Edward Zigler, Sterling Professor of Psychology, Emeritus Yale University Healthy child development is the key to academic achievement and life success! Children and adolescents who enjoy healthy growth and development along six primary pathways are the students who learn well and achieve success in school and in life. But children from poorly functioning families and impoverished social networks too often find themselves without adequate preparation and support for the academic challenges that await them in kindergarten and the grades that follow. Believing that schools are uniquely situated to foster healthy development, renowned child psychiatrist Dr. James P. Comer and his colleagues at the Yale School Development Program (SDP) have dedicated 35 years to guiding students, schools, and educators toward academic success along the six developmental pathways of learning. Combining research; evidence-based best practices; essential tools for planning, data analysis, and assessment; and a generous collection of charts, tables, and graphics, Six Pathways to Healthy Child Development and Academic Success offers educators a comprehensive and effective framework for whole school reform. In 17 lively and informative chapters, Dr. Comer and his coauthors offer a complete guide to: Fostering healthy student growth and development along physical, cognitive, psychological, language, social, and ethical pathways Comprehensive school planning to optimize opportunities for child development and learning Creating a positive school climate in which all adults-teachers, parents, administrators, school staff, and community members-can help children grow and succeed Ensuring continuous professional development and program improvement for the entire school community Six Pathways to Healthy Child Development and Academic Success is the first-ever published field guide to the tried, tested, and true methods used by the Comer Process to promote child development and learning. Now every concerned educator and school leader can use this innovative framework to ensure that all school decisions are made in the best interest of children and their success!

Table of Contents

Foreword	xiii
Michael Fullan
Preface	xv
Edward T. Joyner
Acknowledgments	xvii
About the Authors	xxi
Part I. Child Development = Education	1	(2)
The School Is Preventive and Promotive	3	(12)
James P. Comer
Children Are Immersed in Their Social Networks	4	(3)
Children From Poorly Functioning Families Are Likely to Enter School Without Adequate Preparation	7	(2)
Healthy Development Prepares Children to Meet Life's Tasks	9	(3)
The School Is a Continuous Presence in the Life of Children and Adolescents	12	(3)
Essential Understandings of the Yale School Development Program	15	(10)
SDP and the Comer Process	15	(1)
Six Developmental Pathways	16	(2)
An Operating System	18	(4)
This Field Guide	22	(1)
Responsibilities of the School Community	22	(3)
Schools in Society	25	(6)
Carmen S. Gonzalez
A Tough Brooklyn Neighborhood	25	(1)
Our Child Study Team Has a Systematic Process	26	(1)
Being on a Team Helps Us to Cope	27	(1)
Interventions That Work	27	(3)
The Alarm Clock Program	28	(1)
Support for Social and Emotional Development	28	(1)
Ongoing Support After Crisis Intervention	29	(1)
The In-House Suspension Program and Acts of Kindness	29	(1)
Action-Oriented Self-Assessment	30	(1)
We Are on the Right Track	30	(1)
Child Development Is the Foundation of Education	31	(18)
Fay E. Brown
Joanne N. Corbin
Meeting the Needs of Every Child	31	(1)
The Six Developmental Pathways	32	(2)
Physical Pathway	32	(1)
Cognitive Pathway	32	(1)
Psychological Pathway	33	(1)
Language Pathway	33	(1)
Social Pathway	34	(1)
Ethical Pathway	34	(1)
Rationale for the Pathways Framework	34	(1)
Using the Pathways Framework to Address Student Issues	35	(5)
Training Activity 4.1: Using the pathways to identify student issues and behaviors at your school	35	(2)
Additional Examples of Using the Pathways Framework	37	(1)
Training Activity 4.2: Using the pathways for curriculum, instruction, and classroom management	37	(3)
Writing Lesson Plans Using the Pathways Framework	40	(2)
Training Activity 4.3: Aligning your lessons plans with the pathways	40	(2)
Using the Pathways Framework to Address Adult Issues	42	(1)
Training Activity 4.4: Using the pathways to assess your own well-being and interactions with students	42	(1)
Using the Pathways Framework to Create a Culture for the School Community	43	(4)
The School Planning and Management Team	43	(1)
The Student and Staff Support Team	43	(2)
The Parent Team	45	(2)
Working Together to Ensure That All Children Develop to Their Full Potential	47	(2)
Promoting Youth Leadership Development in Comer Schools	49	(20)
Valerie Maholmes
How Far Do the Changes Reach?	49	(1)
``Proud to Be a Comer Kid''	50	(1)
Comer Kids' Councils	50	(1)
Comer Kids' Leadership Academy	50	(1)
The Comer Process for Kids: What Students Should Know and Be Able to Do	51	(1)
Students Should Know Who Dr. Comer Is and Why He Developed SDP	51	(4)
Student Activity 5.1: Dr. Comer is a child psychiatrist	52	(1)
Student Activity 5.2: James's friends were not as successful as he was	53	(1)
Student Activity 5.3: The members of the Comer teams work together to make good decisions for children	53	(2)
Students Should Know About the Six Developmental Pathways	55	(2)
Student Activity 5.4: How do we grow up?	55	(1)
Student Activity 5.5: Comercise! Social and physical pathways for young children	55	(2)
Students Should Know the Three Guiding Principles, ``The Comer Golden Rules for Classroom Interaction''	57	(1)
Student Activity 5.6: Teamwork is important	57	(1)
Student Activity 5.7: Open lunch---Problem solving using all three guiding principles	58	(1)
Students Should Know the Goals in Their School's Comprehensive School Plan	58	(3)
Planning for Success	59	(1)
Student Activity 5.8: A lesson in effective decision making	60	(1)
Setting Up a Comer Kids' Council	61	(2)
Getting Started	61	(1)
Purpose of the Council	61	(1)
Role of the Council	61	(1)
Team Meetings	61	(1)
Relationship to Classroom Practice	62	(1)
Selection of Student Representatives to the Council	62	(1)
Composition of the Comer Kids' Leadership Council	62	(1)
SPMT Roles and Responsibilities for the Council	62	(1)
Encouraging Students' Responsibility for Their Own Learning and Development	63	(1)
Promoting Parent Involvement in Youth Development: ``I Too Have a Dream''	63	(1)
Building Capacity Through Student Leadership	64	(3)
Setting Up Your Own Leadership Academy	64	(1)
Pre-Academy Activities	64	(1)
The Trip to the Academy	65	(1)
Student Activity 5.9: Sample travel curriculum for an academy meeting	65	(1)
Academy Agenda and Activities	66	(1)
The Academy Awards	66	(1)
Post-Academy Activities	67	(1)
Positive Outcomes and Profound Impact	67	(2)
Student Essay: ``What it meant to become a Comer Kid''	67	(2)
Children Must Be Taught to Deal With Anger	69	(4)
Signs of Trouble	70	(1)
Infants and Young Children	70	(1)
School-Age Children	71	(1)
Adolescence	71	(2)
Children With Special Needs: Special Education and the Comprehensive School Plan	73	(12)
Michael Ben-Avie
Virginia Arrington
Morton Frank
Robert Raymond
Schoolwide Preventive Planning	74	(1)
Creating a Unified Educational System	74	(1)
A Districtwide Comprehensive School Plan for CSD 17	74	(1)
Consensus, Collaboration, and No-fault Problem Solving	75	(1)
Regular Education Early Intervention Teams	75	(5)
Collaborative Problem Solving and the Home-School Collaboration	75	(1)
The PPT Process	76	(4)
Using Contracts to Help Students Understand Choices and Consequences	80	(2)
Behavior Intervention Plans	80	(1)
Using the Pathways as a Common Language for Behavior	80	(2)
The Student as Problem Solver, Not Problem Child	82	(1)
PPT Process Case Vignettes	82	(1)
Basic Guidelines for Changing Behavior	83	(2)
Inclusiveness for Children With Special Needs	85	(2)
Nora Martin
Least Restrictive Environments	85	(1)
Accommodations for Regular Classroom Settings	86	(1)
Part II. Children Need Healthy Adults	87	(70)
Michael Ben-Avie
Balanced Development	87	(1)
Development Into Adulthood	88	(1)
Teaming and Team Building	89	(8)
Miriam McLaughlin
Alice Huff Hart
Everol Ennis
Fred Hernandez
Jan Stocklinski
Effective Teams	90	(1)
Building Relationships	91	(1)
Teaming and Team Building	92	(4)
Team Building, Teaming, and Training Resources	96	(1)
A Team Approach to Educational Change	97	(16)
J. Patrick Howley
Two Models for Understanding People's Concerns	98	(1)
P + E + O + F + R = M: A Framework for Understanding Why and How People See the World Differently	98	(2)
Methods for Strengthening the Work of Teams	100	(7)
The Concept of the Container	100	(4)
Activation of Team Roles	104	(3)
Role Expectation Cards	107	(2)
Feedback Description Guides	109	(4)
Establishing a Foundation: A Principal's View of Task and Process	113	(16)
Jeffery German
J. Patrick Howley
Michael Ben-Avie
How Our School Used to Be	113	(1)
Introducing the Comer Process to the Staff	114	(1)
Introducing the Six Developmental Pathways	115	(1)
Introducing the Teams	116	(1)
Introducing the Guiding Principles	117	(1)
Maintaining the Guiding Principles While Thinking Strategically: ``We Don't Vote''	118	(1)
Reflections on the ``We Don't Vote'' Story: A Conversation About Relationships, Teams, Meetings, and Trust	119	(10)
It's All About Effective Relationships: Frameworks for Understanding Ourselves and Others	129	(20)
J. Patrick Howley
A Human Relationship Scenario	130	(1)
Making Sense of Relationships	131	(3)
Tensions	132	(1)
Evolving Stages	132	(1)
Creating Strength From Diversity	133	(1)
Understanding Our Own Behavior in Relationships	133	(1)
Relationship Framework 1: The Jo-hari Window	134	(7)
A Framework for Developing Trust and Healthy Relationships in Schools	135	(1)
Public Self and Private Self	135	(2)
Facilitating Trust	137	(1)
The Blind Self	138	(1)
Feedback in the Jo-hari Window	138	(2)
Working With Our Awareness of Self and Others	140	(1)
Relationship Framework 2: Three Models of Personality Types---A Short Course in Understanding People	141	(8)
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator	143	(2)
The Enneagram	145	(1)
Archetypes	146	(3)
Three Guiding Principles for Interactions on Teams	149	(8)
J. Patrick Howley
No-fault Problem Solving	150	(1)
Consensus Decision Making	151	(2)
Collaborative Relationships	153	(2)
The Challenges of Working With the Three Guiding Principles	155	(2)
Part III. A Time to Act	157	(22)
Edward T. Joyner
Children and Trauma	159	(6)
Robert A. Murphy
Trauma's Impact on Child Development	161	(1)
Posttraumatic Symptoms	162	(1)
Parents and Caregivers	163	(1)
Mental Health Providers	163	(1)
School-Based Interventions	163	(2)
Children During Wartime	165	(4)
Robert A. Murphy
Modern Warfare and Its Refugees	166	(1)
Teaching the Children of War	167	(2)
Children of the World: How We Created a Full-Service School	169	(10)
Grace Nebb
Daily Crisis Management	169	(1)
Creating the Healthy Learners Program	170	(1)
RAIN (Referral and Information Network) Is Born	171	(3)
Home Intervention Teams	174	(1)
The Homework Club	174	(1)
Head Start Initiative	175	(1)
The Children of the World Health Center	175	(1)
Cool School	176	(1)
The Raindrop Center	177	(2)
Index	179