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Use Survey Data to Take Action
You’ve done the research. Now it’s time for strategic planning.
Research Programs and Services to Address Youth Needs
Before you get started, remember: You can’t fix everything at once. Consider focusing on 1-3 key areas that could make the highest impact.
Consider Evidence-Based Interventions
When you are researching resources to mitigate Risk factors, consider curriculum that is evidence based. If you’re unsure where to start, the Kansas Prevention Collaborative‘s Evidence-Based Strategies Matrix is a helpful resource with many proven curriculums, including some that are available at no cost to districts.
Additionally, there are many state and national organizations that offer a variety of services and resources, such as:
| ORGANIZATION | KCTC FOCUS AREAS INCLUDED |
|---|---|
| KDADS | Depression/suicide, substance use, fentanyl |
| The Jason Foundation and Jason Flatt Act compliance checklist | Depression/suicide |
| Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) | Depression/suicide, substance use, fentanyl, bullying |
| Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), including Suicide Prevention, Intervention, Reintegration and Postvention Toolkit | Depression/suicide, substance use, fentanyl |
| DCCCA | Depression/suicide, substance use, fentanyl |
| Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) | Substance use, fentanyl |
| Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), including Measuring Social-Emotional Growth Locally toolkit | Depression/suicide, bullying, social emotional/character development (SECD) |
| Drug-Free Communities (DFC) | Substance use, fentanyl |
| Kansas MTSS and Alignment BSEL Repository | Behavior, Social, & Emotional Learning |
Research Funding Opportunities
See Grant Funding Tips for grant ideas.
Consider General Instructional and Structural Practices
Mitigate Risk
If Depression/Suicide numbers are high, you may want to prioritize areas such as:
- Compliance with Jason Flatt Act
- Relational positive feedback
- 2×10 strategy
- MTSS and PBIS implementation
- Evidence-based SEL skills, such as seeking help, practicing self-care, etc.
If Bullying numbers are high, you may want to prioritize:
- Identifying behavior threat assessment teams
- Explicit instruction
- Active supervision
- Teacher clarity
- Trauma-responsive practices
- Clear expectations or norms
- Evidence-based SEL skills, such as calm-down skills, assertiveness, problem-solving, conflict management, empathy skills, etc.
- Restorative practices
- Bully policies and reporting procedures
Bolster Protective Factors
Empowering Engagement school climate types are those that touch on student voice (enjoy school/schoolwork) and student agency (opportunities to get involved in school activities, talk to teacher one-on-one, feel safe at school). If these numbers are low, you may want to prioritize:
- Choice-making
- Feedback continuum
- Opportunities to respond (discussion, active engagement, etc.)
- Evidence-based SEL skills and competencies (range is needed from self-awareness to curiosity, self-efficacy, creative thinking, and goal setting, etc.)
- Individual plans of study to personalize learning
Empowering Relationship climate types touch on questions such as adults noticing when students do a good job and praise them for it, or students feeling like they can ask the adults they live with if they have a personal problem. If these numbers are low, you may want to prioritize:
Teachers
- Positive feedback
- 2×10 strategy
- Greetings at the door
- Advisory time, check-in/check-out
- Positive teacher-student relationships
- Evidence-based SEL skills & competencies (e.g., relationship skills)
- Family engagement
- District community leadership teams, positive childhood experience.
Parents
- Family engagement plan
- Home links for evidence-based SEL skills and competencies (e.g., relationship skills)
- Information about the power and importance of positive childhood experiences
- Site councils, school foundation groups, Parents as Teachers, etc.
- Practices such as positive notes and calls home
Other Considerations
- Can you apply for funding to support additional full- or part-time staff?
- Can you build on existing programs that help mitigate Risk or bolster Protective factors?
- What programs have other districts or groups implemented that worked?
- What attainable goals might you set?
- How can you incorporate items above in professional development?
- Don’t forget to share successes!