Web Resources: November/December 2013

A Blueprint for Establishing Positive School – Culture Bobbi DePorter and Mark Reardon

• The 8 Keys of Excellence Character Program website provides a description of the school and family program, as well as videos of thought leaders speaking on the importance of character education.
• The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning website provides research, guidelines, and sample activities to develop students’ social and emotional skills.
• Visit the Principal archives to access “Teacher Wellness: A Conversation With Adam Saenz. The psychologist shares his tips on how to broaden staff development to include wellness.

Supports for Mental Health – Benjamin S. Fernandez and Kelly M. Vaillancourt

• Review six policy recommendations in “A Framework for Safe and Successful Schools,” a brief by NAESP and five partner organizations.
• Read the National Association of School Psychologists’ series of articles for principals and administrators on mental health.
• Find mental health articles grouped by topic (such as violence prevention and funding strategies) on SchoolMentalHealth.org.

Safe Digital Citizenship – Sandra A. Trach

• Send Report to Parents bulletins on technology and online safety home with students.
• Common Sense Media provides a digital literacy and citizenship curriculum and acceptable use policy samples.
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children website features safety resources and safety pledge samples.

Smart Security Reviews

• Listen to the full panel discussion, “3 Keys to Smart Security Reviews,” on NAESP Radio.
• Visit NAESP’s School Safety Resources page for top resources to boost safety at your school, including a script for dialogues with parents and students.

School Leadership Matters – Q&A with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

• Watch NAESP Executive Director Gail Connelly’s full interview with Arne Duncan on NAESP’s YouTube channel.
• Review NAESP’s policy briefs on key legislative issues, including No Child Left Behind, federal funding, and early childhood education.

A Culturally Proficient Lens – Reyes Quezada, Delores Lindsey, and Randall Lindsey

• Find strategies from the education alliance for teaching diverse learners, including culturally responsive teaching.
• The National Education Association hosts an informative video on the importance of cultural competence at your school, accompanied by useful links and resources

Practitioner’s Corner: Early Learning Walkthrough – Corinne Eisenhart and Elisabeth Grinder-McLean

• Download the authors’ Literacy Walkthrough Template for Early Learning Classrooms.