Date of Submission

7-13-2024

Document Type

DiP

Degree

Doctor of Education

Department

Education

Keywords

Trauma, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Equity, Socio-Emotional Learning, Transformative Leadership, Trauma-Informed Leadership

Abstract

Adverse childhood experiences and trauma can have detrimental effects on students' academic performance and overall well-being, often resulting in inequitable academic and social outcomes. The problem of practice addresses how to build capacity for trauma awareness and trauma-informed practices in educators to support students impacted by trauma and their classmates. The organization involved in this change process is a large, suburban elementary school in Ontario, serving students in kindergarten through to grade eight. The Dissertation-in-Practice provides a framework for educators to better support students impacted by adverse experiences and/or trauma, through the development of socio-emotional learning competencies and the provision of psychological safety within their classrooms. Transformative and trauma-informed leadership approaches will be embedded within a layered framework that combines the change path model and the Missouri model for trauma-informed schools and applied to the problem of practice. Possible solutions are presented and include job-embedded professional learning, a classroom-based socio-emotional learning program, and parent engagement to mitigate the impacts of adverse experiences and trauma and achieve an envisioned future state. The preferred solution engages educators and students through a classroom-based socio-emotional learning program and offers change agents the opportunity for collaborative capacity building, while providing immediate supports for students. Enhancing psychological safety within each classroom will provide opportunities for school-wide transformation that will mitigate the impacts of trauma and support equitable academic and well-being outcomes for all students.

Keywords: Trauma, adverse childhood experiences, equity, socio-emotional learning, transformative leadership, trauma-informed leadership

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