The decision to drop out of high school can affect a person's life in many ways, as lifetime earnings, employment options, overall health, and the probability of incarceration are all negatively influenced when students drop out of school. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the perceptions of faculty, staff, parents, and high school graduates regarding factors leading to the high graduation rates of students in a dropout prevention program during the 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 school years. A total of 15 one-on-one interviews were conducted to collect data around participants' perceptions of how the application process; onboarding and orientation program; academic progress monitoring and interventions; and social, emotional, and mental health supports contributed to the program's high graduation rate. Data were reviewed, analyzed, and coded, resulting in emerging themes across the data set. Themes were then synthesized and aggregated into four findings. Findings indicated the advisor role and the student–advisor relationship, staff training in trauma-informed practices, staff collaboration, and providing a flexible and responsive program structure were factors influencing the high graduation rate of students in this dropout prevention program. These findings were used to develop four corresponding implications for district and school leaders to create and maintain structures where students are supported by at least one trusted adult, provide meaningful and consistent trauma-informed professional learning, create an environment where staff collaboration around student needs is a priority, and provide flexible schedules and options for students to positively affect student graduation from alternative educational settings. / Doctor of Education / The decision to drop out of high school can affect a person's life in many ways, as lifetime earnings, employment options, overall health, and the probability of incarceration are all negatively influenced when students drop out of school. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the perceptions of faculty, staff, parents, and high school graduates regarding factors leading to the high graduation rates of students in a dropout prevention program during the 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 school years. A total of 15 one-on-one interviews were conducted to collect data around participants' perceptions of how the application process; onboarding and orientation program; academic progress monitoring and interventions; and social, emotional, and mental health supports contributed to the program's high graduation rate. Data were reviewed, analyzed, and coded, resulting in emerging themes across the data set. Themes were then synthesized and aggregated into four findings. Findings indicated the advisor role and the student–advisor relationship, staff training in trauma-informed practices, staff collaboration, and providing a flexible and responsive program structure were factors influencing the high graduation rate of students in this dropout prevention program. These findings were used to develop four corresponding implications for district and school leaders to create and maintain structures where students are supported by at least one trusted adult, provide meaningful and consistent trauma-informed professional learning, create an environment where staff collaboration around student needs is a priority, and provide flexible schedules and options for students to positively affect student graduation from alternative educational settings.

This qualitative action research concentrates on examining the best practices for teachers in trauma-informed practices by producing an implementation guide to train the trainer. The theoretical framework utilized to help inform the development of this research was Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory (1989) in relation to human development for identifying the emerging best practices with being trauma informed. The scope of this research focuses on low-socioeconomic status (SES) urban youth, so cultural sensitivity is naturally always a component of a complete train-the-trainer, trauma-informed teaching program. I identified the emerging best practices in two ways: (a) by gathering and summarizing supporting sources of literature and (b) by holding collaborative conversations with acknowledged experts in culturally competent trauma-informed training. The findings revealed six components essential to prepare the trainer on trauma-informed education training. First, culturally responsive pedagogy and culturally responsive teaching were identified to aid in bridging the gap in providing support. Social capital based upon lived experiences of students was recognized by acknowledging their needs through appropriate modeling of positive attitudes and behavior while increasing confidence in student learning using inclusive resources demonstrated throughout academic content. Next, the key principles of brain science were acknowledged showing a relationship between impact of trauma and learning affects such as: processing, decoding, self-regulation, and impulse control. Then, mental health was addressed to show there is an impact of negative interactions and disciplinary actions, according to Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory. Attitude and language were acknowledged as both verbal and non-verbal and having an impact on instructional behavior, which influences student climate in learning and behavior. Lastly, the equity and accountability components were identified to require teachers to move away from implicit bias issues by creating more cultural-normative behavior through designing more restorative practices while building partnerships with students and families alike. The result of this action research provided a set of emerging best practices embedded in the implementation guide to support the trainer in training educators on how to teach trauma-impacted youth in California’s culturally diverse public-school classrooms.

Childhood trauma, often referred to as America’s hidden crisis, significantly impacts the learning and behavior of students with disabilities (SWD), in particular. SWD who experience or witness trauma face challenges related to discipline, academic achievement, absenteeism, and social and emotional well-being. According to the National Survey on Children’s Health (2021), 16.3% of children served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act have encountered two or more adverse childhood experiences by age 18, with over half of the states surpassing the national average. Addressing this urgent concern is difficult due to a shortage of qualified service providers, such as nurses, psychologists, and mental health specialists, and other limitations like lack of resources and funding. However, research indicates schools can implement trauma-informed practices to provide the necessary support for SWD to thrive. This research study explored how an urban school district utilized Advocacy Centers and coaches in elementary schools to support vulnerable students in overcoming trauma and achieving success in their learning environments. Specifically, this qualitative, focused ethnography case study investigated best practices in trauma-informed care provided by four advocacy coaches supporting trauma-impacted SWD in Title I elementary schools in the southeastern United States. The study incorporated participant questionnaires, classroom observations, field notes, semi-structured interviews, and examination of classroom artifacts. Two key themes emerged: (a) building strong relationships with students and (b) promising trauma-informed practices for classrooms. Results of the data analysis indicated that educators must first establish strong, authentic relationships with SWD before being able to effectively integrate trauma-informed practices into their classrooms. Recommendations and implications for future research are presented.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to further the understanding on how access to trauma-informed professional learning changed research-based practices in classroom and school-wide settings in K-12 schools. The guiding question for this quantitative study was: How has trauma-informed professional learning influenced changes in research-based practices in school-wide and classroom settings in K-12 schools? This research assessed the perceptions of elementary, middle, and high school teachers in one school district to investigate access to trauma-informed professional learning and potential changes in research-based practices in school-wide and classroom settings. Participants were teachers, in Northeast Tennessee, employed in urban schools implementing trauma-informed practices. Six research questions guided the study and quantitative data were analyzed using one-sample t-tests. Additionally, this researcher analyzed themes gleaned from the four-open ended questions at the end of the survey. The findings indicated that the means of all measures were significantly higher than the midpoint in elementary, middle, and high schools. The findings also indicated that trauma-informed professional learning supports the development of school-wide and classroom research-based practices and application of trauma-informed strategies in K-12 schools.