Leadership Required: Administrators must implement resiliency

Student resiliency and wellness initiatives can help schools address a broad array of needs, including how they connect with their peers, overcome challenges, and make responsible decisions.  These initiatives not only contribute to the creation of healthy learning environments but also play a pivotal role in supporting academic success.

The administrator’s role in introducing resiliency programs in their schools is a critical ingredient in achieving the new Florida resiliency standards that can help bolster student and educator success. But where do you begin?

One suggestion for administrators is to establish schoolwide structures that help students and staff feel like they belong, build trust with teachers and peers, and provide opportunities to take risks, build confidence in problem solving, and learn from mistakes. Among those structures, according to the Learning Policy Institute, include advisory systems that create small family units within schools and looping that allows educators to be with the same children for more than one year.

Components of comprehensive programs

Choosing an effective program which provides comprehensive strategies, training, and tools for building student resiliency and relationship skills can be a significant factor in helping students succeed. Our experience in developing Harmony Academy, which provides all the tools and training at no cost for schools and out-of-school programs, suggests that comprehensive programs should include:

• grade-specific lessons, activities, and stories for students.  
• everyday practices that build learning communities. 
• content that promotes student agency and self-direction through developing personal and class goals, as well as using mindfulness techniques.
• quick and easy to implement, community-building activities that help students to cooperate, communicate, and problem-solve in academic and social tasks. 
• academic integration strategies that allow students to develop resiliency and problem-solving skills within academic spaces. 
• educator supports that allow for high-quality implementation, including data dashboards, implementation supports, and on-demand professional learning modules.

Implementing Programs with Fidelity

What we have learned, and what research shows, is even the best programs require strong administrator support and leadership.

For example, a new study which reviewed 12 years of research indicates programs supporting the development of personal competencies such as self-regulation, resilience and the psychological health of all students have a positive effect on everything from school climate and wellness to student skill development and learning. The review indicates that compared to the control group, these interventions saw “significantly improved skills, attitudes, behaviors, school climate and safety, peer relationships, school functioning, and academic achievement.” But the report notes the content, intervention features, context, and implementation quality of the programs often differ and, if not delivered with full fidelity, can limit the quality of student experiences and outcomes.

Fidelity of implementation matters. When administrators embrace their role of leadership and ensure educators have adequate time to implement programs by providing necessary resources, coaching, feedback, and support…student change happens.

Questions Administrators Should Ask

When thinking about selecting a program, key questions to consider when investigating a school or district-wide program include:

• Will the program fit in with the current structure of efforts to engage with students?
• Does the program focus on adults as well as students?
• What is the cost of the program, including hidden costs, if any, for training and ongoing professional development?
• Is the training offered on a regular, job-embedded basis?
• What data is used to support implementation?
• Are there districts like mine who used the program that I can check with?

Effective programs have no shortage of data about their own performance. Look for programs offering research studies evaluating implementation, outcomes and use the data to support local implementation of the programs.

Administrator Resources

To get an idea of what it takes to introduce a resiliency program with fidelity, Florida principals can explore Harmony Academy resources for school administrators—including administrator learning communities and webinars; on-demand training videos; implementation and data collection tools; and family-focused strategies your school can share with the community. We also created a Harmony Measurement Guide that points district and school administrators to valid measures for an aligned and reliable school climate and student resilience and life skill competency measures.

You can play a major part in helping create more resilient students in your school and the kind of learning environment you have always wanted for your teachers and students. The state resiliency requirements provide an impetus to explore strategies and programs, but it helps to know what you are looking for and the right questions to ask.

About the Author: Barbara Browning earned her Masters degree from Marshall University and is the East Region Director for Harmony Academy. For more information about their solutions and resources, contact her at bbrowning@nu.edu or by phone at (904) 718-3225.