2024 CDE Fall Conference: Creating a Landscape of Wellbeing and Belonging

The training will explore the fundamentals of preventing school violence by emphasizing the creation of systems and structures essential for positive school environments. Participants will engage in a collaborative session to identify, integrate, and align evidence-based school violence prevention strategies (e.g., inclusive discipline practices, bullying prevention, proactive social-emotional and positive behavioral supports).

Session Objectives:

1. Explore elements of school safety plans in Colorado and how they connect to school climate improvement.
2. Describe school violence prevention and corresponding evidence-based practices.
3. Consider the contextual variables as well as the systems and structures necessary to effectively integrate and align school safety efforts.

Through an Attorney General’s Justice Innovation Grant, case management was undertaken for 20 justice-engaged youth to support school re-entry and success. With only 20% of adjudicated youth earning a diploma nationwide, the support team assisted stakeholders in moving students toward graduation. Participants will be introduced to the findings from this process that impacted the content and passage of HB24-1216 and understand how those provisions will impact their school or district going forward. Bill provisions can increase belonging for justice-engaged students and their families when implemented in a way that supports educational success.

Session Objectives:

1) Leave with an understanding of how HB24-1216 will impact your school or district.
2) Embrace greater understanding from student and family perspectives of common elements and barriers in the educational trajectory of justice engaged youth,
3) Gain experience analyzing an educational journey map completed by a student and their family member and working collaboratively to identify common themes and experiences that could be better addressed through a school commitment to ensuring belonging.