Since 1999, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) has successfully designed, implemented, and sustained a variety of evidence-based practices through the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) program. The 2017–2022 Kansas SPDG addressed a critical Kansas priority area for schools by establishing a new, coordinated, tiered system of trauma-informed school mental health practices focused on developing the resilience of Kansas children and youth with disabilities and their peers. Through the SPDG, processes, protocols, and professional learning resources were developed, implemented, and refined in collaboration with an initial cohort of District–Community Leadership Teams (DCLTs). As outlined in the School Mental Health Professional Development and Coaching System Evaluation Briefs, educators and community partners, including mental health professionals and early childhood providers, have increased their knowledge, collaboration, and collective efficacy through the implementation of trauma-responsive support plans that have resulted in positive outcomes for students with disabilities and their peers.
The 2022–2027 Kansas SPDG will capitalize on the momentum derived through the 2017–2022 SPDG by scaling up the implementation of this framework to increase statewide impact. Existing and new DCLTs, in collaboration with students and their families, will design and implement cross-system, trauma-responsive support plans. Educators, mental health professionals, infant/toddler specialists, and other community partners from across the state will increase their skills through professional learning and curricular resources for promoting students’ resilience and engaging families. The overarching goal is to foster resilience and increase achievement for children and youth with and without disabilities by strengthening family partnerships and creating trauma-responsive school–community environments through the implementation of neuroscience practices and mental health interventions. In collaboration with DCLTs, school implementation teams, family liaisons, infant/toddler specialist, and state-level councils, the 2022-2027 SPDG will focus on the following objectives:
The proposed Kansas SPDG will actualize the directive given in a 2022 statement by Miguel Cardona, the U.S. Secretary of Education, on prioritizing support to meet the mental health needs of students. The objectives promote policies set forth by ESEA/ESSA, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and the IDEA Part B and C State Performance Plans, and the Kansas State Board of Education. Operating within the KSDE Technical Assistance System Network (TASN) professional learning infrastructure, the SPDG will refine approaches within the Kansas Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) and Alignment framework.
The SPDG evaluation will center on increasing the effectiveness, implementation, and sustainability of evidence-based practices that result in a positive, lasting impact on children/youth, families, and educators. Following a comprehensive logic model and utilization-focused evaluation framework, the evaluation will promote data-based decisions regarding the inputs, outputs, outcomes, and impacts of SPDG-supported technical assistance, training, and coaching. Evaluation data will monitor the degree to which project resources are utilized and evidence-based practices are scaled up across the state. Children and youth impacts will be measured across time and include (a) increased self-regulation and engagement; (b) improved student voice and teacher–student relationships; (c) decreased bullying, anxiety, and depression; (d) improved attendance and academic achievement; and (e), for students participating in mental health interventions, their improvement on personalized mental health objectives will be analyzed across time
If you have questions or would like more information regarding this school mental health professional development opportunity, you may contact one of the following:
Kerry Haag khaag@ksde.org
Amy Gaumer-Erickson agaumer@ku.edu