University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Beacon: a curriculum for change

(USC Thesis Other)

Beacon: a curriculum for change

PDF

Download a page range

Download transcript

Copy asset link

Request this asset

Transcript (if available)

Content 1
Beacon, A Curriculum for Change
Cassie DeSena-Jacobs
Capstone Project
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Social Work
Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
University of Southern California
SOWK 722: Implementing Your Capstone and Re-Envisioning Your Career
Sam Mistrano, JD
August 2021

2

Dedication
To Grandma Yola, who insisted I always read, always learn, and supported me through college. I
am a doctor now!

To my mom and sister; thank you for the daily reminders, and we truly make the strongest team.

To my dad, for always reminding me that I am here because of my own hard work and
dedication.

To James; thank you for reading every paper and giving feedback every single time. You have
basically become an expert on the school to prison pipeline. Thank you.

To Ethan & Henry: you are my inspiration. If I can do this, you can do anything.

3

Acknowledgements
There are two professors that have consistently provided support and transparency to me
throughout my doctoral experience. Professor Cassandra Fatouros, LCSW, MBA and Professor
Sam Mistrano, JD. You have made a lifelong impact on my work. Thank you.

4

Table of Contents

Executive Summary
Problem: Excessive Suspensions for Students of Color
Solution
Implementation
Outcomes
Conclusion

5

Executive Summary
Excessive School Suspensions
In the United States, Black and Brown students are suspended at disproportionately
higher rates than White students, beginning in elementary school (DeSena-Jacobs, 2020a, Losen
& Martinez, 2013, Heitzeg, 2016; Mallet, 2016a). While comprising only 16% of the K- 12
education system, African American students made up 40% of total expulsions (Payne & Brown,
2017). . During the 2015- 2016 school year, Virginia administrators issued over 131,500 out-of-
school suspensions to over 70,000 individuals, increasing the second year in a row (Shillingford
& Sczerzenie, 2020).
Virginia ranks among the top five states in the United States that refer students to law
enforcement for school discipline issues. During the 2015- 2016 school year, Virginia
administrators issued over 131,500 out-of-school suspensions to over 70,000 individuals,
increasing the second year in a row (Shillingford & Sczerzenie, 2020). Virginia schools
continually suspend young students, issuing over 17,300 short-term suspensions and at least 93
long-term suspensions to students in pre-K through third grade. Over 57% of short-term-
suspensions and 18% of long-term suspensions were issued for relatively minor, non-violent
offenses like cell phone use, attendance, and disrespect (Woolard et al., 2018). In Virginia, Black
and Brown students made up 23% of the statewide student population but received 59% of short-
term suspensions, 57% of long-term suspensions, 43% of expulsions, and 34% of modified
expulsions (Woolard et al., 2018).
Students with multiple suspensions and expulsions are linked to school disengagement
and failure, non-promotion, ongoing disciplinary problems, and eventually, juvenile justice court
appearances--a combination of undesirable outcomes that can push students into what has been

6

called the school-to-prison pipeline (SPP) (Barbadoro, 2017; DeSena-Jacobs, 2020a; Kang-
Brown et al., 2013).
Intervention
Beacon: A Training for Schools, is an intervention designed to disrupt social norms that
exist in schools, communities and educators before students are involved with the juvenile justice
system by training teachers and school staff to approach students with a trauma focused,
culturally modest perspective (DeSena-Jacobs, 2020a; Skiba et. al, 2016). Beacon is a solution-
based training for schools that aims to address high suspension rates of Black and Brown
elementary students by combining elements of evidence-based models that have been shown to
improve the school experience for students of color. Beacon will be conducted during a four day
training that provides interactive information for participants about relationship building,
inherent bias, culturally responsive and humble classrooms, and how trauma impacts learning.
Recharge meetings will be held monthly, consisting of consultation support and short, micro-
courses that are approximately 15 minutes, which are demonstrated to effectively review
material and enable short, hyper-focused bursts of learning (Bunce et. al, 2010; DeSena-Jacobs,
2021d).
Beacon is innovative because it trains school administration to be preventative vs.
reactive. It also trains an entire school, from the administration to the janitorial staff. Beacon
combines aspects of functional-interactive training, working within schools, and implementing a
relationship coaching model to impact long-term change. In the first year of Beacon
programming, two outcome objectives have been identified: lower suspension rates by 10% and
shift attitude and perception in 55% of the school staff. These objectives will be evaluated
through evidence-based scales and comparison analysis with past school suspension

7

data. Suspensions and expulsions for Black and Brown youth in Virginia is a myopic issue. Zero
tolerance policies allow administrators to determine different consequences for each student and
connect to the juvenile justice system, resulting in a lack of evolution and a feedback loop.
Beacon will create successful outcomes by measuring macro-data, including referrals to
school administration and law enforcement, and meeting with students and families to evaluate
their perceptions of school changes. Interviews with stakeholders, combined with extensive
research of over 30 school programs, training, and curricula, has reinforced the need for this type
of program.
Beacon connects with the Smart Decarceration grand challenge by intervening earlier in
life of Black students to prevent future incarceration. The goal of the smart decarceration Grand
Challenge is to reduce the prison and jail population by 1 million people in the next decade
through work to shift racial disparities (Pettus-Davis & Epperson, 2015). Beacon is designed to
disrupt social norms before students are involved with the juvenile justice system by training
teachers to approach students with a different perspective.
CRT Framework
Critical race theory (CRT) is a conceptual framework in which to view the school to
prison pipeline (SPP). To dismantle the SPP, there needs to be an awareness moving forward that
school discipline, referrals to juvenile justice, and academic achievement for racial minorities are
all connected (Gregory & Fergus, 2017). Under the lens of CRT, the use of exclusionary
disciplinary policies by those in power is used to affirm beliefs about keeping order in
classrooms, empowering school staff, keeping drugs out of school, and ensuring that their
schools are "safe." CRT examines the interconnectedness of racism, power, and policy within a
larger macro context and asserts that education is a tool for the continued oppression of racial

8

minorities and the maintenance of White supremacy (Dutil, 2020). However, data actually
suggests that schools with repeat referrals to law enforcement or engagement with school
resource officers (SROs) tend to be less safe than schools using trauma-informed, inclusive-
based responses (Dutil, 2020; McCarter, 2017). CRT theorists assert that educational policy is a
function of social control and oppression, which includes the school to prison pipeline (Dutil,
2020; Gillborn, 2014).
Implementation
Action steps to promote successful implementation of Beacon include the creation of a
curriculum manual, filming training videos, solidifying the Recharge meeting format, and
effectively training all program staff prior to implementation. The Clinical Director of Beacon
will engage stakeholders throughout the entire process to monitor implementation within the
district and will offer continuing education credits for teachers and social workers who
participate in the training. Training will happen over the course of four days, within the pilot
school, in August before school begins. Additionally, funding for the next 3-5 years will also be
secured during this phase via federal and community grants as well as private donors (DeSena-
Jacobs, 2020c).
Outcomes
There are two specific outcome objectives in year 1 of the Beacon training: decrease
suspensions and expulsion at pilot school by 10% and witness a shift in attitude in 55% of school
administration and staff in Elementary School 1. This will be evaluated through evidence-based
scales and suspension data within the district.
After the Beacon model proves successful in pilot school 1, the pilot district will
transition the programming to the other four elementary schools within the district. The goal is to

9

have Beacon programming within all Virginia schools that are targeted for high suspension rates
within seven years of launch and roll out across the east coast fifteen years post launch.
Problem: Excessive Suspensions for Students of Color
The United States is a leader in incarceration due to the disproportionate incarceration of
people of color, people with behavioral health diagnosis, and the impoverished (Pettus-Davis &
Epperson, 2015; Wagner & Sawyer, 2020). Despite making up close to 5% of the global
population, the U.S. has nearly 25% of the world’s prison population (NAACP, 2021). The
American criminal justice system holds almost 2.3 million people in over 1,800 state prisons,
110 federal prisons, over 1,700 juvenile facilities, 3,200 local jails, over 200 immigration
detention facilities, Indian Country jails, military prisons, civil commitment centers, state
psychiatric hospitals, and prisons in the U.S. territories (Wagner & Sawyer, 2020).
Research indicates that the likelihood of incarceration is highest for African American
men, with one in three experiencing some form of incarceration, compared to one in 17 for white
men. Although African Americans make up a total of 13% in the United States population, they
comprise over 40% of incarcerated individuals (Pettus-Davis & Epperson, 2015; Pew Charitable
Trusts, 2008). If African Americans and Hispanics were incarcerated at the same rates as whites,
prison and jail populations would decline by almost 40% (NAACP, 2021). This same
disproportionality is mirrored in education, which is the start of the pathway to prison for
students of color. Black students count for nearly 35% of one-time suspensions, 48% of repeated
suspensions, and 36% of expulsions, while only making up 16-18% of the school population
(Lhamin & Samuels, 2014; Livesay, 2020, NCES, 2017; Spiller & Porter, 2014; Wald & Losen,
2003).

10

Additionally, Black students comprise over 46% of juveniles sent to criminal court, and a
20- 24-year-old Black male without a high school diploma/education certificate is more likely to
be incarcerated than employed (Wald & Losen, 2003; Stullich et al, 2016). Black boys are often
perceived as older and viewed as guilty when suspected of a crime by school staff (Blad, 2017;
Epstein et al, 2017). Punishment pathways lead to juvenile court referrals within school systems
(Mallett, 2016a). If the pipeline is not interrupted, and a young adult is not successful on juvenile
probation, additional harm occurs, including juvenile detention, long term incarceration, or long-
term placement (Mallett, 2016a). For youth, this leads to additional trauma, including school,
emotional, and mental health difficulties (Scott & Steinberg, 2008). More than half the
adolescents that enter juvenile justice facilities return to juvenile or adult prisons within three
years (DeSena-Jacobs, 2020a; Mallett, 2016b)
There is also a financial cost. Incarceration leads to less tax dollars collected, and a
higher cost for healthcare and welfare (Advancement Project, 2010). It is estimated that when a
student reaches the prison system, they cost taxpayers approximately $240 a day. In 2011, the
cost to house Black students in juvenile facilities was approximately $5.8 million a day, resulting
in a yearly cost of over two billion dollars (Spiller & Porter, 2014). Beacon intervenes earlier in
life of Black students to prevent future incarceration. And while the project seeks to impact the
lives of these families, it also seeks to help move the social work profession’s Grand Challenge
of Smart Decarceration forward.
Zero Tolerance & School Police
Zero-tolerance policies, combined with the placement of school resource officers in
school, maintain the SPP today (Livesey, 2020; Mallett, 2016a). These policies mandate specific
punishments for specific offenses, regardless of motive or situational differences. A student who

11

says the N word while reciting a passage from Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from a
Birmingham Jail, for example, would be punished with the same zero tolerance for cursing as a
kid with a swastika tattoo shouting the N word and a classmate in the hallway, despite these
being very obviously different situations (Curtis, 2014). Research shows that Black and Brown
students are subjected to harsher punishments under zero-tolerance policies than their white
counterparts (Curtis, 2014; Livesay, 2020). Evidence shows that consistently inappropriate
discipline for African American and Latino children begins as early as two years old at the
preschool level. African American and Latino preschoolers have been expelled three or four
times the rate of Caucasian children; additionally, there is no evidence that children of color have
worse behavior than their peers (Meek & Austin, Jr, 2019). Zero tolerance policies have
eliminated the consideration from school administration for why events occur, the motivation for
said events, and law enforcement involvement (Mallett, 2016b). In Virginia, state senators have
recently sponsored measures to prevent students from being charged with disorderly conduct
during school, on buses, or at school-sponsored events. Another measure, sponsored by Sen.
Jennifer McClellan, states that school principals are no longer mandated to report student acts
that contribute to a misdemeanor to law enforcement. Beacon furthers these policy steps by
training school staff about why a student may be engaging in a specific way and how to move
forward in a restorative fashion (Amano Dolan, 2021; DeSena-Jacobs, 2021a).
Zero tolerance policies as a form of school discipline have significant consequences.
Suspension and expulsion from school correlate with higher rates of illegal and antisocial
behavior, including an increased likelihood of future suspension and contact with the criminal
justice system (Monahan et al., 2014; Tobin et al., 2000). Advocates for zero-tolerance policies
argue that this prevents school violence by immediately removing students after an infraction

12

occurs, and therefore causing a ripple effect to other students (Gregory, 2009). These claims
have not been tested; however, available research states that there are consistently negative
impacts on expelled students (Gregory, 2009; Mallet, 2016).
School resource officers, or school police officers, are not a new addition to the school
environment however they impact and increase the number of students suspended (Owens,
2017). The Safe Schools act of 1994 and the 1998 Amendment, along with the Omnibus Crime
Control and Safe Street Act of 1968, promoted and funded police school partnerships, called
school resource officers (SRO). The Clinton administration's initial objective in placing SRO in
schools was to collaborate between schools and police to improve student safety (Morgan et al.,
2014). After the end of the Clinton Administration, nearly 1 billion federal dollars were spent on
police in schools, with some states increasing funding in the last few years (Morgan et al., 2014;
Owens, 2017). SROs in schools are not employed by school districts but by local police forces.
The presence of SROs on school campuses has increased student arrests on school grounds
between 300 and 500% annually since zero-tolerance policies, most often for incidents like
disobedience or talking back to teachers (U.S. Dept. of Education, 2014a). The data regarding
SROs is that the research is not complete; there are issues with old data, too many uneven
methodological standards, and inconsistent peer-reviewed journals to provide consistent
guidance on how or if to use SROs in schools (DeSena-Jacobs, 2020a; Morgan et al., 2014).
Theory of Change
Critical race theory (CRT) is a conceptual framework in which to view the SPP. CRT
theorists are united by a desire to expose the far-reaching impact of White supremacy in systems,
including the education system (Livesay, 2020). CRT theory states that racism exists in all parts
of American culture and systems on macro, mezzo, and micro scales; it permeates institutions

13

and individuals and creeps into the conscious and unconscious thoughts of the larger society
(Livesay, 2020; Solorazano & Yosso, 2001). CRT scholars in education moved research on race
in education/educational leadership from a racial deficit perspective to a more extensive
discussion about the prevalence and persistence of racism within society and schools. Ultimately,
CRT research has shown that race is endemic to society (Capper, 2015). Lopez (2013) states:
Most people view racism . . . as the enactment of overt racial acts—for example, name-
calling, burning crosses, hate crimes, and so forth—while ignoring the deeper, often
invisible, and more insidious forms of racism that occur on a daily basis. (pp. 81-82)
The problems highlighted above have inspired countless articles, stories, societal discussion and
the like. The Beacon project is grounded in CRT, and asserts that its training will be an effective
way for teachers/staff to interact with the thoughtlessness of current school punishment regimes
so that punishment pathways to juvenile detention and long-term incarceration are disrupted.
Educational scholars who study CRT look at how policies and practices in K-12
education contribute to racial inequalities in education – such as radically disproportionate
suspension rates for black students - and advocate for changing them. Viewing racism as
endemic and pervasive in society versus random, infrequent, and isolated helps educational
leaders navigate zero-tolerance policies and the school to prison pipeline (Capper, 2015; Tate,
1997). This will also help White educational leaders view how schools and districts embody
racism through culture, organization, zero-tolerance policies, and daily practices (Capper, 2015).
CRT notes that pervasiveness of racism exists even if educational leaders address racist
assumptions/beliefs, participate in diversity training, engage in meaningful work/relationships
with people of color, or make progress with students of color in schools. Education leaders

14

understand that working against racism in schools is an evolving, changing, lifelong process
(Capper, 2015; Theoharis & Haddix, 2011)
Solution
Beacon: A Training for Schools
Developed for elementary school staff, Beacon: A Training for Schools is a solution
focused and evidence-based training created for schools with higher rates of suspensions of
Black students. Teachers are not adequately trained to deal with classroom management and
discipline in kindergarten through 5th grade, resulting in high suspension rates (Pane & Rocco,
2014). Suspensions became part of the social norm within disciplinary policies in schools in the
1990s by introducing zero-tolerance disciplinary policies (Kim et al., 2010). While the
perception is that suspensions and expulsions occur when a student engages in dangerous
activities, a 2017 report found that 43% of severe disciplinary action nationwide between 2007
and 2008 were for the undefined catch-all term of “insubordination” (DeSena-Jacobs, 2020a;
Jones, 2017). Students who drop out of school before 10th grade have a higher likelihood of
being incarcerated (New York Civil Liberties Union, 2008). Nearly 80% of all prisoners are high
school dropouts or later received their General Education Diploma (GED) while incarcerated.
Approximately 41% of inmates have no high school credentials at all (Romero, 2014). This
innovation contributes to the Social Work Grand Challenge of Smart Decarceration as it works to
intervene early in the lives of Black students to prevent future incarceration (DeSena-Jacobs,
2020a, Mallett, 2016).
Beacon is facilitated through a four-day long training that provides interactive
information about relationship building, inherent bias, culturally modest and responsive
classrooms, and how trauma impacts learning (DeSena-Jacobs, 2020d). Beacon derives its

15

information and training material, with permission, from several successful intervention across
multiple sectors, including The EveryONE Project: Advancing Health Equity in Communities
Implicit Bias Training, NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development:
Culturally Responsive Classroom Management Training, & National Center on Safe &
Supportive Learning Environment: Trauma-Sensitive Schools Training Model, Hacking School
Discipline, Project READY: Reimagining Equity & Access for Diverse Youth from the Institute of
Museum and Library Science, and resources from the Institute of Restorative Practices.
Beacon’s training is facilitated by three trained clinical staff. It is interactive and uses
modeling, video modeling, role-playing, group work, and games to provide implementable
information that can be utilized in the school setting. Training will include facilitating the
Beacon model through a restorative lens in classrooms, including how to support students that
discuss vulnerable or emotionally triggering information and how to utilize effective statements
and affective questions with a young audience. Participants will receive information for a
maximum of 20 minutes throughout the training day before participating in an activity as part of
the training model (DeSena-Jacobs, 2020e). Each training day will be approximately four hours,
and food will be provided to attendants. Additionally, required continuing education credits will
be provided for social workers, teachers, and administrators that attend this training.
Recharge meetings will be monthly follow up meetings by trained Beacon staff.
Recharge meetings will have short, micro-courses that are approximately 15 minutes, which
studies have shown allow participants to review material effectively and enable short, hyper-
focused bursts of learning (Bunce et al., 2010; DeSena-Jacobs, 2020e). The rest of the time in
Recharge meetings will be in a question-and-answer style format (Bunce et al., 2010; DeSena-
Jacobs. 2020e).

16

Beacon is created for schools with higher rates of suspensions and would be most
successfully implemented in a school with a social-emotional learning model (SEL) for students
currently in place (DeSena-Jacobs, 2020e). SEL models promote and increase well-being,
adjustment, and academic achievement for students and teach relationship skills, cooperation,
listening skills, taking turns, and seeking help (Denham et al., 2005; DeSena-Jacobs, 2020d).
Partnering with a district that currently uses an SEL model – such as the pilot district in Virginia
-- is a way to utilize opportunities for innovation. Beacon will be implemented in a pilot school
district in Virginia that uses SEL. The selected pilot district has one of the highest enrolled
numbers of Black and Brown students in Virginia (Pope, 2018; DeSena-Jacobs, 2020c). It also
has a superintendent with a history of social work experience and expressed interest in shifting
the school to prison pipeline through new models (DeSena-Jacobs, 2020c). See Appendix A for
prototype.
Why Beacon Will Work
The logic model for Beacon includes short-term and long-term outcomes, with the
eventual impact of changing the trajectory for Black and Brown elementary school students, in
which currently 1 in 4 experience suspensions as young as preschool and throughout their school
experience (Stegelin et al., 2020). Beacon works to shift schools to a culturally modest,
supportive educational environment with increased graduation rates for Black and Brown
students. Beacon not only uses evidence based components to target the widespread issue of over
representation of students of color in school discipline, but it is in a format similar to school staff
trainings. Beacon has prescriptive instructions and long-term support, is low cost, and is aligned
with federal, state, and school initiatives to reduce suspensions and expulsions.

17

Short term outcomes for Beacon include: decreased suspensions and expulsion at pilot
school by 10% within the first year, 55% of staff will receive training in the pilot district, seven
elementary schools in the pilot district will be trained within five years, marked reduction of
stress for students and staff, improved sense of classroom management for teachers/school staff
via a decrease in suspensions reported on Beacon Student Relationship Assessment, Empathy
Assessment Scale and Teacher Efficacy Scale, improved classroom dynamics via Teacher
Efficacy Scale, continuing education credits for teachers/social workers, improved relationships
between teachers and students, decrease in bias within the classroom and school via Bias
Attitude Scale and an increase in students feeling safe within school.
Long-term outcomes include staff from all seven elementary schools in the pilot district
receiving training within five years, improved retention of teachers via the Perceived Stress
Scale, and improved understanding of trauma in schools. Long-term outcomes also include
decreasing racial tension in schools, decreasing suspensions of Black and Brown students,
decreasing the cost of suspensions and expulsions paid by school districts, increasing money for
schools through the increased rate of attendance, and improved academic test scores (See
Appendix B).
Stakeholders
Before creating Beacon, research was conducted with various stakeholders, including
teachers, social workers, curriculum writers/trainers, and individuals who experienced excessive
suspensions. A Virginia school administrator explained, when you aren’t taught how to be
comfortable with your own biases, how do you navigate that in a school with 500 kids that you
are responsible for? Teachers interviewed provided the same information; that there is a lack of
training that discusses systematic racism, inherent bias, and trauma. Teachers that participated in

18

interviews explained that systemic racism has led to the need for educators to be aware of their
inherent racial bias and be versed in trauma education. As one New York City teacher explained,
And then the next step is to provide tools to answer the question, Okay, I see this is happening,
what do I do now? A behavioral specialist and curriculum facilitator for almost 30 years openly
discussed the importance of discussing discipline at a leadership level while also working to
provide adequate student success models. Social work stakeholders reiterated the importance of
increasing trauma-informed training, de-escalation training for staff/school systems-wide, and
implementing training programs targeted appropriately with multicultural consideration.
Stakeholders involved in the legal field- prosecutors and elected representatives, explained that
necessary training for police, teachers, social workers include crisis intervention training, cross-
cultural awareness, classroom management, and de-escalation training.
A mother whose child has been suspended nine times for non-compliance related
suspensions during the 2019- 2020 school year expressed her frustration with teachers,
explaining that teachers never took the time to get to know her child, and instead judged him
based on his name and skin tone. A fifth grade student interviewed stated that school resource
officers and administrators will never care about him or what he needs as long as they [school
staff] look differently from him. See Appendix C.
Current policy and community-based changes are happening in Virginia regarding school
suspensions (Amano Dolan, 2021). Beacon is innovative because it provides a hands-on training
model that any school administration can choose to implement. The ongoing Recharge meetings
are another innovative aspect of Beacon, as no school training models provide monthly training
with a question-and-answer periods. Stakeholder interest combined with funding discussions
with Virginia school districts has shown that Beacon can be a successful program long-term.

19

Community partnerships with local nonprofits, activists, legal scholars, and elected officials also
reflect the potential for long-term success.
Beacon already has a pilot school district in Virginia, and includes parts of curricula that
were successful in other states with high suspension rates Aspects of these interventions were
implemented in Oakland Unified School District and Aurora Public Schools and showed a
decrease in teacher stress, student suspensions, an increase in teacher empathy, and more safe
school climates (Dorado et. al, 2016). San Francisco Unified School District adopted district
wide policies which focused solely on inherent bias to improve professional development after
long-term issues with high rates of suspensions of Black and Brown Students (Morgan et. al,
2014). These training occurred for 60 minutes monthly, and after three years of a focused
training model the escalated suspension rate dropped by more than 34% (Morgan et. al, 2014).
Change has started in Virginia to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline from a political and
programmatic standpoint. Two new laws were sponsored by Sen. Jennifer McClellan, which
passed in the Virginia General Assembly in 2020. Senate Bill 3 prevents students from being
charged with disorderly conduct during school, on school busses, or at school-sponsored events.
SB 729 removed a requirement that school principals report student acts that constitute a
misdemeanor to law enforcement (Shillingford & Sczerzenie, 2020). University of Richmond
law school recently held a six-hour, paneled forum on the school-to-prison pipeline and how a
pervasive history of racial and discriminatory policies in the U.S. has led to this problem.
Identified actions communicated by the University of Richmond panel included removing SROs,
educating teachers and school staff about inherent bias, and how a pervasive history of racial and
discriminatory policies in the U.S. has led to this problem (Amano Dolan, 2021).
Implementation

20

Prototype
Beacon: A Training for Schools is a four-day training for school administrators. This
training is a solution-based classroom intervention model created by Cassie DeSena-Jacobs, MS,
LCSW, to examine personal mindsets and disciplinary practices in elementary school teachers,
counselors, school resource officers, and principals. The material is based on successful
interventions piloted in other school district as well as non-school sectors. Beacon: A Training
for Schools has an evidence-based curriculum with prescriptive instructions, provided materials,
and steps on how to make larger changes.
Market Analysis
Over 30 programs were evaluated before this project, and in total, four programs are
engaging in versions of efforts to disrupt social norms in schools. Second Step is a Pre-K through
8
th
grade SEL curriculum designed to help manage emotions, control reactions, become more
aware of the feelings of others, and develop responsible decision making/problem solving skills.
Lessons for K-3 are delivered weekly in lesson format, and include songs, games, stories,
drawing/writing, and opportunity to practice. The program has a coordinated effort to train both
school staff and students.
However, Beacon is the only training program that will train in each area that research
and stakeholder interviews consistently discuss as necessary to change suspension rates,
including trauma awareness and inherent bias training. This has resulted in not only a higher
likelihood of success for Beacon but reflects the current national interest in disrupting these
suspensions. Beacon is reflective of the more significant social justice movement regarding
inherent bias and cultural modesty (Hill et al., 2020). In Virginia, elected representatives
advocate for the legislature to shift the way discipline is facilitated in school settings, especially

21

for elementary school students. Panels are being created within school districts in Virginia to
foster dialogue and advocate for training to lower the number of students suspended (Amano
Dolan, 2021). Beacon has the potential to impact more than the pilot district- upon its success, it
can be implemented in any district in any state. Also, there are no competing programs like
Beacon in elementary schools in Virginia.
Implementation
The EPIS (Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment) framework is applied
to this Beacon’s development and implementation process, including evaluating and
implementing evidence-based perspectives (Moullin et al., 2016). EPIS recognizes how outer
and inner contexts are connected (Moullin et al., 2016). An example that connected to the
development of Beacon includes the zero-tolerance policies that impact suspension rates (outer
context) and the programming that is facilitated in schools in order to train educators to be more
prepared and better equipped for students (inner context) (Moullin et al.,2016). For EPIS to be
effectively utilized, strategies are needed to connect relevant stakeholders through the four EPIS
stages to maximize the ability to find acceptable solutions for all stakeholders (Aarons et al.,
2012). See Appendix D.
Within the exploration phase, the Clinical Director of the Beacon program will facilitate
focus groups within the community to consider Black students' emerging needs as they are
suspended at higher rates in the pilot district. Funding sources will be researched, including
federal and local grants as well as community grants. A year is established within the exploration
phase to prepare and apply for funding. Within the Exploration phase and inner context, a barrier
includes organizational characteristics of the selected school district to pilot Beacon. A school
resource officer employed with this district interviewed explained that her job is to protect

22

students, not arrest them, but this does not always feel like her reality. She went on to say that
there is encouragement from the administration to act first, think later (DeSena-Jacobs, 2020?).
A facilitator from the inner context includes organizational leadership at pilot elementary school
one within the pilot district. This district's principal and assistant principal identified in
interviews and ongoing conversations that escalated suspension rates of Black students in
elementary school are a district-wide issue that needs resolution (DeSena-Jacobs, 2020e).
Within the preparation phase, Beacon training will be submitted to the National
Association of Social Workers (NASW) and National Education Association (NEA) so attending
teachers and social workers can receive required continuing education training hours; meetings
will be facilitated with stakeholders to facilitate ongoing EBP planning with the Beacon
curriculum. During this phase, which is approximately six months, Beacon staff will be hired,
trained, and coached, and the Beacon training model will be solidified. Videos will be filmed and
formatted for training as well. Furthermore, training material will be prepared, and the Recharge
meeting format will be solidified. The Clinical Director of Beacon will also meet with
stakeholders within the pilot district to ensure the plan for the implementation phase. Barriers to
success within this phase include the history of Virginia schools lacking transparency regarding
bias and the education system (Legal Aid Justice Center, 2018). The exploration phase and
preparation phase are nearly complete at this time, with exception of the ongoing pursuit for
funding.
During the implementation phase, the Beacon training is facilitated within the pilot
district. EPIS allows for monitoring the EBP and adjustments to ensure that all strategies are
occurring effectively (Moullin et al., 2016). Beacon staff will also administer the Bias Attitude
Scale, Intercultural Competence Scale, Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care Scale,

23

Empathy Assessment Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and implicit bias vignettes to measure the
effectiveness of the EBP model. See Appendix E. In addition to these scales, which are used to
measure the projected outcomes of Beacon, it is also necessary to measure the implementation.
Beacon will measure implementation through the Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM)
(Weiner et al., 2017). The FIM will be provided to school staff to measure the extent to which
Beacon training can be successfully carried out within the pilot school (Weiner et al., 2017).
After Beacon training is facilitated, Beacon staff will also provide the Acceptability of
Intervention Measure (AIM) to measure if the Beacon training was agreeable or not per school
stakeholders (Weiner et al., 2017). This phase will last throughout the school year, from August
2022 to September 2023. A barrier of implementation includes the political climate of the United
States and the way this continues to impact school systems in regards to ongoing issues with zero
tolerance, as well as how COVID- 19 continues to impact and prolong school closures (CDC,
2020; Masonbrink & Hurley, 2020). See Appendix F.
In the Sustainment phase, the outer and inner context structures and previously created
supports remain ongoing to ensure that Beacon training continues with any necessary adaptations
(Moullin et al., 2016). After the Beacon model proves successful in the pilot school, the pilot
district will transition the programming to the other four elementary schools within the district.
The goal is to have Beacon programming within all 2,100 Virginia elementary schools targeted
for high suspension rates within seven years of launch and roll out across the east coast fifteen
years post-launch. Additionally, funding for the next 3-5 years will also be secured during this
phase via federal and community grants and private donors. A barrier to Sustainment is that the
Virginia Department of Education may not take Beacon training statewide, hindering scalability.
A GANTT chart reflective of these stages within a timeline is available in Appendix F.

24

Leadership strategies that focus on instructional leadership will be utilized. Instructional
leadership aims to improve student experience and teacher effectiveness. This includes coaching
for teachers, a focus on classroom management and budget allocation for growth (Guido, 2018).
Beacon reflects this model through the training as well as Recharge meetings.
Financial Plan
Beacon will file for nonprofit status in Virginia in the preparation period. This project's
revenue model will be a mix of revenue sources that includes government grants, educational
stipends, and small and major donors which include in-kind donations items like ipads. This
mixed-method will allow diversity in funding options. Beacon cannot rely on a single source of
revenue; a drop in one or multiple sources may result in funding streams disappearing. However,
Beacon is a small nonprofit, and too many funding sources would constrain organizational
capabilities (Fulop, 2012). Beacon's first-year operating budget will utilize the same revenue
sources. The heartfelt connector model for funding, which allows causes that resonate with many
people, will be utilized. Fundraisers will be planned and hosted, utilizing this funding model
(Foster et al., 2009). If COVID-19 is still a risk, fundraisers will be facilitated through an online
medium in order to engage community donors. In 2019, over 4 billion dollars was designated in
Virginia for educational funding (Data Point, 2019). The goal is to prove the effectiveness of
Beacon to the Virginia Dept. of Education, and ask for increased educational stipend funding
each year with each additional school.
The startup budget for Beacon involves the planning, organization, and hiring of staff in
2021- 2022. This budget for Beacon requires $133,100, with the first year of operation requiring
$124,500. Personnel expenses in startup total $102,000, while other expenses in startup total
$31,100. Personnel expenses in year one remain at $102,000, while other expenses total $22,500.

25

There is a surplus in the startup of $900; in year one, the surplus is $9,500. Budget(s) for Beacon
are available in Appendix G.
Beacon’s direct expenses in the startup phase cover hiring the clinical director and
additional staff, which continue to be the most significant expense during the first year of
operations. Clinical training expenses are also a primary expense in the startup phase, as Beacon
is an evidence-based program and requires clinical staff to be effective facilitators of training
information. Details for the spending plans are contained in the attached budgets and reflected in
the Appendix of this paper. Projected revenue for Beacon in the startup phase is $134,000.
Funding will be acquired through individual giving, educational stipends, and grants, such as the
Hampton Roads Community Foundation Grant. The long-term revenue plan is to have funds
supplied by grant funding, individual giving, and educational stipends.
During the first year of operation, most of the $134,000 in projected revenue will be
provided by the Hampton Roads Foundation Grant- which is primarily focused on educational
based programming- Kellogg Family Grant, Race to the Top Grant, Virginia Department of
Education stipend, and individual giving. The Clinical staff of Beacon will apply for funding,
and the Clinical Director will coordinate all funding through the Virginia Department of
Education.
When Beacon transitions outside the district, additional funding will be applied for
through the Virginia Department of Education, as well as education grants such as the Fund for
Teachers, and Virginia Education Association Civil Rights department. Once Beacon proves to
be successful, Beacon will have an additional revenue stream through selling the curriculum to
additional districts to implement, along with a training for whomever is facilitating the Beacon
training.

26

Last year, over 35 billion dollars were spent on school suspensions and expulsions. The
budget of Beacon is 0.00038% of this. A visual reflection of this is available in Appendix G. In
2017, Virginia spent over six billion dollars in education spending (Lou et. al, 2018). This
spending did not curb or shift suspensions or expulsions of Black elementary school students, as
they continue to be on rise (Legal Aid Justice Center, 2018). Funding continues to be facilitated
to programming that will not shift the systemic racism, trauma, or lack of cultural awareness that
is present in Virginia schools (DeSena-Jacobs, 2020d; Kafka, 2011). The Beacon leadership
team has an implementation plan to ensure that this program is effective long-term. This plan
considers risks, like a lack of education funding long-term from the Virginia Dept of Education.
Beacon staff have evaluated multiple educational grants that, if received, would be able to pay
for the training and allow Beacon to have a sustainable bottom line and be scalable after pilot
school success. Additional risk for financial planning include how to continue to have dialogue
with school stakeholders to reiterate that suspension rates and staff attitude will take time to
change due to the culture of Virginia.
Outcomes
The goal of Beacon is to reduce the number of Black and Brown elementary school
students suspended in the pilot school district. During the 2016- 2017 school year in Virginia,
127,800 out of school suspensions were issued to over 73,000 individual Black students (Legal
Aid Justice Center, 2018). Virginia continues to use exclusionary discipline policies with
students as young as pre- k through 3
rd
grade, issuing close to 18,000 short term suspensions and
over 110 expulsions to children in this age range (Legal Aid Justice Center, 2018). This was an
increase from the year prior (Legal Aid Justice Center, 2018). The suspension rate continues to

27

be 4.5 times higher for Black students than for Hispanic and white students in Virginia (Legal
Aid Justice Center, 2018).
The first outcome objective is to decrease disciplinary referrals, including suspensions
and expulsion at pilot elementary schools by 10% within the first year of Beacon programming.
The pilot district is one of the 18 identified school divisions flagged within the Commonwealth
of Virginia for the highest suspension rates (Legal Aid Justice Center, 2018). 14% of Black male
students who attend this district have been suspended at least once in their academic experience
(Legal Aid Justice Center, 2018). 10% is the determined outcome, as Virginia has a persistent
history with zero-tolerance discipline policies (Legal Aid Justice Center, 2018). Virginia is one
of the top states for administrators to engage in zero tolerance policies, including excessive
suspension (Charlesworth & Banaji, 2019). Changing racial bias takes time; huge shifts are not
likely to be seen within the first year or two (Charlesworth & Banaji, 2019; Zero Tolerance
Policies: An Issue Brief, 2005). This process objective will utilize bias vignettes to measure bias
before Beacon training is administered in school administration.
The methodology of using anchoring vignettes, which are brief descriptions of
hypothetical people/situations that survey participants evaluate on the same scale they would
consider their concerns, will be used (Xu & Yu, 2016). There is essential information on the use
of anchoring vignettes with intergroup health inequalities (Jürges, 2007; Salomon et al., 2004).
Less information is available regarding the use of vignettes to assess school inequality issues
(Boykins, 2016). Vignettes will be administered at pretraining, and 3, 6, 9- and 12-month periods
post-training. Suspension rates at the pilot elementary school will also be evaluated pre and post-
training at 3, 6, 9- and 12-month intervals.

28

The second outcome objective is to see a 55% shift in staff attitudes in the pilot
Elementary School in the Beacon model. Beacon is a new training for the pilot district, and the
goal has been set at 55% versus a higher number. According to stakeholder interviews with
school administration, there have not been trainings facilitated in inherent bias, cultural
competency, or trauma-informed learning for this school district (DeSena-Jacobs, 2020e).
Beacon must designate a reasonable number to continue to replicate and scale this model to other
schools in the future (DeSena-Jacobs, 2020e). Humans are, by nature, flawed (Boykins, 2016).
Research studies have shown that individuals rely on intuition and generalizations to interpret
and draw conclusions about events and people (Boykins, 2016; Dawes, 1989; Spengler et al.,
2009). Reliance on this skill set results in biases and systematic errors about oneself and others
(Boykins, 2016; Dawes, 1989; Spengler et al., 2009). It also creates a challenge for long-term
change (Boykins, 2016; Dawes, 1989; Spengler et al., 2009). The process objective will increase
school administration knowledge with a week-long, interactive, evidence-based training
curriculum as evidenced by changes in the following evidence-based scales: Bias Attitude Scale,
Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Empathy Assessment Scale, and
Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care Scale.
Measures of Success
Measures of short-term success for Beacon will include a reduction of stress for both
students and teachers measured via the PSS and student scales created by this writer, an
improvement in the type of relationships that develop from staff and student interactions
measured via self-rating scales and via a reduction of student outbursts in classrooms resulting in
referrals to disciplinary coordinators (DeSena-Jacobs, 2020b).

29

A measure of long-term success for Beacon will be reducing school discipline measures-
the number of students placed in in-school suspension, suspension, or expulsion- once staff are
trained in the Beacon model (DeSena-Jacobs, 2020b). A comparison analysis will be conducted
to compare the reduction of suspensions and expulsions in the pilot school(s) that utilize Beacon
versus the schools both within the pilot district that did not utilize Beacon's training model
(DeSena-Jacobs, 2020b). Data will be measured and collected via surveys, vignettes,
observations, and records depending on which stage of the training participants are engaged.
This study design will be quasi-experimental. This design will work to evaluate the
effectiveness of Beacon's training intervention looking at longitudinal data over five years
(Kontopantelis, 2015). Quasi-experimental is a useful design, as it tends to be a less expensive
design model, which is beneficial for a pilot design (Schweizer et al., 2016). This will also allow
for Beacon staff to monitor for characteristics in the sample size that remain unchanged, as well
as any significant shifts (Kontopantelis, 2015).
Stakeholder Involvement
School administrators, parents, students, teachers, and school social workers have been a
part of the Beacon process since 2019. In order to engage in long-term success via stakeholder
involvement, students in schools that facilitate Beacon will take surveys to measure changes in
the school environment. Beacon clinical staff will facilitate monthly meetings with community
stakeholders, including school principals, teachers in the pilot district, school social workers,
parents and local nonprofits, to ensure that the program meets the need for the established
problem of excessive suspensions. Legislative officials, including Del. Mike Mullin, and the
Virginia Department of Education have evaluated the Beacon curriculum, and provided effective
feedback.

30

Communication Products
As a training model, Beacon includes video modeling, role-playing on platforms like
FlipGrid, questions, and answers on Padlet, and an active social media presence. Once funding is
secured for Beacon, students that have aged out of the school system will participate in a
campaign to tell their personal stories and experiences about repeated suspensions.
Parents/caregivers, and school staff trained in the Beacon model will also be asked to participate.
These conversations, titled Beacon: Stop Racially Motivated Suspensions Campaign, will be
filmed with permission and posted on the Beacon website and social media platforms.
Infographics with details about school suspensions will also be shared on social media platforms
at the same time. See Appendix H.
With the ongoing racial injustice movement and dialogue regarding CRT in schools,
these videos will send a strong and impactful message to a larger audience. Beacon will
additionally submit these products to be viewed at the NASW, NASW-VA, and NEA yearly
conferences. This will allow other social workers, teachers, and school administrators to
determine their interest level in Beacon programming.
Clinical Concerns and Consequences
While there is a committed pilot school and district interest, it is also essential to evaluate
any concerns. School staff and teachers may not be interested in training in a new model.
Teachers and social workers will receive continuing education credits; however, Beacon is an
implementation model that requires large-scale school buy-in. While Beacon can be adaptable to
an online training model, if schools close again due to COVID-19, or any other unforeseen
events, it may be challenging to implement parts of the model. If this occurs, Beacon will
become a hybrid or fully online model to be still applicable. Schools outside the pilot district

31

may show more interest in Beacon than other models based on how it is marketed, for which
funding is required.
There are additional concerns regarding measures and sampling. Cassie DeSena-Jacobs,
Beacon founder, wrote two measures (Inherent Bias Vignettes, Student Relationship Measure)
for the program. The limitations to these measures created by Beacon staff are that they have not
been tested previously, and there may be bias within them as they were created by the designer
of the pilot program (Morgado et al., 2017). Return to school attendance may be low in the 2021-
2022 school year, as the pilot district was entirely virtual for the 2020-2021 school year. Low
attendance rates will impact funding availability from the district.
Beacon will use cluster sampling, in which internal validity is less valid than with simple
random sampling. If clusters are not a good mini-representation of the population as a whole, it is
more difficult to rely upon the sample to provide valid results. If there is insufficient diversity
within the school district, there will be limits within the provided results (Schweizer et al., 2016).
Beacon will facilitate a quasi-experimental design, which is not random. It is difficult to
conclude a causal association between the Beacon intervention as it is facilitation and the
potential drop in suspension rates. Other pitfalls of quasi-experimental designs include the strong
possibility of historical bias or how the nature of the times can impact the events that occur
during the study (Schweizer et al., 2016; Teles, 2020).

Conclusion
Aims for the Future
Two recommendations within the Smart Decarceration Grand Challenge that apply to
suspensions of Black and Brown students are reducing disparities, a key outcome of

32

decarceration efforts, and allocating funding to community-based supports. There continue to be
uneven effects of mass incarceration on individuals of color. Decarceration efforts by federal,
state, and local governments, per this Grand Challenge, should include commitments to develop
innovations that actively target the reduction of racial, economic, and behavioral health
disparities. As of 2016, the U.S. spends over $52 billion annually on incarceration, although the
positive impact of public safety is minimal (Amano Dolan, 2021; Kamenetz, 2016). There must
be a shift to view decarceration efforts in accompaniment with programs to reduce recidivism,
investment in public education, and behavioral health. Beacon meets these Grand Challenge
recommendations by implementing and facilitating a school-based training program that
provides ongoing education and training (Pettus-Davis & Epperson, 2015).
Implications & Limitations
There are implications for project innovation with Beacon. Beacon must work to
consistently provide service-center approaches. This includes evaluating efficiency as well as
offering service-centric approaches that reflect the mission of both Beacon and schools. Beacon
will need to consistently develop blueprints that create valuable relationships with school
stakeholders, as well as work to develop strategic themes to ensure that pilot schools remain
aligned. Another implication is that Beacon staff must work to provide storytelling opportunities
for students and families of color that have directly experienced the SPP. If successful, this will
validate and help management understand the importance of Beacon training. It will be important
for Beacon staff to not assume what is intuitively obvious to them as clinicians and researchers in
the SPP (Facility Management: Service Futures, 2020).
There are ethical risks involved in Beacon, as a component is engaging in inherent bias
training. Individuals tend to be unaware of unethical aspects of actions they take. Due to this,

33

unethical risks are often unexpected. Beacon clinical staff will attend ethics training and engage
in fidelity measures when implementing the intervention to mitigate these risks. Because aspects
of the Beacon training are derived from evidence-based programming with permission, an
additional risk includes copywriting and replication issues. Beacon will need to go through the
copyright process in order to prevent unauthorized training and copies.
To mitigate ethical risks among Beacon staff, training must be facilitated in line with the
program model (Barber et al., 2007; Breitenstein et al., 2010). In this capstone, the Clinical
Director of Beacon will select, train, coach, and supervise clinical staff to facilitate the Beacon
training to schools (Breitenstein et al., 2010; Fixsen et al., 2005). Implementation fidelity
assessment is a feedback mechanism that will help improve practitioner performance and
ultimately affect the Beacon curriculum's targeted improvements. Through this model,
implementation fidelity assessments create a feedback loop that informs practitioner selection
requirements, improvement in future Beacon clinical staff training, and ongoing coaching and
supervision for hired Beacon staff (Fixsen et al., 2005). This framework will ensure that staff
hired for Beacon are supported and coached through the model throughout their tenure as Beacon
trainers (Fixsen et al., 2005).
Recommendations for future work include creating a program to train school social
workers to directly provide the Beacon model, as well as working with larger organizations like
Institute of Restorative Practices to add the Beacon model to their large training system.
Next Steps
Beacon has already been shared with stakeholders, as well as expert researchers on the
school-to-prison pipeline. Beacon has been reviewed by school administrators, teachers, social
workers, and elected officials in Virginia. Nonprofit status has been applied for, as has work to

34

receive funding for the program. Beacon will continue to be shared with pilot school
stakeholders to familiarize the material.
Throughout summer 2021, focus groups of pilot school stakeholders will meet to discuss
future implementation. February 2022- August 2022 will include securing funding, final
stakeholder meetings, hiring and training Beacon clinical staff, filming role-play scenarios, and
filming for the Beacon: Stop Racially Motivated Suspensions Campaign. During the 2022- 2023
school year, Beacon will be implemented in the pilot school, and scales and data will be
reviewed to measure implementation. Post successful implementation at the pilot school, Beacon
will transition to other elementary schools within the pilot district during the 2023- 2025 school
year(s). In 2025- 2027, it is projected that Beacon training will be offered to additional high
suspension school districts in Virginia and other states.

35

References
Aarons, G., Green, A., Palinkas, L., Self-Brown, S., Whitaker, D., Lutzker, J., Silovsky, J.,
Hecht, D., & Chaffin, M. (2012). Dynamic adaptation process to implement an evidence-
based child maltreatment intervention. Implementation Science : IS, 7(1), 32–32.
https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-7-32
Advancement Project (2010). Test, punish, and push out: How ‘zero tolerance’ and high-stakes
testing funnel youth in the school-to prison pipeline. Washington, D.C.
Amano Dolan, C. (2021). Panel calls for 'paradigm shift' in Virginia school-to-prison pipeline.
https://www.whsv.com. https://www.whsv.com/2021/03/19/panel-calls-for-paradigm-
shift-in-virginia-school-to-prison-pipeline/.
American Academy of Pediatrics (2013). Policy Statement: Out of School Suspensions and
Expulsion. American Academy of Pediatrics. [PDF].
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/early/2013/02/20/peds.2012-
3932.full.pdf
Barbadoro, A. (2017). The Socioemotional Impact of Disparate Student Discipline: An
Examination of Racial Bias and Out-of-School Suspensions. ProQuest Dissertations
Publishing.
Barber, J. Sharpless, B, Klostermann, S. & McCarthy, K. (2007). Assessing Intervention
Competence and Its Relation to Therapy Outcome: A Selected Review Derived From the
Outcome Literature. Professional Psychology, Research and Practice, 38(5), 493–500.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7028.38.5.493

36

Basloe, M. (2019, April 16). The Role of Implicit Bias in Early Childhood Settings. [PDF].
https://www.childcareservices.org/2019/04/16/the-role-of-implicit-bias-in-early-
childhood-settings/
Blad, E. (2017). Adults See Black Girls as Less Innocent Than Their White Peers, Survey Finds.
Education Week.
https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/rulesforengagement/2017/06/adults_see_black_girls_as
_less_innocent_than_their_white_peers_survey_finds.html
Boykins, B. (2016). The Influence of Feedback on Implicit Bias in a Sample of Primarily
Caucasian Women Counselors-in-Training Primarily Caucasian Women Counselors-in-
Training. Western Michigan University. [PDF file]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3467&context=dissertatio
Breitenstein, G, Gross, D, Garvey, C, Hill, C, Fogg, L & Resnick, B. (2010). Implementation
fidelity in community-based interventions. Research in Nursing & Health, 33(2), 164–
n/a. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.20373
Bunce, D., Flens, E., & Neiles, K. (2010). How Long Can Students Pay Attention in Class? A
Study of Student Attention Decline Using Clickers. Journal of Chemical Education,
87(12), 1438–1443. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed100409p
Butcher, J. (2020). Critical Race Theory, the New Intolerance, and Its Grip on America. The
Heritage Foundation. https://www.heritage.org/civil-rights/report/critical-race-theory-the-
new-intolerance-and-its-grip-america.
Capper, C. (2015). The 20th-Year Anniversary of Critical Race Theory in Education:
Implications for Leading to Eliminate Racism. Educational Administration Quarterly,
51(5), 791–833. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X15607616

37

CDC. (2020). Coronavirus and Schools. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-
ncov/downloads/considerations-for-school-closure.pdf
Charlesworth, T., & Banaji, M. (2019, August 14). Research: How Americans' Biases Are
Changing (or Not) Over Time. Harvard Business Review.
https://hbr.org/2019/08/research-on-many-issues-americans-biases-are-decreasing.
Curtis, A. (2014). Tracing the school-to-prison pipeline from zero-tolerance policies to juvenile
justice dispositions. The Georgetown Law Journal, 102(4), 1251–.
Dawes, R. M. (1989). Experience and validity of clinical judgment: The illusory correlation.
Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 7(4), 457–467. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsl.2370070404
DeCuir-Gunby, J. (2007). Negotiating Identity in a Bubble: A Critical Race Analysis of African
American High School Students’ Experiences in an Elite, Independent School. Equity &
Excellence in Education, 40(1), 26–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/10665680601093507
Denham, S., Wyatt, T., Bassett, H., Echeverria, D., & Knox, S. (2009). Assessing social-
emotional development in children from a longitudinal perspective. Journal of
Epidemiology and Community Health, 63(Suppl 1), i37–52.
https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2007.070797
DeSena-Jacobs, C (2020a). Analysis of the School to Prison Pipeline. Unpublished Paper.
Submitted for SWK 706. Leading and Managing Large Complex Systems. Doctor of
Social Work Curriculum, Spring 2020. University of Southern California.
DeSena-Jacobs, C (2020b). Beacon Design Products. Unpublished Paper. Submitted for SWK
723. Design Laboratory for Social Innovation II. Doctor of Social Work Curriculum,
Spring 2020. University of Southern California

38

DeSena-Jacobs, C (2020c). Capstone Proposal. Unpublished Paper. Submitted for SWK 710.
Preparatory Scholarship for Capstone. Doctor of Social Work Curriculum, Summer 2020.
University of Southern California.
DeSena-Jacobs, C (2020d). Beacon: Implementation Characteristics of Capstone Innovation.
Unpublished Paper. Submitted for SWK 713. The Application of Implementation
Science. Doctor of Social Work Curriculum, Fall 2020. University of Southern
California.
DeSena-Jacobs, C (2020e). Beacon: Program Proposal & Structural Components. Unpublished
Paper. Submitted for SWK 707. Financial Management for Social Change. Doctor of
Social Work Curriculum, Fall 2020. University of Southern California.
DeSena-Jacobs, C (2020f). Research Brief Connected to Smart Decarceration Grand Challenge.
Unpublished Paper. Submitted for SWK SOWK 721: Data Driven Decision Making in Social
Services. Doctor of Social Work Curriculum, Spring 2021. University of Southern
California.
Dutil S. (2020). Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline: A Trauma-Informed, Critical Race
Perspective on School Discipline. Children & Schools. doi:10.1093/cs/cdaa016
Epstein, R., Blake, J., & Gonzalez, T. (2017). Girlhood Interrupted: The Erasure of Black Girls’
Childhood. Georgetown Law: Center for Poverty and Inequality. [PDF]. Retrieved from
https://www.law.georgetown.edu/poverty-inequality-center/wp-
content/uploads/sites/14/2017/08/girlhood-interrupted.pdf
Facility Management: Service Futures. (2020, June 22). New ways of working: 12 implications
of an innovation society for FMs. Service Futures. https://www.servicefutures.com/new-
ways-working-12-implications-innovation-society-fms.

39

Fixsen D, Naoom S, Blase K, Friedman R, Wallace F. (2005). Implementation research: A
synthesis of the literature. Tampa, FL: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte
Florida Mental Health Institute, The National Implementation Research Network (FMHI
Publication #231); [PDF]. https://fpg.unc.edu/sites/fpg.unc.edu/files/resources/reports-
and-policy-briefs/NIRN-MonographFull-01-2005.pdf
Gillborn, D. (2014). Racism as policy: A critical race analysis of education reforms in the United
States and England. Educational Forum, 78, 26–41. doi:10.1080/ 00131725.2014.850982
Gilliam, W. Maupin, A, Reyes, C, Accavitti, M, & Shic, F. (2016). Do Early Educators’ Implicit
Biases Regarding Sex and Race Relate to Behavior Expectations and Recommendations
of Preschool Expulsions and Suspensions? Yale Child Study Center.
https://medicine.yale.edu/childstudy/zigler/publications/Preschool%20Implicit%20Bias%
20Policy%20Brief_final_9_26_276766_5379_v1.pdf
Gregory, A. (2009). "Tolerating" Adolescent Needs: Moving Beyond Zero Tolerance Policies in
High School. Theory into Practice., 48(2). https://doi.org/info:doi/
Gregory, A., & Fergus, E. (2017). Social and Emotional Learning and Equity in School
Discipline. The Future of Children, 27(1), 117–136.
https://doi.org/10.1353/foc.2017.0006
Guido, M. (2018). 12 Research-Backed Instructional Leadership Strategies. Prodigy Education.
https://www.prodigygame.com/in-en/blog/instructional-leadership-strategies/.

40

Heitzeg, Nancy A. (2016). The School-To-Prison Pipeline: Education, Discipline, and
Racialized Double Standards, ABC-CLIO, LLC, ProQuest Ebook Central,
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/socal/detail.action?docID=4455024.
Hill, E., Tiefenthäler, A., Triebert, C., Jordan, D., Willis, H., & Stein, R. (2020). 8 Minutes and
46 Seconds: How George Floyd Was Killed in Police Custody. New York Times.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/us/george-floyd-investigation.html
Jones. E. (2017). The Link Between Suspensions, Expulsions, and Dropout Rates. America’s
Promise Alliance. America’s Promise Alliance.
https://www.americaspromise.org/opinion/link-between-suspensions-expulsions-and-
dropout-rates
Jürges, H. (2007). True health vs response styles: exploring cross-country differences in self-
reported health. Health Economics, 16(2), 163–178. https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.1134
Kang-Brown, J., Trone, J., Fratello, J., & Daftary-Kapur, T. (2013). A Generation Later: What
We’ve Learned about Zero Tolerance in Schools. Vera Institute of Justice.
https://www.vera.org/publications/a-generation-later-what-weve-learned-about-zero-
tolerance-in-schools
Khalifa, M., Jennings, M., Briscoe, F., Oleszweski, A., & Abdi, N. (2014). Racism?
Administrative and Community Perspectives in Data-Driven Decision Making: Systemic
Perspectives Versus Technical-Rational Perspectives. Urban Education, 49(2), 147–181.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085913475635

41

Kim, C., Losen, D, & Hewitt, D. (2010). The School-to-Prison Pipeline : Structuring Legal
Reform, New York University Press, ProQuest Ebook Central,
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/socal/detail.action?docID=865642.
Kontopantelis, E. (2015). Regression based quasi-experimental approach when randomization is
not an option: interrupted time series analysis. Research Methods & Reporting.
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h2750
Ladson-Billings, G. (1998). Just what is critical race theory and what’s it doing in a nice field
like education? International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 11(1), 7–24.
https://doi.org/10.1080/095183998236863
Ladson-Billings, G & Tate, W. (1005). toward a critical race theory of education. [PDF].
Teachers College Record, 97 (1), 47-68. https://www.unco.edu/education-behavioral-
sciences/pdf/TowardaCRTEduca.pdf
Legal Aid Justice Center. (2018). Suspended Progress 2018. [PDF].
https://www.justice4all.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/FullSuspendedProgress2018.pdf
Lhamon, C & Samiels, J. (2014). Dear colleague letter on the nondiscriminatory administration
of school discipline. U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department
of Education, Office for Civil Rights.
Livesay, E. (2020). Stories from Black Men on the School-to-Prison Pipeline: A Critical Race
Theory, Phenomenological Inquiry. [PDF]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.
file:///C:/Users/cassi/Downloads/Stories_from_Black_Men_on_the_.pdf

42

Lopez, G. (2003). The (Racially Neutral) Politics of Education: A Critical Race Theory
Perspective. Educational Administration Quarterly, 39(1), 68–94.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X02239761
Losen, D, & Martinez T. (2013). Out of School and Off Track: The Overuse of Suspensions in
American Middle and High Schools. [PDF].
http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/8pd0s08z.
Lou, C., Blagg, K., Rosenboom, V., Lee, V. & Mudrazija, S. (2018). School District Funding in
Virginia:Computing the Effects of Changes to the Standards of Quality Funding Formula.
The Urban Institute. [PDF].
https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/99540/school_district_funding_in_v
irginia_3.pdf
Mallett, C. (2016a). The School-to- Prison- Pipeline. Springer Publishing Company: New York.
Mallett, C. (2016b). The School-to-Prison Pipeline: A Critical Review of the Punitive Paradigm
Shift. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 33(1), 15–24.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-015-0397-1
Masonbrink, A. & Hurley, E. (2020). Advocating for Children During the COVID-19 School
Closures. Pediatrics. 146 (3) e20201440; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2020-1440
McCarter, S. (2017). The School-to-Prison Pipeline: A Primer for Social Workers. Social Work,
62(1), 53–61. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/sww078
Meek, S. & Austin, Jr., R. (2018, October 15). Let’s never see another first-grader in handcuffs.
The Hechinger Report. https://hechingerreport.org/opinion-lets-never-see-another-first-
grader-in-handcuffs/

43

Monahan, K., VanDerhei, S., Bechtold, J., & Cauffman, E. (2014). From the School Yard to the
Squad Car: School Discipline, Truancy, and Arrest. Journal of Youth and Adolescence,
43(7), 1110–1122. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-014-0103-1
Morgado, F., Meireles, J., Neves, C., Amaral, A., & Ferreira, M. (2017). Scale development: ten
main limitations and recommendations to improve future research practices. Psicologia,
Reflexã o e Crí tica, 30(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41155-016-0057-1
Morgan, E., Salomon, N., Plotkin, M., & Cohen, R. (2014). The school discipline consensus
report: Strategies from the field to keep students engaged in school and out of the
juvenile justice system. Washington, DC: The Council of State Governments Justice
Center.
Moullin, J., Dickson, K.., Stadnick, N., Rabin, B & Aarons, G. (2019). Systematic review of the
Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS)
framework. Implementation Science, 14, 1 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-018-0842-6
NAACP. (2021, May 24). NAACP: Criminal Justice Fact Sheet. NAACP.
https://naacp.org/resources/criminal-justice-fact-sheet.
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). (2017). Back to School Statistics. Retrieved
from Institute of Education Sciences: https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts
New York Civil Liberties Union. (2008). The Impact of School Suspensions, and a Demand for
Passage of the Student Safety Act. ACLU of New York.
https://www.nyclu.org/en/publications/impact-school-suspensions-and-demand-passage-
student-safety-act

44

Owens, E. (2017). Testing the School‐to‐Prison Pipeline. Journal of Policy Analysis and
Management, 36(1), 11–37. https://doi.org/10.1002/pam.21954
Pane D. & Rocco T. (2014). Transforming the School-to-Prison Pipeline : a Lessons from the
Classroom . Leiden; Brill. doi:10.1007/978-94-6209-449-9
Payne Y & Brown T. (2017). “It’s a set up for failure ... and they know this!”: how the school-
to-prison pipeline impacts the educational experiences of street identified black youth and
young adults. Villanova Law Review.;62(2):307-325.
Pettus-Davis, C.& Epperson, M. W. (2015). From mass incarceration to smart decarceration.
Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative, Working Paper No. 4. American Academy
of Social Work and Social Welfare. Retrieved from https://aaswsw.org/wp-
content/uploads/2015/03/From-Mass-Incarceration-to-Decarceration-3.24.15.pdf
Pew Charitable Trusts. (2008). One in 100: Behind bars in America 2008. Washington, DC: The
Pew Charitable Trusts.
Pope, M. (2018, October 25). New Report: Suspension Rates Higher Among Black Students in
Virginia. Retrieved June 16, 2020, from https://www.wvtf.org/post/new-report-
suspension-rates-higher-among-black-students-virginia
Romero, J. (2014). The Dropout Dilemma: Why do kids drop out of high school, and what can be
done to help them finish? Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
https://www.richmondfed.org/publications/research/econ_focus/2014/q3/feature1.
Salomon, J., Tandon, A., & Murray, C. (2004). Comparability of self rated health: cross sectional
multi-country survey using anchoring vignettes. BMJ, 328(7434), 258–261.
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.37963.691632.44

45

Sawchuk, S. (2021, May 24). What Is Critical Race Theory, and Why Is It Under Attack?
Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/leadership/what-is-critical-race-theory-and-
why-is-it-under-attack/2021/05.
Schwartz, S. (2021, May 17). Four States Have Placed Legal Limits on How Teachers Can
Discuss Race. More May Follow. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/policy-
politics/four-states-have-placed-legal-limits-on-how-teachers-can-discuss-race-more-
may-follow/2021/05.
Schweizer, M., Braun, B., & Milstone, A. (2016). Research Methods in Healthcare
Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Stewardship-Quasi-Experimental Designs. Infection
Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 37(10), 1135–1140.
https://doi.org/10.1017/ice.2016.117
Scott, E. S., & Steinberg, L. (2008). Adolescent Development and the Regulation of Youth
Crime. The Future of Children, 18(2), 15–33. https://doi.org/10.1353/foc.0.0011
Shillingford , B., & Sczerzenie, A. (2020, December 3). New Virginia laws seek to close 'school-
to-prison pipeline'. https://www.nbc12.com. https://www.nbc12.com/2020/12/03/new-
virginia-laws-seek-close-school-to-prison-pipeline/.
Skiba, R., Mediratta, K., & Rausch, M. (2016). Inequality in School Discipline Research and
Practice to Reduce Disparities. Palgrave Macmillan.
Solorzano, D. & Yosso, T. (2001). From racial stereotyping and deficit discourse toward a
critical race theory in teacher education. [PDF]. Multicultural Education, 9(1), 2–.
file:///C:/Users/cassi/AppData/Local/Temp/Solorzano_Yosso_RacialStereo_CRTTeacher
Ed.pdf

46

Spengler, P., White, M., Ægisdóttir, S., Maugherman, A., Anderson, L., Cook, R., Nichols, C.,
Lampropoulos, G., Walker, B., Cohen, G., & Rush, J. (2009. The Meta-Analysis of
Clinical Judgment Project: Effects of Experience on Judgment Accuracy. The Counseling
Psychologist, 37(3), 350–399. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000006295149
Spiller, M., & Porter, J. (2014). Bringing an End to the School to Prison Pipeline in the Age of
“Post-Racialism.” In The Obama Administration and Educational Reform (Vol. 10, pp.
71–90). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-
358X20130000010004
Stegelin, D., Leggett, C., Ricketts, D., Bryant, M., Peterson, C. & Holzner, A. (2020). Trauma-
Informed Preschool Education in Public School Classrooms: Responding to Suspension,
Expulsion, and Mental Health Issues of Young Children. The Journal of At Risk Issues.
[PDF]. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1286553.pdf
Stullich, S., Morgan, I., & Schak, O. (2016). State and local expenditures on corrections and
education. U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy
Development, Policy and Program Studies Service. Retrieved from U.S. Department of
Education: https://www2.ed.gov
Tate IV, W. (1997). Critical race theory and education: History, theory, and implications. Review
of Research in Education, 22, 195–247. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X022001195
Teles, V. (2020). Perceived Stress and Indicators of Burnout in Teachers at Portuguese Higher
Education Institutions (HEI). International Journal of Environmental Research and
Public Health, 17(9), 3248–. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17093248

47

Theoharis, G., & Haddix, M. (2011). Undermining Racism and a Whiteness Ideology: White
Principals Living a Commitment to Equitable and Excellent Schools. Urban Education,
46(6), 1332–1351. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085911416012
Tobin, T., Sugai, G., & Colvin, G. (2000). Using Discipline Referrals To Make Decisions.
NASSP Bulletin, 84(616), 106–117. https://doi.org/10.1177/019263650008461616
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights. (2014). Civil Rights Data Collection Data
Snapshot: School Discipline (Issue Brief No. 1). https://www-tandfonline-
com.libproxy1.usc.edu/doi/pdf/10.1080/15388220.2011.653322?needAccess=true
Wald, J., & Losen, D. (2003). Defining and redirecting a school-to-prison pipeline. New
Directions for Youth Development, 2003(99), 9–15. https://doi.org/10.1002/yd.51
Wagner, P., & Sawyer, W. (2020). Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2020. Mass
Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2020 | Prison Policy Initiative.
https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2020.html.
Weiner, B.J., Lewis, C.C., Stanick, C. Powell, B, Dorsey, C., Clary, A., Boynton, M., & Halko,
J. (2017). Psychometric assessment of three newly developed implementation outcome
measures. Implementation Science 12, 108. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-017-0635-3
Woolard, A, Salas, M, & Deane, R. (2018). Suspended Progress 2018: An Update on the State of
Exclusionary Discipline & Alternative Education in Virginia's Public Schools. Legal Aid
Justice Center. [PDF]. Retrieved from https://www.justice4all.org/wp-
content/uploads/2018/10/FullSuspendedProgress2018.pdf
Voight, A., Austin, Hanson, T. (2013). A Climate for Academic Success: How School Climate
Distinguishes Schools That Are Beating the Achievement Odds. American Institutes for
Research. [PDF]. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED559741.pdf

48

Xu, H., & Xie. Y. (2016). Assessing The Effectiveness Of Anchoring Vignettes In Bias
Reduction For Socioeconomic Disparities In Self-Rated Health Among Chinese Adults.
Sociological Methodology, 46(1), 84–120. https://doi.org/10.1177/0081175015599808
Zero Tolerance Policies: An Issue Brief. (2005). Attachment To Informational Memo No. 3.
Virginia Board of Education. [PDF].
https://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2006/inf00

49

Appendix A: Prototype

Beacon: A Training for Schools

Beacon is a solution-based classroom intervention model created by Cassie DeSena-Jacobs,
LCSW to examine personal mindsets and disciplinary practices in elementary school staff.
The four day Beacon training provides interactive information for participants about relationship
building, inherent bias, culturally modest classrooms, and how trauma impacts learning. This
training will be interactive, and include modeling, video modeling, role playing, group and
individual work, and games in order to provide implementable information which can be utilized
in the school setting. There are monthly Recharge meetings, during which participants will
review information as well as ask questions.

50

Beacon is innovative because it trains school administration to be preventative vs.
reactive. It also trains an entire school, from the administration to the janitorial staff. Beacon
combines aspects of functional-interactive training, working within schools, and implementing a
relationship coaching model to impact long-term change. In the first year of Beacon
programming, two outcome objectives have been identified: lower suspension rates by 10% and
shift attitude and perception in 55% of the school staff. These objectives will be evaluated
through evidence-based scales and comparison analysis with past school suspension data.
Suspensions and expulsions for Black and Brown youth in Virginia is a myopic issue. Zero
tolerance policies allow administrators to determine different consequences for each student and
connect to the juvenile justice system, resulting in a lack of evolution and a feedback loop.
Beacon will create successful outcomes by measuring macro-data, including referrals to
school administration and law enforcement, and meeting with students and families to evaluate
their perceptions of school changes.
Interviews with stakeholders, combined with extensive research of over 30 school programs,
training, and curricula, have yielded the same results: there is a need for training for school staff
that examines personal mindsets and disciplinary practices.
Beacon combines aspects of what is already functional- interactive trainings, working
within schools, and implementing a relationship coaching model to impact long term change.
Interviews with stakeholders, combined with extensive research of over 30 school programs,

51

trainings and curricula have yielded the same results: there is a need for training for school staff
that examines personal mindsets and disciplinary practices.
This training is derived, with permission, from The EveryONE Project: Advancing Health Equity
in Communities Implicit Bias Training, NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and
Human Development: Culturally Responsive Classroom Management Training, & National
Center on Safe & Supportive Learning Environment: Trauma Sensitive Schools Training Model,
Hacking School Discipline, Project READY: Reimagining Equity & Access for Diverse Youth
from the Institute of Museum and Library Science, and resources from the Institute of
Restorative Practices. Copyright © 2021 by Cassie DeSena-Jacobs, LCSW, MS.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in
any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical
methods, without the prior written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations
embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Beacon Coordinator,” at
the email address provided.

If you would like to view the full copy of Beacon, please email:
Cassiedjacobslcsw@gmail.com

1

Appendix B: Logic Model

53

Appendix C: Stakeholder Map

54

Appendix D: Epis Framework For Beacon
Stages of EPIS Facilitators Barriers
Exploration

Inner Context-Principal/Assistant principal of target school
Outer context: ACLU

Inner Context- organizational characteristics of pilot
district
Outer context- Zero tolerance discipline policies in the US
Preparation Inner Context- Clinical director
Outer context:
Established NPOS to work in tandem with Beacon to support
families
Inner Context- Lack of inherent bias knowledge in pilot
school
Outer context- Republican led leadership in the Virginia
State legislature.

Implementation Inner Context- Leadership at pilot school
Outer context:
Ongoing funding

Inner Context- Not enough staff to train
Outer context- Political climate in the US; schools closings
due to COVID- 19

Sustainment Inner Context- Organizational leadership at pilot school
district supports training at additional schools in pilot district.
Outer context: Association with IIRP for continued
sustainment and support.
Inner Context- Clinical director may not be able to provide
training model to additional schools with available time
Outer context- VA DOE may not take Beacon training
statewide, hindering scalability.

Appendix D: Epis Framework For Beacon
55

Stage Strategies
Exploration phase Developing stakeholder interrelationships
Researching and investing financial strategies for
funding
Preparation phase Training and educating stakeholders
Implementation phase Evaluative and iterative methods
Sustainment phase Evaluative and iterative methods, continued
financial strategies

56

Appendix E: Measurements

57

Appendix E: Measurements

58

Appendix F: GANTT Chart
59

Appendix G: Budget
60

Appendix G: Budget

61

Appendix G: Budget

62

Appendix G: Budget

63

Appendix H: Infographic

Abstract (if available)

Linked assets

University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Conceptually similar

PDF

COACH: Connecting Older Adults to Community for Health - an evidence-based program to address older adult social isolation and loneliness

PDF

Rate IT!: A classroom solution to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline through the analysis of student heart rates

PDF

Youth homelessness policy change

PDF

Stopping the school to prison pipeline: a restorative intervention for educators

PDF

Building healthy relationships to end family violence

PDF

Building organizational resilience to address cascading collective trauma in a rural Virginia community

PDF

Zero-tolerance policies in urban America

PDF

Lassen youth wellness

PDF

Grand challenge: promote smart decarceration multidisciplinary collaborative database

PDF

Improving continuity of care in the juvenile justice system: A pilot proposal

PDF

Listen; please: a teen Latina suicide prevention program

PDF

Pequeño Leoncito: an autism curriculum based on the Latino experience with autism

PDF

Second chance or second class: creating pathways to employment for individuals with criminal records

PDF

Mindfulness connection (MBSR) program integration into high school curriculum

PDF

ThriveTogether!: a dementia-focused, relationship-centered e-learning program

PDF

Taking flight: improving outcomes of transition age youth on the autism spectrum

PDF

A novel intervention framework operating at the nexus of middle school, traumatic stress, and missing voices to mitigate disparate rates of chronic absenteeism: together, we got this!

PDF

S.Hu.R.E.: Supporting Human Rights and Equality

PDF

Empower Faith: equipping faith communities for effective engagement & compassionate reentry support

PDF

Healing parent application for parents who have experienced trauma

Asset Metadata

Creator DeSena-Jacobs, Cassie Jean (author)

Core Title Beacon: a curriculum for change

School Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work

Degree Doctor of Social Work

Degree Program Social Work

Degree Conferral Date 2021-08

Publication Date 08/24/2021

Defense Date 07/29/2021

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag cultural competency,elementary school,evidence based,inherent bias,OAI-PMH Harvest,relationship building,school suspensions,school to prison pipeline,solution focused,trauma informed

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Mistrano, Samuel (committee chair), Fatouros, Cassandra (committee member)

Creator Email cassiedjacobslcsw@gmail.com,cjjacobs@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC15909362

Unique identifier UC15909362

Legacy Identifier etd-DeSenaJaco-10044

Document Type Capstone project

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights DeSena-Jacobs, Cassie Jean

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright. The original signature page accompanying the original submission of the work to the USC Libraries is retained by the USC Libraries and a copy of it may be obtained by authorized requesters contacting the repository e-mail address given.

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu