Increasing Educators’ Capacity to Create Safer Schools: Findings From a District-Wide Training Program

• In Event: Educating School Personnel About Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues: Effectiveness of Professional Development Programs

Abstract

Bullying and harassment are prevalent in our nation’s schools (Nansel et al. 2001) and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students are at particular risk for high levels of in-school victimization (Harris Interactive & GLSEN, 2005). This victimization may have negative effects on these students’ educational outcomes (Russell et al., 2001). Educators who intervene in anti-LGBT bias and demonstrate support for LGBT students can improve the school experience for LGBT students (Kosciw et al., 2010). Yet little is known about what contributes to educators’ readiness to address LGBT issues in schools. Through an evaluation of an educator training program, this paper will examine potential factors related to educators’ behaviors. It will share findings regarding the effectiveness of the training and the validity of the program theory, and will provide recommendations for professional development efforts.

To develop the capacity of school staff to create safer schools for LGBT students, an urban school district mandated that staff from each of its secondary schools attend a two-day Respect for All training. According to the program’s theory, this training would have an effect on participants’ awareness, knowledge, and beliefs related to anti-LGBT bias and LGBT students’ school experiences, which, in turn, would result in an increase in desired behaviors (i.e., intervention in anti-LGBT bias, communication with others about LGBT issues, and engagement in efforts to create safer schools, e.g., inclusion of LGBT-content in curriculum).

Methods and Data Sources
Program effectiveness was assessed through a theory-based evaluation (Donaldson, 2007) using a mixed-method approach. The evaluation incorporated both quantitative data from questionnaires administered before the training, six weeks after the training, and six months after the training, and qualitative data from focus groups. Training participants were also compared to educators who had not yet completed the training. The evaluation of the program incorporated data from 69 trainings, with 813 educators participating in the study.

Results and Conclusions
Results from the evaluation demonstrate the overall validity of the program theory and overall effectiveness of the training: educators’ knowledge about relevant terminology and access to LGBT-related resources increased and educators were more likely to intervene in anti-LGBT bias, communicate about these issues, and engage in efforts to create safer schools. However, findings indicate that the training did not enhance educators’ self-efficacy related to the desired behaviors, such as intervention in anti-LGBT bias. This training included only minimal opportunities for the development of specific skills. Perhaps an increased focus on skill-building in the training would lead to an increase in self-efficacy, eventually resulting in even greater increases in the desired behaviors.

Scientific/Scholarly Significance
This paper will add to the sparse literature on the effectiveness of professional development regarding anti-bias issues by providing empirical evidence of the success of efforts designed to address anti-LGBT bias in schools. By documenting not only whether the program worked, but also how the program worked – and did not work – this paper provides valuable information to those examining influences on educators’ behaviors and those developing professional development efforts addressing LGBT issues in schools.

Author

• Emily Greytak, GLSEN:Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network