Going DEAP: Training Program to Facilitate Teacher Success with Students Impacted by Trauma

This executive position paper proposes recommendations for Delaware Department of Education policy for implementing trauma-informed practices in Delaware schools. These recommendations are derived from summarizing best practice strategies in other state education agencies and public health organizations and translating them to conform to the local context using the Delaware Framework of Trauma-Informed Care. The data reviewed as part of this literature review has been used to inform the proposed change process and corresponding learning activities. The DEAP Learning Objectives/Actions are recommended to fill the void in professional learning strategies. DEAP addresses the need for professional learning that shifts mindsets through a change process that informs the mind, engages the heart, and moves the hands to action, synthesizing social and emotional learning and supports as a universal strategy to mitigate trauma and toxic stress. Additional focus should be placed on collaborating with education stakeholders to inform sustainable change through institutions of higher education, coaching with school and community partners, and micro-credentials for relicensing. These efforts can be done efficiently with will and skill to reduce and eliminate the non-academic barriers to learning.