Project Transform – Cohort 1 Educators Resource page

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Hub for Cohort 1 educators to find everything you need as a participant in our Project Transform Trauma-Engaged Schools project.

Project Transform supports schools to use a trauma-engaged approach through incentivized, ongoing professional development for all staff, school-based trauma-engaged teams, and support and guidance from AASB and DEED. Three cohorts of schools will participate in project activities for 2-year periods. This project is funded through a 5-year grant awarded to AASB through the US Department of Education’s EIR grant program and the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority.

Cohort 1 Schools

  • Auke Bay Elementary
  • Angoon School
  • Bethel Regional High School
  • Fawn Mountain Elementary
  • Yadaa.at Kalé – Juneau-Douglas High School
  • Kenny Lake School
  • Ketchikan Charter School
  • Klukwan School
  • Kuskokwim Learning Academy
  • Mertarvik/ Ayaprun School
  • Sít’ Eetí Shaanáx̱ – Glacier Valley Elementary

Page Contents

Project Transform Overview

Professional Development Structure

Incentives and Course Credits

PD Offerings:

  • Coaching
  • Professional Learning Communities
  • Reflective Practice Groups
  • Independent Learning
  • Peer Observation

Site-Based TES Teams

Frequently Asked Questions

Project Transform Quick Links

Project Transform Overview

Trauma-engaged practices and strategies build on the strengths already present in our students and strong relationships with families and communities to encourage lifelong learning and success. Project Transform will provide comprehensive training to educators in implementing a trauma-engaged school using the Transforming Schools Framework.

Project Transform also includes a research component that involves comparing student outcomes at participating schools to non-participating schools by random assignment. This means that some program requirements are not as flexible as others in order to maintain the integrity of the research study. AASB has hired an independent evaluation firm, Education Northwest, to conduct this study.

Staffing and Roles

Each school will have a Project Transform staff member “coach” providing PD to staff at that school and a local staff “school-based champion” who will provide on-the-ground support for participating staff.

Transforming Schools Framework: The Core of Project Transform

The Transforming Schools Framework and accompanying resources use a place-based and culturally specific perspective to offer trauma-responsive and restorative approaches in the school. The framework was developed in Alaska with input from more than 200 school staff members, tribal entities, and families. It is structured as a collection of research, stories, Elder wisdom, Alaska case studies, tools, reflection questions, and evidence-based practices. It is meant to be a learning guide and a practical toolkit for embedding trauma-engaged practices. Project Transform uses these tools to prepare educators to work with students and their families more effectively. 

PDF Transforming Schools Framework

Transforming Schools Toolkit for educators

Professional Development Structure

AASB/ DEED will offer 7 hours of monthly Professional Development opportunities for educators for a total of 56 hours per school year. Staff can participate in as much or as little as they like for up to 2 years.

Incentives and Course Credits

Staff who complete 85% of the 56 annual PD hours (47.5 hours / about 1.5 hrs per week) by June will be eligible to receive a stipend of $1200.

Staff who complete 65% of the 56 annual PD hours (36.5 hours/ about 1hr per week) by June will be eligible to receive a stipend of $600.

In order to receive the stipend, staff must track all PD hours completed via the weekly PD tracking and reflection form.

A 2 credit course opportunity via UAA will also be available to staff who intend to complete the full 47.5hrs of content. Tuition will be paid by the Project Transform grant. UAA class sign up information coming soon!

Project Transform is designed to engage staff using a variety of evidence-based modalities. As such, independent learning hours can count for a maximum of 20 of the total hours counted toward the incentive.

PD Offerings
Coaching

Each school will have a professional Trauma-Engaged Schools coach available to work one-on-one with educators (admin, teachers, and classified staff). Coaching sessions will be tailored to the specific strengths, needs, preferences, and interests of the participating staff member. Coaches are experienced educators who have expertise in trauma-engaged school- and classroom- practices.

Frequency – One one-hour coaching session per month. An additional coaching session may be scheduled with the coach as needed or to make up missed hours.

How to sign up – You can schedule a coaching session directly with your school’s coach via the Coaching Booking links:

Professional Learning Communities

Professional learning communities are an opportunity for educators to come together virtually from across the state to further their learning on trauma-engaged schools content and practices. Several different PLCs will be available for staff to participate in. Staff must register for a PLC in advance and the expectation is that staff will attend the same PLC throughout the year. 

If your preferred PLC is full, we can add you to a waitlist and if there is enough interest we will open another offering of the PLC.

PLC Offerings include:

  1. Trauma Engaged Schools 101: Transforming Schools Framework book study
  2. Fostering Resilient Learners book study
  3. Emotional Intelligence 2.0 book study
  4. Trauma Stewardship book study
  5. Building Resilience book study

Books will be provided.

Frequency – PLCs will meet 1x per month for 1 hour via Zoom. The PLC schedule is available on the educator resource page. 

How to sign up – Registration for PLCs is available here.

Reflective Practice Groups

Reflective Practice is best understood as giving providers a place to learn and practice the “way of being” that is at the heart of trauma informed care. It is designed to provide the experience of healthy, attuned, relationships. This simple experience is essential because people can’t give an experience of a relationship that they haven’t themselves received. We say that trauma-engaged isn’t a thing to do, it is “a way of being.” This is done through meeting in a stable, closed group to explore the emotional content that influences our interactions with students and families.

Frequency – Reflective Practice Groups will meet monthly for 2hrs.

How to sign up – Registration for Reflective Practice Groups will open on September 20.

Independent Learning

Based on personal learning goals and areas of focus, staff will spend 2 hrs per month (30 min per week) engaged in independent learning using the Transforming Schools Toolkit and Video Library, resources provided by coaches or PLCs, and/or additional materials relevant to building TES knowledge or practices. One half-hour of this time monthly can be used on self-care.

Frequency – While this portion of the PD is self-paced, the expectation is that staff complete about 2 hrs of independent learning per month. A maximum of 20 hours of independent learning time can be counted toward the incentive each year.

How to sign up – No sign ups are required, just be sure to track the independent learning content you complete each week via the PD tracking form.

Peer Observation

Using the Peer Observation protocol, staff will take turns observing and being observed by another staff member at their school. The intent of the observation is to provide thoughtful, non-judgmental feedback to help your peers imbed trauma engaged practices into the classroom.

Frequency – Staff will either observe or be observed for 45min 1x per month. After the observation the two staff will meet and debrief the observation for 15min.

How to sign up – No sign ups needed, just be sure to track your observation on the weekly PD tracking form. Your site-based champion can help pair you with another staff member to complete the observation, or you can ask someone directly to be your observation partner.

Site-Based TES Teams

All Project Transform schools will create a site-based TES team that will meet monthly to work toward school-level TES components. Teams should be made up of a diverse group of school staff representing various roles. Hours spent in site-based team meetings can be counted toward incentives.

Frequently Asked Questions
What is the time commitment for Project Transform?

You can participate in as much or as little as you like. Some activities require pre-registration and a school-year commitment (PLCs and Reflective Practice Groups) while others are self-paced (Independent Learning, Coaching).

In order to receive the full $1200 incentive, you will need to participate in 45.7 hours over the school year. This is about 1.5hrs per week.

Will I be able to make up missed hours?

To receive the full incentive you only need to attend 85% of the total hours. If needed, you can make up missed activities by participating in other Project Transform activities such as coaching, open PLCs, or Peer Observation. If needed, you can also work with your school lead/ site coach to identify other opportunities to make up hours. To count, hours missed need to be made up within that same school semester.

What activities can “count” toward my PD hours?

Activities that are provided by the Project Transform team as a part of the project can be counted, as well as up to 20 hours of independent learning time, 1 hr per month of peer observation time, and 1 hour per month of site-based team work. Additional activities not associated with Project Transform but relevant to Trauma Engaged Schools can be counted for makeup hours if pre-approved by your school’s lead coach..

Project Transform is designed to engage staff using a variety of evidence-based modalities. As such, independent learning hours can count for a maximum of 20 of the total hours counted toward the incentive.