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Trauma-SkilledTM Schools:
Building Resilience for Student Success

Trauma is a prevalent issue in all schools. Schools need more than traditional approaches to address the effects of stress and trauma on learning. Trauma-SkilledTM Schools (TSS) provides your educators with a framework to create environments where all students can succeed.

What Is Trauma-SkilledTM Schools?

TSS is a framework to help schools shape culture and practice to address the effects of stress and trauma. It’s a whole-school approach that requires adjustment and hard work, with organic effort and local design to fit your unique needs. TSS is not crisis prevention, therapist preparation, curriculum, clinical discussion of brain science, or replacement for therapeutic services. Instead, it’s an approach that builds resilience in both students and staff through intentional cultural shifts.

The Numbers Tell the Story

1 %

Of high school students report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness

1 %

Of college students have been diagnosed with anxiety

1 %

Of teens aged 12-17 had a major depressive episode in the past year

1 %

Of high school students have experienced one type of Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE)

The Urgent Need for Trauma-Skilled Approaches

Trauma is a prevalent issue in all schools, with 42% of students reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Increased trauma means increased dropout rates, and educators are demanding evidence-based action as litigation and legislation increasingly highlight trauma’s pervasiveness. The impact reaches far beyond behavior challenges—trauma fundamentally shows up in classrooms, affecting instruction and student learning outcomes in ways that traditional approaches cannot address.

The National Dropout Prevention Center developed TSS with over 40 years of expertise, grounding the approach in neuroscience and resilience research that translates into practical implementation fitting each school’s unique culture.

TSS Implementation is Designed for:

  • Schools ready to implement a whole-school cultural transformation
  • Educators seeking to understand trauma’s impact on learning
  • School Communities committed to building resilience
  • Districts looking for evidence-based approaches to student support

How Trauma-SkilledTM Schools Works

TSS is delivered through three progressive modules that build upon each other to create comprehensive school transformation. Each module includes professional development, practical implementation strategies, and ongoing support to ensure sustainable change throughout your school community.

The foundation module helps your team understand trauma by examining the numbers and prevalence in today’s schools. You’ll explore the key stress factors affecting youth, including self-esteem challenges, family issues, school pressures, community concerns, and financial difficulties. The module also covers the neuroscience of trauma and how mirror neurons impact student behavior, while developing essential self-care practices for educators.

Focuses on implementing the five core resilience factors throughout your school culture. Your team will learn to systematically transform organizational values into concrete actions that create positive cultural experiences for all students. The module provides practical approaches to build comprehensive support systems that benefit every member of your school community.

The implementation module emphasizes maintaining rigor in your trauma-skilled approach while establishing robust monitoring systems to track progress. You’ll develop methods to gather meaningful evidence of success and create sustainable practices that ensure your cultural transformation continues to grow and evolve over time.

The Five Resilience Factors

Trauma-SkilledTM Schools TSS transforms your entire school culture
by systematically building five core resilience factors that help both students and staff thrive.

Fulfillment

Developing an “others” perspective through service as well as  collaboration

Autonomy

Providing guided choices that build an internal sense of control

Connection

Ensuring every person has a positive relationship with a caring adult

Belonging

Creating environments where people feel accepted, valued, and part of the community

Achievement

Championing personal strengths to promote an “I can” perspective

Fulfillment

Developing an “others” perspective through service as well as  collaboration

Autonomy

Providing guided choices that build an internal sense of control

Connection

Ensuring every person has a positive relationship with a caring adult

Belonging

Creating environments where people feel accepted, valued, and part of the community

Achievement

Championing personal strengths to promote an “I can” perspective

Connection

Ensuring every person has a positive relationship with a caring adult

Ready to Get Started?

Connect with the National Dropout Prevention Center to discuss how TSS can transform your school culture. Fill out the form and a member of our staff will contact you to answer your questions and explore next steps.