TiD Evaluation Tool for K-12 Schools

Service Description

Target Skill Level: Basic TiD CEUs: 1 IDCEC CEUs: 1 Presenter: Christine Cowart Course Length: 1 hour The Trauma-informed Design Society (TiD Society) has developed a first-of-its kind evidence-based tool to facilitate interior design renovations and new builds of K-12 schools. It can be used to evaluate the physical space and identify changes that can lower the stress levels of students and staff. The tool is grounded in the Substance and Mental Health Services Administrations' guidance for a trauma-informed approach, the TiD Society's framework, and feedback from almost 100 educators, school administrators, and designers across the country. This session will explain how the tool was developed, how school professionals and designers can apply it to new builds and remodels, and what outcomes are anticipated through its fidelitous use. Traumatic stress can cause lasting brain changes and impact memory. This can lead to an impaired ability to regulate emotions and understand consequences, difficulty concentrating, and difficulty making decisions. These barriers to students’ ability to control their behavior and think rationally impact students’ experiences, and those from marginalized communities are at increased risk. The school environment can communicate safety and promote secure attachments with teachers, or it can symbolize lack of dignity and agency. A Trauma-informed Design (TiD) approach can help students better regulate and build resilience. An emerging field, TiD is informed by inclusive, sensory, therapeutic, resilient, salutogenic, and biophilic design. The TiDEvalK12 tool can help you evaluate school environments, to identify stressors and potential triggers in schools. It also bridges the language gap between designers and educators and highlights the relationship between design and student experiences and behaviors. This session will provide a brief overview of trauma and its possible negative impacts on educational opportunities. It will then provide an overview of the TiD framework and explain how the TiDEvalK12 tool was developed. Participants will learn about the tool, how it can be applied to new builds and remodels, and its functionality in helping educators understand the language of design. Designers will be provided with tools to help educators understand the possible improved student outcomes with a TiD approach.