This document provides guidance for schools to better support transgender students. It discusses how transgender students often face harassment and are at high risk for mental health issues. It recommends that schools update anti-bullying policies, educate staff on issues of gender identity, use inclusive language, and create an environment where all students feel welcome and safe. The document emphasizes that schools have a responsibility to protect transgender students and ensure their well-being.

1. How to Improve School Support for
Transgender Students

2. About Sage
• Sage
Day
has
four
NJ
campuses:
Princeton,
Boonton,
Mahwah
and
Rochelle
Park
• Serving
grades
4-­‐12
in
a
small,
supporEve
therapeuEc
seFng
• Individual
therapy
2x/week,
Group
therapy
2x/week,
Family
therapy
1x/week
• Ongoing
coordinaEon
with
outside
providers/agencies
• Regular
IEP
meeEngs
with
sending
districts
• We
also
offer
Sage
In-­‐District
programs,
where
we
place
our
Sage
CerEfied
Clinicians™
within
the
public
school
to
offer
supports
for
students
in
the
district.

3. Ask Questions
Please
feel
free
to
type
your
quesEon
in
at
any
Eme
throughout
the
presentaEon.
This
will
make
our
q&a
porEon
more
efficient.

4. Introduction• Transgender
students
may
experience
a
more
complicated
adjustment
to
the
school
seFng.
•
Adjustment
issues
may
lead
to
both
psychological
and
physical
damage.
•
Schools
are
responsible
for
providing
support
for
their
students
and
to
ensure
the
well-­‐being
of
those
students
quesEoning
their
gender
idenEty.

5.
• Transgender
• Sex
• Gender
• Sexual
OrientaEon
• Gender
IdenEty
• Gender
Expression
• Cisgender
• TransiEoning
—
Social
—
Physical
—
Medical
&
Surgical
Key Terms

6. • Transgender
students
are
at
risk
for
vicEmizaEon.
• Harassment
has
been
reported
by
almost
80%
of
youth
struggling
with
gender
idenEty.
• Physical
harassment
in
the
form
of
pushing
or
shoving
is
quite
common
for
at
least
55%
of
transgender
students.
• Transgender
students
are
at
high
risk
for
school
avoidance.
• Close
to
50%
of
transgender
youth
have
a^empted
suicide
at
some
point
in
their
life.
The Facts

7. Legal & Policy Guidelines
•
Stay
Tuned:
Federal
policy
currently
on
hold
regarding
nonconforming
and
transgender
students.
•
AnE-­‐bullying
policies
MUST
be
reevaluated
and
updated
on
a
regular
basis.
• Policymakers
need
to
be
in
communicaEon
with
staff,
administrators
and
students.
•
Schools
have
authority
and
therefore
responsibility
to
act.
•
Risk
of
“deliberate
indifference”
– Possible
knowledge
of
harassment
– Failure
to
act
– Child
Injury
resulEng
from
failure
to
act
•
GO
BEYOND
COMPLIANCE

8. Maslow’s Hierarchy
of Needs
1. Physiological
(breathing, food, water, sex, sleep,
homeostasis, excretion.)
3. Love / Belonging
(friendship, family, sexual intimacy.)
2. Safety
(security of body, employment,
resources, morality, family,
health, prosperity.)
4. Esteem
(self-esteem, confidence, achievement,
respect & by others.)
5. Self-Actualization
(morality, creativity, problem solving, lack of
prejudice.)

9. • Provide
safe
atmosphere
for
staff
to
express
their
own
feelings
and
concerns.
•
Validate
feelings
and
concerns
while
reinforcing
laws
and
policies.
• IdenEfy
staff
who
need
Targeted
Training.
• ConEnue
to
provide
opportuniEes
for
reflecEon
and
discussion.
• Form
a
Gender
Support
Team.
• Public
sharing
is
not
essenEal.
Preparing Staff:
Education and
Exploration

10. Language
is
an
absolutely
vital
part
of
seFng
the
tone
for
an
inclusive
environment.
School
professionals
are
responsible
for
using
language
that
is
non-­‐discriminatory.
• Use
the
child’s
chosen
name.
• Use
appropriate
pronouns
in
response
to
a
student’s
gender
idenEty.
• IdenEfy
their
gender
expression,
or
simply
ask
their
preference.
• Use
the
word
transgender
as
an
adjecEve;
not
a
noun.
• In
reference
to
gender
idenEty,
use
“assigned
male
at
birth”
or
“assigned
female
at
birth.”
Culture & Language

11. CreaEng
a
welcoming
environment
involves
teachers,
administrators,
parents,
and
advocacy
or
support
groups.
Take
into
account
the
following
as
you
work
to
create
a
more
welcoming
environment:
• Use
inclusive
language
such
as
“everyone”
as
opposed
to
“boys
and
girls.”
• Refrain
from
assembling
students
into
groups
based
on
gender.
• Avoid
offensive/stereotyped
characters
in
posters,
literature,
and
other
media.
• Provide
guidance
to
staff
on
incorporaEng
safe,
inclusive
policies
surrounding
lesson
plans,
language,
and
bullying.
Creating an
All-Inclusive
Environment

12. More Tips for Creating an
All-Inclusive Environment
• Create
lunchEme
and/or
aher-­‐school
groups
designed
to
support
LGBT
students.
• Provide
psychotherapeuEc
assistance
for
students
and
families.
• Maintain
open
lines
of
communicaEon
for
students
faced
with
harassment.
• Have
updated
bank
of
available
community
resources
for
students
and
families.
• Include
in
Curriculum
(Health,
Sexuality,
Choices
of
Literature,
Social
Studies,
etc.)

13. • Hetrick-­‐MarEn
InsEtute
-­‐
Empowerment,
EducaEon,
and
Advocacy
for
LGBTQ
Youth.
www.hmi.org
• CALLEN-­‐LORDE
provides
sensiEve,
quality
health
care
and
related
services
targeted
to
lesbian,
gay,
bisexual
and
transgender
communiEes.
callen-­‐lorde.org/transhealth
• GLSEN
-­‐
Gay,
Lesbian
and
Straight
EducaEon
Network.
glsen.org
• PFlag
of
Bergen
County
-­‐
Support
for
parents
of
LGBTQ
kids.
bergenpflag.com
• RAINBOW
CAFE
-­‐
A
place
where
LGBTQ
youth
ages
13-­‐19
can
meet
and
support
each
other
in
a
safe
place
and
space.
rainbowcafenj.org
• Gender
Spectrum
-­‐
Resources
for
parents,
families,
teens,
educators
and
medical
professionals.
• www.enderspectrum.org
• The
Ackerman
InsEtute's
Gender
&
Family
Project:
Offers
youth,
families
and
communiEes
with
gender
affirmaEve
services,
training
and
research
www.ackerman.org/special-­‐projects/gfp
Community Resources

14. Sage
Day
is
an
accredited
private
insEtuEon
that
provides
alternaEve
schooling
for
students
who
thrive
in
a
small,
supporEve,
therapeuEc
environment.
Faced
with
a
wide
variety
of
emoEonally
faragile
situaEons.
It
is
our
mission
to
provide
students
with
the
educaEon
they
require
in
order
to
reach
their
full
potenEal
and
achieve
true
success.
Learn
more
by
visiEng
us
online
at
h^p://www.sageday.com/
or
call
877-­‐887-­‐8817.
Contact UsQ & A
We
will
take
quesEons
at
this
Eme.
Please
type
in
your
quesEon
at
the
bo^om
of
the
control
panel.
If
we
do
not
get
the
opportunity
to
get
to
your
quesEon,
please
feel
free
to
reach
out
to
me
at
jbertelli@sageday.com

15. • AnE-­‐DefamaEon
League
(2017).
Discussing
Discussing
Transgender
and
Gender
Non-­‐Conforming
IdenEty
and
Issues
h/ps://3nyurl.com/jf232ht
• CNN.com
(2014).
6
Ways
to
Embrace
Gender
Differences
at
School.
h/ps://3nyurl.com/okuaz9b
• EducaEon
Web
Admin
Advisor
(2017)
Transgender-­‐Students-­‐in-­‐K-­‐12-­‐-­‐NavigaEng-­‐
AccommodaEons
h/ps://3nyurl.com/z6zg2sv
• Lambda
Legal
(2017).
How
Schools
Can
Support
Transgender
Students.
h/ps://3nyurl.com/jehwead
• Meyer,
E.J.,
&
Sansfacon,A.
P.,
(Eds).
(2014).
Suppor&ng
Transgender
&
Gender
Crea&ve
Youth.
New
York,
NY
Peter
Lang
Publishing.
• NaEonal
Center
For
Transgender
Equality
(2017).
Know
Your
Rights
Schools
h/ps://3nyurl.com/oe6rj4r
• PLFAG.
(2016)
Guide
To
Being
A
Trans
Ally.
Washington,
DC
• Teich,
Nicholas
M.
(2012).
Transgender
101.
New
York,
Columbia
University
Press
Sources

16. Sage
Day
is
an
accredited
private
insEtuEon
that
provides
alternaEve
schooling
for
students
who
thrive
in
a
small,
supporEve,
therapeuEc
environment.
It
is
our
mission
to
provide
students
with
the
educaEon
they
require
in
order
to
reach
their
full
potenEal
and
achieve
true
success.
Learn
more
by
visiEng
us
online
at
h^p://www.sageday.com/
or
call
877-­‐887-­‐8817.
Contact Us