Traumatic events that occur in childhood may have potential short and long-term consequences. Examples of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), in one area of study, can range from violence, abuse, neglect, and mental illness or addiction in the home. As a result, ACEs may have substantial negative impacts on enduring health issues linked to complications leading to an early death. ACE scores, a type of metric for measuring the incidence of trauma events, are determined by a survey that focuses on collective abuse, toxic stress, neglect, etc. Toxic stress causes responses from the endocrine system, which over time impacts neurodevelopment. Oftentimes, children suffering from traumatic events are unable to foster healthy relationships, and more specifically, negatively influences their academic aptitude and behavior. The objective of this study was to locate the standards that twelve Midwest states use in order to license their teacher candidates. Once located, researchers examined those standards to analyze whether or not pre-service educators are being informed of content related to toxic stress and traumatic events, and the impact on health and learning. A comprehensive archival study with systemic coding was used as the primary metrics of data collection. Overall results conclude that there is a lack of requirements by institutions of higher education in the Midwest region. This indicates prospective educators may not be taught content about the fundamental principles of childhood adversity and the subsequent Trauma-Informed Practices they can use in their future roles as teachers.
