The problem addressed in this study was that non-traditional high school students at the study site were not being provided with in-school intervention and support programs to assist them with academic achievement. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore what in-school programs are offered to non-traditional students at the study…

School social workers have long operated at the forefront of addressing student social and emotional needs. However, in recent years, school social work positions have faced increasing threats of elimination because of misconceptions of the profession's purpose. Effective strategies to reverse this trend have not been documented in the extant…

Background: The prevalence of mental health challenges among adolescents warrants innovative school-based approaches that support students' mental health literacy (MHL). Purpose: In this qualitative case study, we interrogated the experiences of three eighth-grade English Language Arts (ELA) teachers and two of their school's social support staff…

School-based mental health professionals, including school psychologists, counselors, and social workers are critical to appropriate mental health services to youth in schools. However, the vast majority of states are chronically underserved by these professionals, despite policies that attempt to rectify the shortages. In this paper, we document…

Policymakers and leaders of pre-K systems have little empirical information to guide how they structure the range of technical assistance and support they provide to pre-kindergarten programs. This study sought to understand the work of a range of site support roles in New York City's (NYC) universal pre-kindergarten (pre-K) program. Employing…

The ever-increasing demands of the American education system today can cause high levels of stress for public school social workers. Today's students have greater mental health and educational needs than in the past, and the education system is rife with contradictory policy changes to increase student success. This qualitative study uses in-depth…

Purpose: This qualitative case study sought to understand and examine school social workers' perspectives on their role within California's TK-12 public school system. Theoretical Framework: Bronfenbrenner and Morris's (2007) bioecological systems theory and Frey et al.'s (2013) national school social work practice model were employed as the…

Research indicates that youth aging out of foster care are less self-sufficient than their peers and are at increased risk of negative life outcomes such as unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, incarceration, and suicide (Berzin et al., 2011; Greeno et al., 2018; Gonzales, 2015; Courtney et al., 2010; Sum et al., 2002; Marrow et al., 2012;…

The community school movement represents a promising approach to school reform that brings much-needed attention to the intersections of child, family, and community well-being. Although the community school movement of today shares many core values and goals with school social work, it has undergone a different developmental trajectory. As a…

Shortages in noninstructional itinerant staff (school nurses, school psychologists, school social workers) have been especially difficult for K-12 public school districts, as these individuals have critical responsibilities within the school setting that they are uniquely qualified to complete. Noninstructional itinerant employees face challenges…

Pedagogical knowledge has been identified as an essential factor for impacting the learning, behavioral, and social emotional outcomes for children with disabilities, particularly students with emotional disturbances (ED). There are many professionals in and out of the school environment who work with children with ED. Oftentimes, these…

Beginning in 1906, the teachers who developed the profession of school social work conducted home visits to bridge communication between the school and home. In the more than 100 years that the profession has continued, home visiting has remained a cornerstone. Despite its continued importance, there remains a lack of comprehensive instruction on…

Race is often ignored as a core component of social and emotional competency (SEC) and social and emotional learning (SEL). This study explored preservice school social worker and elementary teacher interns' participation in a collaborative, multidisciplinary SEL training curriculum that integrates race. Nine preservice trainees (majority White…

Disciplinary policies in schools throughout the United States disproportionately affect students of color through exclusionary policies. A punitive approach can have detrimental effects on a population that also experiences higher rates of trauma. This article identifies school disciplinary practices that may retraumatize and criminalize youths…

This paper examines how educators in the U.S. public education system speak to their colleagues about racially oppressive beliefs and practices. Limited research exists that examines the experiences of educators who exercise voice to challenge and engage co-workers and supervisors around issues of racism in their schools. Using data from…