Urban policymakers, city officials, and community residents utilize neighborhood revitalization initiatives to establish safe and empowered neighborhoods. In 2016, leaders in Columbus, Ohio, launched a neighborhood revitalization effort designed to improve safety, access to opportunities, and economic development in the historically underserved…

Community schools respond to a variety of risk factors that impede student learning and development. School and community leaders in Canyons School District (CSD) have created community schools across one highly impacted feeder pattern to strengthen academic learning efforts, school climate and youth development opportunities, parent and family…

Adolescent health and well-being are abysmal due to low and declining physical activity rates, increasing mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, and minimal opportunities to engage in meaningful social experiences. Adolescents who live in communities that are underserved face greater risks for experiencing health disparities…

Guided by the National Association of Social Workers' Code of Ethics and measures of competence provided by the Council on Social Work Education, the social work field serves as a model for strategies that promote collaboration across difference, strengths-based advocacy with communities, and education through engagement. These values and…

Research-practice partnerships play an important role in critically examining racial disparities in schools, as well as supporting the immediate adoption of practice improvement. This article outlines the results of a multisite case study with students, teachers, and administrators across two racially and ethnically diverse middle schools in the…

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, children and families in rural communities have been experiencing unprecedented long-term social isolation and insufficient access to mental health services. Prior to the pandemic, access to mental healthcare in rural communities was already inadequate, leading rural populations to be routinely underserved when facing…

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and rise in racial injustices signaled the need to engage students in macro-level interventions to maximize their contributions to their schools, communities, and society. School social workers are uniquely positioned to elevate student voices, hone their critical thinking skills, and capitalize on their strengths…

This study investigated the affective experiences of 30 educators of students with learning differences (sLD) and their use of social-emotional learning (SEL) early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Authors utilized a convergent parallel mixed-methods research design to collect and analyze data from educators through focus groups, interviews, and surveys.…

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…

Social and emotional learning (SEL) and equity issues have each been complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic for students of color. This brief seeks to call to action school social workers who can identify social and emotional barriers to learning that students of color experience in schools through a critical race theory (CRT) lens. School social…

Children of color are disproportionately referred for discipline in schools and subsequently receive harsher punishments than their peers. Teachers' implicit bias has been identified as a possible source of these disparities, particularly for Black boys. However, teachers' social--emotional competence (SEC) may mitigate biased responses to Black…

Housing instability has a detrimental impact on the academic success of children and youth. Despite having federal policy to direct schools on how to identify and support students experiencing homelessness, many schools still face challenges to developing a systemwide approach that involves school staff in varying positions and addresses the…

Central American youth constitute one of the largest groups of newcomers in U.S. public schools, particularly in urban areas. Many have experienced traumatic events and interrupted or limited formal education. These factors, coupled with cultural and language differences, may lead these youth to struggle in public schools, unless specifically…

Restorative justice (RJ) is both a philosophy and a set of practices meant to repair harm and maintain connection in the face of wrongdoing. While RJ is becoming increasingly popular among K-12 educators and in schools, emphasis is typically on its social justice applications, including its use as an alternative to zero-tolerance discipline…

Equity in education begins with creating structures that support students inclusive of their social-emotional needs. Students exposed to trauma perform best in schools that adopt trauma-sensitive practices. Many of these trauma-sensitive practices naturally prepare students to learn social-emotional skills, as the trauma-informed staff also models…