The beginning of 2020 marked the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and a new reality. Mainstream learning loss discourse emerged as young people faced new social challenges and rising inequities. However, how we define some of these challenges may pose new barriers to equity promotion. Deficit-based narratives often negatively construct youth…

The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to understand the types of mental health supports described in school district reopening plans in one southeastern state, and to understand school social workers' involvement in developing these plans during the first full academic year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Publicly accessible school…

The effects of burnout on client service provision, organizational health, and individual well-being are increasingly a focus of social work research, particularly against the societal backdrop of the post-COVID-19 era. Children and their families rely on school social workers (SSWs) to meet increasingly pressing and common mental health needs.…

This study addresses a gap in the literature by examining K-12 administrators' perceptions of school social workers' usage of student data. Before the start of the 2020-2021 school year, school social workers from a national organization invited their administrators via email to complete a survey, producing 48 responses. Administrators perceived…

Since the establishment of the first charter school in 1991, over 7,000 charter schools have opened across the United States. Charter schools are publicly funded schools that are exempt from some of the local or state regulation and serve as alternatives to the more traditional public and private schools for many children and families. As charter…

During the beginning stages of COVID-19, school social workers in New York City (NYC) were at the forefront of managing the mental health of youth and families. There were multiple barriers that interfered with the level of care that school social workers wanted and needed to provide to both students and their families. This article is an NYC…

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…

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…

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…

The role and duties of a school social worker can differ greatly by state. The National School Social Work Practice Model and the National Association of Social Workers' school social work standards describe practice approaches and behaviors endorsed by the School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA). The National Evaluation Framework for…

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the natural rhythm of the school year, affecting the way services are rendered. This shift has implications for the termination of services and the guidance of school social work interns through the termination process. This article provides lessons learned from the rapid transition from face-to-face practice to…

Educational disparity has been a long-standing social and political concern, and is a grand challenge for social work because of its implications for equal opportunity and social justice. As stewards of social justice in public K-12 educational settings, school social workers help students gain access to and effectively use resources and support…