Increasing School Social Worker Supports for Schools in Illinois: Policy Recommendations for Supporting Student Learning and Growth
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National Louis University Digital Commons@NLU Dissertations 4-2018 Increasing School Social Worker Supports for Schools in Illinois: Policy Recommendations for Supporting Student Learning and Growth. Kizawanda A. Olowe National Louis University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss Part of the Counseling Psychology Commons, Counselor Education Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, School Psychology Commons, Secondary Education Commons, Social Work Commons, Student Counseling and Personnel Services Commons, and the Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons Recommended Citation Olowe, Kizawanda A., "Increasing School Social Worker Supports for Schools in Illinois: Policy Recommendations for Supporting Student Learning and Growth." (2018). Dissertations. 312. https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/312 This Dissertation - Public Access is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons@NLU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@NLU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INCREASING SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER SUPPORTS FOR SCHOOLS IN ILLINOIS: POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUPPORTING STUDENT LEARNING AND GROWTH by Kizawanda A. Olowe Educational Leadership Doctoral Program Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of Doctor of Education in the Foster G. McGaw Graduate School National Louis University Education Leadership Doctoral Program April, 2018 Document Origination Statement for Digital Commons @ NLU This document was created as one part of the three-part dissertation requirement of the National Louis University (NLU) Educational Leadership (EDL) Doctoral Program. The National Louis Educational Leadership EdD is a professional practice degree program (Shulman et al., 2006). For the dissertation requirement, doctoral candidates are required to plan, research, and implement three major projects, one each year, within their school or district with a focus on professional practice. The three projects are: • Program Evaluation • Change Leadership Plan • Policy Advocacy Document For the Program Evaluation candidates are required to identify and evaluate a program or practice within their school or district. The “program” can be a current initiative; a grant project; a common practice; or a movement. Focused on utilization, the evaluation can be formative, summative, or developmental (Patton, 2008). The candidate must demonstrate how the evaluation directly relates to student learning. In the Change Leadership Plan candidates develop a plan that considers organizational possibilities for renewal. The plan for organizational change may be at the building or district level. It must be related to an area in need of improvement, and have a clear target in mind. The candidate must be able to identify noticeable and feasible differences that should exist as a result of the change plan (Wagner et al., 2006). In the Policy Advocacy Document candidates develop and advocate for a policy at the local, state or national level using reflective practice and research as a means for supporting and promoting reforms in education. Policy advocacy dissertations use critical theory to address moral and ethical issues of policy formation and administrative decision making (i.e., what ought to be). The purpose is to develop reflective, humane and social critics, moral leaders, and competent professionals, guided by a critical practical rational model (Browder, 1995). Works Cited Browder, L.H. (1995). An alternative to the doctoral dissertation: The policy advocacy concept and the policy document. Journal of School Leadership, 5, 40-69. Patton, M. Q. (2008). Utilization-focused evaluation (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Shulman, L.S., Golde, C.M., Bueschel, A.C., & Garabedian, K.J. (2006). Reclaiming education’s doctorates: A critique and a proposal. Educational Researcher, 35(3), 25-32. Wagner, T., et al. (2006). Change leadership: A practical guide to transforming our schools. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 6.20.16 ABSTRACT Administrators and board members at the Illinois State Board of Education recommended that schools with certain demographics hire one social worker for every 350 students. The policy has yet to be implemented despite high rates of student poverty, lagging test scores, school bullying, suspensions, and an increased number of school shootings. The Illinois State Board of Education’s social and emotional learning standards guide educators and policy makers to interact and educate each student. School social workers equipped with the necessary skill set provide services, implement district wide social and emotional learning programs, and work with various stakeholders to monitor progress. A growing number of students in America grapple with social and emotional issues that are impeding their ability to make sound decisions, successfully navigate society, and make positive contributions to their families and community. Each child educated in a public school in Illinois should receive high quality school social work services and social and emotional support from preschool throughout high school. Implementing high fidelity social and emotional learning programs in schools would produce better outcomes for all stakeholders. Social and emotional learning infused into a school’s culture and climate helps produce well-rounded individuals. The Illinois State Board of Education’s school social work recommendations should be enforced with urgent speed. PREFACE Every child in society deserves the opportunity to attend a high-quality school that provides both academic and social supports. Students and staff members are dealing with psychosocial issues that impede their ability to function both in and out of school. More demands are being placed on students to increase test scores, enroll and persist in college, and manage their own social and emotional issues in the academic environment. Teachers are ill equipped to deal with the myriad of challenges students and families in society face. School social workers are trained to implement the Illinois State Board of Education social and emotional learning standards. In addition, they are equipped with skills that could help infuse the skills into the culture and climate of the school and advocate for resources that support overall student development. Receiving adequate social and emotional support in schools is an issue of equity and also necessary in society. If we want students to have an opportunity to thrive in society, then it is our duty to implement the Illinois State Board of Education’s school social work ratios across the state. This issue is important to me because of my experience as teacher, school social worker, and director of special education. I have hospitalized over 200 students for suicidal and homicidal ideations and managed several completed suicides. Students have dropped out of high school, run away from home, abused substances, and engaged in many other unconventional behaviors because they grappled with social and emotional issues that impeded their ability to function in their academic and social environments. Society has an opportunity to do the right thing and implement preventative services that could alter the lives of students, parents, teachers, and the community at large. We must stand together and be the voice of the muted and disenfranchised populations in America. Everyone deserves an opportunity to be educated, healthy, and happy. Table of Contents List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... iii SECTION ONE: VISION STATEMENT ...........................................................................1 Introduction of the Problem ...........................................................................................1 Critical Issues .................................................................................................................3 Recommended Policy and Envisioned Effect ................................................................5 SECTION 2: NEEDS ANALYSIS ......................................................................................8 Educational Analysis .....................................................................................................8 Economic Analysis ......................................................................................................10 Social Analysis.............................................................................................................14 Political Analysis .........................................................................................................16 Moral and Ethical Analysis ..........................................................................................19 SECTION THREE: ADVOCATED POLICY STATEMENT .........................................21 SECTION FOUR: POLICY ARGUMENT .......................................................................27 Illinois State Board of Education Recommendation ....................................................28 Student Outcomes ........................................................................................................29 Financial Obligation.....................................................................................................31 Consequences of ISBE Policy Implementation ...........................................................32 SECTION FIVE: POLICY IMPLEMENTATION