School Mental Health Providers’ Perspectives on the Impact of COVID-19 on Racial Inequities and School Disengagement

Abstract School disengagement is a critical factor that will likely exacerbate long-standing racial inequities in educational outcomes during the aftermath of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Due to their training and contact with at-risk students, school social workers and other school-...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Children & Schools 2021-04, Vol.43 (2), p.97-106
Main Authors: Jones, Tiffany M, Williford, Anne, Spencer, Michael S, Riggs, Nathaniel R, Toll, Rebecca, George, Melissa, Becker, Kaylee, Bruick, Samantha
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
At risk populations
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Disengagement
Families & family life
Inequality
Learning
Medical personnel
Mental health
Mental health professionals
Minority groups
Outcomes of Education
Pandemics
School districts
School social workers
Students
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Summary:Abstract School disengagement is a critical factor that will likely exacerbate long-standing racial inequities in educational outcomes during the aftermath of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Due to their training and contact with at-risk students, school social workers and other school-based mental health professionals (SMHP) are in an ideal position to understand the impact of COVID-19 and virtual learning on K–12 students. To that end, this study reports on findings from a survey of SMHP about the differential impact that the COVID-19 outbreak is having on students and their families. The findings suggest that COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on families overall, especially among populations who were experiencing hardships before the current outbreak. In addition, several barriers were noted for student learning, with many students—particularly students of color—completely disengaging from school during spring 2020. However, SMHP reported several important insights on how to support students and their families—some requiring immediate action on the part of school districts and others requiring greater community-level investment into the economic, social, emotional, and overall health of families. Findings are discussed in light of addressing disengagement and educational inequities for students of color.
ISSN:1532-8759
1545-682X
DOI:10.1093/cs/cdab009