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Education of Children and Youths
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Issue Section
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In the United States, the provision of a free, appropriate, equitable, and quality public
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education continues to be a challenge to federal, state and local government. An array of
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federal legislation has been enacted to help the US Department of Education its mission
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of “..student achievement and preparation for global competiveness… (US Department of
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Education 2013)”:
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Elementary and Secondary Education
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The original Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) (P.L. 89-10) set
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standards for students, teachers, and most important, formulas for block grants to states.
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The legislation instituted large-scale resources to educationally deprived students.
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The passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (P.L. 94-142)
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guaranteed all children a free and appropriate public education (FAPE), the right to due
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process, and individualization of instruction according to need. Subsequent reenactments
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broadened the coverage to include the educational needs of children ages three to 21
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years, additional conditions that qualify people with disabilities for coverage, and greater
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encouragement for the implementation of local programs for children from birth to three
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years. It remains essential that accommodation of students with severe disabilities con-
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tinue to be available when their individualized education plan (IEP) identifies the need.
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This approach was mandated and reinforced with passage of the 1997 Individuals with
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Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (P.L. 101-476).
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The 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (P.L. 108-446), a
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revision of IDEA, calls on educational institutions to demonstrate improved outcomes for
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all students.
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The 2002 No Child Left Behind Act (P.L. 107-110) was implemented and “laid
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emphasis on the idea of accountability, adding timelines and sanctions for not
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achieving goals (Jonson-Reid 2008)”.
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Post-Secondary Education
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The post-secondary education system can be classified as adult education (workforce
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development and literacy) and higher education (community colleges, state college and
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university systems) (Jonson-Reid 2008). The 1964 Economic Opportunity Act (P.L. 88-452)
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and the 1965 Higher Education Act (P.L. 105-244) are amongst federal legislation aimed at
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post-secondary education for civilian US citizens.
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Population Specific
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Specific legislation that mandates continuous services to transient or homeless students was
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established in 1987 by the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (P.L. 100-77),
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which has been amended and later became known as the McKinney-Vento Act.
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Populations affected
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Public education is a vital socializing force that, with the family, promotes the total
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development of the child intellectually, socially, and physically. To nurture the full
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potential of children and youths, our nation’s public schools are an excellent forum to ensure
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equal opportunity and preparation. NASW believes that schools must pursue excellence
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and provide for the physical and emotional safety and growth, in addition to the
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education, of children. Schools must identify students with disabilities and disadvantages
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early and provide support to such students in accordance with federal legislation.
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Educational environments promote transitional learning in the areas of work, community
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living, and civic responsibility.
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Students with excessive truancy and who are at risk of dropping out must receive outreach
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services. Potential dropouts and push-outs represent another significant high-risk group in
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the educational system. In too many cases, discipline involves suspensions or expulsions
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that deny access to school or placement in supervised atmospheres. Exclusion from
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school increases the risk of negative behaviors, such as crime and misuse of alcohol and
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other drugs. Furthermore, students from racial and ethnic minority groups experience a
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disproportionately high incidence of suspensions and expulsions. “Studies show that
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students of color receive harsher punishments for engaging in the same conduct as white
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students (Issurdatt 2013)”. In addition, children and youths who have been incarcerated
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must not lose their right to an equal education.
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Policy Statement
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Education is a continuous maturation process that promotes the intellectual, physical, and
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social development of students in their environments. It is the position of NASW that the
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educational system has a responsibility to provide all students with free, appropriate, and
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high quality education. Through quality education, students should be able to attain full
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vocational and career skills and concomitant behaviors conducive to success and lifelong
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learning. In addition, students need educational opportunities that foster increased self-
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awareness and self-actualization, empathy for others, understanding and acceptance of
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differences in race, culture, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, and understanding of the
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personal realities of individuals with disabilities and how to help them to participate more
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fully in normal daily activities. NASW supports the following components as essential to
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operationalizing free, appropriate, equitable, and high quality education:
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Safe, Positive, and Secure Schools -Positive school climate and the prevention
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of school violence continue to be central in assuring the safety of children,
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adolescents, and young adults in school buildings and on school campuses.
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Nondiscriminatory Education-The right to equal educational opportunity
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requires a non-segregated, non-sexist environment. Educational institutions
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should create pluralistic environments, provide for , and facilitate interaction
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among students and faculty of diverse racial, cultural, religious, spiritual, and
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ethnic backgrounds. An integrated environment promotes understanding, knowledge,
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and acceptance of diversity in family composition (for example sexual orientation
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and same-sex families). To ensure non- discriminatory education for all
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students, a policy prohibiting the use of discriminatory or stereotyping labels and/or
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practices should be established. Bilingual education programs promote greater
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understanding of the educational process of those experiencing language and
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cultural barriers.
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Non-Traditional Education- Millions of youths are underserved or not served at
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all by the public educational system. Any reform in public education must include
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alternative routes to becoming educated and finding successful roles as adults.
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These alternatives, however, must not isolate “undesirable” students from the main-
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stream, but rather offer them sufficient support to meet their unique behavioral and
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situation needs. The widespread availability of the computer, and the Internet in
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particular, has had a revolutionary impact in the classroom, and more significantly,
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on educational formats for learning at home.
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Least-restrictive Environment -Every student has the right to a free, appropriate
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public education in the least-restrictive environment. NASW supports the least-
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restrictive environment concept as it is determined individually for each student.
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NASW supports the regular education environment as the first placement considera-
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tion, and NASW strongly supports placement of students in the setting that best
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meets the student’s needs, with the appropriate continuum of services, staffing, and
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assistive devices, and re-placement in a more restrictive setting if so determined by
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student need.
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Alternative Testing and Performance- All students do not learn in the same
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fashion. Divergent learners may test poorly on standardized tests. This does not
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mean the student is not learning, rather the particular testing used may not
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adequately tap the student’s knowledge. Therefore, alternate ways to measure
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academic growth is essential, especially among the learning disabled population of
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students and other educationally disadvantaged pupils in American public schools.
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Family, School, and Community Linkages- Effective communication among
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school personnel, families, and communities is vital to reach the goals set for each
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student. Coordination of services is critical to the efficient and effective use of
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resources and the attainment of goals. Strengthening the relationship among the fam-
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ilies, schools, and communities is a fundamental principle of any educational
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policy. NASW encourages linking the school to community resources as sound
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public policy and encourages further policy development focused on bringing
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schools, families, and communities together for mutual support and problem solv-
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ing as well as for cultural and celebratory events.
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Early Childhood Education-It is the policy of NASW that early childhood
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education should continue to be expanded and made available to all children
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through federal and state support (see also NASW policy statement on Early
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Childhood Care and Services). Such programs promote total learning for all
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children through their emphasis on early stimulation of children within the home,
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recognition and use of parenting skills, provisions for adequate nutrition and
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medical care, and the introduction of important social skills needed for later school
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success. In addition, significant research supports the position that early
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intervention for children with disabilities of all types benefits their later ability to
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succeed educationally.
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Career and Vocational Education. NASW affirms that the primary function of
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education is to prepare students for life tasks, specifically the world of work.
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Preparation should include instilling the attitudes and behaviors that ensure
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successful entry into the labor market. American children must be prepared to
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compete in a global society that offers opportunities for all nations to share the
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resources of the world. It is the policy of NASW that transitional experiences and
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entry structures should be available throughout the educational ladder. To
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accomplish this, schools, postsecondary educational institutions, communities, and
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businesses should continue to form linkages that provide opportunities for entry
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into the labor market. Career and vocational programs should have the same
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economic and academic investment from school facilities and administrations as
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college preparatory programs. High schools should assist all students who are
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preparing for post-secondary education, and all students should be graduating
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with a high school diploma.
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Comprehensive Health and Mental Health Education- It is the policy of NASW that
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educating students about their health and physical needs and about optimal health
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practices, including sexual conduct and HIV/AIDS education, is a necessary and
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appropriate function of public schools. Such programs should be developed by
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multidisciplinary teams that include, but are not restricted to, social workers, health
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care providers, educators, and parents. The programs should be evidence-based
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and use best practices. They should be offered in early childhood programs or
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kindergarten and should continue throughout students’ formal public education.
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Such programs should be age and developmentally appropriate and provide information
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that enables students to make responsible choices about their bodies, behavior,
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relationships, and emotions.
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Sex Education-To make responsible choices, students need access to basic facts about
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human physiology and psychology, including information on reproduction, family
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planning, pregnancy prevention, responsible parenting, HIV/AIDS and sexually
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transmitted diseases, substance use, healthy eating, exercise, stress management,
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anger management, and general lifestyle decisions. A comprehensive life
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education program should involve parents and should promote open
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communication among parents, students, and schools. With increasing attention to
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children suffering physical and sexual abuse, it is imperative that students are
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protected from violence and abuse.
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Discipline- It is the policy of NASW that disciplinary practices in elementary and
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secondary schools, including detention, suspension, and expulsion, must reflect the
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desire to shape students’ behavior toward productive participation in schools and
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society. Many such policies are clearly punitive in intent and thus do not reflect the
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school’s concern for retaining and successfully graduating students involved in
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their disciplinary system. The focus of school discipline should be to help students
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accept responsibility for their own behavior, rather than punishment. The use of
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corporal punishment in schools should be abolished in the remaining states that still
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approve of such practices.
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School Truancy and Dropout Prevention- NASW supports comprehensive and
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individualized services to enhance each student’s opportunity to successful
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complete school and to have the opportunities of a full and productive adult life
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(NASW 2009).
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Social Workers in Elementary and Secondary Schools- School social workers
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are one of the few resources in elementary and secondary schools for addressing
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personal and social problems that inhibit students’ ability to learn. Unfortunately,
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the distribution of social workers is uneven and inequitable; school social workers
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tend to be clustered in greater proportions in industrial states and in school
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districts with greater resources. NASW encourages legislation and funding at the
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federal and state levels to substantially increase the number of social workers
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available in schools to serve both students with identified disabilities and students
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in the general school population. NASW recommends that pupil services teams in
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every state include school social workers on the elementary and secondary levels
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who graduated from a Council on Social Work Education– accredited program.
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School social workers seek to ensure equitable education opportunities; ensure
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that students are mentally, physically, and emotionally present in the classroom;
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and promote respect and dignity for all students (NASW, 2012). These
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components enable students to acquire the academic skills and the ability to
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function in and contribute to a multicultural society.
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Social Workers in Colleges and Universities- Social workers on college and
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university campuses continue to fulfill a variety of roles. These roles may include
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faculty and/or clinical social work related functions focusing on the psychosocial
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functioning of students, prevention and intervention of issues such as “campus
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drinking, relationships or domestic violence” (NASW 2011) .
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Specialized Instruction Support Personnel -The policy of NASW is that the
model of collaboration used by multidisciplinary teams, including school social
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workers, psychologists, pupil services personnel, teachers, administrators, and
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families, in the identification and evaluation of students for appropriate services is
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optimal for the delivery of services to all students.
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Evaluation and Research -Evaluation of school social work services is critical in
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documenting effectiveness. Federal, state, and local education agencies as well as
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school social workers should conduct research related to the effectiveness of
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social work services in the schools. Research that examines both the short-term
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and long-term effectiveness of innovative prevention programs must be
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supported.
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Full Funding for Education-All legally mandated educational programs must be
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funded at a level that ensures their effective implementation. Programs must not
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be weakened by changing or eliminating key rules and regulations because of
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politically shortsighted initiatives or economic recession. The rights of students
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and families should not be eliminated or reduced to foster a more controlling, and
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in some cases, more oppressive environment. Full funding for education should
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include safe and fully functioning educational facilities in addition to appropriate
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programming.
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Accessibility of Vocational and Higher Education- NASW supports the
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availability of an adequate array of low coast loans, scholarships and fellowships
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that will ensure that high quality vocation and higher education opportunities are
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available to those persons who are in need of such support. In addition, loan
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forgiveness programs should be available to attract individuals to high need
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occupations including social work.
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References
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Americans with Disabilities Act, Pub. L. 101- 336, 104 Stat. 327 (1990).
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Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: Analysis and implications
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for social workers. In R. Constable, J. Flynn, & S. McDonald (Eds.), School social
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work: Practice and research perspectives (3rd ed., pp. 116– 131). Chicago: Lyceum Press.
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Civil Rights Act of 1957, Pub. L. 86-387, Title IV, Sec. 401, 73 Stat. 724.
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Civil Rights Act of 1964, Pub. L. 88-352, 78 Stat. 241.
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Economic Opportunity Act. (1964). P.L. 88-452.
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Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, Pub. L. 94-142, 89 Stat. 773.
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Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986, Pub. L. 99-457, 100 Stat.
1145.
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Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, Pub. L. 89-10, 79 Stat. 27.
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Higher Education Act. (1998) P.L. 105-244
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Howden LM, Meyer, JA. (2011). Age and Sex Composition: 2010. United States Census
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Bureau. Retrieved from: http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-03.pdf.
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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Pub. L. 101-476, 104 Stat. 1142 (1990).
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Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, Pub. L. 108-446, 118 Stat.
2647 (2004).
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Issurdatt, S. (2013). Call the principal, not the police-preventing the school to prison pipeline.
NASW Press: Washington, DC.
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Jonson-Reid, M. (2008). Education Policy. In T. Mizrahi, et. al (Eds.), encyclopedia of social
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work (20th ed., Vol. 2, pp. 108-112). Washington, DC and New York, NY: NASW Press
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and Oxford University Press.
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National Association of Social Workers. (2009). Social work speaks 2009-2012. School
truancy and dropout preventions. NASW Press: Washington, DC.
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National Association of Social Workers. (2012) NASW standards for school social work
services. NASW Press: Washington, DC.
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NASW Center for Workforce Studies and Social Work Practice. (2011) Social workers in
colleges and universities-occupational profile. NASW Press: Washington, DC.
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No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Pub. L. 107- 110, 15 Stat. 1425.
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Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Pub. L. 93-112, 87 Stat. 355.
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US Department of Education. (2013). The federal role of education. Retrieved from:
http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html?src=ln
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US Department of Education. National Center for Educational Statistics (2009). Fast
facts-homeschooling. Retrieved from: http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=91