In the United States, children that require mental health supports will most likely receive them in their school. However, there is a serious discrepancy between youth that require and those that receive psychological supports in public schools. This reality is even more pronounced in urban settings and with youth of color. Untreated mental health issues impact a multitude of life domains—only one of which is school achievement. For decades, the public school system at federal and state levels has focused reform efforts on a single developmental competency (i.e., academic skill) to the detriment and underdevelopment of other interdependent competencies (e.g., social-emotional skills [self-awareness, self-management and regulation, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making]). Social and emotional skills are considered both a universal prevention against future psychological disturbances as well as core components in the treatment of many psychological disorders. Promoting social-emotional skills, however, requires the purposive establishment of a school climate that fosters such skills. The present study aimed to impact social-emotional factors and school climate by encouraging the participation of local stakeholders (i.e., teachers, parents, administrators, and students themselves) in problem solving and decision-making about how best to ensure school conditions foster the development of social and emotional competence. Analyses focused on both the creation of a plan for school climate reform as well as local perceptions of the facilitating and inhibiting factors of engaging in this process in an urban public school. / acase@tulane.edu

Researchers have noted that educational manager and instructional leadership roles are vital to achieving sustainable student achievement. Ineffective leadership practices may decrease students' academic success and are a continuous concern for educators, especially for those of urban charter schools. The purpose of this study was to explore practices that leaders of urban charter middle schools have implemented to advance their schools from a priority school to a focus school designation. This multiple case study sought to identify and clarify leadership practices of successful leaders in urban charter middle schools. Leithwood and Riehl's core leadership practices model served as the basis for understanding successful leadership practices in 3 Midwestern urban charter middle schools that progressed from a priority school to a focus school category. Data included semistructured interviews with 3 principals, 3 focus groups with a total of 16 teachers, and a review of relevant documents at each school. Data analysis entailed coding and theming significant statements for emerging patterns related to successful leadership practices until reaching data saturation. Emerging themes included leadership practices, professional development, student academic achievement, parental involvement, and redesigning the schools. Findings from this study resonate with Leithwood and Riehl's leadership model and indicate the efficacy of core leadership practices to meet state and national guidelines. Positive social change comes from providing school leaders in urban charter schools with leadership practices that may more effectively offer students with educational preparation to compete in a global society.