Dive Brief:
- Pamela Davis Smith, principal of Highland View Elementary School in Bristol, VA, writes for The Hechinger Report that her school addresses students’ physical, social, mental health and nutritional needs as contributors to academic success.
- Virtually all of Smith’s students are considered economically disadvantaged and one-third are transient, but nutrition programs mean students can get three free meals at school each day and a weekend snackpack, counseling services help students overcome stress and trauma from home, and on-site washers and dryers give students a place to wash their clothes.
- Partnerships with community organizations, social service agencies, nonprofits, churches and local businesses bring books, shoes, food, medical help and other supports to Highland View students as well as their families, and a comprehensive after-school program gives students access to enrichment opportunities along with homework help.
Dive Insight:
If schools are expected to overcome the disadvantages of poverty, they have to focus on more than just academics. Students in violence-prone, resource-poor neighborhoods come to school already behind on math and literacy skills and distracted by hunger, trauma and other anxieties. Many high-poverty schools have focused on a “community schools” model, where they provide wraparound services, like Highland View, with the help of local organizations.
Social-emotional curricula also aim to address the non-academic needs of students. Counseling supports, mindfulness education and meditation can help students learn how to recognize and work through internal problems and focus their attention on learning.