School social work practice: a new model

Lela B. Costin, MSW, is Professor, Jane Addams School of Social Work, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois. The demonstration project in which the model was developed was financed in part by the Office of Education, Grant No. USOE-G2028-725-Kurpius. Concern has become commonplace cial work practice that emphasize the about persistent problems in the pubinteraction among school, community, lie schools that adversely affect groups and pupils are broader and are di of pupils and seriously impair their rected toward increasing educational chances for equal educational opporopportunities for target groups of pu tunity. Less than a decade ago, the idea pils. An overall goal of such a model was set forth that pupil problems— would be to alleviate stress on groups rather than developing primarily from of pupils and help them use learning faulty personality functioning of pupil opportunities more effectively by or parents—arise from the interaction bringing about change in the system of pupil characteristics and school conof school-community-pupil relations. ditions.1 This fresh insight has led The individual child is not forgotten; school social workers to consider new the ultimate aim is to help individual approaches to their work. Some have children and young persons. But the been hesitant about change. But high needs and capabilities of groups of rates of truancy and absenteeism, funcpupils are viewed as only one com tional dropouts, pupils' underachieveponent of the interacting forces, in ment, strikes by teachers, defeated tax fluences, and personalities contained referenda, and the clamor of citizen in school-community-pupil relations, groups have convinced even reluctant Traditional practice in the schools observers that innovation may be focuses on the individual pupil and the necessary. Many have concluded that, individual case. The social and emo to make educational opportunity equal, tional characteristics of the pupil or changes must be made in school-cornhis family are seen as playing a lead munity-pupil relations. ing part in the pupil's difficulties at Although some school social workschool. Even when group methods are ers cling tenaciously to the traditional used, close attention is paid to the in clinical model of practice, probably dividual pupil's problems of adjust many more realize they carry strategic ment, both at home and at school, responsibility in the public schools Teachers refer pupils to social workers and are seeking ways to modify their and the workers respond when such practice. Innovative approaches have symptoms as these occur: withdrawal, not been extensive, however, and the aggression, school phobia, lack of best-intentioned efforts often have not friends, general unhappiness, or dis been sustained. ruptive behavior. Such symptoms are t This article describes a model of typically seen as manifestations of school social work practice recently personal and emotional problems, initiated and developed in a threeIn a model based on school-com year training demonstration at the munity-pupil relations the center of Jane Addams School of Social Work, interest and attention is on (1) defici University of Illinois, Urbana. The encies in the school and the commu model offers a framework for moving nity and (2) the interaction between toward a way to modify the instituspecific characteristics of the system tional practice of public school educaand characteristics of groups of pupils tion.2 at points of stress in the pupil life cycle. Thus the focus is on the situa _ tion rather than on personality. GOALS AND FOCUS The vehicle for intervention is an The goals of traditional social work identified problem complex made up practice in schools have been to help of identified problem situations. A the child adapt to school and use the problem situation involves a group of learning opportunities presented. Sopupils, similarly situated, who form a cial workers strive to attain these goals dysfunctional unit as their social be by modifying pupil behavior or efhaviors interact with conditions in fecting other change in the characterschool and community. Members of istics or personal situation of the inthe unit are then perceived as lacking dividual pupil or the parents. competence to deal effectively with In contrast, the goals of school sothe demands and expectations made