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IIntroduction: Incorporating culture in school‐based interventions

Behavioral and psychological supports play an essential role in the promotion of students’ academic, social, and emotional learning. When students are provided a high‐quality, balanced education, they will be prepared to handle life challenges more successfully and become the productive members of society every school aims to mold. As a result, the field of education has made significant developments in school‐based interventions such as social and emotional learning (SEL) programs.

Research from the last two decades has shown that effective implementation of school‐based SEL and behavioral intervention programs leads to improved academic, social–emotional, and behavioral outcomes for all students (Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011). However, the research documenting the effects of these interventions on at‐risk culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students is still scarce; with at least one large scale study (Vincent & Tobin, 2011) suggesting that disproportionate discipline outcomes persist even in schools that are effectively implementing universal (i.e., School‐Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports [SWPBIS]) programs. Addressing the unique needs of CLD students in school settings continues to be a significant necessity, given the large proportion of CLD students enrolled in public schools (i.e., over 50% according to the National Center of Educational Statistics, 2016). Despite their growing representation in public school systems, CLD students continue to fall behind academically as demonstrated by state assessment scores, graduation rates, college enrollment, and low representation in gifted and talented programs. Similar outcomes are also evident in the social–emotional and behavioral areas, as CLD students continue to be overrepresented in disciplinary actions, the juvenile justice system, and special education (Graves & Ye, 2017). Although many programs have been implemented with the goal of promoting equality in education, research suggests that until the cultural reality of CLD students is explicitly addressed in their school‐based SEL and behavioral programs, long‐lasting positive effects will not be obtained. For example, meta‐analytic research has demonstrated that culturally adapted interventions yield moderately strong effects for CLD populations when compared to nonadapted evidence‐based programs (Hall, Ibaraki, Huang, Marti, & Stice, 2016). As such, there is a growing body of research that is beginning to examine the effect of culturally focused interventions in schools (Castro‐Olivo, 2014; Cramer & Castro‐Olivo, 2016; Graves et al., 2017; McGoey, Munro, McCobin, & Miller, 2016; Ryan et al., 2016). Consequently, the purpose of this special issue, Incorporating Culture in School‐based Interventions, is to present a series of school‐based interventions and research reports that all have implications for improving service delivery for culturally diverse populations. This research will help to address the current gap in preventative school‐based interventions with a specific focus on race, ethnicity, culture, and language.

The opening article in this issue by Dr. Miranda and colleagues provides a framework and discussion of a school–university partnership designed to implement systems‐level change to address achievement and behavioral gaps in an urban setting. In the second article Dr. Jones and her collaborators evaluated the Sisters of Nia curriculum, which is an Afrocentric intervention, via a delayed‐start multiple group intervention design. Next Dr. Castro Olivo and colleagues evaluated a culturally adapted version of First Steps to Success for Latino English language learners. Dr. Aston and colleagues also evaluated the Sisters of Niaprogram; however they utilized a single‐case design format. Next, Dr. Collins and colleagues evaluated the effectiveness of Behavior Bingo, a novel interdependent group contingency intervention, on the academic engagement, off‐task, and disruptive behavior of students with emotional behavioral disorder during independent seatwork in urban alternative high school setting. Dr. Graves and Dr. Aston present the results of an Afrocentric focused social–emotional learning curriculum for black boys, Brothers of Ujima, in an urban setting. Lastly, we have two survey articles that address training and competency in multicultural assessment, intervention, and training practices. Dr. Newell and her collaborators examined the practices of psychologists in rural and urban contexts regarding their training in multicultural assessment, consultation, and intervention. Finally, the article by Dr. Nichols and Dr. Graves assessed the training provided by APA accredited psychology programs in the area of culturally relevant and strength‐based training practices.

In sum, the studies in this special issue have the potential to advance the service delivery for diverse children in schools. Additionally, the information provided could have a significant impact on training programs that are attempting to partner with school districts that serve racially diverse populations. Furthermore, a majority of the intervention studies were conducted in urban schools, which is particularly important given the unique challenges of this population (Graves, Proctor, & Aston, 2014). It is our desire that the research presented in this issue is utilized by all concerned with improving the well‐being of CLD students.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pits.22095

DMU Timestamp: November 09, 2018 23:10





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