Digital Commons Network^™

Advancing Protective And Promotive Factors Through The Magic City Acceptance Academy, Matthew Fifolt, D. Keith Gurley, Dwayne White

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

Introduction: In 2021, leaders in Birmingham, Alabama established one of the first LGBTQ-affirming charter school in the United States to serve students who have dropped out, are not thriving in traditional schools, or are enrolled in home-school programs.

Methods: Using deductive analysis, our research team filtered data through the five pre-defined themes of the Youth Thrive Framework: (a) youth resilience, (b) social connections, (c) knowledge of adolescent development, (d) concrete support in times of need, and (e) cognitive and social-emotional competence.

Results: Study findings suggest that MCAA’s innovative and adaptive approaches to curriculum, discipline, and student engagement align with the …

The ‘Homework Gap’ And Academic Achievement In High School Science: An Ecological Perspective For Policymakers And Practitioners, Tianca Crocker, David Kleitsch

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are increasingly required within K-12 educational settings, yet the impact of youth’s access to and use of digital resources outside of the classroom on academic achievement is only beginning to be explored in the literature. This study used data from the Fragile Families & Child Wellbeing Study to assess the relationship between grades in high school science and digital equity across the learner’s ecological environment. Digital inequities experienced by school-aged youth are referred to as the homework gap. The COVID-19 pandemic placed new urgency on resolving the homework gap as millions of students shifted to …

Parent Education: A Key Aspect In Prevention And Intervention Of Bullying In School Communities, Kanessa M. Doss, Sherrionda H. Crawford

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

Bullying continues to be an omnipresent public health issue in school communities, affecting children’s and adolescent’s academic success, socio-emotional well-being, and overall development. Schools play a fundamental role in addressing bullying, yet parent and community involvement is equally critical. This article explores the significance of parent education in bullying prevention and intervention within school communities. The role of schools and community stakeholders with implications for each group are discussed. Resources are provided to share with parents/caregivers and facilitate their involvement in anti-bullying initiatives within school communities. The authors offer recommendations for school communities to promote anti-bullying awareness, facilitate parent education …

Exploring Adolescent Resilience During Covid-19 In A South African Township Context, Shannon Enid Wakefield Ms, Linda Theron Prof

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

Abstract

COVID-19 has permeated news since December 2019 and has impacted all areas of life. Despite widespread coverage of COVID-related risks, there is limited understanding of adolescent resilience in Global South contexts (e.g., Africa) and against the backdrop of COVID-19. We, therefore, conducted a qualitative secondary analysis of 79 documents (i.e., drawings and written explanations) generated by school-attending adolescents in grades eight to ten in Zamdela, South Africa, during 2020 lockdown. Using a multisystemic resilience approach, we explored what these documents revealed as resilience enabling for adolescents in a township context during COVID-19. The thematic findings highlight the importance of …

Youth Ambassadors Reaching Out (Yaro): Lessons Learned From The Implementation Of A Youth-Based Cancer Education Program, Khaliah Fleming, Siddhartha Roy, Steven K. Sutton, Edward Seijo, Vani Simmons, Clement K. Gwede, Cathy D. Meade

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

We know that many factors contribute to the exacerbation of cancer health disparities. These inequities observed in adulthood may have originated from behaviors occurring in early adolescence. We believe that increasing awareness of cancer prevention in youth may help reduce future disparities. Our community partners identified a need for youth-oriented cancer prevention and helped design the pilot Youth Ambassadors Reaching Out (YARO) program. YARO provided cancer prevention and health disparities education and exposure to health careers to 73 middle school students between 2012-2016. YARO included didactic sessions (health disparities, smoking prevention, physical activity, nutrition), a cancer center tour, and Photovoice …

A “Post” Pandemic(S) Village Check-In: Pulse Checks And Recommendations For A Hard Re-Set In Education, Jarvais J. Jackson, Alesia Mickle Moldavan, Anne Valauri

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

Utilizing the lens of the “pandemic as portal” (Roy, 2020; Souto-Manning, 2021) and the need for a “hard re-set” (Ladson-Billings, 2021) of our current education system, this literature synthesis engages with head, health, and home to consider what a new normal could look like as we take a “village check-in” of each area. For head, we consider the systemic barriers to equitable academic achievement that have long been in place for Black and Brown students. When considering health, we look at the impact of the pandemic on teacher well-being and how this may impact their ability to teach effectively and …

Toward Modernization: Using Strategic Development To Address Deficits In The Juvenile Justice System, David A. Mcleod, Emily A. Roberts

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

The Juvenile Justice System was established on the premise of rehabilitative action for behaviors that have led youth to the criminal justice system. However, the system has increasingly moved away from this original concept toward a punitive model. The authors present how this movement resulted in the devolution of human rights for the youth involved, a decrease in public safety, and a radical departure from fiscal responsibility related to the theoretical origins of rehabilitation. Studies on topics ranging from costs of correctional centers to trauma experienced by youth in these systems, along with many others, are compared to identify specific …

Bullying Prevention Essay And Art Competitions: Honoring School District Champions, Chasity D. Tompkins

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

Bullying is not a new concept. In fact, most of us can recall a time when we were bullied, someone else was bullied, or we bullied someone. While bullying can happen anywhere (including online through cyber-bullying), schools are often the center of research. Evaluations on school climate use bullying to help understand relationships. Prevention methods put the teacher or school staff in the driver seat, but these adults may not feel a connection to the work. Our school district created the Bullying Prevention Essay Contest to honor school district champions through literacy. Middle and high school students wrote about adults …

Changing My Language And Understanding: An Autoethnography Of My Dumb-Upness, Eric Hogan

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

Education, in its many forms, is an institution that mirrors the society around it, including its patterns of privilege and marginalization (Marx, et al., 2017). The purpose of this article is to provide a reflection of my experiences while working alongside four interns from an alternative school hired to work for an agricultural internship. I highlight my shifting perspectives through an autoethnography. Autoethnographic projects use selfhood, subjectivity, and personal experience (“auto”) to describe, interpret, and represent (“graphy”) beliefs, practices, and identities of a group or culture (“ethno”). (Adams and Herrmann 2020). After working with four interns, I was confronted with …

The Effectiveness Of Teaching Life Skills Through Sport-Based Interventions For Youth At Risk, Mindy K. Mccarthy, Brandonn S. Harris, Katy Gregg

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

Youth who are placed at risk have been found to experience adjustment difficulties, behavioral problems, academic challenges, and/or mental health concerns (Moreau et al., 2012). One resource for these youth involve sport-based interventions designed to enhance psychosocial wellbeing. Using a single-subject design, the current study examined the effectiveness of a life skills program through sport in a sample of strategically identified youth (Danish, 2002); two additional mental skill modules were also implemented. Participants included three male adolescents. Using basketball to implement the program, life skills included managing emotions, goal setting, relaxation, confidence, mental preparation, and seeking help from others. Participants …

The Relationship Between Principal Attrition And Academic Factors In Georgia’S High-Needs Rural Schools, Summer Pannell, Juliann Sergi Mcbrayer

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between principal attrition and academic factors in Georgia’s high-needs rural schools. The research shows that principals have a significant impact on student outcomes, and principal attrition is a disruptive factor in schools. The findings from this study indicate a negative correlation between principal turnover and every academic component of Georgia’s College and Career Readiness Index (CCRPI) at elementary, middle, and high schools in high-needs rural schools in Georgia. Implications for practice are the need to recruit and retain high-quality principals in Georgia’s high-needs rural schools and the development of purposeful, …

Changing Minds: A Pilot Feasibility Study Of Mindfulness Training For At-Risk Adolescents, Hanna Culang, Elizabeth R. Davis, Laura Egan, Akeesha Simmons, David R. Vago, Susan Finley, Tracy Dennis-Tiwary

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

Abstract

Youth at risk for negative health outcomes due to reduced access to social, mental health, and educational support systems are in particular need of resources promoting social-emotional resilience and positive educational outcomes. A growing body of research documents the positive benefits of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), but few studies have examined the impact of MBIs for at-risk adolescents, particularly in school settings where barriers to access can be minimized. This pilot feasibility study examined the effects of a nine-week school-based MBI, augmented by cross-course curricular material, in a group of high school students attending a transfer school, designed to re-engage …

Project Lion - Learning In Our Neighborhood: A Community Partnership, Gerlinde G. Beckers, Katlyn L. Knight

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

Project LION (Learning In Our Neighborhood) was a community partnership between a local University, a Charitable Foundation, the City, and the Parish (County) School System that provided affordable after-school academic and enrichment activities for students who are at risk in grades 4 through 8. The multiple-year foundation grant provided program development and fee waivers that allowed a broad participation among low-income students with low educational attainment levels. The program goal was to improve middle school student outcomes by providing programming that focuses on school engagement, academic performance, and social-emotional skills while enhancing real-world opportunities for preservice teacher candidates to work …

Franklincovey Leader In Me Program: The Impact On Quality Of Work Life And Perceived Relationship Changes Between Administrators And Teachers, Paula J. Tench, Ronny Green, Rudo Tsemunhu, Kathy Nobles, William Truby, Lantry Brockmeier

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

Federal and state initiatives designed to improve schools have created unintended, negative consequences. Educational research studies link these initiatives to declines in teacher job satisfaction, decreased teacher retention, and the potential development of adversarial relationships between teachers and administrators (Darling-Hammond, 2010). The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the FranklinCovey Leader in Me Program’s effect at an identified, Title I school in Georgia that implemented the program as a means of school reform and improvement. Data were obtained through observations, document analysis, and interviews. A constructivist epistemology was used to synthesize collected data to create meaning. …

Finding Support & Significance At School- Program Evaluation Of A Chronic Absenteeism Reduction Initiative, Heather Bundshuh, Matthew Ohlson, Anne Swanson

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

The impact of chronic absenteeism is devastating nationally as it can lead to poor academic achievement, increased dropout rates, and the school-to-prison pipeline (Balfanz & Cornfeld, 2016). The purpose of this program evaluation is to examine the attendance program at large suburban high school in the southeast United States. This program evaluation uses longitudinal data over six years, retrieved from the Department of Education’s website, to show the impact of the attendance program on rates of absenteeism, specifically the percentage of students that were absent 21 or more days. Findings show that the chronic absenteeism prevention program was successful as …

Changing Minds At Concord High School, Hanna Culang, Elizabeth R. Davis, Laura Egan, Akeesha Simmons, David R. Vago, Susan L. Finley, Tracy Dennis

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

No abstract provided.

Welcome From The Editors, Michelle Reidel, Alisa Leckie, Taylor Norman

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

Welcome from the Editors

Happy New Year!, Michelle Reidel, Alisa Leckie, Taylor Norman

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

Letter from the Editors- Updates about the journal

“High Schoolers’ And Middle Schoolers’ Connections In Their Schools: Relation To Tardiness, Absences, Disciplinary Referrals, And Failed Courses”, Erin D. Churchill, Margaret R. Rogers, Kimberly A. Pristawa

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

The Connections Project (Pristawa,2014) is designed to assist school personnel in identifying students at-risk for social-emotional concerns by examining students’ perceptions of connectedness with adults and peers in school. Currently used in several states, schools complete the screening measure as part of their use of the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework. While many measures of connectedness are lengthy and designed for elementary grade children, the Connections measure is an efficient, straightforward assessment employed with middle school and high school aged youth and school personnel. The purpose of the current study was to examine student connectedness with adults (including advisory …

Braving The Wilderness: The Quest For True Belonging And The Courage To Stand Alone – A Book Review, Chasity D. Tompkins

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

Brené Brown, PhD, LMSW, flipped the script on courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy in personal and professional situations through her research, writing, and scholarship. Widely known for her TED talks on these topics, including The Power of Vulnerability over ten years ago in Houston, in 2017, Brown released “Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone”, a self-help memoir, in the United States by Random House. In this review, I provide a highlight of each chapter in relation to its use for practitioners working in community-engaged programs with urban youth at-risk.

Improving Housing Services For Youth Survivors Of Sexual Exploitation: An Exploratory Study, Danielle B. Groton, Tomi Gomory

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

Children who have been commercially sexually exploited are a vulnerable population, often in need of housing services. However, little is known about housing services for this population. To address this gap, the current study aims to further the understanding and knowledge about housing services for children who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) in the U.S. Through a structured online search and review of the research literature, we identified 56 programs thought to be serving children who have experienced CSE in the United States. Agencies were asked to complete a brief semi-structured survey on their services for youth who have …

Fight Navigator: Exploring The Feasibility Of A Retaliatory Violence Prevention Program To Help Youth Manage The Code Of The Street, James Barrett, William Pollack, Elizabeth Janopaul-Naylor, Marvin So, Vincenzo Teran, Elizabeth Stilwell

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

Violence remains the leading cause of injury and death for people between the ages of 15 and 24 and presents a challenge for communities of color. Better understanding of the context surrounding violence is critical in order to develop effective prevention interventions. We conducted a two-phase, qualitative, feasibility study to develop and initially evaluate a retaliatory violence program, Fight Navigator. Focus groups (n=20) and semi-structured case vignette interviews (n=20) were conducted with the target population that were analyzed using a consensual qualitative research approach. Findings suggest that participants were more likely to believe that conflicts could be resolved without violence …

Changes In Our Future, Alisa Leckie, Taylor Norman, Michelle Reidel

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

Letter from the Editors- Updates about the journal

One Student At A Time: How An Innovative Charter School Succeeds With Dropout Recovery, Joe Lewis, Letitia Basford Dr.

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

In this paper, the authors examine how a charter high school in a large upper-Midwest city is successfully serving students who have not succeeded in the traditional school system and are in danger of experiencing the school-to-prison pipeline. The school accomplishes this through its enactment of five key qualities: 1. A casual, family-like atmosphere; 2. Commitment to a small, close-knit community; 3. Creative responses to absenteeism; 4. Extreme patience and flexibility in the classroom; 5. Innovative, trade-focused programs. The authors also examine the central challenges the school faces as it works to serve this group effectively. The paper describes an …

Educated: A Memoir And The Impact On Teacher Preparation Programs, Beth Lilly Gregory, Jen Botello

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

No abstract provided.

Making The American Dream A Reality For All Youth: Introduction To The First Issue Of The National Youth-At-Risk Journal, Dan W. Rea, Cordelia Zinskie

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

This editorial provides an introduction to the first issue of the National Youth-At-Risk Journal. Information highlighted regarding the journal includes its mission, historical background and inspiration, and holistic aims and scope. Biased and realistic uses of the phrase “at risk” are also addressed. The editorial also introduces the journal editors and presents a preview of issue content.

Vicarious Reinforcement And Punishment Among The Children Of The Incarcerated: Using Social Learning Theory To Understand Differential Effects Of Parental Incarceration, Meagan C. Arrastia-Chisholm, Allyson Alvis, Mizanur Miah

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

In this literature synthesis, research concerning the effects of parental incarceration on children is reviewed. Literature from across disciplines is synthesized to advance the understanding of how parental incarceration affect children, as well as to propose vicarious reinforcement and punishment as a potential mechanism to explain positive outcomes of this type of separation. It has been a predominant view that this population is at risk for serious negative outcomes, like behavioral issues, even before parental incarceration. It is obvious that children with parents in prison or jail do constitute an especially fragile population group needing urgent attention for social, educational, …

Encompassing A Sense Of Belonging With Youth: Art-Based Exploration In Urban Gardening, Chasity D. Tompkins, Casey D. Mull, Nykita Howell, Lori Bledsoe

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

This article showcases an arts-based project incorporating designs from youth participants in Project GROWL (Growing Real Opportunities in Work and Life). Project GROWL incorporates agricultural and environmental education with personal and professional development skills. Youth participants actively engage in an urban garden. These paintings were completed by youth and sprayed with a clear overcoat to protect them from the weather. All paintings and bee boxes were placed strategically around the urban garden to promote visual stamina for human and pollinating visitors. By creating these art pieces for the garden, youth found a deeper sense of belonging with this outdoor space. …

The Potential Of A Library Media Program On Reducing Recidivism Rates Among Juvenile Offenders, Angela E. Formby, Kelly Paynter

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

There are currently an estimated 1.1 million juveniles involved with the juvenile justice system. Of that steadily-climbing number, a high percentage will be rearrested, readjudicated, or recommitted to a facility, program, or group home. Although many researchers have studied the factors influencing juvenile criminology and recidivism rates in general in order to reduce these numbers, little is known about the possible influence that an active and thriving library media center may have on these adolescents. Therefore, this literature review will examine the possible connection between having a library media program available during a juvenile’s incarceration and reducing juvenile delinquent recidivism …

The Departed Girl, Amber Moore

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Journal

This poem is inspired by a participant in Sunde-Peterson’s (2014) case study that explored how a gifted youth faced adversity. The participant who inspired the subject of this poem faced much trauma; Sunde-Peterson was interested in how this impacted her development, while this poem attempts to imagine her escape beyond the data collection period. Like Sunde-Peterson, the speaker of this poem also posits that how gifted youth respond to trauma warrants more attention.

Amber Moore is a Ph.D. student at the University of British Columbia studying language and literacy education with the Faculty of Education. Her research interests include adolescent …