School and educational program leaders and staff have the power and opportunity to create a school culture in which all students are able to learn in a safe and conducive learning environment. This study explored the perceptions of faculty and administrators in an afterschool program around mechanisms for promoting support and tolerance. Participants were drawn from a specific summer support program attached to a middle school, and data were gathered using email interviews. A qualitative, thematic analysis was conducted to understand the data, and representative exemplars are presented to highlight each theme uncovered. The study culminates in a training for school district faculty and administrators to help improve their understanding of the pathway to support and to develop strategies to employ at their sites.The findings of this study indicate that it is up to our school leaders to prepare stakeholders to support middle schoolers and to create an inclusive policy, which would truly "leave no child behind." Stakeholders are already required to complete a number of trainings on curriculum, safety, cultural sensitivity, religion in public schools, code of ethics, and other mandated practices and topical issues. However, it is not mandated in all districts to provide trainings to assist with sensitivity and acceptance of the struggling middle school student population. This study investigates how leadership in an afterschool program understands the need for support for middle school students. Without the ability to have dialogue, educators may miss key opportunities to engage with middle school youth and possibly prevent negative outcomes from befalling them. It is the goal of this study and its training component to foster that critical dialogue at middle school sites.
展开▼
