Bill Overview
Title: School Social Workers Improving Student Success Act
Description: This bill provides certain resources to increase the number of social workers in elementary and secondary schools. Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Education to award grants to high-need local educational agencies to retain or hire school social workers. The bill also establishes a national technical assistance center for school social work to, among other duties, develop strategies for improving the effectiveness of the school social work workforce.
Sponsors: Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]
Target Audience
Population: Students, teachers, and social workers in elementary and secondary schools
Estimated Size: 60000000
- The bill targets elementary and secondary schools, which means it impacts students, teachers, and staff within these institutions.
- It aims to increase the number of social workers, so social workers themselves are directly impacted as job opportunities and openings would increase.
- Parents of students may be indirectly impacted as they might see positive changes in their children's school environment.
- The effectiveness of school social work can contribute to students' wellbeing and academic success globally, reflecting a wide-reaching impact.
Reasoning
- The primary targets of this policy are students in elementary and secondary schools. Given the high student count across the country, maximizing impact will focus on regions known to lack support, particularly high-need educational agencies.
- Teachers and support staff such as social workers are secondary targets as this policy aims to improve resource constraints within school services, leading to increased employment opportunities for social workers.
- Parents, while not direct targets, will likely experience the benefits indirectly through improved educational environments for their children.
- Each of these groups will experience the policy's implementation differently depending on their baseline circumstances and the specific challenges present in their local educational environments.
Simulated Interviews
High School Student (Detroit, MI)
Age: 17 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- More social workers could help students like me with mental health issues.
- I often feel like there aren't enough adults to talk to about my problems at school.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
School Social Worker (Austin, TX)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The increase in social workers would greatly help manage my caseload.
- I hope the policy will also mean better training and resources for us.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Middle School Student (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 12 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Having more counselors could help kids who are being bullied.
- I've never talked to a social worker but maybe I would if there was one.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 3 | 3 |
Elementary School Principal (Appalachia, KY)
Age: 43 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy could mean a significant improvement in student support.
- Our school desperately needs more mental health professionals.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
High School Teacher (Chicago, IL)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Increased social worker support could help manage classroom stress.
- I hope this policy will finally bring some relief to our workload.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 3 |
High School Student (New York City, NY)
Age: 16 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Knowing there's more help available at school makes me feel safer.
- Social workers can really make a difference if they're accessible.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Parent (Boston, MA)
Age: 54 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- More social workers could positively impact the school's environment.
- I'm hopeful this policy will address some ongoing issues we've seen in the school.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Superintendent (Rural Nebraska)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy might finally provide resources to attract qualified social workers.
- Our district has been understaffed for years.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
School Counselor (Miami, FL)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- More hands on deck would help us address mental health more thoroughly.
- This policy could alleviate some of the strain on our existing support systems.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
School Administrator (Seattle, WA)
Age: 41 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy provides a real chance to improve student wellbeing across the board.
- Implementation will be key to success; we need clear guidelines.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $300000000 (Low: $250000000, High: $350000000)
Year 2: $310000000 (Low: $260000000, High: $360000000)
Year 3: $320000000 (Low: $270000000, High: $370000000)
Year 5: $340000000 (Low: $290000000, High: $390000000)
Year 10: $360000000 (Low: $310000000, High: $410000000)
Year 100: $500000000 (Low: $450000000, High: $550000000)
Key Considerations
- Ensuring equitable distribution of social workers to truly high-need areas is vital for efficacy.
- Potential challenges include securing qualified personnel in rural or disadvantaged regions.
- Costs are contingent on variables such as salary scales, benefits, and program administrative costs.