Sec. 2. Findings
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The Congress finds the following: Interventions to increase students’ bonding to school promote academic success by reducing barriers to learning. Interventions that foster students’ engagement in school have been shown to reduce high school dropout rates. Interventions that strengthen students’ social, emotional, and decisionmaking skills also positively impact their academic achievement, both in terms of higher standardized test scores and better grades. Prevention and early intervention programs that target elementary school-aged students who are academically and socially at risk have been shown to produce declines in special education referrals and placement, suspension, grade retention, and disciplinary referrals.
Students with barriers to learning, such as low levels of resilience assets (such as high expectations and caring relationships at school), have lower levels of academic achievement both in low- and high-performing schools. Increasing students’ engagement and sense of community in the school produces reductions in problem behaviors, increased associations with prosocial peers, and better academic performance. School mental health programs improve educational outcomes by decreasing absences and discipline referrals and improving test scores.
Students who receive social-emotional support and prevention services achieve better academically in school. While it is well recognized that mental health directly affects children’s learning and development, in a recent study one-third of school districts reported decreased funding for school mental health services at the same time that two-thirds reported increased need for such services. Nearly 15 to 18 percent of children and adolescents have a chronic health condition, nearly half of whom could be considered disabled.
School nursing provides access to high quality, cost-effective care to our Nation’s school children, including the most vulnerable. Improving access and overall health outcomes supports positive learning outcomes in our schools. School counseling programs are essential for students to achieve optimal personal growth, acquire positive social skills and values, set appropriate career goals, and realize full academic potential to become productive, contributing members of the world community.
Seventy percent of children receiving services from speech-language pathologists make progress in emergent literacy skills, and 75 percent make progress in word recognition, an important component of literacy skills; over two-thirds of classroom teachers report that students receiving these services show improved reading skills in the classroom. Use of creative arts therapies (including art therapy, dance/movement therapy, and music therapy) promote learning and skill acquisition (including enhanced literacy skills), increased attention, improved behavior, increased socialization, improved receptive/expressive language, self-expression, and a more positive attitude for learning.
Ninety-seven percent of children in the United States spend their days at school. Therefore, the school can be an important site where health and education risks (such as depression, absenteeism, and substance use) may be identified and timely interventions initiated. Whole-school interventions using positive behavior support have been shown to decrease behavior problems while improving academic performance, as measured by standardized tests in reading and mathematics. Branches of Federal agencies need to re-evaluate policies aimed at enhancing school-based mental health and become more proactive in providing leadership to achieve integrated, collaborative, and effective programs aimed at improving the mental health of America’s children.
Twenty percent of the 53 million children attending school in the United States will, at some point, meet the criteria for a diagnosable mental illness at a level of impairment that requires some type of intervention. Thus, there is the potential that over 10 million children will need some type of help to meet the goals relating to emotional well-being in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.). More than three-quarters of schools have a coordinator of mental health and social services in the school; nearly two-thirds of school districts have a coordinator who serves this role; and one-half of the States have a coordinator of school mental health and social services.
However, there is currently no person responsible for overseeing or promoting these services and supports in the Department of Education.
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