Anchoring Social, Emotional, & Behavioral Support in Educational Justice

School climate and a sense of belonging are closely linked to academic achievement, yet many schools face gaps in both areas – particularly for students from marginalized groups.²⁶  To support all students effectively, efforts to address social, emotional, and behavioral needs must be grounded in educational equity, justice, and inclusionary practices. When this is not in place, students from marginalized groups may experience unnecessary barriers, leading to unmet student needs, interfering behaviors, and/or staff misinterpretation and discipline of behaviors that do not actually disrupt learning. Educators must be aware of these dynamics and proactively address them to prevent inappropriate or disproportionate referrals for behavioral services.

Example 1: Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students

Students who are culturally or linguistically diverse are disproportionately referred for behavior support by educators who do not share their cultural or linguistic background. School staff should be mindful that a student's cultural traditions and social, emotional, and behavioral norms may differ from those of the educators who shape the dominant school or classroom culture. For example, cultural norms can guide communication and body language (such as respectful types of eye contact or language when speaking to an elder or authority figure) which may create differences in how students address and interact with teachers. Cultural differences are different from interfering behavior, and students should not be referred for behavior support for behavior that is part of their cultural heritage. 

Additionally, students who are English learners who are not adequately supported in their language learning may engage in interfering behavior, particularly behaviors related to difficulty understanding instructions, meeting classroom expectations, and completing schoolwork.²⁷  School staff should take care to ensure all students have the universal supports needed to access instruction (both academic and social/emotional/behavioral) with additional support layered in for students with additional language and communication needs.

Example 2: Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities may encounter barriers in various aspects of the school environment, such as instruction, communication, or social interactions, that school staff can address to ensure the environment is universally designed for all learners. It is important for school staff to remember that barriers to learning social/emotional/behavior skills are in the environment, and are not inherent to students with disabilities. Interfering behavior often indicates that existing supports, including the universal supports that should be available to each and every learner as well as the supports included in the student's IEP, are not adequate. This is especially the case if the student has not been included or provided with the support needed to find belonging in general education settings, or if the school's MTSS system is not designed with the needs of all learners in mind. 

Example 3: Students in Foster Care

Students in foster care face unique barriers to a positive educational experience. They may have an inconsistent team of people involved in helping make decisions about their education, and so may experience a sense of powerlessness, stigma, and reluctance to interact or form relationships with adults.²⁸ They are far more likely to change schools during their academic career,²⁹  are at higher risk of absence and truancy, and are more likely to experience emotional dysregulation and behavioral health concerns.³⁰ And because federal law requires state agencies to keep foster care students in their school of origin if in their best interest,³¹  they may commute a significant distance from home each day. School and classroom environments must be safe, supportive, and sensitive to the experiences of these students. Staff can help create safe environments by maintaining confidentiality, taking time to establish trusting relationships, and ensuring that students are able to make up coursework following absences due to court dates and other appointments. Districts must also designate a Foster Care Liaison, and each K–12 public school must designate a Building Point of Contact. For more information, visit OSPI's Foster Care webpage.

Example 4: Students with Mental Health Support Needs 

For students with support needs related to mental health, daily activities and responsibilities can sometimes feel overwhelming. The costs of health care and associated mental health services can present additional barriers for families and students in accessing treatment. When students with mental health needs do not receive the support they need, they may experience a variety of symptoms that can lead to behavioral changes. Teams that focus their efforts solely on responding to these behaviors may be overlooking more critical underlying distress. This is especially likely for students who have disabilities, as some school staff may mistakenly believe that students with disabilities may not experience the same mental health needs as students without disabilities.

Example 5: LGBTQIA+ Students

Students who are LGBTQIA+ often experience interactions and school discipline targeting their identity, contributing to a school climate in which these students may not feel safe. Nationally, 73% of LGBTQIA+ students indicated that, when they reported being harassed, intimidated, or bullied (HIB) by other students, that school staff did not respond effectively. In Washington’s 2024 Healthy Youth Survey,³²  65% of LGBTQIA+ respondents reported that school staff did not try to stop their experiences of bullying. Further, both national³³  and state data show that staff were more likely to tell the LGBTQIA+ student to change their own behavior (e.g., adopt different mannerisms or dress differently) than they were to discipline the student engaging in HIB behaviors. Many LGBTQIA+ students also report discriminatory school discipline practices, such as being disciplined for wearing clothing that aligns with the student’s gender identity. When these students feel unsafe at school, they may miss more school than their peers, resulting in lost instructional time and possible disciplinary consequences. For school teams to support this population, they can examine school climate and disciplinary practices to eliminate discrimination and ensure school is a welcoming place that offers safety and belonging for these students.

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²⁶ WestEd, Region IX Equity Assistance Center (2013). The racial school-climate gap.

²⁷ U.S. Department of Education (2017). English learner tool kit for state and local education agencies.

²⁸ Treehouse (2018). Guide to supporting students in foster care.

²⁹ Education Research & Data Center (2021). Education outcomes of Washington students in foster care.

³⁰ National Health Care for the Homeless Council (2019). Homelessness & adverse childhood experiences.

³¹ OSPI (2023). Foster care education in Washington state.

³² Washington State Healthy Youth Survey Data Dashboard.

³³ GLSEN (2022). The 2021 National School Climate Survey: The experiences of LGBTQ+ youth in our nation’s schools.