title: School staff perspectives on the challenges and solutions to working with court-involved students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Court-involved students, such as those in foster care and the juvenile justice system, generally experience high incidences of both acute and chronic trauma, adversely impacting their educational well-being and overall academic trajectory. Utilizing perceptions of teachers and other school staff, this study explores the challenges and needs of school personnel working with this student population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were school personnel employed at a Midwest, urban, public charter school during the 2012-2013 academic year. Focus groups explored the perceptions of school staff members working with court-involved students to develop a staff training curriculum. Focus groups also were conducted after the training intervention to get feedback from participants and identify remaining challenges. Focus group data were analyzed and results were member-checked with study participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Findings included 7 major themes (14 subthemes) regarding student behaviors that were challenging for school staff to manage. Themes included trauma-related behaviors, attachment-related behaviors, staff preintervention needs, intervention feedback, and staff postintervention needs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Teachers and school staff can play a role in the educational well-being of court-involved youth. However, they need trauma-specific knowledge and resources to be effective.
authors: School of Social Work, Wayne State University, 4756 Cass Ave., Detroit, MI 48202. ez6321@wayne.edu.
authors: Shantel D
authors: SD
authors: Crosby
authors: Angelique G
authors: AG
authors: Day
authors: Beverly A
authors: BA
authors: Baroni
authors: Cheryl L
authors: CL
authors: Somers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000523:psychology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009769:Object Attachment; D010465:Perception; D011361:Professional Competence; D012574:Schools / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014505:Urban Population
keywords: court-involved youth; educational well-being; teacher and staff perspectives; trauma-informed teaching