Integrating positive youth development and clinical care to enhance high school achievement for young people of color
| Published date | 21 March 2016 |
| Date | 21 March 2016 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-08-2015-0038 |
| Pages | 50-62 |
| Author | Tyrone Morris Parchment,Jayson Jones,Zoila Del-Villar,Latoya Small,Mary McKay |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health,Public mental health |
Integrating positive youth development
and clinical care to enhance high school
achievement for young people of color
Tyrone Morris Parchment, Jayson Jones, Zoila Del-Villar, Latoya Small and Mary McKay
Tyrone Morris Parchment is
Research Scientist/PhD
Candidate atMcSilver Institute
for PovertyPolicy and Research,
New York University Silver
School of SocialWork,
New York, New York, USA.
Jayson Jones and
Zoila Del-Villar, both are based
at McSilver Institute for Poverty
Policy and Research, New York
UniversitySilver School of
Social Work, NewYork,
New York, USA.
Latoya Small is based at
Department of Social Work,
University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill,
North Carolina, USA.
Mary McKay is based at
McSilver Institute for Poverty
Policy and Research, New York
University Silver School of
Social Work, New York,
New York, USA.
Abstract
Purpose –High school completion is one of the strongest predictors of health and well-being. There is
increased public attention on the challenges faced by young people of color and educational achievement.
In particular, young men of color must navigate myriad stressors which often undermine their mental health,
as well as their academic performance, including likelihood of graduation from high school that fare worse in
academic outcomes than their female counterparts. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of
Step-Up, a positive youth development and mental health promotion program, created in collaboration with
young people of color on their high school achievement as measured by grade point average (GPA).
Design/methodology/approach –This exploratory pre-post study employed multivariate analysis of data
drawn from a sample of 212 youth of color to examine student’s GPA before their involvement in Step-Up
and the number of Step-Up groups they attend in the first year could improve their high school achievement.
Findings –Results revealed an association between students participation in Step-Up, specifically having at
least ten life skills group contacts, and significant increases in GPA.
Research limitations/implications –High school achievement is measured by GPA, which might notbe a
clear indication of achievement since grades are not truly comparable across schools. The exploratory pre-
post research design of this study, and the lack of control group, limits any references to causality but the
descriptive changes in GPA demonstrate a statistical significance of Step-Up group participation and
improved high school achievement. A potential next step is to design an experimental study that includes
psychosocial and developmental mechanisms while examining the treatment effect of Step-Up vs students
receiving standard of care.
Practical implications –Programs that aid young people of color in increasing their GPA should
acknowledge the multitude of stressors that youth in urban environments encounter by creating interventions
targeting multiple ecological contexts. These preliminary analyses suggest how programmatic supports that
are collaboratively designed with youth, such as Step-Up, may yield promising results in improving young
people of color high school achievement.
Social implications –To better serve adolescents experiencing serious academic and behavioral health
challenges, there needs to be programs that offer intensive, short-term mental health support in school
settings. Given the widespread risk factors that adolescents and particularly young men of color are facing,
Step-Up is informed by both the developmental assets framework and the social development model and
aims to provide youth with opportunities for prosocial interactions and additional resources to combat
multiple stressors. Since successful completion of high school is associated with better outcomes as young
people transition to adulthood, programs that are developmentally timed to allow for an optimal protective
factor during the high school years is necessary.
Originality/value –This research contributes to the knowledge base of the importance of providing mental
health supports in school settings and may contribute to studies examining the academic achievement of
young people of color in school settings.
Keywords Youth, Life skills, Black/Latino, High school achievement, Mental health support,
Positive youth development
Paper type Research paper
Received 11 August 2015
Revised 12 January 2016
2 February 2016
8 February 2016
Accepted 12 February 2016
This research was supportedin part
by grants fromRobinhood
Foundationand the National
Instituteof Mental Health (P20
MH085983)through the Center for
Collaborative Inner-CityChild Mental
Health Services Research(CCCR).
PAG E 50
j
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH
j
VOL. 15 NO. 1 2016, pp. 50-62, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1746-5729 DOI 10.1108/JPMH-08-2015-0038
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