Reimagining Success in a Nontraditional High School: The Power of School Social Work, Relationships, and Student-Centered Approaches

Format

Individual Presentation

Presenters

• Chatelah Brown, Atlanta Public SchoolsFollow
• Yusuf A. Muhammad Jr., Atlanta Public SchoolsFollow

First Presenter's Institution

Atlanta Public Schools Phoenix Academy

First Presenter’s Email Address

Chatelah.Brown@atlanta.k12.ga.us

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Dr. Chatelah Brown is a dedicated school social worker, mentor, and author whose passion lies in supporting youth, families, and the next generation of social workers. She currently serves in an urban Georgia school district, where she provides vital support to middle and high school students while also mentoring colleagues across the state through her role as LEAD Facilitator Chair with the School Social Worker Association of Georgia. Her research, Pouring from an Empty Cup: A Qualitative Exploration of Early-Career School Social Workers’ Lived Experiences with Secondary Trauma, reflects her commitment to addressing the challenges social workers face and uplifting the profession. Dr. Brown’s work has earned her numerous honors, including the 2024 District 4 Georgia School Social Worker of the Year Award, recognition from the Atlanta City Council, Fulton County Commissioner Marvin Arrington, Jr., Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, and U.S. Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, as well as a 2025 commendation from her school district’s Board of Education. Beyond her professional achievements, Dr. Brown is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and actively engages with community groups that broaden opportunities for youth. She also mentors undergraduate and graduate students, helping them step into the field of social work with confidence. As the caregiver of her twin nieces, she brings both personal dedication and professional expertise to her advocacy for children and families. She is guided by one of her favorite quotes: “I always wondered why somebody doesn’t do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody.” — Lily Tomlin.

Second Presenter's Institution

Atlanta Public Schools Phoenix Academy

Second Presenter’s Email Address

Yusuf.Muhammad@atlanta.k12.ga.us

Second Presenter's Brief Biography

Yusuf Muhammad is a respected and accomplished educational leader who has spent decades transforming schools. As a visionary and servant leader, his unwavering dedication to equity and academic excellence is truly motivating. He strongly believes that all students can succeed with the right environment and support, regardless of their circumstances. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Yusuf’s early years were shaped by his experiences with the New York City Department of Education. In 1995, he graduated from Martin Luther King, Jr. High School. He pursued his undergraduate studies at the State University of New York at Cortland, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Social Studies and African American Studies. Motivated by a passion for education and African American history, he furthered his education at SUNY Cortland, earning a Master of Science in Education, and later obtained a Master of Professional Studies in African and African American Studies from Cornell University. Yusuf began his career in education in 2003, teaching in the Social Studies department at the well-known Benjamin Banneker Academy in Brooklyn. His leadership potential was quickly recognized, and in 2011, he was chosen for the prestigious New Leaders Aspiring Principals Program, where he further developed his skills alongside educational leaders at Boston University. His residency at Bronx Bridges Academy and studies at Baruch College solidified his reputation as an emerging leader in urban education. Under Yusuf’s leadership, City Polytechnic High School experienced a notable decline in student suspensions and saw significant improvements in academic results. His innovative redesign of the school into the 9-14 P-TECH Early College model enabled students to graduate with a no-cost associate’s degree, demonstrating his dedication to increasing opportunities for underserved youth. In 2016, Yusuf was appointed Principal of George Washington Carver High School in Atlanta, GA. Tasked with turning around a historically underperforming school, he quickly fostered a culture of academic rigor and achievement, significantly lowering suspension rates and improving student performance. In 2018, he founded the STEAM Academy at Carver under Purpose Built Schools Atlanta, forming innovative partnerships with IBM and Atlanta Technical College to launch Georgia’s first P-TECH Early College school. His leadership led to record-setting progress, including the highest increase in graduation rates in Atlanta Public Schools, along with notable improvements in state assessments and College and Career Readiness metrics. In addition to his work in schools, Yusuf is a sought-after speaker and thought leader. He delivered a compelling TEDx talk in 2019 about the vital role of love and community in schools. He is currently the Principal of Phoenix Academy, a non-traditional high school serving Atlanta’s most at-risk students. Additionally, he mentors the next generation of school leaders as a Residency Site Principal for the New Leaders Aspiring Principals Program. Yusuf is also pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership at Clark Atlanta University, which further demonstrates his dedication to advancing education. Yusuf is a widower and a dedicated father to four daughters. His oldest, Nia, is an honors student at Howard University and a rising senior. Amina, a rising high school senior and Student Body President, hopes to attend FAMU next year. Chinua is about to start eighth grade, and Anisa is about to enter fifth grade. He credits his mother for emphasizing the importance of education and for encouraging him to travel away from home to attend college. His life’s work is dedicated to his late wife, Taneya Gethers Muhammad, who inspired him to lead and serve those who are underserved.

Submitter

I am submitting this proposal as one of the presenter(s)

Location

Scarbrough 3

Strand #1

Head: Academic Achievement & Leadership

Strand #2

Heart: Social & Emotional Skills

Relevance

This proposal supports Strand #1 Academic Achievement and Leadership because it highlights removing barriers to learning, providing individualized pathways to learning for students, and improved student attendance which has a direct impact on Academic Achievement. Furthermore, the proposal supports Leadership because its students are seen as decision-makers in their education through student voice and agency. Additionally, this proposal promotes resilience and advocacy and a collaborative school environment that emphasizes teamwork among students, social workers, educators.

This proposal also supports Strand #2, Social & Emotional Skills due to its whole-child focus where school social workers provide instruction for students who are experiencing stress, trauma, or emotional challenges skills such as coping strategies, self-regulation, and mindfulness. Additionally, this relationship-centered model and student-centered model prioritizes building healthy positive relationships where each student is supported. Lastly, through trauma-informed care, students who have experienced those traumas or had setbacks in their lives learn to develop persistency and strengthen their self-efficacy which is essential to social-emotional competencies.

Brief Program Description

This session explores how a nontraditional high school program in Atlanta, Georgia integrates student-centered learning with social work services to support students experiencing barriers to success. Participants will learn how this approach strengthens academic achievement, leadership, and social-emotional skills while promoting equity, wellness, and positive postsecondary outcomes.

Summary

This presentation introduces an innovative nontraditional high school model that integrates student-centered learning with school social work services to meet the needs of students experiencing barriers to academic success. Many young people navigating trauma, family stress, housing insecurity, or inconsistent attendance do not thrive in traditional schools. This session demonstrates how a whole-child, student-centered approach can increase academic achievement, strengthen social and emotional skills, and foster leadership while preparing students for positive post-secondary outcomes.

Innovation: The program highlights a shift from viewing school social work as supplemental supports to positioning it as central to daily instruction. Social workers provide trauma-informed support, crisis response, family engagement, and resource coordination while collaborating closely with teachers and school staff. At the same time, flexible learning practices such as individualized graduation plans, alternative scheduling, and restorative practices places students’ voices and strengths at the center of the educational experience.

Relevance: This model addresses demanding challenges in education, which includes declining attendance, mental health needs, and inequitable graduation outcomes. It is especially relevant for urban and diverse communities where schools must respond to multifaceted student needs with integrated, whole-child approaches.

Transferability: Participants will explore frameworks, strategies, and practical tools that can be adapted for their own schools and districts. Examples include embedding social work into academic pathways, aligning community partnerships, and building restorative, equity-driven practices. The focus on core principles rather than program branding ensures flexibility and applicability across varied settings.

Participant Engagement: The session includes interactive activities where attendees reflect on current practices, analyze gaps, and create action steps for implementation. Participants will leave with a framework overview and understanding for replication within their own school or district.

This session delivers both inspiration and actionable methods, equipping participants to reimagine non-traditional schools as spaces where every student can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

Evidence

Research strongly supports integrating student-centered learning with school social work services to improve attendance, academic achievement, mental wellness, and postsecondary outcomes. Evidence comes from community schools, integrated student support, SEL, and the alternative school model.

Community Schools: The Community School models and mentoring to include "Check & Connect" have shown a reduction in chronic absenteeism and improved student engagement through the use of healthy relationships (Diliberti et al., 2024). Additionally, small high schools with a student-centered approach and community school models demonstrate meaningful graduation improvements for students faced with challenges and barriers (Hernández & Rivero, 2023). Multi-component partnerships within nontraditional school settings that co-locate instruction with social services have shown improvement for students in the areas of attendance, engagement, and graduation rate.

Integrated Student Support: Using the School Social Worker Association of America (SSWAA, 2025) model embeds school social work within instructional time and not just for referrals and pullouts (Chung, 2021; Gherardi & Whittlesey-Jerome, 2018). Additionally, integrated student supports have been found to have a positive impact on attendance, on-time grade progression, and graduation in addition to a reduction in discipline (Diliberti et al., 2024).

Social and Emotional Learning & Mental Wellness (SEL): According to research, SEL improves students’ academic and behavioral outcomes (Tusha et al., 2024). Furthermore, SEL is pivotal critical for fostering youths' holistic growth, cultivating their academic achievement, mental wellness, and social skills while creating an inclusive and supportive educational environment (Tusha et al., 2024).

Alternative School Model: The credit recovery model is widely used with a blended learning model that is one of the more robust learning formats when the implementation process matters (Darling-Hammond et al., 2024). Additionally, the research shows that for students and staff to be well know to each other, schools must be innovative in allowing for students to consistently connect to a smaller group of trusted peers and for staff to have a fewer number of students to work with at a time (Darling-Hammond et al., 2024). Also, providing students with on-going access to school based mental health has shown success in the areas of attendance, credit recovery, and graduation.

References

Chung, A. H. (2021). Examining the Practices of School Counselors and School Social Workers in the Implementation of an Integrated Student Support Model (Doctoral dissertation, Boston College). https://ur.bc.edu/system/files/2025-04/bc-ir109079.pdf

Darling-Hammond, L., Alexander, M., & Hernández, L. E. (2024). Redesigning High Schools: 10 Features for Success. Learning Policy Institute. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED658860.pdf

Diliberti, M. K., Rainey, L. R., Chu, L. I. S. A., & Schwartz, H. L. (2024). Districts try with limited success to reduce chronic absenteeism. RAND, https://www. rand. org/pubs/research_reports/RRA956-26. html.

Gherardi, S. A., & Whittlesey-Jerome, W. K. (2018). Role integration through the practice of social work with schools. Children & Schools, 40(1), 35-44. https://academic.oup.com/cs/article-abstract/40/1/35/4637615

Hernández, L. E., & Rivero, E. (2023). Striving for Relationship-Centered Schools: Insights from a Community-Based Transformation Campaign. Learning Policy Institute. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED642544.pdf

School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA). (2025). Role of School Social Worker. https://www.sswaa.org/school-social-work

Tusha, A., Bulut, S., & Al-Hendawi, M. (2024). Promoting a healthy school environment via social-emotional learning in the high school setting: An overview. Adv Med Psychol Public Health, 1(3), 156-163. https://ampphealthjournal-network.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/AMPPH_2024_156_163.pdf

Learning Objective 1

Participants will be able to explain the principles of student-centered learning within a nontraditional high school context.

Learning Objective 2

Participants will be able to identify the role of integrated school social work services in reducting barriers to student success.

Learning Objective 3

Participants will be able to apply strategies for embedding social work services into academic programs and develop a framework for strengthening equity-driven practices in their own schools or districts.

Keyword Descriptors

Non-traditional, high school, credit recovery, social work, relationship, student-centered, relationship-centered, blended learning, education, post-secondary

Presentation Year

2026

Start Date

3-2-2026 2:45 PM

End Date

3-2-2026 4:00 PM

Recommended Citation

Brown, Chatelah and Muhammad, Yusuf A. Jr., "Reimagining Success in a Nontraditional High School: The Power of School Social Work, Relationships, and Student-Centered Approaches" (2026). National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference. 60.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2026/2026/60