School social workers and multiculturalism: changing the environment for success.

Dropping out, a phenomenon heavily concentrated in communities of color, hampers the academic success of multicultural students. Multiculturalism can help make school an inviting place for vulnerable youths, and school social workers (SSWRs) are in a position to advocate for school environments that are conducive to academic success. The present study surveyed 339 SSWRs on individual activities that promote a school environment supportive of diversity and the relationship of these activities to school policies. The majority of these SSWRs reported that they engage in activities that promote diversity and multiculturalism. In addition, results indicated SSRWs’ perceptions of school policies impacted certain practice behaviors. The relevance of these findings to practice, policy, and research implications for SSWRs are discussed.