2026 Theses Doctoral

Balancing Priorities: How principals support urban youth mental health as a pathway to equity

Bastian, Dorald

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions and practices of urban middle school principals and how they supported the mental health needs of children living in concentrated poverty. Principals play a critical role in addressing barriers to student achievement and ensuring equity in opportunity and access to educational success.

This study centered on mental health as a key issue of inequity and a destabilizing factor affecting the educational success of children living in poverty. A qualitative case study was conducted with a sample of eight urban middle school principals who had worked at their schools for a minimum of 5 years. Data collection methods included pre-interview data inventory, one semi-structured interview with each participant, and document analysis. This study sought to provide critical insight into the policies and practices that school leaders enact to ensure equitable access to achievement by addressing the barriers that youth mental health can pose.