Ecological Risk and Resilience Perspective: A Theoretical Framework Supporting Evidence-based Practice in Schools

Abstract

Multidisciplinary school practitioners are clearly being called to use evidence-based practices from reputable sources such as their own professional organizations and federal agencies. In spite of this encouragement, most schools are not regularly employing empirically supported interventions. This paper further promotes the use of this approach by describing the theoretical support for evidence-based practice in schools. The ecological risk and resilience theoretical framework presented fills a gap in the literature and advocates for evidence-based practice in schools by illustrating how it can assist practitioners such as school social workers to better address problems associated with school failure.

KEYWORDS:

• Schools
• ecological risk and resilience perspective
• evidence-based practice
• theory
• intervention framework