Disrupting Dominant Narratives: Mental Health, Early Warning Systems, and Threat Construction

Abstract

Early warning systems (EWS) have been adopted by public school districts to identify students who may compromise school safety. These systems record retention data, including high absenteeism, failing grades, disciplinary violations, and low standardized test scores. Many school districts use this data to label students with “mental health problems” and “antisocial behaviors,” though this data may just as likely indicate a lack of privilege. In many cases, students identified by EWS must be threat-assessed by school personnel and law enforcement. By linking retention data with mental health (MH) concerns and the threat of violence so explicitly, identification by an EWS can replicate dominant narratives about individuals with MH concerns. My project illuminates these injustices through analysis of EWS usage in Florida school districts.