“Building the Plane as We Fly It”: Lessons from a Slashed Wraparound Program

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 7:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Non-academic Outcomes and Student Well-being: The Importance of Schools and Communities

Abstract

Students struggle to succeed when their basic needs are not met. From 2016 until 2025, Houston ISD ran an innovative Wraparound Services Department providing designated wraparound specialists and school supplies, food, clothing, and other resources out of each public school. This paper draws from 29 semi-structured interviews conducted with district and community leaders during the Wraparound initiative to examine how the program supported students’ non-academic needs and to consider the lessons it may hold for other anti-poverty efforts. Findings suggest that wraparound specialists built trusting, asset-based relationships with families, community partners, and school actors. Despite these strengths, findings suggest that Wraparound expanded hastily, had unclear roles and responsibilities, creating tension, and was not financially stable, hindering its full potential.

Authors

• Cheyenne Phillips, Southern Methodist University

• Shanae Neal, Southern Methodist University

• Shanea Neal, Southern Methodist University

• Alexandra E. Pavlakis, Southern Methodist University

• Kessa Roberts, Clemson University

• Meredith Paige Richards, Southern Methodist University