Abstract
Over the last several decades, the opioid crisis has had an increasing impact on the educational environment of schools. The role that principals and superintendents have in leading schools that have been affected by opioids has been mostly overlooked in the research. The present study was conducted in Ohio, a state with areas that have some of the highest death rates due to opioid-related incidents in the nation. Purpose: This study collected data on the perspectives and perceptions of school leaders in Ohio to better understand how principals and superintendents frame their decisions regarding the opioid crisis. Design: We analyze data collected from a survey of 217 Ohio school leaders (n = 164 principals and n = 53 superintendents). The survey required principals and superintendents to rate their perception of the opioid crisis in their schools based on their socioeconomic status, school typology as rural or non-rural, and school location within or outside the Appalachian region. Results: Findings emphasize that opioids remain a factor negatively impacting schools of varying typologies, economic levels, and geographical locations.
Recommended Citation
Lowery, Charles L. and Gautam, Chetanath
(2023)
"The Impact of Opioids on Students and Schools in Appalachian and Non-Appalachian Ohio: Educational Leader Perspectives on the Crisis,"
Journal of Research Initiatives: Vol. 8:
Iss.
2, Article 6.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.uncfsu.edu/jri/vol8/iss2/6
Included in
Community-Based Research Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Educational Sociology Commons, Leadership Studies Commons, Place and Environment Commons, Rural Sociology Commons