Transcript Slide 1

Strengthening School
Improvement:
Developing a Unified & Comprehensive
System of Learning Supports to
Address Barriers to
Learning and Teaching

Many schools are struggling to address
barriers to learning and teaching and
re-engage disconnected students.

Resources currently exist within school
districts to address barriers to learning and
teaching, but they are most often oriented
to discrete problems and specialized
services for a small number of students.

Providing an equal opportunity for all
students to succeed at school and life
requires a broader approach -one that incorporates a comprehensive
and cohesive system of student and
learning supports into school
improvement plans.


The American Association of School
Administrators (AASA), Scholastic, and the
UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools
have formed a unique public/private
collaboration aimed at expanding leaders'
knowledge, capacity, and implementation of
a comprehensive system of learning
supports.
This effort supports AASA's flagship
initiative, Educating the Total Child, which is
aimed at advocating for an education
approach designed to effect real change by
addressing key factors that determine
children's academic achievement.
About today’s presentation by
Howard Adelman and Linda Taylor
>Why do schools need a comprehensive system of
learning supports?
>What is a comprehensive system of learning supports?
>What are the implications for school improvement?
>A note about emphasizing intrinsic motivation in efforts to
engage and re-engage students in classroom instruction
********Opportunities for Moving Forward
We just missed the school bus.
\
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Don’t worry. I heard the principal say
no child will be left behind.
/
Why is a system of learning supports
imperative for school success?
Redressing Key Problems
Confronting Schools
•
•
•
•
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High student dropout rates
High teacher dropout rates
Continuing achievement gap
So many schools designated as low performing
Plateau effect
Addressing barriers to learning & teaching
and re-engaging disconnected students
How is the district/school addressing barriers to learning?
Psychological
Testing
Clinic
After-School
Programs
Pupil Services
Violence &
Crime
Prevention
Special Education
HIV/Aids
Prevention
Physical
Education
Health
Education
Juvenile Court
Services
Community-Based
Organizations
Mental Health
Services
HIV/AIDS
Services
District
Child
Protective
Services
Pregnancy
Prevention
Nutrition
Education
School Lunch Program
Drug Prevention
Counseling
Social
Services
Health Services
Codes of
Discipline
Drug Services
Smoking Cessation
For Staff
Talk about
fragmented!!!
What does this mean for the
district and its schools?
Current Situation at All Levels in the Educational
System with Respect to Student/Learning Supports
– Marginalization
– Fragmentation
– Poor Cost-Effectiveness (up to 25% of a school
budget used in too limited and often redundant
ways)
– Counterproductive Competition for Sparse
Resources (among school support staff and with
community-based professionals who link with
schools)
Barriers to Learning and School Improvement
Range of Learners
I = Motivationally
ready and able
Not very
motivated/
lacking
prerequisite
II = skills/
different rates
& styles/
minor
vulnerabilities
III = Avoidant/
very deficient
in capabilities
No barriers
Instructional
Component
Classroom
Teaching
+
Enrichment
Activity
(High Standards)
Desired
Outcomes
(High Expectations
& Accountability)
Barriers to Learning and School Improvement
Range of Learners
I = Motivationally
ready and able
Not very
motivated/
lacking
prerequisite
II = skills/
different rates
& styles/
minor
vulnerabilities
III = Avoidant/
very deficient
in capabilities
No barriers
Barriers*
To
Learning,
Development,
Teaching
Instructional
Component
Classroom
Teaching
+
Enrichment
Activity
(High Standards)
Desired
Outcomes
(High Expectations
& Accountability)
Categories of
Risk-Producing Conditions
that Can be Barriers to Learning
>Environmental Conditions
-neighborhood
-Family
-School and Peers
>Individual
School Improvement
Planning:
What’s Missing?
School Improvement: What’s Missing?
ASK: HOW DOES SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANNING
ADDRESS BARRIERS TO LEARNING & TEACHNG?
Direct Facilitation of
Learning & Development
Instructional/
Developmental
Component
Student & Family Assistance
Besides offering a small amount of
school-owned student "support“
services, schools outreach to the
community to add a few schoolbased/linked services.
Management
Component
Governance and Resource Management
Moving from a Two- to a Three-component
Framework for School Improvement
Moving toward a Comprehensive System of Learning Supports
Direct Facilitation of
Learning & Development
Instructional/
Developmental
Component
Addressing Barriers to Learning
Learning
Supports
Component
Management
Component
Governance and Resource Management
School Improvement Planning:
Filling the Gap
A Comprehensive Focus on
– Addressing Barriers to Learning &
Teaching
– Re-engaging Disengaged Students in
Classroom Learning
An Enabling or Learning Supports Component to Address Barriers
and Re-engage Students in Classroom Instruction
Range of Learners
I = Motivationally
ready and able
II =
Not very
motivated/
lacking
prerequisite
skills/
different rates
& styles/
minor
vulnerabilities
III = Avoidant/
very deficient
in capabilities
Instructional
Component
No barriers
Barriers*
To
Learning,
Development,
Teaching
Enabling
Component
(1) Addressing
Interfering
Factors
(2) Re-engaging
Students in
Classroom
Instruction
Desired
Classroom
Outcomes
Teaching
+
(High Expectations
Enrichment & Accountability)
Activity
(High Standards)
About the key facets of
the component . . .
Intervention Continuum
& Content
Continuum -Interconnected Systems
for Meeting the Needs of All Students:
One key Facet of a Learning Supports Component
School Resources
(facilities, stakeholders,
programs, services)
Systems for Promoting
Healthy Development &
Preventing Problems
primary prevention – includes
universal interventions
(low end need/low cost
per individual programs)
Systems of Early Intervention
early-after-onset – includes
selective & indicated interventions
(moderate need, moderate
cost per individual)
Systems of Care
treatment/indicated
interventions for severe and
chronic problems
(High end need/high cost
per individual programs)
Community Resources
(facilities, stakeholders,
programs, services)
Categories of Basic Content Arenas for
Learning Supports Intervention
Classroom-Based
Approaches to
Enable Learning
Crisis/
Assistance &
Prevention
Support
for
Transitions
Infrastructure
>leadership
>resourceoriented
mechanisms
Family Engagement
in Schooling
Student &
Family
Intervention
Community
Support
Combined Continuum and Content Arenas
Levels of Intervention
Systems for Promoting
Healthy Development &
Preventing Problems
ClassroomFocused
Enabling
Crisis
Assistance &
Prevention
Support for
transitions
Content
Arenas
Home
Engagement
in Schooling
Community
Support
Student &
Family
Intervention
Systems for Early
Intervention (Early
after problem onset
Systems of
Care
What the student support infrastructure
looks like at most schools
Instructional
Component
Leadership
for
instruction
(Various teams and
Work groups focused on
Improving instruction)
School
Improvement
Team
Management/Governance
Component
Management/
Governance/
Administrator
(Various teams and
Work groups focused on
management & governance)
moderate
problems
severe
problems
CaseOriented
Mechanisms
Assign Leadership
and Develop a
Learning Supports Resource Team
Learning Supports Staff at a School*
>Administrative Leader for
Learning Supports
>Title I and Bilingual Coordinators
>School Psychologist
>Resource and Special
Education Teachers
>School Nurse
Other important resources:
>Pupil Services &
Attendance Counselor
>School-based Crisis
Team Members
>Social Worker
>School Improvement
Program Planners
>Counselors
>Community Resources
>Dropout Prevention
Program Coordinator
*Such a list should include a brief description
of programs and services and times available
A Learning Support Resource Team
Schools say: “We already have a team”
But is it Resource-oriented?
What you probably have is
a Case-Oriented Team
(Focused on specific individuals
and discrete services)
What you also need is a
a Resource-Oriented Team
(Focused on all students and
the resources, programs, and
systems to address barriers to
learning & promote healthy
development)
A Case-oriented Team
A Resource-oriented Team
Sometimes called:
Possibly called:
>Child/Student Study Team
>Resource Coordinating Team
>Student Success Team
>Resource Coordinating Council
>Student Assistance Team
>School Support Resource Team
>Teacher Assistance Team
>Learning Support Resource Team
>IEP Team
A Case-oriented Team
A Resource-oriented Team
EXAMPLES OF FUNCTIONS
EXAMPLES OF FUNCTIONS
>triage
>referral
>case monitoring/management
>case progress review
>case reassessment
>aggregating data across students &
from teachers to analyze school
needs
>mapping resources
>analyzing resources
>enhancing resources
>program and system
planning/development
>redeploying resources
>coordinating-integrating resources
>social "marketing"
Example of an Integrated Infrastructure at the School Level
Instructional
Component
Learning Supports or
Enabling Component
Leadership
for instruction
School
Improvement
Team
Management/Governance
Component
Management/
Governance
Administrator
Leadership
for
Learning
Supports
Learning
Supports
Resource
Team
moderate
problems
severe
problems
Work Groups
ResourceOriented
Mechanisms
CaseOriented
Mechanisms
Enhancing a System of Learning Supports:
Connecting Resources Across a Family of Schools,
a District, and Community-Wide
Learning
Supports
Resource
Team
High
Schools
Middle
Schools
Elementary
Schools
Learning
Supports
Resource
Team
Learning
Supports
Resource
Team
Learning
Supports
Resource
Team
Learning
Supports
Resource
Team
Learning
Supports
Resource
Team
Learning
Supports
Resource
Team
Learning
Supports
Resource
Team
Learning
Supports
Resource
Team
Learning
Supports
Resource
Team
Learning
Supports
Resource
Team
Learning Supports
Learning Supports
Resource Council
Resource Council
School District
Resources, Management,
& Governing Bodies
Community Resources,
Management, &
Governing Bodies
Learning
Supports
Resource
Team
Prototype for an Integrated Infrastructure at the District Level with Mechanisms
for Learning Supports That Are Comparable to Those for Instruction
Board of Education
Subcommittees
Leader for
Instructional Component
(e.g., assoc.sup.)
Instructional Component
Cabinet (e.g., component
leader and leads for all
content areas
Leads for Content Arenas2
Superintendent
Superintendent’s
Cabinet
Schools’
Improving
Planning
Team
Leader for
Management
Governance
Component
(e.g., Assoc. Sup.)
Leader for
Learning Supports
Component
(e.g., assoc.sup.)
Learning supports Cabinet
(e.g., component leader and
leads for all six content
arenas)
Leads for Content Arenas
Content Arena Work Groups
Content Arena Work Groups
Leads, Teams, and Work
Groups Focused on
Governance/Management
Summing up . . .
Toward a Comprehensive, Multifaceted, & Cohesive
Approach for Addressing Barriers to Learning
It requires working to restructure, transform,
enhance, and connect
• school-owned programs and services and
• community resources
In doing so, the emphasis needs to be on:
• all relevant school resources
(e.g., compensatory education,
special education, general funds,
community resources)
• all relevant community resources
(e.g., public and private agencies, families,
businesses; services, programs, facilities,
volunteers, professionals-in-training)
• weaving resources together in ways that
evolve a comprehensive, integrated
approach that can enhance effectiveness
in addressing barriers to learning at a school
• enhancing the role schools play in
strengthening students, families, schools,
& neighborhoods
 Finally,
a note about emphasizing
intrinsic motivation in efforts to
engage and re-engage students
in classroom instruction
What the best and wisest parent wants
for his [or her] own child, that must the
community want for all of its children.
Any other ideal for our schools
is narrow and unlovely;
acted upon, it destroys our democracy.
John Dewey
Opportunities
for
Moving Ahead