Moving School Improvement Policy and Practice Forward: Context for Common Core Standards for a Unified, Comprehensive, & Systemic Learning Supports Component.

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Transcript Moving School Improvement Policy and Practice Forward: Context for Common Core Standards for a Unified, Comprehensive, & Systemic Learning Supports Component.

Moving School Improvement Policy and Practice Forward: Context for Common Core Standards for a Unified, Comprehensive, & Systemic Learning Supports Component

Developing a System to Address Barriers & Re-engage Students

Four Fundamental and Interrelated Concerns

Policy

Revision Framing Interventions to Address Barriers to Learning and Teaching into a

Comprehensive System of Interventions

Developing

Systemic Change Mechanisms

for Effective Implementation, Sustainability, & Replication to Scale Rethinking Organizational & Operational

Infrastructure

Also, counter the overemphasis on extrinsic reinforcers by reintroducing a focus on intrinsic motivation.

Research has focused on all four concerns. For our purposes here we will just highlight:

I. Why a Unified & Comprehensive System of Learning Supports is Imperative for School Improvement Policy and Student and Teacher Well-Being II. Frameworks and standards for a learning supports component

I. Why is a system of learning supports imperative for school improvement policy?

Some Major Concerns

     

High student dropout rates High teacher turnover Continuing achievement gap So many schools designated as low performing High stakes testing is taking its toll Plateau effect Teachers shouldn’t be expected to do it alone!

When it comes to policy, the Carnegie Task Force on Education has stressed:

School systems are not responsible for meeting every need of their students.

But . . .

when the need directly affects learning, the school must meet the challenge.

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The Challenge:

Barriers to Learning/Development/Parenting/Teaching

Range of Learners

Motivationally ready and able No barriers

Traditional Parenting & Teaching

Desired Outcomes Not very motivated/ lacking prerequisite skills/ different rates & styles/ minor vulnerabilities

Barriers

to Learning, Development, Parenting, Teaching Avoidant/ very deficient in capabilities

Stressing the Full Range of Barriers to Learning/Development/Parenting/Teaching

 

For most youngsters, it’s more about

  

Environmental Conditions Neighborhood Family School and Peers than about Individual deficits And, of course, a holistic approach emphasizes >Protective Buffers (strengths, resiliency) >Promoting Full Development

What has been the long-standing approach to student problems in districts and schools?

Current approach to addressing barriers at schools

Psychological Testing Violence & Crime Prevention Juvenile Court Services Mental Health Services HIV/AIDS Services Pupil Services Community-Based Organizations Special Education Social Services Child Protective Services After-School Programs Physical Education

District

HIV/Aids Prevention Clinic Health Services Health Education School Lunch Program Nutrition Education Drug Prevention Counseling Drug Services Pregnancy Prevention Codes of Discipline Smoking Cessation for Staff

Talk about fragmented!!!

What this means for systemic change: Current situation is that the efforts to provide supports to address barriers are

Marginalized

in policy and practice.

This leads to



Fragmentation



Poor cost-effectiveness (up to 25% of a school budget used in too limited and often redundant ways)



Counterproductive competition for sparse resources who link with schools) (among school support staff and with community-based professionals

Why the Marginalization?

A Policy Problem

Direct Facilitation of Learning & Development

Instructional / Developmental Component Management Component

Safe schools & Some Student & Family Assistance

Besides offering a small amount of school-owned student "support” services, schools outreach to the community to add a few school-based / linked services .

Governance and Resource Management

II. Reframing School Improvement Policy



Clearly, schools have some student and learning supports. What’s missing is a dedicated, unified,

comprehensive, and systemic component directly focused on:

(1) addressing barriers to learning and teaching

AND

(2) re-engaging students who have become disconnected from classroom instruction and schools

The need is to move from the prevailing two-component policy framework to a three-component framework to develop a unified and comprehensive system of supports Direct Facilitation of Learning (Instructional Component

)

Addressing Barriers to Learning/Teaching (Enabling or Learning Supports Component

)

Examples of Initiatives, programs and services at schools that belong under the umbrella

>positive behavioral supports >programs for safe and drug free schools >bi-lingual, cultural, and other diversity programs >compensatory education programs >family engagement programs

Governance and Resource Management (Management Component)

>special education programs >mandates stemming from the

No Child Left Behind Act & other federal programs

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Toward a Unified & Comprehensive System of Learning Supports

A Unifying Concept for Working with Schools

Range of Learners

Motivationally ready and able Not very motivated/ lacking prerequisite skills/ different rates & styles/ minor vulnerabilities Avoidant/ very deficient in capabilities No barriers

Barriers

To Learning, Development, Teaching

Learning Supports

Component (1) Addressing Interfering Factors (2) Re-engaging Students in Classroom Instruction

Instructional Component

Desired Outcomes Classroom Teaching + Enrichment Activity (High Standards) (High Expectations & Accountability)

A Comprehensive Intervention Framework for Learning Supports consists of



**a full continuum of interventions &**



**An Organized Set of Content Arenas**

Levels of Intervention Continuum: Interconnected Subsystems for Meeting the Needs of All Students

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)

See examples 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)

See examples

Categories of Basic Content Arenas for Student/Learning Supports Intervention Classroom-Based Approaches to Enable Learning Crisis Assistance & Prevention Support for Transitions Infrastructure Leadership resource oriented mechanisms Student & Family Assistance Community Support Home Involvement / Engagement in Schooling

See Examples & Surveys

Combined Continuum and Content Arenas Levels of Intervention Systems for Promoting Intervention (Early Preventing Problems after problem onset) Systems of Care Content Arenas Classroom Focused Enabling Crisis Assistance & Prevention Support for Transitions Home Engagement in Schooling Community Support Student & Family Assistance Activity: Mapping & Analyzing Learning Supports

Common Core Standards for a Learning Supports Component The following standards are formulated around five areas of concern that confront schools developing a unified and comprehensive system of learning supports: (1) Framing and Delineating Intervention Functions, (2) Reworking Operational Infrastructure, (3) Enhancing Resource Use, (4) Continuous Capacity Building, and (5) Continuous Evaluation and Appropriate Accountability