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New Directions for Student & Learning Supports

Developing a Unified & Comprehensive System of Learning Supports

to Address Barriers to Learning and Teaching &

Re-engage Disconnected Students

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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 Overcoming the Plateau effect

Teachers shouldn’t be expected to do it alone!

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

UCLA

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

Not verymotivated/lackingprerequisite

skills/different rates& styles/minorvulnerabilities

Avoidant/ very deficient in capabilities

No barriers

Barriersto

Learning,Development,

Parenting,Teaching

TraditionalParenting &

Teaching

DesiredOutcomes

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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

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

What has been the long-standing approach to student problems in

districts and schools?

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Current approach to addressing barriers at schools

Talk about fragmented!!!

Psychological Testing

Violence & Crime

Prevention

Special Education

After-School Programs

HIV/Aids PreventionPupil Services

DistrictJuvenile Court

Services

Community-Based Organizations

Mental Health Services Social

Services

HIV/AIDS Services Child

Protective Services

Pregnancy Prevention

Counseling

Codes of Discipline

Physical Education

HealthEducation

Clinic

Health Services

Nutrition Education

School Lunch Program

Drug Prevention

Drug Services

Smoking Cessation for Staff

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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 (among school support staff and with community-based professionals who link with schools)

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Why the Marginalization?

A Policy Problem

Direct Facilitation of Learning & Development

Instructional / Developmental Component

Management Component

Governance and Resource Management

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.

II. Expanding School Improvement Policy & Reframing Student and Learning Supports

Clearly, there are some student and learning supports; what’s missing is a dedicated, unified, and comprehensive component directly focused on:

(1) addressing barriers to learning and teachingAND

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

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Governance and Resource Management (Management Component)

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

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

Direct Facilitation of Learning (Instructional 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

>special education programs

>mandates stemming from the No Child Left Behind Act & other federal programs

Toward a Unified & Comprehensive System of Interventions

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A Unifying Concept for Working with Schools

Range of Learners

No barriers

BarriersTo

Learning,Developme

nt, Teaching

Instructional

Component

ClassroomTeaching

+Enrichmen

tActivity

DesiredOutcomes

(High Expectations& Accountability)

(High Standards)

Motivationally ready and able

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

Avoidant/ very deficient in capabilities

Enabling or Learning Supports

Component

(1) Addressing Interfering Factors

(2) Re-engaging Students in Classroom Instruction

A Comprehensive Intervention Framework

Consists of

a full Continuum of Interventions&

An organized and delimited set of Content Arenas

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Levels of Intervention Continuum:Interconnected Subsystems for

Meeting the Needs of All Students

Systems for PromotingHealthy Development &

Preventing Problemsprimary prevention – includes

universal interventions(low end need/low cost

per individual programs)

Systems of Early Interventionearly-after-onset – includes

selective & indicated interventions(moderate need, moderate

cost per individual)

Systems of Caretreatment/indicated

interventions for severe andchronic problems

(High end need/high costper individual programs)

School Resources (facilities, stakeholders, programs, services)

Community Resources (facilities, stakeholders, programs, services)

See examplesavailable from UCLA Center

See examplesavailable from UCLA Center

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Categories of Basic Content Arenas for Student/Learning Supports Intervention

Classroom-BasedApproaches to Enable Learning

CrisisAssistance &Prevention

Supportfor

Transitions

Home Involvement /Engagement in Schooling

Student &Family

Assistance

Community Support

OperationalInfrastructure>ComponentLeadership

>team & workgroups

See Examples & Surveys from UCLA Center

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Combined Continuum and Content Arenas Levels of Intervention

Systems for Promoting Healthy Development & Preventing Problems

Systems for Early Intervention (Early after problem onset)

Systems of Care

ContentArenas

Classroom-FocusedEnablingCrisis Assistance & Prevention

Support for TransitionsHomeEngagementin Schooling

CommunitySupport

Student & Family Assistance

Activity: Mapping & Analyzing Learning Supports

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Focus on Mechanisms for Connecting Resources Across a Family of Schools, a District, and Community-Wide

HighSchools

MiddleSchools

ElementarySchools

LearningSupportsLeadershi

p Team

LearningSupports

Leadership Team

LearningSupports

Leadership Team

LearningSupportsLeadeshi

p Team

LearningSupportsLeadershi

p Team

Learning SupportsLeadership Council

School DistrictResources, Management,

& Governing Bodies

LearningSupports

Leadership Team

LearningSupports

Leadership Team

LearningSupports

Leadership Team

LearningSupports

Leadership Team

LearningSupports

Leadership Team

LearningSupports

Leadership Team

Learning SupportsLeadership Council

Community Resources,Management, & Governing Bodies

LearningSupports

Leadership Team

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“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

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UCLA Web site The Center at UCLA has extensive resources which

are free and readily accessible online. These include:

Resources to help meet daily needs related to student learning, behavior, and emotional concerns

Policy and practice analyses to help rethink current student and learning supports

A toolkit to help design and implement a unified & comprehensive learning supports system, and more . . .

http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/

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Online Technical Assistance

The Center at UCLA provides regular responses to all relevant technical assistance inquiries.

This powerpoint presentation is available to you on request.*

Contact: Ltaylor@ucla.edu

*More extensive powerpoint presentations are available athttp://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/materials/trainingpresentation.htm#slide

A one hour webinar is online at https://scholastic.webex.com/scholastic/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=TC&rID=48915112&rKey=09f14db0881f5159&act=pb