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Strengthening School Improvement:
Developing a Comprehensive System of Learning Supports to Address Barriers to
Learning and Teaching
Presented by the American Association of School Administrators, Scholastic and the UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools
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Today’s Agenda
1. Overview— About the AASA, Scholastic, UCLA Collaboration
MaryAnn Jobe, Ed.D., Director, Leadership Development, AASAKaren Proctor, Vice President, Community Affairs, Scholastic
2. Presentation— Strengthening School Improvement: Developing a Comprehensive System of Learning Supports
Howard Adelman, Ph.D., UCLALinda Taylor, Ph.D., UCLA
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Overview— About the AASA, Scholastic, UCLA Collaboration
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.
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The American Association of School Administrators (AASA), Scholastic, and the UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools have formed a unique 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.
Four Districts that are selected to participate in the collaborative will be provided with valuable supports to help them move forward toward developing comprehensive systems of learning supports that are integrated into school improvement planning and implementation.
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Many schools are struggling to address barriers to learning and teaching and re-engage disconnected students.
This involves:
Building understanding about comprehensive systems of learning supports and how such systems transform public education.
Creating policy and practice framework documents that can be shared among critical stakeholder groups.
Working to design and implement learning support systems.
Districts will be guided in their work by Drs. Howard Adelman and Linda Taylor,educators, researchers and national leaders from UCLA who have worked withstate departments, regional units, districts, and schools to design and implement comprehensive learning supports systems.
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Today’s Presenters
Howard S. Adelman, Ph.D.Linda Taylor, Ph.D.
Co-directors, UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools
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Adelman and Taylor
Howard S. Adelman, Ph.D.Co-directorSchool Mental Health Project/Center for Mental Health in SchoolsUCLA
Dr. Adelman is Professor of Psychology and Co-director (with Dr. Linda Taylor) of the School Mental Health Project and its federally-supported, national Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA. In these roles, he pursues theory, research, practice, training, and policy related to educational, psychosocial, and mental health problems. His current efforts focus on systemic reform initiatives to enhance school and community efforts to address barriers to learning using comprehensive, multifaceted, and integrated approaches. He began his professional career as a remedial classroom teacher in 1960 and received his Ph.D. in psychology from UCLA in 1966. He directed the Fernald School and Laboratory at UCLA from 1973-1986 and has co-directed the School Mental Health Project since 1986.
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Adelman and Taylor
Linda Taylor, Ph.D.Co-directorSchool Mental Health Project/Center for Mental Health in SchoolsUCLA
Dr. Taylor is Co-director of the School Mental Health Project and its federally supported national Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA. Throughout her career, she has been concerned with a wide range of psychosocial and educational problems experienced by children and adolescents. Her early experiences included community agency work. From 1973 to 1986, she was assistant director at the Fernald Laboratory School and Clinic at UCLA. In 1986, she became Co-director of the School Mental Health Project. From 1986 to 2000, she also held a clinical psychologist position in the Los Angeles Unified School District and directed several large-scale projects for the school district. These projects led to her involvement in system reform initiatives designed to enhance school and community efforts to address barriers to learning and enhance healthy development.
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Presentation— Strengthening School Improvement: Developing a
Comprehensive System of Learning Supports
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
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Redressing key problems confronting schools
High student dropout rates High teacher turnover Continuing achievement gap So many schools designated as low performing Plateau effect
Addressing barriers to learning and teaching And re-engaging disconnected students
Why is a system of learning supports imperative for school success?
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Current approach to addressing barriers to learning
Talk about fragmented!!!
Psychological Testing
Violence & Crime
Prevention
Special Education
After-School Programs
HIV/Aids PreventionPupil Services
District
Juvenile 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 the district and its schools:
Current situation at all levels in the educational systemwith 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)
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Barriers to Learning and School Improvement
Range of Learners
I = Motivationally ready and able
Not verymotivated/lackingprerequisite
II = skills/different rates& styles/minorvulnerabilities
III = Avoidant/ very deficient in capabilities
No barriers
InstructionalComponent
ClassroomTeaching
+Enrichment
Activity
DesiredOutcomes
(High Expectations& Accountability)
(High Standards)
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Barriers to Learning and School Improvement
Range of Learners
I = Motivationally ready and able
Not verymotivated/lackingprerequisite
II = skills/different rates& styles/minorvulnerabilities
III = Avoidant/ very deficient in capabilities
No barriers
Barriersto
Learning,Development,
Teaching
InstructionalComponent
ClassroomTeaching
+Enrichment
Activity
DesiredOutcomes
(High Expectations& Accountability)
(High Standards)
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Environmental Conditions
Neighborhood Family School and Peers
Individual
Barriers to Learning and School Improvement
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School Improvement Planning: What’s Missing?
How does school improvement planning address barriersto learning and teaching?
Direct Facilitation of Learning & Development
Instructional / Developmental Component
Management Component
Governance and Resource Management
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.
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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
Management Component
Learning Supports Component
Addressing Barriers to Learning
Governance and Resource Management
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School Improvement Planning: Filling the Gap
A comprehensive focus on
Addressing barriers to learning and teaching
Re-engaging disengaged students in classroom learning
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An Enabling or Learning Supports Component to Address Barriers and Re-engage Students in
Classroom InstructionRange of Learners
No barriers
BarriersTo
Learning,Developme
nt, Teaching
Instructional
Component
ClassroomTeaching
+Enrichmen
tActivity
DesiredOutcomes
(High Expectations& Accountability)
(High Standards)
I = Motivationally ready and able
Not verymotivated/lackingprerequisite
II = skills/different rates& styles/minorvulnerabilities
III = Avoidant/ very deficient in capabilities
Enabling Component
(1) Addressing Interfering Factors
(2) Re-engaging Students in Classroom Instruction
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Continuum—Interconnected Systems for Meeting the Needs of All Students:
One key Facet of a Learning Supports Component
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)
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Categories of Basic Content Arenas for Learning Supports Intervention
Classroom-BasedApproaches to Enable Learning
CrisisAssistance &Prevention
Supportfor
Transitions
Home Involvement /Engagement in Schooling
Student &Family
Assistance
Community Support
InfrastructureLeadershipresource-
oriented mechanisms
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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-FocusedEnabling
Crisis Assistance & Prevention
Support for TransitionsHomeEngagementin Schooling
CommunitySupport
Student & Family Assistance
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What the student support infrastructure looks like at most schools
Instructional Component
Leadership
for instruction
Management/Governance
Component
(Various teams and Work groups focused on
Improving instruction)
SchoolImprovement
Team
Management/GovernanceLeadership
(Various teams and Work groups focused on
management & governance)
moderateproblems
severeproblems
Case-Oriented
Mechanisms
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Learning Supports Staff at a School*
Administrative Leader for Learning Supports
School Psychologist
School Nurse
Pupil Services & Attendance Counselor Social Worker
Counselors
Dropout Prevention Program Coordinator
Title I and Bilingual Coordinators Resource and Special Education Teachers
Other important resources:
School-based Crisis Team Members
School Improvement Program Planners
Community Resources
*Such a list should include a brief description
of programs and services and times available
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Learning Support Resource Team
Schools say: “We already have a team” Does the team perform resource-oriented functions?
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 and promote healthy development)
What you probably have is a Case-Oriented Team (Focused on specific individuals and discrete services)
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A Resource-Oriented Team
Possibly called:
Resource Coordinating Team
Resource Coordinating Council
School Support Resource Team
Learning Support Resource Team
Sometimes called:
Child/Student Study Team
Student Success Team
Student Assistance Team
Teacher Assistance Team
IEP Team
A Case-Oriented Team
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A Resource-Oriented Team
EXAMPLES OF FUNCTIONS
aggregating data across students and
from teachers to analyze school
needs mapping resources analyzing resources enhancing resources program and system
planning/development redeploying resources coordinating-integrating resources social "marketing"
EXAMPLES OF FUNCTIONS
triage referral case monitoring/management case progress review case reassessment
A Case-Oriented Team
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Example of an Integrated Infrastructure at the School Level
Instructional Component
Leadership
for Instruction
Management/Governance
ComponentManagement/GovernanceLeadership
SchoolImprovement
Team
Learning Supports or Enabling Component
Leadership for
Learning Supports
LearningSupportsResource
Team
Work Groups
Resource-Oriented
Mechanisms
moderateproblems
Case-Oriented
Mechanisms
severeproblems
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Enhancing a System of Learning Supports:Connecting Resources Across a Family of Schools,
a District, and Community-Wide
HighSchools
MiddleSchools
ElementarySchools
LearningSupportsResource
Team
LearningSupportsResource
Team
LearningSupportsResource
Team
LearningSupportsResource
Team
LearningSupportsResource
Team
LearningSupportsResource
Team
Learning Supports
Resource Council
School DistrictResources, Management,
& Governing Bodies
LearningSupportsResource
Team
LearningSupportsResource
Team
LearningSupportsResource
Team
LearningSupportsResource
Team
LearningSupportsResource
Team
LearningSupportsResource
Team
Learning Supports
Resource Council
Community Resources,Management, & Governing Bodies
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Prototype for an Integrated Infrastructure at the District Level with Mechanisms for Learning Supports That Are Comparable to Those for Instruction
Leads, Teams, and Work Groups Focused on
Governance/Management
Leads for Content Arenas
Content Arena Work Groups
Instructional Component “Cabinet” (e.g., component
leader and leads for all content areas)
Schools Improvement
Planning Team
Superintendent’s Cabinet
SuperintendentSubcommittees
Leads for Content Arenas
Content Arena Work Groups
Learning Supports “Cabinet” (e.g., component leader and
leads for all six content arenas)
Board of Education
Leader for Instructional Component
(e.g., Assoc. Sup.)
Leader for Learning Supports
Component(e.g., Assoc. Sup.)
Leader for Management/ Governance Component(e.g., Assoc. Sup.)
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Summing up . . .
Toward a comprehensive, multifaceted, and cohesiveapproach for addressing barriers to learning …
It requires working to restructure, transform, enhance, and connect
school-owned programs and services and
community resources
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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)
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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, and neighborhoods
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Finally, a note about emphasizing intrinsic motivation in efforts to engage and re-engage students in classroom instruction.
Moving from over-reliance on extrinsics…
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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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Opportunities for moving ahead
The AASA, Scholastic, and UCLA collaboration is and will be providing a growing range of resource opportunities focused on developing a comprehensive approach to addressing barriers to learning and teaching and re-engaging disconnected students.
These include . . .
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(1) Lead District Collaborative—
A Request For Applications
Last month AASA issued a RFA to AASA member districts in southeastern U.S.
From the applications received, up to four districts will be selected to participate in the Lead District Collaborative which has been designed to help districts interested in developing a comprehensive system of learning supports. The information and application for the RFA are online at http://www.aasa.org/content.aspx?id=7264
Deadline is November 1, 2009.*
*Applications will be accepted until close of business Monday, November 2.
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(2) Special AASA Conference Sessions At the National Conference on Education, February 11-14 in
Phoenix, there will be a special thought leaders session open to all members and a related workshop focused on designing and implementing a comprehensive learning support system for all schools in a district.
To register for the conference, visit www.aasa.org/nce.
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(3) 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 comprehensive learning support system, and more . . .
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/
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(4) Online Technical Assistance
The Center at UCLA provides regular responses to all relevant technical assistance inquiries.
Contact: [email protected]
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Contacts
MaryAnn P. Jobe, Ed.D.Director, Leadership DevelopmentAmerican Association of School Administrators801 N. Quincy Street, Suite 700Arlington, Va. 22203Phone: (703) 875-0734 Fax: (703) 528-2146Email: [email protected]
Howard Adelman, Ph.D.Linda Taylor, Ph.D.Co-directorsUCLA Center for Mental Health in SchoolsDept. of Psychology, UCLABox 91563Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563Ph: (310) 825-1225 Fax: (310) 206-8716Email: [email protected], [email protected]