1 Strengthening School Improvement: Developing a Comprehensive System of Learning Supports to Address Barriers to Learning and Teaching Presented by the

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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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Range of Learners





No barriers

Barriersto

Learning,Development,

Teaching

InstructionalComponent

ClassroomTeaching

+Enrichment

Activity

DesiredOutcomes


(High Standards)

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Environmental Conditions

Neighborhood Family School and Peers

Individual


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School Improvement Planning:What’s Missing?

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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 Standards)





Enabling Component

(1) Addressing Interfering Factors

(2) Re-engaging Students in Classroom Instruction

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About the key facets of

the component . . .

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Intervention Continuum and Content

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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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Assign Leadership and Develop a Learning Supports Resource Team

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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


Team


Team


Team


Team


Team


Team

Learning Supports

Resource Council

School DistrictResources, Management,

& Governing Bodies


Team


Team


Team


Team


Team


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]

Documents

1 Strengthening School Improvement: Developing a Comprehensive System of Learning Supports to Address Barriers to Learning and Teaching Presented by the