1. Strengthening School Improvement: Developing a Unified & Comprehensive System of Learning Supports to Address Barriers to Learning and Teaching

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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

6. We just missed the school bus.
\ Don’t worry. I heard the principal say
\ no child will be left behind. /

7. Why is a system of learning supports imperative for school success?
Redressing Key Problems
Confronting Schools
• 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

8. How is the district/school addressing barriers to learning?
Psychological Testing
Clinic
After-School Programs
HIV/Aids Prevention
Pupil Services
Health Services
Violence & Crime Prevention
Physical Education
Special Education
Education
Health
Nutrition Education
Juvenile Court Services
District
School Lunch Program
Community-Based Organizations
Drug Prevention
Counseling
Mental Health Services
Drug Services
Social Services
Pregnancy Prevention
Codes of
Discipline
HIV/AIDS Services
Smoking Cessation For Staff
Child Protective Services
Talk about fragmented!!!

9. 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)

10. Barriers to Learning and School Improvement
Range of Learners
Instructional
Component
Classroom
Teaching +
Enrichment
Activity
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
Desired
Outcomes
(High Expectations
& Accountability)
(High Standards)

11. Barriers to Learning and School Improvement
Range of Learners
Instructional
Component
Classroom
Teaching +
Enrichment
Activity
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
Desired
Outcomes
(High Expectations
& Accountability)
Barriers* To
Learning,
Development,
Teaching
(High Standards)

12. Risk-Producing Conditions that Can be Barriers to Learning
Categories of
Risk-Producing Conditions
that Can be Barriers to Learning
>Environmental Conditions
-neighborhood
-Family
-School and Peers
>Individual

13. School Improvement Planning:
What’s Missing?

14. School Improvement: What’s Missing?
ASK: HOW DOES SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANNING
ADDRESS BARRIERS TO LEARNING & TEACHNG?
Direct Facilitation of Learning & Development
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.
Instructional/ Developmental Component
Management Component
Governance and Resource Management

15. 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
Addressing Barriers to Learning
Learning Supports Component
Instructional/ Developmental Component
Management Component
Governance and Resource Management

16. School Improvement Planning: Filling the Gap
A Comprehensive Focus on
Addressing Barriers to Learning & Teaching
Re-engaging Disengaged Students in Classroom Learning

17. An Enabling or Learning Supports Component to Address Barriers and Re-engage Students in Classroom Instruction
Range of Learners
Instructional
Component
Classroom
Teaching +
Enrichment
Activity
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
Desired
Outcomes
(High Expectations
& Accountability)
Enabling
Component
Addressing
Interfering
Factors
(2) Re-engaging
Students in
Classroom
Instruction
Barriers* To
Learning,
Development,
Teaching
(High Standards)

18. About the key facets of
the component . . .

19. Intervention Continuum & Content

20. Continuum -- Interconnected Systems
for Meeting the Needs of All Students:
One key Facet of a Learning Supports Component
School Resources
(facilities, stakeholders,
programs, services)
Community 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)

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

22. 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
Classroom-Focused
Enabling
Crisis Assistance & Prevention
Support for transitions
Content
Arenas
Home
Engagement
in Schooling
Community
Support
Student & Family Intervention

23. What the student support infrastructure
looks like at most schools
Instructional Component
Leadership
for instruction
School
Improvement
Team
(Various teams and
Work groups focused on
Improving instruction)
moderate
problems
Management/Governance Component
severe
problems
Management/
Governance/
Administrator
Case-
Oriented
Mechanisms
(Various teams and
Work groups focused on
management & governance)

24. Learning Supports Resource Team
Assign Leadership
and Develop a
Learning Supports Resource Team

25. 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

26. 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)

27. A Resource-oriented Team
A Case-oriented Team
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

28. A Resource-oriented Team
A Case-oriented Team
A Resource-oriented Team
EXAMPLES OF FUNCTIONS
>triage
>referral
>case monitoring/management
>case progress review
>case reassessment
EXAMPLES OF FUNCTIONS
>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"

29. Example of an Integrated Infrastructure at the School Level
Instructional Component
Learning Supports or
Enabling Component
Leadership
for instruction
Leadership
for
Learning
Supports
School
Improvement
Team
Learning
Supports
Resource
Team
Management/Governance Component
moderate
problems
Management/
Governance
Administrator
severe
problems
Work Groups
Resource-
Oriented
Mechanisms
Case-
Oriented
Mechanisms

30. Enhancing a System of Learning Supports:
Connecting Resources Across a Family of Schools,
a District, and Community-Wide
Learning
Supports
Resource
Team
High
Schools
Learning
Supports
Resource
Team
Learning
Supports
Resource
Team
Learning
Supports
Resource
Team
Learning
Supports
Resource
Team
Learning
Supports
Resource
Team
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 Council
Learning Supports
Resource Council
School District
Resources, Management,
& Governing Bodies
Community Resources,
Management, &
Governing Bodies

31. Prototype for an Integrated Infrastructure at the District Level with Mechanisms for Learning Supports That Are Comparable to Those for Instruction
Board of Education
Superintendent
Subcommittees
Superintendent’s Cabinet
Leader for
Learning Supports
Component
(e.g., assoc.sup.)
Leader for
Instructional Component
(e.g., assoc.sup.)
Schools’ Improving Planning Team
Instructional Component Cabinet (e.g., component leader and leads for all content areas
Learning supports Cabinet (e.g., component leader and leads for all six content arenas)
Leader for Management Governance Component
(e.g., Assoc. Sup.)
Leads for Content Arenas2
Content Arena Work Groups
Leads for Content Arenas
Content Arena Work Groups
Leads, Teams, and Work Groups Focused on Governance/Management

32. It requires working to restructure, transform, enhance, and connect
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 32

33. 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) 33

34. • 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 34

35. Finally, a note about emphasizing
intrinsic motivation in efforts to
engage and re-engage students
in classroom instruction

36. 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

37. Opportunities
for
Moving Ahead