Moving School Improvement Policy and Practice Forward:

Common Core Standards for aDeveloping a Unified & Comprehensive

System to Address Barriers to Learning & Teachingand Re-engage Disconnected Students

Today we just have time to highlight the importance of: I. Why a Unified & Comprehensive System of Learning Supports is Imperative for School Improvement Policy and Student and Teacher Well-Being?

II. Offering Prototype Frameworks for New Directions for Student and Learning Supports

We will illustrate this second matter by showing >an expanded school improvement policy framework >reframing student and learning supports for schools>outlining common core standards for a learning supports componentWhy is a system of learning supports imperative for

school improvement policy and practice?

Presentation by Howard Adelman and Linda Taylor, co-directors of the Center at UCLA. Contact info: Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Box 951563, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563; phone (310) 825-3634. Emails: Ltaylor@ucla.edu adelman@psych.ucla.edu Smhp@ucla.edu

For an overview of resources available at no cost from the Center, see the Center website: http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu

Note: Many of the handouts from this presentation are included on the Center website in both powerpoint & PDF formats.

Developing a System to Address Barriers & Re-engage Students in Classroom Instruction

Four Fundamental and Interrelated Concerns

Framing Interventions toAddress Barriers to Learning

and Teaching into a Comprehensive System

of Interventions Policy

Revision Rethinking Organizationaland OperationalInfrastructure

Developing Systemic Change Mechanisms for Effective Implementation, Sustainability, and Replication to Scale

Additionally, because of the overemphasis on using extrinsic reinforcers in allaspects of efforts to improve schools, we find it essential to re-introduce a focuson intrinsic motivation.

I. Why is a System of Learning Supports Imperative for School Improvement?

Some Major Concerns

• High Student Dropout Rates

• High Teacher Dropout Rates

• Continuing Achievement Gap

• So Many Schools Designated as Low Performing

• High Stakes Testing Taking its Toll on Students

• Plateau Effect

Teachers shouldn’t be expected to do it alone!

The imperative is well-stated by the Carnegie Task Force on Education:

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.

The Challenge: Doing More with Less

We all know that sparse resources (people, budget, time, etc.) are a constant challenge.

The Challenge:

Addressing All Students; Addressing Barriers to Learning and Teaching Range of Learners (categorized in terms of their response to academic instruction at any given point in time)

Motivationally ready & able No barriers Instructional

Not very Component Desired motivated/ Outcomes lacking Classroom (High Expect.

prerequisite Barriers Teaching & knowledge to + Accountability)

& skills/ learning, Enrichment different development, Activity learning rates teaching & styles/ (High Standards) minor vulnerabilities

Avoidant/

very deficient in current

capabilities/ has a disability/ major health problems

*Examples of Risk-Producing Conditions that Can be Barriers to Learning E n v i r o n m e n t a l C o n d i t i o n s** Person Factors** Neighborhood Family School and Peers Individual >extreme economic deprivation>community disorganization, including high levels of mobility and crime>violence, drugs, etc.>gangs>racial and ethnic conflicts

>chronic poverty>conflict/disruptions/violence>substance abuse>modeling problem behavior>abusive caretaking>inadequate provision for quality child care>problems stemming from minority, immigrant, homeless, foster care, juvenile offender status

>enrollment and attendance hurdles>poor quality school>negative encounters with teachers>negative encounters with peers &/or inappropriate peer models

>medical problems>low birth weight/ neurodevelopmental delay>psychophysiological problems>difficult temperament & adjustment problems>inadequate nutrition>English is a second language>learning and mental disorders

**A reciprocal determinist view of behavior recognizes the interplay of environment and person variables.

Examples of Risk-Producing Conditions that Can be Barriers to Development and Learning

E n v i r o n m e n t a l C o n d i t i o n s* Person Factors*

Neighborhood Family School and Peers Individual >extreme economic deprivation>community disorganization, including high levels of mobility and crime>violence, drugs, etc.>racial and etnic conflicts

>chronic poverty>conflict/disruptions/violence>substance abuse>modeling problem behaviors>abusive caretaking>inadequate provision for quality child care>problems stemming from minority, immigrant, homeless, foster care, juvenile offender status

>enrollment and attendance hurdles>poor quality school>negative encounters with teachers>negative encounters with peers &/or inappropriate peer models

>medical problems>low birth weight/ neurodevelopmental delay>psychophysiological problems>difficult temperament & adjustment problems>inadequate nutrition>English is a second language>learning and mental disorders

Examples of Protective Buffers

Conditions that prevent or counter risk producing conditions – strengths, assets, correctiveinterventions, coping mechanisms, special assistance and accommodations

E n v i r o n m e n t a l C o n d i t i o n s* Person Factors*

Neighborhood Family School and Peers Individual>strong economic conditions/ emerging economic opportunities>safe and stable communities >available & accessible services>strong bond with positive other(s)>appropriate expectations and standards>opportunities to successfully participate, contribute, and be recognized

>adequate financial resources>nurturing supportive family members who are positive models>safe and stable (organized and predictable) home environment>family literacy>provision of high quality child care>secure attachments – early and ongoing

>success at school>safe, caring, supportive, and healthy school environment >positive relationships with one or more teachers>positive relationships with peers and appropriate peer models>strong bond with positive other(s)

>higher cognitive functioning>psychophysiological health >easy temperament, outgoing personality, and positive behavior>strong abilities for involvement and problem solving >sense of purpose and future>gender (girls less apt to develop certain problems)

Examples of Conditions for Promoting Full Development

Conditions, over and beyond those that create protective buffers, that enhancehealthy development, well-being, and a value-based life

E n v i r o n m e n t a l C o n d i t i o n s* Person Factors* Neighborhood Family School and Peers Individual>nurturing & supportive conditions>policy and practice promotes healthy development & sense of community

>conditions that foster positive physical & mental health among all family members

>nurturing & supportive climate school-wide and in classrooms>conditions that foster feelings of competence, self-determination, and connectedness

>pursues opportunities for personal development and empowerment>intrinsically motivated to pursue full development, well-being, and a value- based life

*A reciprocal determinist view of behavior recognizes the interplay of environment and person variables.

For more on this and for references to relevant literature, see:

Adelman, H.S., & Taylor, L. (2006). The school leader’s guide to student learning supports: Newdirections for addressing barriers to learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

PupilServices

SpecialEducation

PhysicalEducation

After-SchoolPrograms

PsychologicalTesting

HealthEducation

HIV/AidsPrevention

HealthServices

Clinic

NutritionEducation

School LunchProgram

DrugPrevention

DrugServices

Counseling

SmokingCessation For

StaffCodes ofDiscipline

PregnancyPrevention

SocialServices

ChildProtectiveServices

HIV/AIDSServices

Community-Based

Organizations

MentalHealth

Services

JuvenileCourt

Services

Violence &Crime

Prevention

School

Which oftheseaddressesbarriers tostudentlearning?

Adapted from: Health is Academic: A guide to Coordinated School Health Programs (1998).Edited by E. Marx & S.F. Wooley with D. Northrop. New York: Teachers College Press.

Talk about fragmented!!!

Current Approach to Addressing Barriers at Schools What we see around the country

Fragmented policy Fragmented practices

What does this mean for systemic change?

Current Situation is that the efforts to provide supports to addressbarriers are marginalized in policy and practice.

This leads to

• Fragmentation

• Poor Cost-Effectiveness (up to 25% of a school budget usedin too limited and often redundant ways)

• Counterproductive Competition for Sparse Resources(among school support staff and with community-basedprofessionals who link with schools)

Why the Marginalization?

Graphically Clarifying the Policy Problem

This is how school improvement policy & practice addresses barriers to learning and teaching Direct Facilitation of Safe Schools & Learning & Development Student & Family Assistance

Instructional/ Besides offering a small amountof Developmental school-owned student "support" Component services, schools outreach to the community to add a few Management school-based/linked services.

Component Governance and Resource Management

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 & teaching

AND

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

The need is to move from the prevailing two-component frameworkto a three-component framework in order to develop

a Unified & Comprehensive System of Supports

Direct Facilitation of Learning Addressing Barriers to Learning/Teaching (Instructional Component) (Enabling or Learning Supports Component –

an umbrella for ending marginalization byunifying the many fragmented efforts and

evolving a comprehensive approach)

Examples of Initiatives, programs and services

>positive behavioral supports >programs for safe and drug free schools >full service community schools & Family Resource Ctrs>Safe Schools/Healthy Students >School Based Health Center movement

>Coordinated School Health Program>bi-lingual, cultural, and other diversityprograms

Governance and Resource Management >re-engaging disengaged students (Management Component) >compensatory education programs

>special education programs >mandates stemming from the No Child

Left Behind Act & other federal programs

>And many more activities by student support staff

Building a Learning Supports System

• Learning Supports are defined as the resources, strategies,and practices that support physical, social, emotional andintellectual development and well-being to enable allstudents to have an equal opportunity for success at school.

• To enable effective use of learning supports, school andcommunity resources are unified in a learning supportscomponent and fully integrated with instructional efforts andinterventions and professional development.

• A learning supports component is deployed in classroomsand school-wide to address barriers to learning and teachingand re-engage disconnected students.

Some specific aids from work across the country:

Brief description of the prototype developed by our Center – >Toward Next Steps in School Improvement: Addressing Barriers to Learning and Teaching – http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/systemic/towardnextstep.pdf

>Design for a Comprehensive Learning Supports System as adapted by the Louisiana Department of Education at http://www.louisianaschools.net/lde/uploads/15044.pdf

>Design for a Comprehensive System of Learning Supports as adapted by the Gainesville City Schools (GA) and the summary of the case study on the district’s work developed by the Education Development Center (EDC) http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/aasa/aasagainesville.pdf

>Handbook developed by our Center as part of the collaboration

with Scholastic http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/rebuild/rebuildingtoc.htm also see the online leadership institute modules – http://rebuildingforlearning.scholastic.com/

>Brochures describing the systems developed by various districts and state departments – http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/toolkita1a.htm

>Rebuilding Toolkit – guides, materials, tools and other resources http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/summit2002/resourceaids.htm

Here is a prototype for a unified and comprehensivesystem of interventions that these

pioneering efforts have adopted/adapted

Prototype of an Enabling or Learning Supports Component to AddressBarriers to Learning and Re-engage Students in Classroom Instruction

Range of Learners (categorized in terms of their response to academic instruction at any given point in time)

Motivationally ready & able

No barriers Instructional

Not very Component Desired motivated/ Outcomes lacking Enabling/ Classroom (High Expect.

prerequisite Barriers Learning Teaching & knowledge to Supports + Accountability) & skills/ learning, Component Enrichment

different develop., (1) Addressing Activity learning rates teaching interfering & styles/ factors (High Standards) minor (2) Re-engaging vulnerabilities students in

classroom instruction Avoidant/

very deficient in current

capabilities/ has a disability/ major health problems

*In some places, an Enabling Component is called a Learning Supports Component. Whatever itis called, the component is to be developed as a unified and comprehensive system of learningsupports at the school site.

A Unified, Comprehensive, & Systemic Learning Supports Component is

Standards-Based and Accountability-Driven

The intervention framework consists of

• a full continuum of interventions

&

• an Organized Set of Content Arenas

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

One Key Facet of a Unified and Comprehensive Framework

School Resources (facilities, stakeholders, programs, services) Examples:

• General health education • Social and emotional

learning programs • Recreation programs • Enrichment programs • Support for transitions • Conflict resolution • Home involvement • Drug and alcohol education

• Drug counseling • Pregnancy prevention • Violence prevention • Gang intervention • Dropout prevention • Suicide prevention • Learning/behavior

accommodations & response to intervention

• Work programs

• Special education for learning disabilities, emotional disturbance,

and other health impairments

Subsystem for Promoting Healthy Development &

Preventing Problemsprimary prevention – includes

universal interventions(low end need/low cost

per individual programs)

Subsystem of Early Interventionearly-after-onset – includes

selective & indicated interventions(moderate need, moderate

cost per individual)

Subsystem of Caretreatment/indicated

interventions for severe andchronic problems

(High end need/high costper individual programs)

Community Resources (facilities, stakeholders,

programs, services) Examples:

• Recreation & Enrichment• Public health &

safety programs • Prenatal care• Home visiting programs• Immunizations• Child abuse education• Internships & community

service programs• Economic development

• Early identification to treat health problems

• Monitoring health problems• Short-term counseling• Foster placement/group homes• Family support• Shelter, food, clothing• Job programs

• Emergency/crisis treatment• Family preservation• Long-term therapy• Probation/incarceration• Disabilities programs• Hospitalization• Drug treatment

Systemic collaboration is essential to establish interprogram connections on a daily basis and over time to ensureseamless intervention within each system and among systems for promoting healthy development and preventingproblems, systems of early intervention, and systems of care.

Such collaboration involves horizontal and vertical restructuring of programs and services (a) within jurisdictions, school districts, and community agencies (e.g., among departments,

divisions, units, schools, clusters of schools) (b) between jurisdictions, school and community agencies, public and private sectors; among schools; among community agencies

*Various venues, concepts, and initiatives permeate this continuum of intervention systems. Forexample, venues such as day care and preschools, concepts such as social and emotional learning anddevelopment, and initiatives such as positive behavior support, response to intervention, andcoordinated school health. Also, a considerable variety of staff are involved. Finally, note that thisillustration of an essential continuum of intervention systems differs in significant ways from the threetier pyramid that is widely referred to in discussing universal, selective, and indicated interventions.

Prototype Categories of Basic ContentArenas for Learning Supports Intervention

Note: All categorical programs can be integrated into these six content arenas. Examples of initiatives, programs, and services that can be unified into asystem of learning supports include positive behavioral supports, programsfor safe and drug free schools, programs for social and emotionaldevelopment and learning, full service community schools and familyresource and school based health centers, Safe Schools/Healthy Studentsprojects, CDC’s Coordinated School Health Program, bi-lingual, cultural,and other diversity programs, compensatory education programs, specialeducation programs, mandates stemming from the No Child Left BehindAct, and many more.

Major Examples of Activity in Eachof the Six Basic Content Arenas

Enhancing Regular Classroom Strategies to Enable Learning

A key to personalizing learning and stemming the tide of out-of-class referrals is to“open classroom doors” to bring learning supports into the classroom. This requires in-class collaboration with student support staff and other teachers, as well as trainingvolunteers to assist with students-in-need.

Learning supports in the classroom are designed to enable student learning by assisting,supporting, and enhancing the capability of teachers to (a) prevent problems, (b)intervene as soon after problems arise, (c) enhance intrinsic motivation for learning, and(d) re-engage students who have become disengaged from classroom learning. Learningsupports are designed to increasingly enable teachers to personalize instruction for allstudents, add special assistance in the context of implementing “Response toIntervention,” and provide a greater range of accommodations and learning options.

Examples of Classroom-Based Learning Supports Essential to Personalizing Learning

• Redesigning classroom approaches to enhance teacher capability to prevent and

handle problems and reduce the need for out-of-class referrals > Personalized instruction; special assistance as necessary> Developing small group and independent learning options> Reducing negative interactions and over-reliance on social control> Expanding the range of curricular and instructional options and choices> Systematic use of “prereferral” interventions

• Enhancing and personalizing professional development

> Creating a learning community for teachers> Ensuring opportunities to learn through co-teaching, team teaching, mentoring> Teaching intrinsic motivation concepts and their application to schooling

• Curricular enrichment and adjunct programs

> Varied enrichment activities that are not tied to reinforcement schedules> Visiting scholars from the community

• Classroom and school-wide approaches used to create and maintain a caring and

supportive climate with a specific focus on enhancing feelings of competence,self-determination, and relatedness to others at school and reducing threats to suchfeelings

In addition to the self-study survey and Quick Finds related to this arena, see the continuingeducation modules on

>Personalizing Learning at http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/personalizeI.pdf >Engaging and Re-engaging Students and Families at http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/engagei.pdf

Supports for Transitions

Supporting transitions involves a range of interventions that address changes can bedisruptive to students, families, and teachers. In the classroom and school-wide (andsometimes at the district level), such supports are designed to (a) enhance successfultransitions, (b) prevent transition problems, (c) use transitions to enhance acceptanceand reduce alienation, and (d) use transitions to increase positive attitudes/motivationtoward school and learning

Examples of Supports for Transitions

• Welcoming and social support programs for newcomers> Welcoming signs, materials, and initial receptions> Peer buddy programs for students, families, staff, volunteers

• Daily transition programs for

> Before school, breaks, lunch, afterschool • Articulation programs

> Grade to grade (new classrooms, new teachers)> Elementary to Middle School; Middle to High School> In and out of special education programs

• Summer or intersession programs

> Catch-up, recreation, and enrichment programs • School-to-career/higher education

> Counseling, pathway, and mentor programs • Broad involvement of stakeholders in planning for transitions

> Students, staff, home, police, faith groups, recreation, business, higher educ. • Staff/stakeholder development for planning transition programs/activities

In addition to the self-study survey and Quick Finds related to this arena, see >Transitions: Turning Risks into Opportunities for Student Support

http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/transitions/transitions.pdf

Home Involvement and Engagement

While policy calls for parent involvement, the reality is that many students are cared forby grandparents, aunts, siblings, and foster families. Also, because of pastexperiences, many care-providers are not motivated to connect with the school, andsome are so angry with schools that they are belligerent when contacted.

Learning supports aim to develop a full range of interventions designed to assist andthen engage and re-engage key home stakeholders. In the classroom and school-wide(and sometimes at the district level), such supports are designed to (a) strengthen thehome situation, (b) enhance home involvement in and capability for problem solving,(c) increase home support for student development and learning, and (d) enlist thehome in strengthening school and community.

Examples of Home Involvement and Engagement

• Addressing specific support and learning needs of family

> Facilitating open-access to support programs for those in the home to assist them in addressing basic survival needs and obligations to the children> Adult education classes to enhance literacy, job skills, English-as-a-second

language, citizenship preparation • Improving mechanisms for communication and connecting school and home

> Opportunities at school for family networking and mutual support, learning, recreation, enrichment, and for family members to receive special assistance

and to volunteer to help > Phone calls from teacher and other staff with good news> Frequent and balanced conferences (student-led when feasible)> Outreach to attract hard-to-reach families (including student dropouts)

• Involving homes in student decision making

> Families prepared for involvement in program planning and problem-solving • Enhancing home support for learning and development

> Family literacy, family homework projects, family field trips • Recruiting families to strengthen school and community

> Volunteers to welcome and support new families and help in various capacities > Families prepared for involvement in school governance

• Staff/stakeholder development to broaden awareness of and plan programs to

enhance opportunities for home involvement

In addition to the self-study survey and Quick Finds related to this arena, see >Parent and Home Involvement in Schools

http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/parenthome/parent1.pdf >Enhancing Home Involvement to Address Barriers to Learning: A Collaborative Process http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/homeinv.pdf

Community Involvement and Engagement

Most schools are reaching out to a few community partners. Learning supports aims tofill critical systemic gaps by weaving in a wider range of community resources to workcollaboratively on mutual concerns related to strengthening students, schools, families,and neighborhoods. For schools and the district, this requires programs and systems toincrease and strengthen outreach to build linkages and collaborations to a wide rangeof entities, including enhanced use of volunteers and agencies.

Examples of Community Involvement and Engagement

• Planning and implementing outreach to recruit a wide range of communityresources > Community resources such as public and private agencies; colleges/universities;

local residents; artists and cultural institutions, businesses and professionalorganizations; service, volunteer, and faith-based organizations

> Community policy and decision makers • Systems to recruit, screen, prepare, and maintain community resource involvement

> Mechanisms to orient and welcome > Mechanisms to enhance the volunteer and mentor pools,

> Mechanisms to maintain current involvements; enhance sense of comm. • Reaching out to students and families who don't come to school regularly –

including truants and dropouts

• Connecting school and community efforts to promote child and youth developmentand a sense of community

• Capacity building to enhance community involvement and support > Policies/mechanisms to enhance & sustain school-community involvement> Staff/stakeholder development on the value of community involvement> Social marketing

In addition to the self-study survey and Quick Finds related to this arena, see >Community Outreach:School-Community Resources to Address Barriers to Learning

http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/qf/Commout_tt/communityfull.pdf >Fostering School, Family and Community Involvement

http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/publications/44%20guide%207%20fostering%20school%20family%20and%20community%20involvement.pdf

Crisis Response and Prevention

The broad category of crisis assistance and prevention stresses not only effectiveemergency response and aftermath help, but a major emphasis on prevention that fitsnicely with concerns for creating a positive and supportive school climate. A generalfocus on crisis prevention encompasses bullying and violence prevention and otherefforts to curtail problems and minimize the need for discipline and suspensions. Thesupports in this arena require integrated classroom, school-wide, and district programsand systems that (a) respond to crises, (b) minimize the impact of crises, (c) wherefeasible, prevent school and personal crises and trauma, (d) counter the impact ofout-of-school traumatic events. and (e) create a caring and safe learning environment

Examples of Crisis Response and Prevention

• Ensuring there is a well-trained school-focused Crisis Team that > Maintains an integrated response plan > Takes leadership for developing prevention programs

• Providing immediate assistance in emergencies so students can resume learning

• Providing follow-up care as necessary > Brief and longer-term monitoring

• Mobilizing staff, students, and families to anticipate response plans and recoveryefforts

• Maintaining a focus on creating a caring and safe learning environment > Developing systems to promote healthy development and prevent problems > Developing general crisis prevention strategies that encompass bullying,harassment,

violence prevention, and other efforts to curtail problems and minimize the needfor discipline and suspensions

• Working with neighborhood schools and the local community to integrate planningfor response and prevention

• Staff/stakeholder development focusing on the role and responsibility of all inpromoting a caring and safe environment

In addition to the self-study survey and Quick Finds related to this arena, see >Responding to Crisis at a School at http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/crisis/crisis.pdf >Resources for Responding to a Crisis at http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/crisisresp.htm >Moving Prevention From the Fringes into the Fabric of School Improvement

http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/publications/24 moving prevention from the fringes into thefabric.pdf

Student and Family Assistance

Finally, the focus is on what has been the traditional emphasis of student supportservices – helping students and families who are identified as needing personal andspecialized assistance. Such supports usually require programs and systems tofacilitate access of specific students and families to effective health and social servicesand special assistance on campus and in the community as needed, as well as forcareer and college planning.

Examples of Student and Family Assistance • Providing support as soon as a need is recognized; doing so in the least disruptive

way> “Prereferral” interventions in classrooms in the context of “Response to

Intervention”> Problem solving conferences with parents> Open access to school, district, and community support programs

• Referral interventions for students and families with problems

> Screening, referrals, and follow-up – school-based, school-linked • Enhancing access to direct interventions for health, mental health, and economic

assistance; counseling for career and college> School-based, school-linked, and community-based programs

• Follow-up assessment to check whether referrals and services are adequate and

effective • Mechanisms for resource coordination to avoid duplication of and fill gaps in

services and enhance effectiveness> School-based and linked, feeder family of schools, community-based programs

• Enhancing stakeholder awareness of programs and services

• Involving community providers to fill gaps and augment school resources

• Staff/stakeholder development to enhance effectiveness of student and family

assistance systems, programs, and services

In addition to the self-study survey and Quick Finds related to this arena, see >Student & Family Assistance Programs and Services to Address Barriers to Learning

http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/qf/student_tt/studentfamfull.pdf

For a discussion not only of the prototype intervention framework, but also of the policy,operational infrastructure, and systemic change frameworks, see:

>Frameworks for Systemic Transformation of Student and Learning Supportshttp://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/systemic/frameworksforsystemictransformation.pdf

For more specific examples and mapping and analysis self study surveys foreach arena, see the Center’s online resource aid:

Resource Mapping and Management to Address Barriers to Learning:

An Intervention for Systemic Change

http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/resourcemapping/resourcemappingandmanagement.pdf

Mapping Matrix Combining Continuum and Content Arenas Provides the Framework for a Unified & Comprehensive System of Supports

(an Enabling Component)*

Levels of Intervention

Systems for Promoting Systems for Systems of Care Healthy Development & Early Intervention

Preventing Problems (Early after problem onset)

Classroom-FocusedEnabling

Crisis/EmergencyAssistance &Prevention

Support fortransitions

InterventionContentArenas Home

Involvement in Schooling

CommunityOutreach/Volunteers

Student andFamilyAssistance

Accommodations for differences & disabilities Specialized assistance & other intensified interventions (e.g., Special Education &

School-Based Behavioral Health)

*Note: Various venues, concepts, and initiatives will fit into several cells of the matrix. Examplesinclude venues such as day care centers, preschools, family centers, and school-based healthcenters, concepts such as social and emotional learning and development, and initiatives such aspositive behavior support, response to interventions, and the coordinated school health program.Most of the work of the considerable variety of personnel who provide student supports also fitsinto one or more cells.

Common Core Standards for a Learning Supports Component

The prototype standards are formulated around five areas ofconcern that confront schools developing a unified andcomprehensive system of learning supports:

(1) Framing and Delineating Intervention Functions

(2) Reworking Operational Infrastructure

(3) Enhancing Resource Use

(4) Continuous Capacity Building

(5) Continuous Evaluation and Appropriate Accountability

See the document attached at the end of the handouts for the rationaleand the prototype standards, with related quality indicators.

This document also is available by clicking on the following link: http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/commcore.pdf

What the Student Supports Infrastructure Looks Like at Most Schools

Instructional Component

Leadership

for instruction

(Various teams and School work groups focused on Improvement improving instruction) Team

moderate Case- problems Oriented

Mechanisms

severe problems

Management/Governance Component

Management/ Governance

Administrators

(Various teams and work groups

focused on Management and governance)

Example of an Integrated Leadership Infrastructure at the School Level (Should be paralled at the district level)

Instructional Learning Supports Component or Enabling Component

Leadership for Leadership for Instruction Learning Supports*

School(Various teams and work Improvement groups focused on Team improving instruction) Learning Supports Leadership moderate Team** problems

severe problems

Management/Governance Work groups*** Component

Management/ Resource- Case- Governance Oriented Oriented Administrators Mechanisms Mechanisms(Various teams and work groupsfocused on management and governance)

*Learning Supports or Enabling Component Leadership consists of an administrator andother advocates/champions with responsibility and accountability for ensuring thevision for the component is not lost. The administrator meets with and providesregular input to the Learning Supports Resource Team.

**A Learning Supports Resource Team ensures component cohesion, integrated implementation, and ongoing development. It meets weekly to guide and monitor daily implementationand development of all programs, services, initiatives, and systems at a school that areconcerned with providing learning supports and specialized assistance.

***Ad hoc and standing work groups – Initially, these are the various “teams” that already exist related to various initiatives and programs (e.g., a crisis team) and for processing

“cases” (e.g., a student assistance team, an IEP team). Where redundancy exists, workgroups can be combined. Others are formed as needed by the Learning SupportsResource Team to address specific concerns. These groups are essential foraccomplishing the many tasks associated with such a team’s functions.

For more on this, see >http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/infrastructure/anotherinitiative-exec.pdf >http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/studentsupport/toolkit/aidk.pdf

A Learning Supports Component Leadership Team????? “We already have a team” – But is it Resource-orientedWhat you probably have is

a Case-Oriented Team (Focused on specific individualsand discrete services)

Sometimes called:• Child/Student Study Team• Student Success Team• Student Assistance Team• Teacher Assistance Team• IEP Team

EXAMPLES OF FUNCTIONS:

>triage>referral>case monitoring/

management >case progress review

>case reassessment

What you also need is aa Resource-Oriented Team

(Focused on all students and theresources, programs, and systems toaddress barriers to learning & promotehealthy development)

Possibly called:• Resource Coordinating Team• Resource Coordinating Council• School Support Resource Team• Learning Support Resource Team

EXAMPLES OF FUNCTIONS:

>aggregating data across students & from teachers to analyze school needs

>mapping resources >analyzing resources >enhancing resources>program and system planning/

development – including emphasis onestablishing a full continuum ofintervention

>redeploying resources >coordinating-integrating resources>social "marketing"

LearningSupportsLeadership Team

LearningSupportsLeadership Team

LearningSupportsLeadership Team

LearningSupportsLeadership Team

LearningSupportsLeadership Team

LearningSupportsLeadership Team

LearningSupportsLeadership Team

LearningSupportsLeadership Team

LearningSupportsLeadership Team

LearningSupportsLeadership Team

LearningSupportsLeadership Team

LearningSupportsLeadership Team

Connecting Resources Across a Family of Schools, a District, and Community-Wide

Enhancing a system of learning supports by connecting resources across

• a family of schools• a district• community-wide

High Schools

Middle Schools

Elementary Schools

Learning Supports Learning SupportsLeadership Council Leadership Council

School District Community Resources Management & Planning & Governing

Governance Bodies Agents

How do we get from here to there?

Strategic & Sustainable SystemicChange!

Is this your systemic change process? Collaborative

Phases in Creating a Unified & Comprehensive Learning Supports System

• Creating Readiness & Commitment

• Starting Up & Phasing In

• Institutionalizing

• Creatively Renewing

Strategically plan every phase with replication-to-scale and sustainability in mind.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------The real difficulty in changing the course of any enterprise lies

not in developing new ideas but in escaping old ones. John Maynard Keynes

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Implementing innovation = Systemic change = Escaping old ideas

Starting a Discussion About Developing a Unified and Comprehensive System of Learning Supports

(1) Circulate a brief introductory document to the district leadership team – see for example,

Toward Next Steps in School Improvement: Addressing Barriers to Learning and Teaching http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/systemic/towardnextstep.pdf

(Note: if this document doesn’t seem to fit the local situation, there are others to choose from Section A of the Center’s Rebuilding Toolkit –

http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/summit2002/resourceaids.htm )

(2) Follow-up with by providing information about a few of the other places that have pursued development of a unified and comprehensive system of learning supports.

Specifically, refer to the following:

>Brochures from Districts and State Departmentshttp://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/toolkita1a.htm

>Examples of State and District Design Documentshttp://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/toolkitb1a.htm

(3) To answer typical questions raised in the process, see and share as needed material from

>Q & A Talking Points (in Section A of the Center’s Rebuilding Toolkit)http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/toolkita2.htm

(4) Review the documents:

>Developing a Unified and Comprehensive System of Learning Supports: First Steps for Superintendents Who Want to Get Started

http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/superstart.pdf >Establishing a Comprehensive System of Learning Supports at a School: Seven Steps for Principals and Their Staff

http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/7steps.pdf

Are you ready to unify thelearning supports system?

Well, it makes sense to do so, BUT my job is bullying prevention!

and mine is dropout prevention!

and I’m responsible for Title I ... and ...

and...

Resources for Rebuilding and Other Resources from the UCLA Center

UCLA Web site

The Center at UCLA has extensive resources which are free and readily accessibleonline. These include:

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

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

A rebuilding toolkit to help design and implement a comprehensive learning supportsystem,

A practitioner’s toolbox, and more . . .

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

Online Technical Assistance

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

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

Write down any questions and/or comments

Remember: all our Center resources are available for you online athttp://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/

And you can always contact our Center to access resources & TA –Contact: Ltaylor@ucla.edu

If you would like to receive resources regularly from the Center, provide your emailbelow:

Email: _____________________________________

Send to: Ltaylor@ucla.edu

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Common Core Standards for a Learning Supports Component

When policy makers introduce another initiative for education reform, the press toimplement the new initiative often draws attention away from other essential facetsinvolved in improving and transforming schools. Currently, this is happening with

the Common Core State Standards movement.

Efforts to revamp schools cannot afford to marginalize any primary and essential facet ofwhat must take place at schools everyday. Thus, policy must attend to all three of the majorinterrelated functional arenas that schools pursue day-in and day-out (see below).

Direct Facilitation of Learning Addressing Barriers to Learning/Teaching* (Instructional Component – (Enabling or Learning Supports Component) curriculum/teaching)

Governance and Resource Management (Management Component)

*Initiatives, programs and services to address barriers often stem from concerns related tosafe schools, mandates stemming from compensatory and special education legislation, andvarious other federal and state programs.

From this three component perspective, it is evident that focusing on curriculum standardscertainly is necessary. However, with respect to improving and transforming schools, thislimited emphasis needs to expand to fully account for the other two components.

That is why those involved in the Common Core State Standards movement also arediscussing model standards for teaching. And that is why now is the time to also moveforward in developing common core standards for a unified and comprehensive system toaddress barriers to learning and teaching and re-engage disconnected students. Standards fora learning supports system are essential to enhancing equity of opportunity for all studentsto succeed at school and, therefore, are essential to teacher and school success.

By developing interrelated core standards for (1) curriculum and teaching, (2) a learningsupports system to address factors that interfere with learning and teaching, and (3) schoolgovernance/management, the Common Core State Standards movement will provide amuch-needed foundation upon which states, districts, schools, and classrooms can build andsucceed.

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Rationale for Common Core Learning Supports System Standards

School improvement discussions across the country are standards-based and accountabilitydriven. Efforts to improve instruction (curriculum and teaching) are developing commoncore state standards. Efforts to address external and internal factors that interfere withlearning and teaching need to do the same.

About Interfering Factors

At some time or another, every student brings problems with them that affect their learningand perhaps interfere with the teacher's efforts to teach. In some geographic areas, manyyoungsters bring a wide range of problems stemming from restricted opportunities associatedwith poverty and low income, difficult and diverse family circumstances, homeless andfoster care status, high rates of mobility, lack of English language skills, violentneighborhoods, problems related to substance abuse, inadequate health care, and lack ofenrichment opportunities. Such problems are exacerbated as youngsters internalize thefrustrations of confronting barriers and the debilitating effects of performing poorly atschool. In some locales, the reality often is that over 50% of students are not succeeding.And, in most schools in these locales, teachers are ill-prepared and poorly supported toaddress the problems in a potent manner.

Moreover, too many of these students are being inappropriately referred for specialeducation. A unified comprehensive system designed to enable learning can play a majorrole in stemming the tide of inappropriate referrals. They do this by systemically and directlyfocusing on factors that interfere with successful teaching and through a unified andcomprehensive approach for working with students manifesting moderate-to-severe learning,behavior, and emotional problems.

Examples of Risk-Producing Conditions that Can be Barriers to Learning E n v i r o n m e n t a l C o n d i t i o n s* Person Factors* Neighborhood Family School and Peers Individual >extreme economic deprivation>community disorganization, including high levels of mobility and crime>violence, drugs, etc.>gangs>racial and ethnic conflicts

>chronic poverty>conflict/disruptions/violence>substance abuse>modeling of problem behavior>abusive caretaking>inadequate provision for quality child care>problems stemming from minority, immigrant, homeless, foster care, juvenile offender status

>enrollment and attendance hurdles>poor quality school>negative encounters with teachers>negative encounters with peers &/or inappropriate peer models

>medical problems>low birth weight/ neurodevelopmental delay>psychophysiological problems>difficult temperament & adjustment problems>inadequate nutrition>English is a second language>learning and mental disorders

*A reciprocal determinist view of behavior recognizes the interplay of environment and person variables.

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Current Efforts to Address Barriers to Learning and Teaching Need Revamping

It is easy to say that schools must ensure that all students succeed. If all students camemotivationally ready and able to profit from “high standards”curricula, then there would belittle problem. But all encompasses those who are experiencing external and internal barriersthat interfere with enrolling, attending, and benefitting from what teachers are offering. Thus,providing all students an equal opportunity to succeed requires much more than higherstandards and expectations, greater accountability for instruction, and better teaching (andcertainly more than increased discipline, reduced school violence, and an end to socialpromotion).

At present, to address interfering factors, schools have instituted support programs designedto tackle a range of learning, behavior, and emotional problems. Across a district, there areefforts to mitigate and alleviate school adjustment and attendance problems, substance abuse,emotional problems, relationship difficulties, violence, physical and sexual abuse,delinquency, and dropouts.

Some of these programs are provided throughout a school district, others are carriedout at—or linked to—targeted schools. Some of the programs are owned and operatedby schools; some are managed by community agencies. The interventions may be for allstudents in a school, for those in specified grades, for those identified as “at risk,” or forthose in need of compensatory or special education.

School based and school linked support programs generally focus on responding to crises,early intervention and some forms of treatment. There also may be a focus on prevention andenhancement of healthy development (e.g., promotion of positive physical, social andemotional development) through use of health education, health services, guidance, and soforth.

As is widely recognized, student support programs are terribly fragmented and marginalizedin school improvement policy and practice. At some schools, it is commonplace for supportstaff to function in relative isolation of each other and other stakeholders, with too much ofthe work oriented to addressing discrete problems and providing specialized services forrelatively few students. In some schools, a student identified as at risk for grade retention,dropout, and substance abuse may be the focus of several professionals operatingindependently of each other. Moreover, the contexts and operational infrastructure forintervention planning and implementation often are limited and makeshift. Many programsand related efforts to prevent and correct problems are assigned space and personnel on anad hoc basis. Support personnel often must rotate among schools as itinerant staff.

Research indicates that the current deficiencies related to student and learning supports arethe result of how such supports have been conceptualized and their marginalization in schoolpolicy improvement policy and practice.

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Common Core Standards for a System of Learning Supports: Moving Beyond Marginalization and Fragmention

For the Common Core State Standards for curriculum to succeed, schools must have goodteaching. And they also must have a unified and comprehensive system for addressingbarriers to learning and teaching and re-engaging disconnected students.

For purposes of developing the standards, learning supports are defined as the resources,strategies, and practices that provide physical, social, emotional, and intellectual supportsto enable all students to have an equal opportunity for success at school by directlyaddressing barriers to learning and teaching and by re-engaging disconnected students.Learning supports are designed to enable learning by addressing external and internal factorsthat interfere with students engaging effectively with instruction.

Establishing standards for a system of learning supports is essential to revamping andrevitalizing such supports and making them an integral component of school improvement.The standards will help move learning supports from their current marginalized status byestablishing them as a primary priority for school improvement policy and practice. Suchstandards will guide the development of student and learning supports into a unified andcomprehensive component at every school.

Developing common core standards for a system of learning supports provides thefoundation for improving standards related to specific subgroups of support staff (e.g.,school counselors, psychologists, social workers, nurses, special educators, etc.) andstandards related to specific subgroups of students (e.g., those with special needs).

A learning supports system must play out effectively in classrooms and school-wide andmust connect effectively with district programs (e.g., federally funded programs) and mustoutreach to the surrounding community to fill gaps and collaborate in addressing overlappingconcerns. Once established at schools, families of schools can enhance effectiveness andachieve economies of scale through collaboration. All this is fundamental for strengtheningsafety net supports for children and adolescents.

Because it is critical that schools develop a unified and comprehensive system of learningsupports, standards need to be conceived in terms of a school level component. School-basedstandards can readily be adapted for adoption by state, regional, and district educationalagencies.

Development of a core learning supports standards in no way minimizes the importance ofcore curriculum and teaching standards. Every teacher must have the ability and resourcesto bring a sound curriculum to life and apply strategies that make learning meaningful andcarried out in a caring and mutually respectful climate. Appropriately conceived corestandards for curriculum and teaching can contribute to all this. At the same time, astandards-based learning supports component at a school provides essential supports forteachers with respect to students who are not benefitting appropriately from offers of goodinstruction.

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The following proposed Common Core Standards for a Learning Supports Componentand related quality indicators incorporate input from a variety of resources andprofessionals across the country and are intended to ensure that the nature and scopeof such a system is understood with a view to adoption.

In reading the standards and quality indicators, remember that:

• While these standards and indicators focus at the school level, they provide aguide for establishing policy at state, regional, and district levels and can readilybe adapted for adoption by state, regional, and district educational agencies.

• The standards and indicators focus on enabling learning by (1) framing anddelineating intervention functions, (2) reworking operational infrastructure, (3) enhancing resource use, (4) continuous capacity building, and (5) continuous

evaluation and appropriate accountability for system performance and thosestudent outcomes that are directly related to addressing barriers.

• The standards and indicators are designed to establish a system that encompassesand benefits all students; thus no specific subgroups of students are identified orsingled out.

• The standards embed all student and learning supports programs and services into a unified component; thus no specific approaches are identified/singled out.

• The standards stress that all staff have a role to play in addressing barriers to learning and teaching and re-engaging disconnected students; thus the work of

specific subgroups of professionals are not identified/singled out.

• As core standards and related indicators for a learning supports system, the setprovides a base upon which the needs of specific student subgroup, thecontributions of various professional specialties and specific programs, and theunique considerations of localities can be built.

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Standards for a Unified and Comprehensive System of Learning Supports

The following standards are formulated around five areas of concern that confront schoolsdeveloping a unified and comprehensive system of learning supports: (1) Framing andDelineating Intervention Functions, (2) Reworking Operational Infrastructure, (3)Enhancing Resource Use, (4) Continuous Capacity Building, and (5) Continuous Evaluationand Appropriate Accountability. (See Appendix for Quality Indicators.)

AREA: FRAMING AND DELINEATING INTERVENTION FUNCTIONS

Standard 1. Establishment of an overall unifying intervention framework for acomprehensive, multifaceted, and cohesive component for addressingbarriers to learning and teaching and re-engaging disconnected students.

A Learning Supports Component is a systemic approach that is committed toenabling the learning of all students and is fully integrated into the school’s strategicimprovement plan. The component is operationalized into a comprehensive,multifaceted, and cohesive intervention framework. One facet of this framework isthe continuum delineating the scope of desired intervention (i.e., promoting healthydevelopment and preventing problems, early-after-onset intervention, and treatmentof severe and chronic problems). The other facet is a conceptualization that organizesthe content arenas for addressing barriers to learning and teaching, with dueappreciation for the role played by efforts to promote assets and healthy development.Because of the importance of each of the content arenas, specific standards for eachare delineated below:

Standard 1 addendum: Specific standards for the content arenas of alearning supports component While the number and labels for designated content arenas may differ, asStandard 1 states: Schools need to deal with a conceptualization that organizesthe “content” arenas for addressing barriers to learning and teaching, with dueappreciation for the role played by efforts to promote assets and healthydevelopment. (As one of the quality performance indicators for Standard 1indicates, rather than a fragmented, “laundry-list” of programs, services, andactivities, the learning supports need to be organized into a concise content or“curriculum” framework that categorizes and captures the essence of themultifaceted ways schools need to address barriers to learning at school.)

To illustrate content standards here, content is formulated in this addendum asencompassing six arenas of intervention activity.

>Standard 1a. Continuous enhancement of regular classroom strategies to enable learning (e.g., personalizing learning for students with mild-moderate

learning and behavior problems and to re-engage those who have becomedisengaged from learning at school; providing special individual learningaccommodations and supports as necessary)

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>Standard 1b. Continuous enhancement of programs and systems for a full range of transition supports (e.g., assisting students and families as they

negotiate hurdles to enrollment, school and grade changes, daily transitions,program transitions, etc.)

>Standard 1c. Continuous enhancement of programs and systems to

increase and strengthen home and school connections

>Standard 1d. Continuous enhancement of programs and systems for responding to, and where feasible, preventing school and personal crises

and trauma (including creating a caring and safe learning environment andcountering the impact of out-of-school traumatic events)

>Standard 1e. Continuous enhancement of programs and systems to

increase and strengthen community involvement and support (e.g., outreachto develop greater community involvement and support from a wide range of entities, including enhanced use of volunteers and agency collaborations)

>Standard 1f. Continuous enhancement of programs and systems to

facilitate student and family access to effective services and special assistanceon campus and in the community as needed.

AREA: REWORKING OPERATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Standard 2. Establishment of an integrated operational infrastructure for theongoing planning and development of the learning supports component.

Developing and institutionalizing a unified and comprehensive system of learningsupports requires mechanisms within a school, among families of schools, at thedistrict level, and between school and community. All mechanisms must be integratedwith each other and fully integrated into school improvement efforts and school-community collaborations. The need at all levels is to rework operationalinfrastructure in ways that support efforts to address barriers to learning in a cohesivemanner and to integrate the work with instruction and with the management/governance mechanisms. This requires dedicated administrative and staff leadership(with such leadership fully involved in governance, planning and implementation).Ongoing development and implementation requires work groups focused on schoolimprovement and intervention development functions such as mapping, analysis, andpriority setting for resource allocation and integration, system and programdevelopment, communication and information management, capacity building, andquality improvement and accountability.

AREA: ENHANCING RESOURCE USE

Standard 3. Appropriate resource use and allocation for developing,maintaining, and evolving the component.

Use of resources is based on up-to-date gap and outcome analyses and establishedpriorities for improving the component. Resource allocation involves (re)deploymentof available funds to achieve priorities. Cost-efficiencies are achieved throughcommon purpose collaborations that integrate systems and weave together learningand student support resources within a school, among families of schools, fromcentralized district assets, and from various community entities.

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AREA: CONTINUOUS CAPACITY BUILDING

Standard 4. Capacity building for developing, maintaining, and evolving thecomponent.

Capacity building involves enhancing ongoing component and stakeholderdevelopment and performance. The work requires allocation of resources to provideeffective and efficient mechanisms and personnel to carry out a myriad of capacitybuilding functions. Professional development requires a personalized anddifferentiated approach designed to address role responsibilities and relatedaccountability and differences in motivation and level of professional development.

AREA: CONTINUOUS EVALUATION AND APPROPRIATE ACCOUNTABILITY

Standard 5. Formative and summative evaluation and accountability are fullyintegrated into all planning and implementation of the component.

Formative evaluation provides essential data related to progress in improvingcomponent processes and achieving benchmarks and outcomes. In the initial phaseof component development, formative evaluation focuses heavily on feedback andbenchmarks related to specific developmental tasks, functioning of processes, andimmediate outcomes. Formative evaluation is pursued as an ongoing process with anincreasing focus on intermediate and then long-range outcomes. Summative data onintermediate outcomes are gathered as soon as the component is operating as anintegrated system. Summative data on long-range outcomes are gathered after thecomponent has operated as an integrated system for two years. Accountabilityindicators should fit each phase of component development. This means the primaryfocus is on developmental benchmarks in the early phases. When the accountabilityfocus is on student impact, the primary emphasis is on the direct enabling outcomesfor students that each arena of the component is designed to accomplish. As theseaccountability indicators show solid impact, they can be correlated with academicprogress to estimate their contribution to academic achievement.

A Note About School Climate and Culture

A positive school climate and culture emerges, in part, from effectively and efficientlyaddressing barriers to learning and teaching and promoting the well-being of students, theirfamilies, and staff. Therefore, school climate is not treated as a separate arena, rather it isan anticipated emergent quality. From this perspective, it becomes an overall qualityindicator for the entire school (i.e., for the impact of improvements related to all threecomponents).

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A Sample of References

Adelman, H.S., & Taylor, L. (2006). The school leader’s guide to student learning supports: Newdirections for addressing barriers to learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Adelman, H.S. & Taylor, L. (2008). Rebuilding for learning: Addressing barriers to learning andteaching and re-engaging students. New York: Scholastic, Inc.http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/rebuild/RebuidlingV11RD28.pdf

Center for Mental Health in Schools (2012a). Personalizing learning and addressing barriers tolearning: Two continuing education units. Los Angeles, CA: Author at UCLA .http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/personalizeI.pdf

Center for Mental Health in Schools (2012). Blueprints for education reform: Have you analyzedthe architects’ vision? Los Angeles, CA: Author at UCLA.http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/blueprint.pdf

Center for Mental Health in Schools (2012c). Common core state standards: What about studentand learning supports? Los Angeles: Author at UCLA.http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/newsletter/summer12.pdf

Center for Mental Health in Schools (2010a). Transforming schools or tinkering? An analysis ofCCSSO’s model core teaching standards. Los Angeles, CA: Author at UCLA.http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/ccssoanalysis.pdf

Center for Mental Health in Schools (2010b). Turning around, transforming, and continuouslyimproving schools: Federal proposals are still based on a two- rather than a three componentblueprint. Los Angeles, CA: Author at UCLA. http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/turning.pdf

Center for Mental Health in Schools (2008). Frameworks for systemic transformation of studentand learning supports. Los Angeles, CA: Author at UCLA.http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/systemic/frameworksforsystemictransformation.pdf

Chu, J. (2010). Strengthening our schools: A new framework and principles for revising schoolimprovement grants. D.C.: Author in the U.S. House of Representatives.http://chu.house.gov/SOS%20Report%20FINAL.pdf

CCSSO (2011). Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium, InTASC model coreteaching standards: A resource for state dialogue. Washington, DC: Author.

http://www.ccsso.org/Resources/Programs/Interstate_Teacher_Assessment_Consortium_(InTASC).html

EDC (2012). Addressing barriers to learning and teaching, and re-engaging students:Gainesville City Schools. Newton, MA: Author.http://www1.gcssk12.net/images/shared/other/rebuildingforlearning.pdf

Iowa Department of Education with the Iowa Collaboration for Youth Development. (2004).Enhancing Iowa's systems of supports for development and learning. Des Moines, IA: Author.http://www.iowa.gov/educate/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=2588

Louisiana Department of Education. (2009). Louisiana's Comprehensive Learning SupportsSystem: The Design Document for Addressing Internal and External Barriers to Learning andTeaching. http://www.doe.state.la.us/lde/uploads/15044.pdf

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Loveless, T. (2012). How well are American students learning? 2012 Brown Center report onAmerican education: With sections on predicting the effect of the Common Core StateStandards. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.

McNulty, R.J. & Gloeckler, L.C. (2011). Fewer, clearer, higher common core state standards:Implications for students receiving special education services. Rexford, NY: InternationalCenter for Leadership in Education.http://www.leadered.com/pdf/Special%20Ed%20&%20CCSS%20white%20paper.pdf

National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality (2007). America's Challenge: EffectiveTeachers for At-Risk Schools and Students. Washington, D.C.: Author.http://www.tqsource.org/publications/NCCTQBiennialReport.pdf

Thatcher, D. (2012). Common Core State Standards State Legislation: 2012https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AllQ6M2UM-

s7dElJclVLRU5May1BTXlZbHRsaktFRlE#gid=0

Sample Related to Student-Learning Supports & School Climate Standards

ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs (3rd ed) http://ascamodel.timberlakepublishing.com/files/Executive%20Summary%203.0.pdf

American School Counselor Association National Standards for Studentshttp://static.pdesas.org/content/documents/ASCA_National_Standards_for_Students.pdf

Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards; Guidelines forEarly Care and Education Programs (3rd ed) http://nrckids.org/CFOC3/

National Association of School Psychologists 2010 Standards – consists of four separate documents: (a) Standards for Graduate Preparation of School Psychologists (formerly Training and Field

Placement Programs in School Psychology), (b) Standards for the Credentialing of School Psychologists, (c) Principles for Professional Ethics, and the (d) Model for Comprehensive and Integrated School Psychological Services (formerly

Guidelines for the Provision of School Psychological Serviceshttp://www.nasponline.org/standards/2010standards.aspx

NASW Standards for School Social Work Serviceshttp://www.naswdc.org/practice/standards/NASWSchoolSocialWorkStandards.pdf

School Climate Standards http://www.schoolclimate.org/climate/standards.php

Sample of Relevant State Standards and Guidelines

California Standards of Quality and Effectiveness For Pupil Personnel Services Credentials:School Counseling, School Psychology, School Social Work, Child Welfare and Attendancehttp://www.hhs.csus.edu/SWRK/document/PDF/PPSStand.pdf#search='Standards%20of%20Quality%

20and%20Effectiveness%20For%20Pupil%20Personnel%20Services%20Credentials:%20School%20Counseling,%20School%20Psychology,%20School%20Social%20Work,%20Child%20Welfare%20and%20Attendance

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Connecticut’s Comprehensive School Counseling: A Guide to Comprehensive School CounselingProgram Developmenthttp://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/PDF/DEPS/Special/counseling.pdf

Hawaii’s Standards Databasehttp://wetserver.net/hcpsv3_staging/cc/index.jsp

Illinois Learning Standards: Social/Emotional Learninghttp://www.isbe.net/ils/social_emotional/standards.htm

Illinois Standards for School Psychologistshttp://www.isbe.state.il.us/profprep/CASCDvr/pdfs/23130_schoolpsy.pdf

Illinois Standards for the School Social Workerhttp://www.isbe.state.il.us/profprep/CASCDvr/pdfs/23140_schoolsocwork.pdf

Iowa Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance Program Development Guidehttp://www.schoolcounselor.org/files/iowa.pdf

Indiana Standards for School Social Work Professionalshttp://www.insswa.org/Standards-Indiana_School_Social_Work.pdf

North Carolina Professional School Social Work Standardshttp://www.ncpublicschools.org/studentsupport/socialwork/standards/

North Carolina Professional School Psychology Standards http://www.ncpublicschools.org/studentsupport/psychology/standards/

North Carolina Professional School Counseling Standardshttp://www.ncpublicschools.org/studentsupport/counseling/standards/

Ohio State Department of Education: Comprehensive System of Learning Supports Guidelineshttp://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=5&ContentID=29853&Content=119551

Pennsylvania School Counselors Associationhttp://www.psca-web.org/PA%20Companion%20Guide.shtml

Texas’s School Guidance and Counseling Program for Texas Public Schools (4th ed)http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=4207

Washington State School Social Work Standards http://www.wassw.org/washington-state-school-social-work-standards.html

For some additional relevant references, see the Center for Mental Health in School’sOnline Clearinghouse Quick Find on Standards –http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/qf/guidframstand.htm

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Appendix

Quality Indicators for Each Standard

The following indicators reflect standards at the school level. They can be readily adaptedfor district, regional, state, and federal levels.

Area: Framing and Delineating Intervention Functions

Standard 1. Establishment of an overall unifying intervention framework for acomprehensive, multifaceted, and cohesive component for addressing barriersto learning and teaching and re-engaging disconnected students.

A Learning Supports Component is a systemic approach that is committed to enablingthe learning of all students and is fully integrated into the school’s strategicimprovement plan. The component is operationalized into a comprehensive,multifaceted, and cohesive intervention framework. One facet of this framework is thecontinuum delineating the scope of desired intervention (i.e., promoting healthydevelopment and preventing problems, early-after-onset intervention, and treatmentof severe and chronic problems). The other facet is a conceptualization that organizesthe content arenas for addressing barriers to learning and teaching, with dueappreciation for the role played by efforts to promote assets and healthy development.

Quality Indicators for Standard 1:

(a) The school leadership team has established a policy that commits to developmentof a unified and comprehensive system for addressing barriers to learning andteaching and re-engaging disconnected students, and the policy has been translatedinto an intervention framework designed to guide development of an LearningSupports Component.

(1) All learning supports are embedded within the intervention continuum andcontent framework (including all prevention programs, compensatory andspecial education mandates, and all special initiatives and projects designed toaddress barriers to learning and teaching).

(2) The continuum of programs and services are organized into a set of integratedsubsystems. The subsystems range from promoting assets and healthydevelopment, and preventing problems – through responding to problems soonafter onset – to providing special assistance for severe and chronic problems.Such a continuum encompasses efforts to enable academic, social, emotional,and physical development and address learning, behavior, and emotionalproblems at every school and through connections with home and communityresources.

(3) Rather than a fragmented, “laundry-list” of programs, services, and activities,the learning supports are organized into a concise content framework that

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categorizes and captures the essence of the multifaceted ways schools need toaddress barriers to learning. For purposes of these standards, content isformulated as encompassing six arenas of intervention activity (see addendumto Standard 1).

(4) The continuum of interventions is combined with the content arenas to createthe unifying umbrella framework for the Component. The interventionframework is used as a tool to guide ongoing development of the Component(e.g., mapping and analysis of resources, identifying gaps and redundancies).

(b) The intervention framework has been operationalized and incorporated into theschool’s strategic plan for improvement in ways that fully integrate it with theinstructional and governance/management components.

(c) The school plan for the Component is being implemented in keeping withestablished priorities by building on what exists and then moving toward fulldevelopment in phases.

(d) All interventions (including assessment activity) are based on state of the art best practices for establishing a unified and comprehensive system to address barriers tolearning and promote positive development.

(1) Learning supports are applied in all instances where there is need. They aresystematically implemented using practices that ensure needs are assessed andaddressed in ways that match a student’s motivation as well as capabilities andwith as little disruption as feasible of a student's normal involvement at school.

(2) Library, multimedia, and advanced technology resources are used asappropriate to facilitate intervention efforts. This includes the school’scomputerized information management system, which should incorporate abroad range of formative and summative data related to the Component’s workwith students and families.

(e) School stakeholders express understanding and support for the importance of fullydeveloping the Component.

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Because of the importance of each content arena, specific standards for eachare delineated below:

Standard 1 addendum: Specific standards for the content arenas of a learningsupports component

While the number and labels for designated content arenas may differ, asStandard 1 states: Schools need to deal with a conceptualization that organizesthe “content” arenas for addressing barriers to learning and teaching, with dueappreciation for the role played by efforts to promote assets and healthydevelopment. (As one of the quality performance indicators for Standard 1indicates, rather than a fragmented, “laundry-list” of programs, services, andactivities, the learning supports need to be organized into a concise content or“curriculum” framework that categorizes and captures the essence of themultifaceted ways schools need to address barriers to learning at school.) Toillustrate content standards here, content is formulated below as encompassingsix arenas of intervention activity.

>Standard 1a. Continuous enhancement of regular classroom strategies to enable learning (e.g., personalizing learning for students with mild-moderate

learning and behavior problems and to re-engage those who have becomedisengaged from learning at school; providing special individual learningaccommodations and supports as necessary)

Quality Indicators for Standard 1a:

(a) Regular support is provided teachers for redesigning classroom practices in waysthat enhance teacher capability to prevent and handle problems and reduce need forout of class referrals.

(1) Classroom teachers invite available supports into the classroom to enhanceassistance for students (e.g., peer tutors, volunteers, aids trained to workwith students-in-need; resource teachers and student support staff frequentlywork in the classroom as part of the team to enhance classroom practices forenabling learning).

(2) Student support staff jobs have been redesigned to enable them to work moreregularly with teachers in classrooms.

(3) Teachers are provided with personalized professional development to enhancetheir capability to meet the needs of a wider range of individual differences(e.g., creating a Learning Community for teachers; ensuring opportunities tolearn through co-teaching, team teaching, collaboration, and mentoring;inservice focused on learning intrinsic motivation concepts and their applicationto schooling, about response to intervention strategies and accommodations fordiversity, about specialized interventions for use as needed, about accessing andreferring for special resources and services).

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(b) Classroom approaches focus on creating and maintaining a caring and supportiveclimate through a consistent emphasis on enhancing feelings of competence, self-determination, and relatedness to others at school and reducing threats to suchfeelings.

(1) Strengths and assets are highlighted, appreciated, and celebrated; natural andcurricular opportunities are used to enhance social and emotional development.

(2) Appropriate accommodations are made for students with learning, behavior,and emotional problems and strategies are introduced to connect these studentswith peers and adults with whom they can develop positive connections.

(3) Among the many practices used to enable learning and enhance positiveattitudes toward teachers and school, the classroom provides personalizedinstruction with small group and independent learning options; expands therange of curricular, instructional, and enrichment options and choices; respondsas soon as a problem arises using Response to Intervention strategies thatinclude accommodations, special assistance and learning and student supportsas necessary; avoids tying enrichment activities to reinforcement schedules;reduces negative interactions and over-reliance on social control; facilitatesaccess to appropriate referrals and support for follow-through when necessary.

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>Standard 1b. Continuous enhancement of programs and systems for a full range of transition supports (e.g., assisting students and families as they negotiate

hurdles to enrollment, school and grade changes, daily transitions, programtransitions, etc.)

Quality Indicators for Standard 1b:

(a) Articulation programs (e.g., supports to negotiate enrollment hurdles; supports forgrade-to-grade transitions – new classrooms, new teachers, elementary to middleschool, middle to high school, in and out of special education programs) areimplemented each year and encompass extended outreach, orientations and follow-up interventions for those who are having difficulty enrolling in and adjusting tothe new setting.

(b) School-wide and classroom welcoming and social support programs for newcomers

are visible and in operation (e.g., welcoming signs, materials, and initial receptions;peer buddy and mentoring programs for students, families, staff, volunteers).

(c) There are daily transition programs for before school, breaks, lunch, afterschool

(including moving from location to location).

(d) As needed, there are summer or intersession programs (e.g., programs for catching-up, maintaining, and moving ahead; recreation and enrichment programs).

(e) School-to-career/higher education transition interventions begin in elementaryschool and are integrated at every grade through graduation (e.g., counseling,pathway, and mentor programs).

(f) There is broad involvement of stakeholders in planning transition supports (e.g.,students, staff, home, police, faith groups, recreation, business, higher education).

(g) Capacity building is provided for all stakeholders involved in enhancing transitionprograms and activities, with an emphasis on personalized and differentiatedprofessional development.

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>Standard 1c. Continuous enhancement of programs and systems to increase and strengthen home and school connections

Quality Indicators for Standard 1c:

(a) Interventions and an appropriate referral system are available to help addressspecific support and learning needs of family (e.g., support services for those in thehome to assist in addressing basic survival needs and obligations to the children;adult education classes to enhance literacy, job skills, English as a secondlanguage, citizenship preparation).

(b) Mechanisms for communication and connecting school and home are regularlyused, reach most homes, and are designed to enhance interchange, collaboration,and networking with primary caretakers (e.g., opportunities at school for familynetworking and mutual support, learning, recreation, enrichment, and for familymembers to receive special assistance and to volunteer to help; phone calls and/ore-mail from teacher and other staff with good news; frequent and balancedconferences – student-led when feasible; outreach to attract hard-to-reach families– including student dropouts).

(c) Homes are regularly involved in student decision making (e.g., families areencouraged and supported in enhancing capabilities for involvement in programplanning and problem-solving).

(d) Regular programs are offered to encourage and enhance capabilities for homesupport of learning and development (e.g., family literacy; family homeworkprojects; family field trips).

(e) Families are recruited regularly to play a role in strengthening school andcommunity (e.g., volunteers to welcome and support new families and help invarious capacities; families representing diverse student subgroups are involved inschool governance and school improvement planning).

(f) Capacity building is focused on enhancing home involvement, with an emphasis onpersonalized and differentiated professional, family, and other stakeholderdevelopment.

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>Standard 1d. Continuous enhancement of programs and systems for responding to, and where feasible, preventing school and personal crises and

trauma (including creating a caring and safe learning environment and counteringthe impact of out-of-school traumatic events)

Quality Indicators for Standard 1d:

(a) School staff work with community members and agency representatives to prepareand integrate plans for response and prevention.

(b) Staff, students, and families have been instructed with respect to response plans andrecovery efforts.

(c) All staff are prepared to play a role in crisis response and follow-up.

(d) Immediate assistance is provided in emergencies so students can resume learning.

(e) Follow up care is provided as necessary (e.g., brief and longer-term monitoring).

(f) Crisis prevention programs are in operation (e.g., bullying and harassmentabatement programs).

(g) If there are high priority gaps in crisis prevention efforts, efforts are underway todevelop interventions to fill the gaps.

(h) Prevention programs are integrated into systems to promote healthy developmentand prevent problems.

(i) Capacity building is provided for all stakeholders involved in enhancing crisis andtrauma response and prevention, with an emphasis on personalized anddifferentiated professional development keyed to stakeholder diversity and specialneeds.

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>Standard 1e. Continuous enhancement of programs and systems to increase and strengthen community involvement and support (e.g., outreach to

develop greater community involvement and support from a wide range of entities, including enhanced use of volunteers and agency collaborations)

Quality Indicators for Standard 1e:

(a) Outreach programs are operating on a regular basis to recruit a wide range ofcommunity resources (e.g., public and private agencies; colleges and universities;local residents; artists and cultural institutions, businesses and professionalorganizations; service, volunteer, and faith-based organizations; community policyand decision makers).

(b) Outreach programs encompass strategies for screening, preparing, and maintainingcommunity resource involvement (e.g., mechanisms to orient and welcome,enhance the volunteer pool, maintain current involvements, enhance a sense ofcommunity).

(c) Interventions are implemented on a daily basis by the school and in collaborationwith community resources to reach out to students and families who don't come toschool regularly – including truants and dropouts.

(d) School staff work with community members and agency representatives to connectand integrate school and community efforts to promote child and youthdevelopment, well being, and a sense of community.

(e) Capacity building is provided for all stakeholders involved in enhancingcommunity involvement and support (e.g., policies and mechanisms to enhance andsustain school-community involvement, staff/stakeholder development on the valueof community involvement, “social marketing”, personalized and differentiatedprofessional development to increase understanding of community programs andresources – including human and social capital).

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>Standard 1f. Continuous enhancement of programs and systems to facilitate student and family access to effective services and special assistance

on campus and in the community as needed.

Quality Indicators for Standard 1f:

(a) Prior to referral, extra support is provided in the classroom as soon as a need isrecognized and is provided in the least disruptive way (e.g., using a comprehensiveapproach to Response to Intervention strategies that encompasses accommodationsand expanded specialized assistance in the classroom; pursuing problem solvingconferences with parents; enhancing open access to school, district, and communitysupport programs).

(b) When in-classroom remedies are insufficient, referral and support for developing

individual intervention and follow-through plans with students and their familiesare provided in a timely manner and are based on the carefully amassed data (e.g.,using response to intervention data; using special identification/screening processesas necessary; using monitoring data to assess need for further referral accesssupport).

(c) Access to direct interventions for health, mental health, and economic assistance is

enhanced through integrated school-based, school-linked, and community-basedprograms and services.

(d) Systems have been developed and are in operation for checking whether referralsand services are adequate and effective (e.g., monitoring/managing/coordinatingindividual interventions, sharing information, follow-up assessments).

(e) Mechanisms have been developed and are in operation for resource coordination

and integration to avoid duplication, fill gaps, garner economies of scale, andenhance effectiveness (e.g., braiding resources from school-based and linkedinterveners, feeder pattern/family of schools, community-based programs; linkingwith community providers to fill gaps).

(f) Mechanisms have been developed and are in operation to enhance stakeholder

awareness of programs and services.

(g) Capacity building is provided for all stakeholders involved in enhancing studentand family assistance systems, programs, and services, with an emphasis onpersonalized and differentiated professional development keyed to stakeholderdiversity and special needs and mandates.

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Area: Reworking Operational Infrastructure

Standard 2. Establishment of an integrated operational infrastructure for theongoing planning and development of the learning supports component.

Developing and institutionalizing a unified and comprehensive system oflearning supports requires mechanisms within a school, among families ofschools, at the district level, and between school and community. Allmechanisms must be integrated with each other and fully integrated into schoolimprovement efforts and school-community collaborations. The need at alllevels is to rework operational infrastructure in ways that support efforts toaddress barriers to learning in a cohesive manner and to integrate the work withinstruction and with the management/ governance mechanisms. This requiresdedicated administrative and staff leadership (with such leadership fullyinvolved in governance, planning and implementation). Ongoing developmentand implementation requires work groups focused on school improvement andintervention development functions such as mapping, analysis, and prioritysetting for resource allocation and integration, system and programdevelopment, communication and information management, capacity building,and quality improvement and accountability.

Quality Indicators for Standard 2:

(a) The school leadership has an operational infrastructure design that fully integratesadministrative and staff leadership for a Learning Supports Component into itsoperational infrastructure and has delineated a plan for the component’s systemicimplementation and ongoing development.

(b) There is a designated administrative leader for a Learning Supports Component,and this individual meets regularly with the school’s governance and advisorybodies and staff to represent the component’s concerns in all planning and decisionmaking and interfaces with the learning supports leadership at other local schoolsand at the district level.

(1) This leader’s job description delineates specific roles, functions, andaccountabilities related to systemic planning, capacity building,implementation, evaluation, and sustainability of the component.

(2) This administrative leader is expected to allocate a significant percent of timeeach day to pursuing functions relevant to the component..

(c) In addition to an administrative leader, a resource-oriented leadership team (e.g., aLearning Supports Leadership Team) for the component is functioning effectivelyas part of the school's infrastructure.

(1) This team is responsible for ensuring the vision for the component is not lostand guides the component’s (a) capacity building agenda, (b) development,

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implementation, and evaluation, and (c) full integration with the instructionaland governance/management components.

(2) The team consists the administrative leader and staff leaders of majorinitiatives, projects, programs, and services addressing barriers to learning. Italso includes representatives of community resources involved at the school andfamily members.

(3) The team is a mechanism to ensure appropriate overall use of existing resources(including braiding together available school and community resources). It alsoworks to enhance the pool of resources. To these ends, the team focuses on howall resources for learning and student supports are used at the school withparticular emphasis on increasing cohesive and systemic intervention efforts.

(4) The team establishes and monitors standing and ad hoc work groups as needed

to ensure appropriate development and implementation of a unified andcomprehensive system of learning supports.

(d) Work groups are formed as needed to address specific concerns (e.g., mappingresources, planning for capacity building and social marketing, addressingproblems related to case-oriented systems), develop new programs (e.g.,welcoming and social support strategies for newcomers to the school), implementspecial initiatives (e.g., positive behavior support), and so forth.

(1) Work groups usually are facilitated by a member of a Learning SupportsLeadership Team who recruits a small group of others from the school andcommunity who are willing and able to help.

(2) Ad hoc work groups take on tasks that can be done over a relatively short timeperiod, and the group disbands once the work is accomplished. Standing workgroups focus on defined program areas, pursue current priorities for enhancingintervention in a given arena, and carry out case-oriented functions. Forexample, standing work groups might be established for the six content arenasof the component and for processing referrals for student study and specialeducation and individual education program planning.

(3) The group facilitator provides regular updates to the resource team on workgroup progress and brings back feedback from the team.

(e) The component and its various operational mechanisms are fully integrated into theschool infrastructure.

(1) There are organizational and operational links within the various groupsinvolved in planning, implementing, capacity building, evaluating, enhancingquality, and sustaining learning supports.

(2) There are links connecting the component with the instructional andgovernance/management components and with general mechanisms at theschool for communication, information management, and problem solving withstudents, staff, families, and the community.

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(3) Routine procedures are in place to ensure all activities are implemented in amanner that coordinates and integrates them with each other.

(f) The school’s computerized information management system, email, website,voicemail and other advanced technology are used to facilitate effective andefficient communication and social marketing of the component and to enhance thegeneral functioning and integration of all infrastructure mechanisms.

(g) A multi-site learning supports resource-oriented leadership mechanism for a“family” of schools (e.g., a Learning Supports Leadership Council) brings togetherrepresentatives from each participating school's leadership team for learningsupports. (A family of schools are those in the same geographic or catchment areathat have shared concerns and among whom some programs and personnel alreadyare or can be shared in strategic ways. An especially important group of schools arethose in an elementary, middle, and high school feeder pattern where it is commonfor a school at each level to interact with students from the same families.)

(1) The multi-site mechanism is effectively ensuring cohesive and equitabledeployment of resources, improving connections with neighborhood resources,and enhancing the pooling of resources.

(2) The multi-site mechanism is reducing individual school costs by minimizingredundancy and pursuing strategies to achieve economies of scale.

(h) The multi-site learning supports leadership mechanism is connected to local school-community collaborative mechanisms.

(i) Capacity building is provided for all involved in this facet of the work, with an

emphasis on personalized and differentiated professional development keyed tostakeholder diversity and special needs and mandates.

.

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Area: Enhancing Resource Use

Standard 3. Appropriate resource use and allocation for developing,maintaining, and evolving the component.

Use of resources is based on up-to-date gap and outcome analyses and establishedpriorities for improving the component. Resource allocation involves (re)deploymentof available funds to achieve priorities. Cost-efficiencies are achieved throughcommon purpose collaborations that integrate systems and weave together learningand student support resources within a school, among families of schools, fromcentralized district assets, and from various community entities.

Quality Indicators for Standard 3:

(a) All resources used for learning and student supports are coalesced. The budget forthe component weaves together separate school and community funding streams asmuch as feasible.

(b) The total school budget is allocated equitably in keeping with the timetable forachieving the component’s standards.

(c) The resources allocated for learning supports are mapped and analyzed and themapping and analysis are routinely updated and communicated to decision makerand other concerned stakeholders.

(d) Priorities are established for improving the Component.

(e) Each year, all school resources for learning supports are allocated and redeployedbased on priorities and analyses of effectiveness and cost efficiencies.

(f) Allocations are regularly audited to ensure cost-effectiveness and efficiency.

(g) Centralized district assets are used to facilitate the school’s and the family ofschools’ efforts to develop appropriate collaborative arrangements among schoolsand with community entities to improve braiding and use of resources to fill gaps,enhance effective use of learning supports, and achieve economies of scale.

(1) Collaborative arrangements are in place for each family of schools.

(2) Collaborative arrangements are in place with all appropriate community entities.

(h) Collaborative arrangements are enhancing efforts to weave and use resources to fillgaps, enhanced effectiveness of learning supports, and economies of scale.

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Area: Continuous Capacity Building

Standard 4. Capacity building for developing, maintaining, and evolving thecomponent.

Capacity building involves enhancing ongoing component and stakeholderdevelopment and performance. The work requires allocation of resources to provideeffective and efficient mechanisms and personnel to carry out a myriad of capacitybuilding functions. Professional development requires a personalized anddifferentiated approach designed to address role responsibilities and relatedaccountability and differences in motivation and level of professional development.

Quality Indicators for Standard 4:

(a) A comprehensive strategic plan has been developed for component capacitybuilding, based on gap analyses and designed to enhance a sense of community andshared ownership.

(b) Appropriate mechanisms are in place, with specified leadership and sufficientstaffing to implement the component’s capacity building plan.

(c) All who are responsible for component capacity building have an appropriatebackground of education and experience (or access to such expertise), including afocus not only on understanding the nature and scope of a unified andcomprehensive system of learning supports, but also capability to plan andimplement systemic change, organizational development and collaboration.Centralized district assets are used to provide them with ongoing personalized anddifferentiated professional development.

(d) Sufficient support is provided and procedures are implemented for all facets ofcapacity building (e.g., infrastructure development and integration; embedding alllearning supports into a unified, comprehensive, systemic component; redefiningand reframing component leader and line staff roles and functions; developingcapability for carrying out new functions; development of diverse stakeholders).

(1) Centralized district assets are allocated in ways that directly aid capacitybuilding and effective implementation of the component at the school site andfor the family of schools (e.g., feeder pattern).

(2) Ongoing personalized professional development is provided for all personnelinvolved in any aspect of the component and developed and implemented inways that are consistent with the district's Professional Development Standardsand the school’s priorities for enhancing the component’s capabilities.

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(3) Time is scheduled for staff to do essential planning for enhancing thecomponent.

(4) Sufficient space, equipment, and supplies are allocated for the component’swork; these are regularly monitored and improvements are made as needed(e.g., facilities used by the component are clean and in good repair, conflicts inscheduling are minimal).

(5) Aggregated and disaggregated data are used in planning capacity building.

(e) Staff recruitment and hiring for the component is designed to employ the mostcompetent personnel available with respect to ensuring the component iseffectively developed, maintained, and evolved.

(f) The induction of new learning supports staff includes welcoming and providingorientation, transition supports, and job mentoring.

(g) Component staff are involved in capacity building for teacher's to improveclassroom and school-wide approaches for dealing effectively with enrollment andattendance hurdles and with mild-to-moderate behavior, learning, and emotionalproblems. They also are involved in capacity building for paraprofessionals, aides,out of classroom school staff, and volunteers working in classrooms or with specialschool projects and services.

(h) Systematic outreach and social marketing are conducted to communicate andconnect with all families as Component stakeholders and a wide range of othercommunity stakeholders (not just service providers).

(i) Extramural funds are sought that can help with systemic component development,and special grants that might pull attention away from ongoing systemicdevelopment are not pursued.

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Area: Continuous Evaluation and Appropriate Accountability

Standard 5. Formative and summative evaluation and accountability are fullyintegrated into all planning and implementation of the component.

Formative evaluation provides essential data related to progress in improvingcomponent processes and achieving benchmarks and outcomes. In the initialphase of component development, formative evaluation focuses heavily onfeedback and benchmarks related to specific developmental tasks, functioningof processes, and immediate outcomes. Formative evaluation is pursued as anongoing process with an increasing focus on intermediate and then long-rangeoutcomes. Summative data on intermediate outcomes are gathered as soon asthe component is operating as an integrated system. Summative data on long-range outcomes are gathered after the component has operated as an integratedsystem for two years. Accountability indicators should fit each phase ofcomponent development. This means the primary focus is on developmentalbenchmarks in the early phases. When the accountability focus is on studentimpact, the primary emphasis is on the direct enabling outcomes for studentsthat each arena of the component is designed to accomplish. As theseaccountability indicators show solid impact, they can be correlated withacademic progress to estimate their contribution to academic achievement.

Quality Indicators for Standard 5:

(a) Centralized district assets are allocated to support essential component evaluativeand accountability activity.

(b) Regular procedures are in place to review the progress with respect to the overalldevelopment of the component and its specific arenas of intervention, as well asassessing the fidelity of implementation and initial impact.

(c) Formative information is used to enhance progress in developing the component.

(d) Procedures are in routine use for gathering and reviewing information on the needfor specific types of learning supports and for establishing priorities fordeveloping/implementing appropriate interventions. Special attention is paid to theeffectiveness of interventions for identifying and addressing enrollment andattendance hurdles and classroom and school-wide learning and behavior problemsthat are preventable, responding as soon as a problem is manifested for those thatare not prevented, and re-engaging students in classroom learning who havebecome disengaged (including dropouts).

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(e) Procedures are in routine use for gathering and reviewing data on how well thecomponent is meeting its objectives and goals; such data are used to informdecisions about capacity building, including infrastructure changes and personneldevelopment.

(f) Accountability indicators are appropriate defined for the current phase ofcomponent development.

(g) Primary accountability for component outcomes is focused on the progress ofstudents with respect to the direct enabling outcomes. These are outcomes thecomponent is specifically designed to accomplish. This involves multiple measuresof effectiveness in addressing hurdles and barriers (e.g., indicators of: increasedattendance; reduced tardies; reduced misbehavior; less bullying and sexualharassment; fewer school adjustment problems after transitions; increased familyinvolvement with child and schooling; fewer inappropriate referrals for specializedassistance; fewer inappropriate referrals for special education; fewer pregnancies;fewer suspensions; fewer dropouts; enhanced access to school and communitysupports; enhanced effectiveness related to response and prevention of crises andtrauma; reduced student and staff mobility).

(h) When the component is well-established, accountability expands to include a focuson how well the direct enabling outcomes correlate with enhanced academicachievement.

(i) All data are disaggregated to clarify impact as related to critical subgroup

differences (e.g., pervasiveness, severity, and chronicity of identified problems).

(j) All data are reviewed for making decisions about enhancement and renewal.

Developing a System to Address Barriers & Re-engage Students in Classroom Instruction

Four Fundamental and Interrelated Concerns

Framing Interventions toAddress Barriers to Learning

and Teaching into a Comprehensive System

of Interventions Policy

Revision Rethinking Organizationaland OperationalInfrastructure

Developing Systemic Change Mechanisms for Effective Implementation, Sustainability, and Replication to Scale

Additionally, because of the overemphasis on using extrinsic reinforcers in allaspects of efforts to improve schools, we find it essential to re-introduce a focuson intrinsic motivation.