ERIC ED574683: Addressing Barriers to Learning and Teaching to Enhance Equity of Opportunity. Report from the National Summit on ESSA and Learning Supports

0.17 MB·English

by  ERIC

Report from the National Summit on
ESSA and Learning Supports: Addressing Barriers to Learning
and Teaching to Enhance Equity of Opportunity
(held on January 23rd, 2017 at UCLA)
Why do you think we’ll do Because I heard that Congress passed a law
better at school this year? that says every student will succeed!
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*Convened as part of the National Initiative to Transform Student and Learning Supports. See
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/newinitiative.html

This report was prepared by the national Center for Mental Health in Schools in the Dept. of
Psychology at UCLA. The center is co-directed by Howard Adelman and Linda Taylor.
Website: http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu Send comments to [email protected]
Feel free to share this with concerned stakeholders
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Equity of opportunity is fundamental to enabling civil rights;
transforming student and learning supports is fundamental to
enabling equity of opportunity, promoting whole child development,
and enhancing school climate.
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Contents
Introduction
Summit Day
Next Steps
Appendices
A. Handouts from Introductory Presentation
B. Links to Resources Distributed at the Summit
C. Resources Answering Questions & Requests the Summit
D. List of Respondents to Summit Invitation
Introduction
Student and learning supports have long been marginalized in school improvement policy
and practice. As a result, such supports are developed in an ad hoc and piecemeal manner.
Implementation is fragmented and at times redundant. Those involved often are
counterproductively competitive, especially when funding is sparse (and when isn’t it?).
All this needs to change. Yet, most of the widely circulated reports about improving schools
pay little or no attention to the role of school student and learning support staff.
A major aim of the National Initiative to Transform Student and Learning Supports is to make
the marginalization a major issue and end it. This involves continuous efforts to mobilize
direct action focused on (a) elevating school improvement policy discussion about ending
the marginalization of student and learning supports and (b) moving toward transformation
of such supports. [For more on the national initiative, see
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/newinitiative.html ]
Passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides opportunities to improve how
schools address barriers to learning and teaching and re-engage disconnected students and
families. Of particular relevance to these concerns, ESSA replaces what has been described
as a maze of programs with a “Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant” that
provides states and districts with flexibility in how students and families are assisted.
Unfortunately, however, the legislation continues the piecemeal approach to providing student
and learning supports. [See the analysis of ESSA’s Focus on Addressing Barriers to Learning
and Teaching – http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/essaanalyses.pdf .]
As states and districts pursue higher curriculum standards and transition to more local control,
the challenge is to move forward with an agenda to transform student and learning supports.
As stressed at the summit, this is a critical time for focusing stakeholder attention on this
essential facet of school improvement. As also stressed, it is important to underscore that the
necessary systemic changes can be accomplished by redeploying existing resources and
garnering economies of scale.
The Summit’s focus was on the solid and substantial groundwork that has been laid for moving
forward. To date, pioneering state and district initiatives are unfolding across the country –
implementing learning supports as a third component of school improvement policy; see

>Trailblazing Initiatives -- http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/newsletter/summer14.pdf
These initiatives are using frameworks, prototypes, and resources developed by the Center at
UCLA. And they are drawing on the Center and other sources for coaching and technical
assistance.
The Summit highlighted work accomplished to date, focused on next steps for moving
forward, and shared resources to draw on in transforming student and learning supports. This
report summarizes the event, suggests some next steps, and provides information and direct
links to online resources.
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Summit Day
The National Summit was designed as a major kick off for moving forward in 2017.

75 leaders from 20 states and D.C. accepted the invitation and represented state education
departments, county and regional offices, districts (large/small, urban/rural), schools, the U.S.
Department of Education, and other institutions (see list in Appendix D.)
Prior to the summit, a special edition of the UCLA Center’s quarterly e-journal was prepared
as a resource for anyone concerned with improving how schools address barriers to teaching
and learning. The topics covered in the article are:
>Concerns about ESSA Planning Related to Addressing Barriers to Learning
>The Need to Transform Student and Learning Supports
>Delineating the Nature and Scope of a Unified, Comprehensive, andEquitable
System of Learning Supports
>Personalization and Special Assistance: An Intervention Sequence and Hierarchy
(see http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/newsletter/Winter17.pdf )

The agenda for the day is online at http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/summitagenda.pdf.
In brief, the theme for the day emphasized that planning for the Every Student Succeeds Act
(ESSA) provides a renewed opportunity for innovation in revisiting school improvement
policy and practice. There was considerable interest in using the opportunity to move
forward with unifying and then developing a comprehensive and equitable system for
addressing barriers to learning and teaching.
In addition to group discussions, presentations at the summit stressed:
>Re-envisioning How to Address Barriers to Learning and Teaching at Schools
>Expanding School Improvement Policy to Make it Happen
>State Adaptation and Scale-up in Alabama
>A Georgia District’s Implementation Experiences
>A Federal Perspective on ESSA and Learning Supports
>About Funding Stream Integration
>About the Necessity of Implementing Essential Elements to Ensure Substantive and
Sustainable Transformative Changes

There also was a three district panel discussing lessons learned during early
implementation.

The day ended with a discussion of Next Steps for Supporting Those Moving
Forward. The next section of this report highlight examples of such next steps.
Re. Next Steps, it was exciting that so many participants
indicated that they wanted access to additional resources about
transforming how schools address barriers to learning and
teaching and asked to be contacted to engage in further
discussion to aid in moving forward.
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2017 – Next Steps
Based on input from the National Summit and from sources around the country, it is clear that a
significant number of folks are ready to begin working toward transforming student and learning
supports. In doing so, there are immediate opportunities related to influencing ESSA state planning.
Beyond ESSA, opportunities exist with respect to all school improvement planning efforts.
WITH RESPECT TO ESSA PLANNING -- the focus needs to be on the section entitled:
"Supporting all Students." Possible steps for strengthening this section are:

1) Share basic information about desired systemic changes with stakeholders to expand
the discussion around ESSA planning. One easy way to do this is to forward them a
copy of the pre-summit article: Every Student Succeeds Act: Planning is an
Immediate Task, But . . . Addressing Barriers to Learning is the Pressing Imperative -
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/newsletter/Winter17.pdf
Alternatively, just let us know who you want to inform, and we'll take care of it.
(Send names and emails to [email protected] .)

2) Provide direct stakeholder input about expanding how ESSA focuses on Supporting
All Students (e.g., Section 5.A. "Well Rounded Education and Support for
Students"). For example, to ensure a deeper and direct focus on addressing barriers to
learning and teaching and re engaging disconnected students, suggest adopting a three
component framework for school improvement. And, in a state's consolidated ESSA
plan, suggest splitting "Section 5.A. Well Rounded Education and Support for
Students" in two as follows:
5.A.1 Well Rounded Education
5.A.2 Support for Students
See example in Improving ESSA Planning for Student and Learning Supports -
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/improveessa.pdf

3) Suggest framing "Support for Students" in terms of a unified, comprehensive, and
equitable intervention system. Frame the section on Support for Students in terms of a
unified, comprehensive, and equitable intervention system. For example, expand the
focus on the multitier student support (MTSS) model to move beyond the simple
focus on levels to a framework that emphasizes

• subsystems of school community interventions
• a systematic organization of intervention content that directly reflects what schools
need to do each day to address barriers to learning and teaching and re-engage
disconnected students (and staff).

This also is illustrated in Improving ESSA Planning for Student and Learning Supports -
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/improveessa.pdf

4) Suggest expanding the discussion of Title II to include a focus on enhancing
transformative school leadership that can drive innovation related to student and
learning supports. For example, stress

• transforming student and learning supports in all teacher, principal, and other leader
personnel development planning
• developing student and learning support staff as leaders for transforming student and
learning supports.

With Title II in mind, see:
>What Do 'Teachers, Administrators, and Other School Leaders¨ Need to Learn
about Transforming Student and Learning Supports?
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/teachers2.pdf

Note: States can work to improve school leadership by: (a) devoting a significant
portion of its state activities funds; and (b) considering its flexibility to reserve an
additional three percent of Title II, Part A district subgrants for state activities to
improve school leadership.
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WITH RESPECT TO SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANNING IN GENERAL, the Center
has a variety of resources online. Start by reviewing the System Change Toolkit -
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/summit2002/resourceaids.htm
See for example the step-by-step guides –
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/summit2002/resourceaids.htm
Or just contact us for free consultation and TA (see information below).

About Free Distance Technical Assistance and Coaching from the Center
We want to help! Transforming student and learning supports is challenging (especially with
everything else that has to be done on most days). To aid the efforts of those moving
forward to develop a unified, comprehensive, and equitable system of learning supports, the
Center offers free mentoring, coaching, and technical assistance primarily by email and
phone. Those making such systemic changes have found it particularly helpful when we
work with them in preparing a design document and strategic plan for the work in ways that
integrate the transformation into district and school strategic plans and implementation.
Interested? CONTACT: [email protected]
Note: Various vendors are offering coaching. While these can be helpful (if they can be
afforded), working directly with the Center, at least at the start, can ensure that the
frameworks and essential system elements are understood and systemic changes are
designed in ways that ensure substantive transformation, scalability, and sustainability.
Let us hear your views about direct action to end the marginalization and transform student and
learning supports. Also, let us know if you are ready to move forward to develop a Learning Supports
Component to better address barriers to learning and teaching and re-engage disconnected
students.
Send to [email protected] or to [email protected]
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There is a tendency in efforts to improve schools to call for simple solutions to
complex matters and focus on seeking low-hanging fruit. It will take more than an
elevator speech and another round of tinkering to save public education. We think
Mencken was right when he said: For every complex problem there is an answer
that is clear, simple, and wrong.
Transforming how schools address barriers to learning and teaching and re-engage
disconnected students is not a simple process. As the discussion at the summit
underscored there are complex challenges ahead. But they are doable with
perseverence and good will. And they must be done if we are to enhance equity of
opportunity and not simply assert an empty promise to have every child succeed.
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Appendices
A. Handouts from the Day’s Introductory Presentation
B. Links to Resources Distributed at the Summit
C. Resources Answering Questions & Requests the Summit
D. List of Respondents to Summit Invitation
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Appendix A
ESSA and Learning Supports:
Addressing Barriers to Learning and Teaching
to Enhance Equity of Opportunity
Handout for the Introductory Presentation
I. Background and Introduction to the Imperative for Major Changes
II. The ESSA Planning Challenge

III. Re-envisioning How to Address Barriers to Learning
and Teaching at Schools
IV. Expanding School Improvement Policy to Make it Happen
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I. Background & Intro
A. About the research and development over the years.
B. What we all know
>Lot’s of kids are having trouble at school.

>There are many factors causing this.
And as a Carnegie Task Force on Education stressed, we all know that
While school systems are not responsible for
meeting every need of their students,
when the need directly affects learning,
the school must meet the challenge.
But we also all know schools and teachers can’t do this alone.
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