UCLA

Next:

An overview of

operational infrastructure considerations

II. What is a System of Learning Supports? (cont.)

B. Reworking Infrastructure

• Levels of Infrastructure Development• Key Mechanisms for a Component• What the infrastructure looks like at most schools• Prototype for an integrated infrastructure at a school • Connecting a Family of Schools (e.g., feeder pattern)• Prototype for a School District Infrastructure• About Developing a Learning Supports Leadership Team• About Effective School-community Infrastructure

3

UCLA

Developing a Comprehensive System of Learning Supports (an Enabling Component) involves reworking the organizational and operational infrastructure for

>schools

>feeder patterns

>districts (and departments of education)

>school-community collaboratives

>state departments and USDOE

In reworking infrastructure, it is essential to remember

Structure Follows Function!

UCLA

Key Mechanisms for a Component

• Administrative Leader

• Staff Lead for Component

• Leadership Team & Workgroups

6

What the student support infrastructure looks like at most schools

Instructional Component

Leadership

for instruction

Management/Governance

Component

(Various teams and Work groups focused on

Improving instruction)

SchoolImprovement

Team

Management/GovernanceLeadership

(Various teams and Work groups focused on

management & governance)

Moderate-Severe problems

Disabilityconcerns

Case-Oriented

Mechanisms

7

Example of an Integrated Infrastructure at the School Level

Instructional Component

Leadership

for

Instruction

Management/Governance ComponentManagement/

GovernanceLeadership

SchoolImprovement

Team

Learning Supports or Enabling Component

Leadership for Student &

Learning Supports

Leadership

Team to develop

Component

Work GroupsFocused on

SystemDevelopment

Work GroupsFocused onIndividual Students

(Leadership Team & Work Groups)

(Leadership Team & Work Groups)

Moderate-Severe problems

Disabilityconcerns

UCLA

Leadership Beyond the School for Enhancing a System of Learning Supports

For a family of schools (e.g., feeder pattern)

• 1-2 representatives from each School-Based Leadership Team

• Facilitator for a Multi-site Resource Council

At the district Level

• 1-2 representatives from each Multi-site Resource Council

• High Level District Administrator

• School Board Subcommittee Chair

(Comparable leadership at county, state, and federal levels)

9

Enhancing a System of Learning Supports:Connecting Resources Across a Family of Schools,

a District, and Community-Wide

HighSchools

MiddleSchools

ElementarySchools

LearningSupports

LeadershipTeam

LearningSupportsLeadershi

pTeam

LearningSupports

LeadershipTeam

LearningSupportsLeadershipTeam

LearningSupportsLeadershi

pTeam

LearningSupportsLeadershi

pTeam

Learning Supports

Council

School DistrictResources, Management,

& Governing Bodies

LearningSupports

LeadershipTeam

LearningSupports

LeadershipTeam

LearningSupports

LeadershipTeam

LearningSupports

LeadershipTeam

LearningSupports

LeadershipTeam

LearningSupports

LeadershipTeam

Learning Supports

Council

Community Resources,Management, & Governing Bodies

10

Prototype for an Integrated Infrastructure at the District Level with Mechanisms for Learning Supports That Are Comparable to Those for Instruction

Leads, Leadership Team, and Work Groups

Focused on Governance/Management

Leads for Content Arenas

Work Groups for

Component Development

Instructional Component Leadership Team (e.g., component leader and

leads for all content areas)

Schools Improvement

Planning Team

Superintendent’s Cabinet

SuperintendentSubcommittees

Leads for Content Arenas

Work Groups for

Component Development

Learning Supports Leadership Team (e.g.,

component leader and leads for all six content arenas)

Board of Education

Leader for Instructional Component

(e.g., Assoc. Sup.)

Leader for Learning Supports

Component(e.g., Assoc. Sup.)

Leader for Management/ Governance Component (e.g., Assoc. Sup.)

UCLA

About the Leadership Team & Work Groups

for Developing thea

Learning Supports Component

UCLA

First Step: Document Who’s at a School?

Often, schools have not generated a “map” of the staff who are trying to address barriers to learning and teaching.

(1) Adapt the following list to fit a specific school

and then fill in names, what they do, and when.

(2) Share the final version with teachers, parents,

and other concerned stakeholders.

The staff listed are all potentially invaluable members of a school’s Leadership Team for Developing the Learning Supports Component

UCLA

Learning Supports Staff at a School*

>Administrative Leader for Learning Supports

>School Psychologist

>School Nurse

>Pupil Services & Attendance Counselor >Social Worker

>Counselors

>Dropout Prevention Program Coordinator

>Title I and Bilingual Coordinators >Resource and Special Education Teachers

Other important resources:

>School-based Crisis Team Members

>School Improvement Program Planners

>Community Resources

*Such a list should include a brief

description of programs and services and times available

14

Learning Supports Component Leadership Team

What you also need is a Leadership Team to Developa Unified & Comprehensive System of Learning Supports

What you probably have is a Team Focused on Specific Individuals &

Discrete Services

Sometimes called:

Child/Student Study Team

Student Success Team

Student Assistance Team

Teacher Assistance Team

IEP Team

Possibly called:

Learning Supports Resource Team

Learning Supports Component Leadership Team

Learning Supports Component Development Team

15

EXAMPLES OF FUNCTIONS

aggregating data across students and

from teachers to analyze school

needs mapping resources analyzing resources enhancing resources program and system

planning/development redeploying resources coordinating-integrating resources social "marketing"

EXAMPLES OF FUNCTIONS

triage referral case monitoring/management case progress review case reassessment

Team Focused on Specific Individuals &

Discrete Services

Core Team for Developing a Unified & Comprehensive System of Learning Supports

UCLA

Can you definecollaboration for me? \ \ \

Sure! Collaboration is an unnatural act between nonconsenting adults. /

About Developing an Effective School- Community Collaboration

UCLA

About Developing an Effective School-Community Collaborative

• Too often, what is described as a collaborative

amounts to little more than a monthly orquarterly meeting of a small and not

veryempowered group of stakeholders.

• The meeting involves sharing, discussion

of ideas, and expression of frustrations. Then,

everyone leaves and little is done between

meetings.

UCLA

• Collaboration is not about meeting. It is about

pursuing specific functions and accomplishing essential tasks.

• For a school-community collaborative to be

meaningful, it must be organized with fullunderstanding of where schools fit instrengthening the community and where

the community fits in strengthening the

school.

• And, the collaborative must establish aneffective infrastructure (remembering

thatstructure follows function).

UCLA

About the Functions of a School-Community Collaborative

> aggregating data from schools and neighborhood to analyze system needs

> mapping resources (not just services)

> analyzing resources

> program & system planning/development

> redeploying resources

> enhancing resource use and seeking additional resources

> coordinating-integrating resources

> social “marketing”

UCLA

About Collaborative Infrastructure

Basic Elements

Who should be at the table? steering group >families >schools >communities

collab.

ad hoc work groups

Connect Collaboratives at All Levels

body dy

UCLA

Expanded Elements

steering group

standing work group for pursuing operationaldaily functions/tasks

collab. body

ad hoc work groupsstanding work groups for pursuing processfor pursuing programmatic functions/tasksfunctions/tasks

UCLA

To Recap:

• Operational infrastructure at all levels needs to be reworked to

effectively plan, develop, and implement a comprehensive system

of learning supports

• Current school improvement guidelines provide opportunities to expand planning to focus on development of a comprehensive

system of learning supports

• Planning means little if there is no dedicated leadership and workgroup mechanisms to carry out the work on a regular basis