REBUILDING FOR LEARNING:
Addressing Barriers to Learning and Teaching
and Re-engaging Students

INITIATIVE IMPLEMENTATION

As part of the Rebuilding for Learning initiative, leaders of national, state, and large district education agencies and organizations will be provided with professional development and technical assistance resources to help them substantively rethink and comprehensively restructure how they address barriers to learning and teaching. Those who choose to move forward with systemic changes for addressing barriers to learning and teaching. will be provided ongoing learning opportunities to guide planning and implementation.

The intent is to enhance school improvement capacity building by offering information, guidance and support through the auspices of Scholastic and the UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools.

This includes

  • In person professional input and interchange (e.g. Rebuilding for Learning Institute and on-site technical assistance)
  • Online professional development and guidance (e.g. continuing education and online technical assistance)
  • Print and online supplemental resources

Rebuilding for Learning Institute – orients school leaders to the need for student learning supports, the full continuum of essential school-community interventions, and the core principles and tenets of comprehensive learning support systems. District or state leadership teams leave the Institute with an emerging "blueprint" that enables them to more deeply investigate student learning supports and the feasibility for instituting change in their districts or states.

Rebuilding for Learning Online Institute – available to Institute participants, this resource allows users to probe deeper with theory and practice content. The online resources are especially designed as aids for moving forward.

Technical Assistance – Institute participants pursuing implementation of comprehensive learning support systems have access to the initiative's team of specialists who are available to provide strategic guidance as districts move from planning to implementation.

Rebuilding for Learning Core Materials – provide administrators with information on student learning supports policies and practices. Core materials include the Rebuilding for Learning Institute Handbook. The handbook is provided to all in person institute participants.

Initial Work is Underway

Louisiana

In the summer 2009, the initiative began working with Louisiana's state department of education. The initial focus was on developing a pioneering prototype design for schools to adapt as they move forward in developing a comprehensive system for addressing barriers to learning and teaching and re-engaging disconnected students. See the Louisiana State Department of Education just released Design Document online at http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/summit2002/ladesigndocument.pdf

Also, view state Superintendent Pastorek's statement about Louisiana's Comprehensive Learning Supports System – on Teachertube at http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=139807&title=Louisiana___s_Comprehensive_Learning_Supports_System

The initiative currently is working with the state department on their strategic and action plans for rolling out the work and taking it to scale.


American Association of School Administrators (AASA)

In the fall 2009, a collaboration was established with AASA which is designed to stimulate a range of opportunities focused on developing a comprehensive approach to addressing barriers to learning and teaching and re-engaging disconnected students. Here is an update: In response to an AASA Request for Application, districts submitted proposals to become Lead Districts and a collaborative for developing a comprehensive system of learning supports throughout their districts and demonstrations for other districts. Four Lead Districts have been chosen and will be guided in their work by the Center's co-directors. The districts are
  • Jefferson County Public Schools (KY)
  • Indian River County (FL)
  • Gainesville City Schools (GA)
  • Sabine Parish Schools (LA)
On December 3-4, 2009, teams from this Lead District Learning Supports Collaborative will convene in Savannah, GA.

On October 29, 2009, AASA, Scholastic and UCLA hosted a webinar entitled: Strengthening School Improvement by Developing a Comprehensive System of Learning Supports to Address Barriers to Learning and Teaching. The Center's co-directors explored why a system of learning supports is imperative for schools to succeed, and what forward thinking states and districts are doing to implement such systems. The powerpoint from the webinar is online at http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/powerpoint/Webinar(10-29-09).ppt

The recorded webinar can be accessed at https://scholastic.webex.com/scholastic/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=TC&rID=48915112&rKey=09f14db0881f5159&act=pb

At the February AASA National Conference on Education in Phoenix a special thought leader's session and related workshop on Rethinking Student Supports as Key to Rebuilding for Learning will be offered on Wednesday, February 10, 2009.


Council for Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)

Discussions are ongoing with CCSSO with respect to their Next Generation Learning initiative which includes a specific emphasis on Just-in-time Assessment and Powerful Systems of Intervention to Address Barriers to Learning

For a printer friendly flyer about the initiative to share with others, click here.

About
the Inititative
Introduction
to Inititative
Information on
Initiative
Implementation
Handbook
Contents
Toolkit &
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