School Mental Health Project

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National Initiative:
New Directions for Student Support
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School improvement policy and practice continues to pay too little attention
to rethinking student and learning supports

Current Status of the Initiative

About the National Initiative:
New Directions for Student Support

In 2002, our Center at UCLA launched the National Initiative: New Directions for Student Support. We began with a national Summit and followed this (in 2003) with several regional Summits to raise awareness and create readiness for change. In 2003 we also began a targeted set of state Summits (these have occurred in 13 states to date). Then, in 2005, we added strategies not only to enhance dissemination but to encourage and support diffusion as we provide indepth follow up for those places indicating readiness to move forward in developing a comprehensive new directions approach. To date, this work has included providing (1) Leadership Institutes for district teams and (2) onsite capacity building with specific state departments of education and districts. In 2006, encouraged by the growing success of the New Directions initiative, the Center at UCLA established a public-private collaboration with Scholastic, Inc. as part of Scholastic's Community Affairs Rebuilding for Learning initiative. In 2007 and the first addressing barriers to learning and teaching and re-engaging students and (2) developing a special website. In the last part of 2008, we will begin to conduct a series of Leadership Institutes beginning in the Gulf states and also for national and state superintendents/administrators associations, Council of Chief State School Officers, etc. Over 2007 and 2008, we increased our outreach to district superintendents/leaders and began to focus on higher education's role in personnel preparation for educators.

Superintendents Initiative. With respect to district leaders, widespread outreach mailings were sent including a range of brief resources and with follow up materials sent to those who responded. As of August, 2008, the focus on connecting with superintendents will be expanded into a formal Superintendents Initiative. The initiative will be inaugurated with national distribution of a Center report entitled: Transforming School Improvement to Develop a Comprehensive System of Learning Supports: What District Superintendents Say They Need to Move Forward.

Higher Education Initiative. With respect to higher education's role in personnel preparation for educators, July 2008 inaugurated a Higher Education Initiative. This began with a first Leadership Institute for Higher Education Personnel Preparation and with the national distribution of the report entitled: Preparing All Education Personnel to Address Barriers to Learning and Teaching. In addition to policy makers, a key audience for this report is deans, department chairs, and faculty in personnel preparation and leadership programs, district personnel responsible orientation/induction, inservice, and continuing education.

Each year, the Center has continued to produce resources and tools for those ready to move in New Directions for Student Support (e.g., see the online toolkit at https://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/summit2002/resourceaids.htm)

In October, 2008, the Center at UCLA formally announced the public-private collaboration it has formed with Scholastic, Inc.'s Community Affairs Unit which will connect with and enhance the New Directions initiative. (Scholastic has created an initiative called: Rebuilding for Learning.™ It is designed to help state and school district leaders "rebuild" school and district infrastructure. The UCLA Center is collaborating with this initiative to improve learning supports for all children.) For more information on Rebuilding for Learning™, click here

Read more about the initiative by reviewing the linked material below.

Then, if you are interested in learning more about this initative,
please contact: Linda Taylor at: ltaylor@ucla.edu

Download Reports and Documents Related to the National Initiative and Individual State Initiatives

NATIONAL SUMMIT
  • Executive Summary for Summit Report (in pdf format - click here)
  • Full Summit Report (in pdf format - click here)
  • Call to Action: Student Support Staff: Moving in New Directions through School Improvement (in pdf format - click here)

A Related Center Policy & Practice Analysis Report

For other documents related to new directions for student support, see our resources and publications page and also the tool kit and other resource aids indicated below.

NATIONAL INITIATIVE PROGRESS REPORTS

  • Brief Update – Overview of the UCLA Center’s Work with Louisiana Since 2005 - May, 2010 (in pdf format - click here)
  • Brief Update – National Initiative: New Directions for Student Support & Collaboration with Scholastic Inc. on the Rebuilding for Learning Initiative - July, 2009 (in pdf format - click here)
  • Brief Update – National Initiative: New Directions for Student Support - October, 2008 (in pdf format - click here)
  • Brief Update - Superintendents' Initiative: New Directions for Student Support - August, 2008 (in pdf format - click here)
  • Brief Update – Higher Education Initiative Report and Kickoff - July, 2008 (in pdf format - click here)
  • Brief Update - April, 2008 (in pdf format - click here)
  • Brief Update - January, 2008 (in pdf format - click here)
  • Brief Update - January, 2007 (in pdf format - click here)
  • Brief Update - October, 2006 (in pdf format - click here)
  • Brief Update - June, 2006 (in pdf format - click here)
  • Brief Update - February, 2006 (in pdf format - click here)
  • Status of the Initiative as of January, 2006 (in pdf format - click here)
  • Brief Update - December, 2005 (in pdf format - click here)
  • Brief Update - August, 2005 (in pdf format - click here)
  • Brief Update - July 22, 2005 (in pdf format - click here)
  • Brief Progress Report - June 6, 2005 (in pdf format - click here)
  • Brief Progress Report - April 1, 2005 (in pdf format - click here)
  • Status as of December 15, 2004 (in pdf format - click here)

Tool Kit and Other Resource Aids

Where it's Happening?

STATE INITIATIVES

REGIONAL SUMMITS
  • A brief summary and a list of attendees from the Six-States Regional held in Kansas City on September 9, 2003 (in pdf format - click here).
  • A brief summary from the Midwest Regional held in Chicago on May 23, 2003 (in pdf format - click here).
  • A brief summary from the East Coast Regional held in Baltimore on March 10, 2003 (in pdf format - click here).

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School Mental Health Project, UCLA
Center for Mental Health in Schools
WebMaster: Perry Nelson (smhp@ucla.edu)