Where's It Happening? Examples of New Directions for Student Support & Lessons Learned

This document describes major examples of trailblazing and pioneering efforts that are playing a role in designing new directions for student support. The work is being carried out at school, district, & state levels. We provide examples of broad-based systemic designs and initiatives, and examples and lessons learned from some specific innovations reported in recent years. Other examples will be added as soon as they are identified and revelant descriptive materials are gathered. To download the report, click here. To view materials from the sites included, select the relevant link below. To order a hard copy version of the report, contact the Center. IOWA: A particularly important document exemplifying New Directions thinking is seen in the recent design for a system of learning supports developed by the State Department of Education in Iowa entitled: "Developing Our Youth: Fulfilling a Promise, Investing in Iowa's Future - Enhancing Iowa's Systems of Supports for Learning and Development." Click here to download a Brief Summary of the document. Click on “Iowa” below for the full document. Click here to go to the Learning Supports section of the Iowa Collaboration for Youth Development. Click here to see excerpts from the Executive Summary of an American Institutes for Research (AIR) evaluation that gathered data related to Iowa’s first implementation steps.

Compendium of Initiative Materials After reading the overview about a particular place (see above report), take a look at the related materials provided by each. Examples of Broad-based Systematic Designs and Initiatives Urban Learning Center Design (a comprehensive school reform model included as part of a federal initiative) Hawai'i (at state, district, school levels) Iowa (state department of education initiative) Iowa Design for a “System of Learning Supports” Implementing Learning Supports: An Action Framework Ohio (state department of education) A Comprehensive System of Learning Supports Guidelines Berkeley, CA (at district and school levels) Universal Learning Supports System (Board Policy-5030 & District Guidelines) - February, 2008 Documents previously prepared by the Berkeley Integrated Resources Initiative (January 2007) Harrisburg, PA (at district and school levels) Madison, WI (at district and school levels) St. Paul, MN (at district and school levels) California Proposed legislation for a comprehensive pupil learning supports system Prevention and Early Intervention School Initiative, Mental Health Services Act Multnomah, OR (at district and school levels) New York (state department of education) Making a Case for Supportive Learning Environments (Supportive Learning Environment standards) Also See: Toward Safe and Supportive Learning Environments Minnesota (Department of Education) Learning Support Topics

Examples of Places Where Specific Innovations Have Been Reported in Recent Years California (at the state level) Washington (at the state level) Los Angeles, CA (at district and complex levels) Detroit, MI (at district and school levels) Somerset County, MD (at the school level) Richland 2, Columbia, SC (at the district level)

Example of a Formal Proposal for Moving in New Directions (e.g., proposal to a Superintendent, Student Support Director, Principal, Board, etc. about Integrating a Comprehensive Approach for Addressing Barriers to Learning into School Improvement Planning) Click here to download this report which provides a draft of a design proposal that emphasizes integrating a comprehensive approach for addressing barriers to learning into school improvement planning.

Two recent books to aid the New Directions for Student Support Initiative The School Leader’s Guide to Student Learning Supports: New Directions for Addressing Barriers to Learning The Implementation Guide to Student Learning Supports: New Directions for Addressing Barriers to Learning

About the National Initiative for New Directions for Student Support