News Items For The Week

Keep up with the National Initiative for Transforming Student and Learning Supports. For details and for free access to the new work entitled: Transforming Student and Learning Supports: Developing a Unified, Comprehensive, and Equitable System, see http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/newinitiative.html

The Following Recent Articles are Continuing Indicators of the Imperative for Transforming Student and Learning Supports

Pa. district invests $1.2M in social workers -- Students in the School District of Philadelphia will have access to more than 20 new social workers when the school year begins. The $1.2 million initiative is intended to help educators meet students' behavioral needs. The Philadelphia Tribune (8/17) (For another way to go in addressing students' learning, behavior, and emotional problems, see http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/newinitiative.html )

19 states adopt later school start times -- The start of the school day will be later for students this year in 19 states, according to the nonprofit Start School Later. Some research shows that students benefit from more sleep.U.S. News & World Report (8/11)

Sick Kids Can Take a Virtual Trip to the Doctor. Telemedicine — virtual doctor visits over video — is increasingly helping nurses do their jobs. Telemedicine programs are making inroads in schools, where a student referred to the nurse can be plopped in front of a screen and connected with a physician. (STAT News, July 19) )

WV School Board Oks Cap for Special Ed Students in General Ed Classes The West Virginia Board of Education passed policy changes last week that cap the percentage of students receiving specially designed instruction for disabilities that schools can place in general education classrooms. (Charleston Gazette-Mail, 7/16) )

OH Creates Crisis Fund to Help Kids with Behavioral IssuesFor the first time, the state is to create a “crisis stabilization fund” that can be tapped to help so-called multi-system youths — those who are in danger of entering the child-protective or juvenile-justice systems due to their disabilities, mental illnesses and dangerous behavioral problems. (Canton Rep, 7/10) )

Concerns about credit recovery programs. Struggling students in Los Angeles, New York City and elsewhere are using credit-recovery programs to make up for classes they fail and get the credits they need to graduate. Even though the programs have succeeded in boosting graduation rates, some question whether they create lower standards. Los Angeles Times.(7/2)

>County to pay rent so children don't have to change schools. To keep 26 children from being yanked out of their Northeast Portland (OR) elementary school mid-school-year, Multnomah County will spend $48,000 to cover the steep rent increases that threatened to displace them and their families. Rigler Elementary School is in the county's SUN Community Schools program, which provides after-school activities and social services to disadvantaged students. The county-connection made reallocation of funds possible. County officials decided that, through the SUN program, they'd made an investment in Rigler children's success and wanted to support that community. http://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2017/02/county_to_pay_rent_for_26_port.html#incart_river_index

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We draw on a variety of standard sources to amass the above items (e.g., ECS e-clip at http://www.ecs.org/e-clips)