School Mental Health Project
 

Common Core State Standards and
Learning Supports
  

 Success of the common core standards curriculum upgrade will depend on developing and implementing learning supports standards designed to address factors that interfere with learning and teaching and re-engage disconnected students. Such standards are essential to schools establishing a unified and comprehensive system of student and learning supports to enable an equal opportunity for all students to succeed at school.

Given the accelerating policy and professional development attention focused on core standards, it is imperative to move forward now to establish core learning supports standards. The Center has developed documents that clarify the need and offer a draft set of such standards to encourage discussion.*

Integrating learning supports into the common core state standards movement is a
        challenge no school can afford to ignore.

The response to our recent discussions of the need for common core standards for learning supports indicates a press for immediate action. Therefore, we are expanding our new directions initiative to encompass development of Common Core State Standards for Learning Supports.

We believe the timing is right to do so given the growing interest by districts and states in our new directions initiative and the need to have an impact on the ESEA reauthorization next year. The message is clear:

        >Development of common core standards for learning supports is essential to the success
          of initiatives such as the ones focused on Common Core State Standards (for curriculum)
          and Model Core Teaching Standards.

       >Development of such standards is essential to guide development of a unified and
         comprehensive system of learning supports to address barriers to learning and teaching
         and re-engage disconnected students.

        >Development of such a system is essential to educating the whole child and to enhancing
          equity of opportunity for all children and youth to succeed at school and beyond.

At this time, we are involved with a broad range of concerned leaders and organizations who have joined in a process to develop and put forward Common Core State Standards for Learning Supports.

 As you will see in our recent policy notes document (see note at end for links), we have developed a "prototype" to get things started. And, more on the initiaitve and access to the standards prototype and a prototype of quality indicators are available at https://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/comcorannounce.pdf


Note that such a core will (a) allow for coalescing what is common in all student and learning supports and (b) provide a base upon which each professional specialty can establish its unique contribution.

We have embarked on a four step process for reaching consensus on a set of core standards:

    (1) eliciting the participation of a key group of relevant leaders and stakeholder organizations

    (2) using the prototype as a beginning step

    (3) using email to amass modifications (deletions, additions, rewordings, etc.)

    (4) sending out revisions and receiving feedback until there is enough consensus to move forward with advocacy

Please email us your interest in this initiative and any other thoughts about standards for learning supports. Send to Ltaylor@ucla.edu

*See
            >Common Core State Standards: What about Student and Learning Supports?
                    https://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/newsletter/summer12.pdf

            >Common Core State Standards and Learning Supports
                    https://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/comcorpol.pdf