The real difficulty in changing the course of any enterprise lies
not in developing new ideas but in escaping old ones.
John Maynard Keynes

Here are six old ideas that need to be escaped if schools are to transform how they ensure students have an equal opportunity to succeed at school and beyond.

(1) Escape the idea that effective school improvement can be accomplished without ending the continuing marginalization in school improvement policy of efforts to develop a unified and comprehensive system of student and learning supports.

(2) Escape the idea that addressing barriers for the large number of students in need can be accomplished relying only on one-on-one direct services and an emphasis on wrap-around services. (Much greater attention must be given to classroom and school-wide interventions that can reduce the need for such services.)

(3) Escape the idea that improving student and learning supports mainly involves enhancing coordination of interventions. (The focus must be on transforming student and learning supports into a unified and comprehensive system that is fully integrated into school improvement policy and practice.)

(4) Escape the idea that adopting a continuum of interventions is a sufficient framework for transforming the nature and scope of school-based student/learning supports. (The content focus o such supports must also be framed and integrated with the continuum.)

(5) Escape the idea that co-locating community resources on a school campus is equivalent to integrating student supports. (Integration involves school, home, community collaboration to systematically weave resources together with a view to filling critical intervention gaps and enhancing home and community engagement.)

(6) Escape the idea that development of a system that transforms and sustains how schools address student and learning supports can be accomplished without a well designed strategic plan for systemic change and by personnel who have the capacity to effect the changes.

For a better understanding of the above points, see
>What Is a Unified and Comprehensive System of Learning Supports?
https://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/whatis.pdf

>Bringing New Prototypes into Practice: Dissemination, Implementation, and
Facilitating Transformation https://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/implrep3.pdf


WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON ALL THIS? Send comments for sharing to Ltaylor@ucla.edu

You can also post a response on our Facebook page.

In addition, see the list of Emerging Issues identified over the years by the Center and used as a stimulus for discussion on our Net Exchange - https://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/newnetexchange.htm

Previously highlighted hot issues

• Special Education Disputes Continue to Reflect the Many Issues that Permeate the Field

• Maintaining Momentum for Sound Systemic Changes When the Superintendency Changes

• And Yet Another Discrete Initiative!

• Enabling Learning: It's a Bigger Policy Problem than Most Education Reformers Appreciate

• Reporting on Teacher Effectiveness: The Discussion Heats Up

• Reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind Act and Addressing Barriers to Learning

• Grade Retention: What's the Prevailing Policy and What Needs to be Done?
• Suicide Prevention in Schools
• Should Policy Specify a Formal Role for Schools Related to Mental Health?
• Screening Mental Health Problems in Schools

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