[mentalhealth-l] NEW POLICY & PRACTICE BRIEF

[SMHP]

September, 2008

From:   Howard Adelman & Linda Taylor
         Co-Directors of the Center at UCLA

Re: NEW POLICY & PRACTICE BRIEF (see attached)
    Moving Toward a Comprehensive System of Learning Supports:
The Next Evolutionary Stage in School Improvement Policy and Practice
School improvement policies, planning, and practices have not been 
effective in dealing with factors leading to and maintaining 
students' problems, especially in schools where large proportions of 
students are not doing well. With growing concern about reducing 
dropouts, closing the achievement gap, and ensuring all students have 
an equal opportunity for success at school, pressure is increasing 
for expanding the nature and scope of school improvement efforts.

The complexity of factors interfering with learning, development, and 
teaching underscore the need not only to coalesce current efforts but 
to transform them by ensuring school improvement plans encompass the 
development of a comprehensive system of learning supports as primary 
and essential in addressing the variety of factors that interfere 
with a school accomplishing its mission.

Evidence from institutional indicators and pioneering work on moving 
in new directions to enhance student and learning supports all herald 
a paradigm shift supporting development of a comprehensive and 
systemic approach.

The brief can be freely accessed online at: 
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/briefs/paradigmshift.pdf

School Mental Health Project/
Center for Mental Health in Schools
UCLA Dept. of Psychology
Los Angeles, CA  90095-1563
(310) 825-3634 / Toll Free: (866) 846-4843 / Fax: (310) 206-8716
Email: smhp at ucla.edu
Web: http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu 
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