Comprehensive system of learning supports
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A comprehensive system of learning supports, or CSLS, is a pool of resources, strategies or guidelines that all serve to protect a student's best interests in the educational system. There is no single set of resources that all states and districts use, but they all share common goals of working with communities, faculties, and families to eliminate learning barriers for all students.[1]
Naturally, schools have always sought to ensure complete and effective education for their students. However, when issues arise such as bullying or a hostile or indifferent school atmosphere, they are not handled consistently. Some schools become better at dealing with these issues while others lag behind. The comprehensive system model seeks to unify these approaches, taking the effective strategies used by certain schools and offering them to schools whose methods are not as effective. Many would agree that it is not a school's responsibility to meet every need of its students, but they are responsible for rectifying any problem that may occur that influences a student's ability to learn. The CSLS is an attempt to do so.[2][3]
Overview
The learning supports system is designed, as its name suggests, to improve all aspects of the education process. Much of this improvement comes in the form of everyday support: constant striving to improve school climate (sometimes considered school spirit), inclusion of as many students as possible, and displaying high levels of leadership.[2]
Inevitably, there will always be students who require additional support in some form. For these students, an intervention event is often prescribed. The intervention can be used to address any sort of issue a student may be experiencing, and is designed to use as many of the resources in the comprehensive system as possible in order to resolve said issue. The intervention is one of the most extreme examples of the learning support system, but it is used whenever a need for it arises.[4][2]
Alabama
The Alabama State Department of Education has a clear structure in their system that highlights many of the areas other states use. By breaking down their system into its essential parts, they form a six-sided approach that addresses the major goals of the learning supports system:
- "Classroom-based approaches to learning" refer to efforts to improve or maintain the excellence of classroom learning.
- "Supports for transitions" is an area that addresses major transitions between grades, schools, individual classes, or even family/life transitions such as divorce or moving.
- "Home and family engagement in schooling" seeks to help families feel more involved in the education process.
- "Community engagement" makes efforts to ensure local communities and school districts are unified as part of larger communities.
- "Crisis assistance and prevention" identifies and addresses the need for emergency plans and crisis management, such as natural disasters or criminal activity.
- "Student and family interventions" serve to help students or families in social, psychological, physical, or financial need when other measures are not enough.[4]
Shifting paradigm
While the CSLS shows every sign of effectiveness, it is not yet present in every state. Many still use piecemeal systems of varying degrees of usefulness. Hawaii is considered the first state to pass legislation regarding a comprehensive system (1995). Other places have since attempted to follow suit with varied results, due to budget concerns or a general lack of support from legislators or other vital bodies. However, there is a clearly demonstrated need for a single, unified system, and there is an observable shift towards that goal taking place throughout the country.[5]
Iowa, Georgia, and Alabama are just a few of the states that are building and improving a CSLS. The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) created a task force, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with the goal of researching, designing, and implementing comprehensive systems of learning supports throughout the country. There have also been several high-quality reports on the necessity and effectiveness of the CSLS approach which has garnered support and attention to the idea.[5]
While it may take years for every state to have a CSLS, there is a notable shift towards unifying state resources to benefit all students.
See also
External links
- ISBE learning supports info page
- Schoolclimate.org
- Council of Chief State School Officers
- School Mental Health Project of UCLA's 5-element process
- Louisiana Department of Education document
Footnotes
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Education, "Comprehensive system of learning supports," accessed September 4, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Ohio Department of Education, "A comprehensive system of learning supports guidelines," accessed September 4, 2014
- ↑ Georgia Department of Education, "Comprehensive system for supporting learners: Using the UCLA center for mental health in schools framework to address barriers to learners," accessed September 5, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Alabama State Department of Education, "A unified and comprehensive system of learning supports for Alabama students," accessed September 4, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Center for Mental Health in Schools (2008), "Moving toward a comprehensive system of learning supports: The next evolutionary stage in school improvement policy and practice," accessed September 5, 2014
