Once again, early education has emerged as a major policy and program topic. And, while the importance of early education is undisputed, the increasing calls for "Universal Preschool" and full-day kindergartens have yielded considerable controversy. Our specific interest in public policy for preschool programs stems from our concerns about…

Based on analyses and recommendations reported in School Improvement Planning: What's Missing?, the present report proposes ways to (a) reorganize school improvement guidance and (b) expand standards and accountability to encompass a component to address barriers to learning and teaching. In doing so, the work highlights the need and a focus for…

This report was developed to highlight the current state of affairs and illustrate the value of a unifying framework and integrated infrastructure for the many initiatives, projects, programs, and services schools pursue in addressing barriers to learning and promoting healthy development. Specifically, it highlights how initiatives can be…

Resource-oriented organizational mechanisms focus specifically on ensuring the appropriate use of existing resources and enhancing efforts to address barriers to student learning. This report first explores such mechanisms at the school level, then in terms of a feeder pattern, and finally at the district level. We stress the fact that what we…

A common request to Centers such as ours is for information about the prevalence and incidence of youngsters' problems. The intent of this report is to provide a synthesis of the best data and to clarify the limitations of what has been gathered so far. As you will see, available data continue to be quite limited. The synthesis reported here…

Few would argue against the idea of planning and implementing improvements to the nation's schools. This report contends, school improvement planning processes have frequently not been conceived in ways likely to produce desired learning outcomes for many students. The analyses presented in this report focus on a lack of attention to how schools…

As a strategic effort to advance the way schools address barriers to learning and psychosocial concerns, a consistent resource request has been for an example of a formal proposal for new directions (e.g., to present to a Superintendent, Student Support Director, Principal, Board, etc.). This report provides a draft of a design proposal that…

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has been holding a series of stakeholder meetings focused on better understanding and planning for schools to be transformative environments for mental health, positive youth development, and academic achievement. This issue of the quarterly newsletter of the Center for Mental…

This issue of the quarterly newsletter of the Center for Mental Health in Schools includes the following features and regular segments: (1) Complex Problems, Limited Solutions; (2) Research into Practice: Supporting Successful Transition to Ninth Grade; (3) Schools & MH Research; and (4) Response Form.

Despite much public emphasis on school improvement, it is evident that too little proactive attention has been paid to improving what schools do to address barriers to learning and teaching. This issue of the quarterly newsletter of the Center for Mental Health in Schools includes the following features and regular segments: (1) Who at the School…

This issue of the quarterly newsletter of the Center for Mental Health in Schools builds on the Fall 2001 newsletter dealing with bullying as a major barrier to student learning. This issue includes the following features and regular segments: (1) Bullying and Addressing Barriers to Learning; (2) Research into Practice: Screening for Depression;…

In the aftermath of a natural disaster, schools may need to plan to address the suffering and loss of many. These Guidance Notes discuss five areas in which schools can help students cope with loss: (1) Fostering Resiliency; (2) Facilitating and Fostering Social Ties and Resources; (3) Stages of Grieving; (4) Helping Students Deal with Loss; and…

To encourage a greater policy discussion of the complexities of implementing major school improvements on a large scale, this report (a) discusses the need to expand school improvement planning to address how schools and districts will accomplish necessary systemic changes, (b) outlines some basic considerations related to systemic change, and (c)…

This report stems from an invitation to the Center staff to reflect on the past, present, and future of mental health in schools for a brief presentation. Because the topic is so broad, we knew that the request for a "brief" overview would not provide sufficient detail. Anyone who has spent time in schools can itemize the multifaceted mental…

The purpose of this document is to encourage school boards to take another critical step in improving schools, specifically by focusing on how the district and each school addresses barriers to learning and teaching. The discussion explores: 1) why school boards need to increase their focus on addressing barriers to learning and teaching 2) the…