ERIC Number: ED561408
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Feb
Pages: 133
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Making the Grade: Assessing the Evidence for Integrated Student Supports. Publication #2014-07
Child Trends
Integrated student supports (ISS), sometimes referred to as integrated student services, represents an emerging field of practice that aims to address persistent disparities in educational achievement and attainment. ISS is a school-based approach to promoting students' academic achievement and educational attainment by coordinating a seamless system of wraparound supports for the child, the family, and schools, to target students' academic and non-academic barriers to learning. Programs that fall under an ISS umbrella have arisen in communities around the country. Five common components to improve academic achievement were identified across many, if not all, of the ISS models that have emerged in recent years: (1) needs assessments; (2) coordination of supports for students; (3) integration of supports within schools; (4) community partnerships; and (5) data collection and tracking. All nine models reviewed for this study included these five components, though the way in which each component was defined in the models varied. Though models vary, this approach tends to emphasize the importance of coordination of supports to cost-effectively address identified needs. This report examines the evidence about this emerging approach from multiple perspectives. These include the models developed by practitioners in communities, research on child development, research on education, as well as evaluation studies. Researchers triangulated across these knowledge bases to assess where the integrated student supports field is and the evidence base that underlies this approach. Findings reveal that ISS is a promising approach, but that the field has many unanswered questions that need to be evaluated. Next steps and implications for further research and evaluation are discussed. Following an executive summary by Kristin Anderson Moore, this publication contains the following chapters: (1) The Importance of Education and the Challenge of Educational Disparities (Laura Lippman, David Murphey, and Kristin Anderson Moore); (2) Description of Integrated Student Supports (Selma Caal, Brandon Stratford, and Rachel Carney); (3) Review of Research Literature (Dan Princiotta, Renee Ryberg, Kristin Anderson Moore, Katherine Muenks, Hannah Schmitz, and Laura Lippman); (4) Presentation of New Analysis (Dan Princiotta, Renee Ryberg, Hannah Schmitz, and Kristin Anderson Moore, with Weilin Li); and (5) Review of Evaluation Evidence on Outcomes, Cost-Effectiveness, and Implementation (Kristin Anderson Moore, Mary Terzian, and Brandon Stratford). The following are appended: (1) Methodology; (2) Programs; (3) Technical Appendix; (4) Rank-Ordered Odds Ratios of Predictors of High School Graduation of 1988 Eighth Graders; (5) Descriptive Statistics of 1988 Eighth Graders; (6) Variable Descriptions; and (7) Criteria for Study Inclusion. Contains approximately 600 references.
Descriptors: Academic Support Services, Academic Achievement, Educational Attainment, Student Personnel Services, Family Programs, Barriers, Intervention, Needs Assessment, Student Needs, Cooperation, School Community Programs, Data Collection, Models, Role of Education, Integrated Services, Literature Reviews, Cost Effectiveness, Program Effectiveness, Program Implementation, High School Graduates, Graduation, Grade 8
Child Trends. 7315 Wisconsin Avenue Suite 1200W, Bethesda, MD 20814. Tel: 240-223-9200; Fax: 240-200-1238; Web site: http://www.childtrends.org
Publication Type: Collected Works - General; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; High Schools; Secondary Education; Grade 8; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Bloomberg Philanthropies; AT&T
Authoring Institution: Child Trends
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A