Howard S. Adelman

On Sustainability of Project Innovations as Systemic Change

Too many promising innovations disappear when project funding ends. As a result, interest in the problem of sustainability has increased markedly in recent years. This article explores this problem in terms of systemic change. Highlighted are basic ideas, phases, stages, steps, and lessons learned related to the planning, implementation, maintenance, and scale-up of school-based innovations. A particular emphasis is on efforts designed to enhance how schools address barriers to learning and teaching. The discussion is framed around the idea that the likelihood of sustaining any newapproach is increased if it is integrated into the fabric of existing school improvement efforts.

Mental health in schools and system restructuring.

Because health is not the primary business of schools, a schools response to mental health and psychosocial concerns usually is limited to targeted problems seen as direct barriers to learning. And because resources are sparse, priority is given to problems defined in legislative mandates. As a result, school-based mental health services are available only to a small proportion of the many students who require assistance, and interventions generally are narrowly focused and short-term. To better meet the needs of those served and to serve greater numbers, emerging trends are pushing for restructuring of school-owned services and greater linkage with community resources to develop multifaceted, comprehensive, integrated approaches. This review (a) provides an overview of what schools currently do related to mental health and psychosocial concerns, (b) clarifies key emerging trends, and (c) explores implications for major systemic changes.

Moving prevention from the fringes into the fabric of school improvement.

If prevention initiatives are to get beyond their current marginalized and fragmented status, they must be framed in a comprehensive context. This article places primary prevention at one end of a comprehensive continuum of interventions and explores the continuum in terms of a component for addressing barriers to development and learning. Such a component is conceptualized as primary and essential to successful school reform. Current concerns and emerging trends related to policy, research, practice, and training are highlighted, and general implications for systemic changes are suggested.

Shaping the future of mental health in schools

Systemic reform in education is changing how schools address mental health and psychosocial concerns and is redefining the role of pupil service personnel in the process. This paper (a) highlights how schools currently address mental health, (b) discusses new directions that build on emerging reform themes and reframe prevailing reform models, and (c) outlines ways pupil-service professionals can develop a proactive agenda for shaping the future of mental health in schools.

Early Identification of Children with High Risk of Reading Failure

Two alternative models for identifying kindergarten age children with a high risk of becoming reading failures are compared. One model places primary emphasis on psychometric test procedures assessing linguistic and perceptualmotor skills related to reading readiness. The alternative strategy is based upon the kindergarten teachers evaluation of the childs skills and behavior, with particular emphasis on the discrepancy between a childs specific competencies and those required for success in a particular first grade classroom. Significant and encouraging correlations were obtained between the various measures taken in kindergarten and reading achievement test scores obtained at the end of first grade.

Mobility and School Functioning in the Early Grades

Abstract The relationship between initial school functioning and subsequent student mobility was examined among a sample of 2,524 early elementary school students from low-income families. Academic, behavioral, and school adjustment data were collected in the year of the study. The students then were trailed for 3 years, during which time their school mobility was observed. Analyses indicate that the most mobile students tended to have poorer initial school behavior ratings and school adjustment and to be from single-parent families. Implications for research and policy are discussed.

Systemic Change for School Improvement

Despite the nationwide emphasis on school improvement, the complexities of accomplishing desired systemic changes have been given short shrift in policy, research, training, and practice. This article focuses on the problem of expanding school improvement planning to better address how schools and districts intendto accomplish designated changes. Specifically, weframe and outline some basic considerations related to systemic change, and, to encourage a greater policy discussion of the complexities of implementing major school improvements on a large scale, we propose a set of policy actions.

Enhancing Motivation for Overcoming Learning and Behavior Problems

Current motivational theories underscore the importance of cognitive and affective constructs and generate implications for expanded understanding of psychoeducational problems and practices. Based on such theories and recent experimental work, the authors have been developing frameworks and procedures for identifying and correcting motivational problems among students manifesting learning and behavior problems. This paper (1) highlights motivation itself as a problem; (2) suggests times when correction of the motivation problem should be the initial focus of intervention; and (3) describes a framework and specific procedures for enhancing positive motivation and reducing avoidance as key aspects of correcting learning and behavior problems.

School-based mental health: Toward a comprehensive approach

In response to psychosocial problems that affect schooling, school-based mental health programs have proliferated. Available evidence, however, suggests such programs often are planned and implemented in a narrow and piecemeal fashion. As a result, there is little coordination for integration and continuity with each other or with other school and community-based programs. In addressing the problem, this paper briefly (a) summarizes conclusions from a descriptive survey of one school districts programmatic efforts, (b) discusses the role of school mental health specialists related to such programs, and (c) outlines processes for moving toward a comprehensive school-based approach in addressing mental health concerns.

Children's participation in consent for psychotherapy and their subsequent response to treatment

This clinical study focused on minors’ participation in decisions to enter psychotherapy and on how such participation and other motivational factors relate to responsiveness to treatment. Findings indicate that, despite apparent competence to participate, few of the 42 youngsters sampled had been involved in the processes during which psychological treatment was prescribed for them. While 75% of the sample directly consented to treatment, only 60% indicated strong interest in getting started, and only 31% were evaluated as motivationally ready to begin. A positive relationship was found between clients’ motivational readiness and treatment adjustment and outcomes. The literature reviewed and discussion of findings underscore the potential impact of nonparticipation on commitment to, adjustment in, and outcomes of psychological treatment.