KU partnering with Lawrence schools to improve learning outcomes


LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas, Arizona State University and Lawrence Public Schools have announced the funding of a partnership to help create positive learning environments and increase academic achievement.

The project, Implementing Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered Models to Meet Students’ Academic, Behavior, and Social Needs: A Researcher-Practitioner Partnership, was funded by the Institute of Education Sciences. As part of the project, Lawrence Public Schools will collaborate with Kathleen Lane, KU professor of special education, and Arizona State professor Mary Oakes to support installation and evaluation of initial implementation of site-level models, known as CI3T, and construction of processes by which the partnership will continue after the grant funding concludes.

“We’re pleased the University of Kansas has received this grant to support the Lawrence Public Schools’ continued partnership with Dr. Lane, Dr. Oakes and their associates," said Kevin Harrell, director of student services for the Lawrence school district. "Our goal in working together to implement the Ci3T model is prevention and finding ways to best support our students’ academic, behavioral, social and emotional needs.”

In response to teacher requests for a more cohesive approach, the district recently started the multi-tiered systems of support through the partnership with Lane as well as the Kansas State Department of Education. Ci3T emphasizes three components — academic, behavioral and social:

  • The academic component includes coordinated instruction linked to the Kansas College and Career Ready Standards. Student progress is benchmarked and monitored.
  • The social component includes a curriculum for teaching social skills and character education.
  • The behavioral component is the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. The PBIS framework clarifies, defines and then teaches behavior expectations to students. Within this framework, students’ positive behaviors are consistently reinforced.

Fri, 09/11/2015

author

Mike Krings

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