When measuring student success, parents and policymakers often look to test scores to see how students and schools are performing. But if schools are to develop well-rounded students, the focus should really extend beyond academic performance and include the quality of people that schools produce. And if we keep that bigger picture in mind, then we realize how important it is to address all the things that impact child development that occur outside of the school day, too — parental involvement, health, community safety, and more. Achieving this impact requires a coordinated care model in education.
Credit: The Cutting Edge To support holistic development for children all along the educational spectrum, we have to envision a system that takes on accountability for not only what happens in school buildings from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. but also what happens when students are home and when they are gone for three months in the summer. This means engaging parents, community organizations, after-school program coordinators, doctors, nurses, police, local government officials, and many more in the task of child development. To see a model that’s starting to figure out how to coordinate support, it is worth looking at the healthcare system.
The healthcare system has long struggled with a similar problem. Hospitals and doctors have traditionally been paid based on their ability to take care of a patient they may see only once, for one particular ailment, without any recognition or knowledge of the life circumstances of that patient and consequently, the underlying cause of the ailment. Much like schools and teachers, hospitals and doctors are paid based on their ability to address one discrete issue that has many other determinants. While these are the easy ways to analyze impact, it does little to help to address any underlying issues.
Fortunately, the healthcare system is making advancements to improve just that. Last month, it was announced that instead of paying for volume, the healthcare system would hasten its transition to paying for value. This change will lead doctors and other healthcare providers to determine, and address, underlying causes of health complications (also known as the social determinants of health). Coordinated care, the collaboration of various healthcare professionals like nurses, doctors, therapists, and dietitians, with families and patients is one method by which the healthcare system will work to achieve these outcomes.
It’s potentially more challenging for the education sector to make an adjustment of this sort. This change is akin to the U.S. Department of Education announcing that its funding formulae would be adjusted to pay only for educational systems that find ways to not simply advance students but to clearly show that their knowledge has increased to the level required by the system — and that they are progressing toward becoming a productive contributor to society. That said, there are programs out there that are experiencing success in coordinating care for students and addressing what are called “social determinants of education.”
Communities in Schools is an organization that places site coordinators in schools, and they assess student needs and identify supporting organizations in the community to meet those needs. Whether those needs are safety concerns, lack of grocery stores, or poor recreation options, CIS identifies the agencies and individuals that can offer those resources in the community and partners with them to provide the services. This is an ideal arrangement for coordinated care at the individual school and community levels.
Hand-in-hand with coordination between on-the-ground professionals and organizations is coordination at the federal level. A recent announcement that Medicaid would return to funding some health services offered in school-based health centers is a primary example. Schools are the largest potential youth health delivery system in the country, and this change will allow the health system to pay for health services delivered in schools. The federal recognition of the link between health and education is promising for progress in this area.
Finally, the federal government has made other efforts that involve an investment in place-based solutions to support positive child development, among other things. The Promise Neighborhoods initiative is based on the Harlem Children’s Zone, a model support system offered in approximately 100 square blocks of Harlem to students who live in the neighborhood. The model includes educational opportunities for children from infancy all the way through high school, health resources for children and families, youth violence prevention efforts, and other social services.
The education system needs to take the lead of these initiatives if it is able to fully the educational impact that it is capable of and positioned for. Educating students is the goal of the education system, but all of us concerned with improving the education system need to take the broader view and aim to improve the entire lives of all students through a coordinated approach.
Bill Winfrey is an associate with a public policy and advocacy firm in D.C. Reach him via email or Twitter.
Fortunately, the healthcare system is making advancements to improve just that. Last month, it was announced that instead of paying for volume, the healthcare system would hasten its transition to paying for value. This change will lead doctors and other healthcare providers to determine, and address, underlying causes of health complications (also known as the social determinants of health). Coordinated care, the collaboration of various healthcare professionals like nurses, doctors, therapists, and dietitians, with families and patients is one method by which the healthcare system will work to achieve these outcomes.
It’s potentially more challenging for the education sector to make an adjustment of this sort. This change is akin to the U.S. Department of Education announcing that its funding formulae would be adjusted to pay only for educational systems that find ways to not simply advance students but to clearly show that their knowledge has increased to the level required by the system — and that they are progressing toward becoming a productive contributor to society. That said, there are programs out there that are experiencing success in coordinating care for students and addressing what are called “social determinants of education.”
Communities in Schools is an organization that places site coordinators in schools, and they assess student needs and identify supporting organizations in the community to meet those needs. Whether those needs are safety concerns, lack of grocery stores, or poor recreation options, CIS identifies the agencies and individuals that can offer those resources in the community and partners with them to provide the services. This is an ideal arrangement for coordinated care at the individual school and community levels.
Hand-in-hand with coordination between on-the-ground professionals and organizations is coordination at the federal level. A recent announcement that Medicaid would return to funding some health services offered in school-based health centers is a primary example. Schools are the largest potential youth health delivery system in the country, and this change will allow the health system to pay for health services delivered in schools. The federal recognition of the link between health and education is promising for progress in this area.
Finally, the federal government has made other efforts that involve an investment in place-based solutions to support positive child development, among other things. The Promise Neighborhoods initiative is based on the Harlem Children’s Zone, a model support system offered in approximately 100 square blocks of Harlem to students who live in the neighborhood. The model includes educational opportunities for children from infancy all the way through high school, health resources for children and families, youth violence prevention efforts, and other social services.
The education system needs to take the lead of these initiatives if it is able to fully the educational impact that it is capable of and positioned for. Educating students is the goal of the education system, but all of us concerned with improving the education system need to take the broader view and aim to improve the entire lives of all students through a coordinated approach.
Bill Winfrey is an associate with a public policy and advocacy firm in D.C. Reach him via email or Twitter.
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