Six Essential Systems for a Strong Learning Climate

Student Support and Behavior Intervention Handbook

The Six Essential Systems

A system is a purposeful aggregation of interconnected practices that, when implemented with fidelity, produce a cohesive synergy between teaching and learning. In JCPS, our systems are defined by shared beliefs, collective commitments, clear indicators of success, and alignment with our three JCPS Pillars: culture and climate, racial equity, and the Backpack of Success Skills. Systems are surrounded and influenced by their environment(s), described by their structure(s) and purpose(s), and expressed in their function(s).

System 1

System 2

System 3

Purpose

To align teaching and learning with rigorous standards

To improve performance by analyzing and acting on the evidence

To enhance planning through shared responsibility and accountability

Belief

All students must be able to demonstrate high levels of learning and mastery and application of all Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS). This serves as the foundation for instructional transformation and informs every other system in this process.

The collection, analysis, and use of key data points inform academic and non-academic decisions.

The collaborative planning process leads to effective and engaging instructional practices, such as choice in student assignments, rigorous demonstrations of learning, deep understanding of content and real-world applications with connections to success skills, and collective ownership of student mastery.

Commitment

JCPS educators will teach the KAS and ensure that all students have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions for future success. JCPS educators will have a deep working knowledge of the KAS and Practices.

JCPS schools will implement a system and protocols designed to understand, analyze, and prioritize responses to relevant data within and across students, classrooms, departments, and the school.

JCPS schools ensure that collaborative teams plan and deliver highly effective core instruction that is aligned with the approved curriculum, is culturally responsive, and is accessible to all students in the classroom.

The Three Pillars

Culture and Climate

Culture is defined as the underlying beliefs, values, assumptions, and ways of interacting that contribute to the unique interpersonal and intellectual environment of a school. Culture is shaped by the shared expectations, experiences, and philosophies of the school staff as well as the values that guide adult behavior. It is expressed through shared attitudes, beliefs, and commitments. Culture also includes the organization’s vision, values, norms, systems, symbols, language, assumptions, beliefs, and habits.

The National Center on Safe and Supportive Classroom Environments defines school climate as “a broad, multifaceted concept that involves many aspects of the student’s educational experience.” They go on to say, “A positive school climate is the product of a school’s attention to fostering safety; promoting a supportive academic, disciplinary, and physical environment; and encouraging and maintaining respectful, trusting, and caring relationships throughout the school community no matter the setting—from pre-K/elementary school to higher education” (retrieved May 7, 2019, https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov).

Racial Equity

Racial equity is both an outcome and a process. As an outcome, racial equity is achieved when race no longer determines one’s academic outcomes—when every student has what they need to succeed, no matter the color of their skin, ethnicity, nationality, or first language spoken. As a process, schools apply racial equity when students who have been marginalized by structural racial inequities are meaningfully involved in the creation and implementation of the institutional policies and practices that impact their lives. When we achieve racial equity, all students, including students of color, are owners, planners, and decision-makers in the systems that govern their lives. Equity will be achieved through acknowledgment and accountability for past and current inequities, resulting in all people, particularly those most impacted by racial inequities, being provided the infrastructure needed to thrive.

Backpack of Success

The Backpack of Success is a P–12 initiative that ensures that every single student receives an education in which academic achievement and personal development go hand-in-hand to empower students with skills they need to be successful students, professionals, and citizens of our community. The focus of the Backpack is to build upon a firm foundation in literacy and numeracy and to ensure that all students will be actively engaged in their learning and ready for key educational transitions, all while developing the critical skills needed to be successful after graduation.

The purpose of the Six Essential Systems is to establish a common instructional language, to provide a blueprint of the effective practices implemented by high-achieving schools, and to inform district-level support.

System 4

System 5

System 6

Purpose

To inform instructional decisions and increase student learning

To provide equitable learning opportunities for all

To cultivate continuous instructional improvement

Belief

The analysis of student progress data and student work is essential to determine the effectiveness of instructional practices and a student’s mastery of standards.

When provided the appropriate supports, all students can be successful with academics and behavior.

An effective system for observing and coaching teachers throughout the year improves instructional practices and informs professional development.

Commitment

JCPS educators systematically track individual student progress toward standards-based competency during the instructional cycle. Samples of student work are analyzed to identify performance trends and instructional needs.

Collaborative teams utilize key data points to determine short- and long-term supports for behavior and academics. Scheduled progress checks will be incorporated to ensure that students receive timely supports, which are adjusted as needed. The Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Handbook serves as a comprehensive plan and is implemented with fidelity.

Schools will implement a high-frequency walk-through system to provide individualized feedback and coaching for teachers multiple times throughout the year. A data monitoring system is used to measure impact and inform professional development.

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