24 Aug 2020
Brief

COVID-19 and Whole Child Efforts: Reopening Update

Several national organizations have offered guidance for planning for the reopening of schools closed last spring due to COVID-19. This guidance emphasizes the need to support the whole child—that is, attending to their basic needs (safety, health, nutrition) and well-being. The notion of supporting the whole child is not new, but the pandemic has ignited a clear call to action for schools to provide comprehensive supports that address the needs of children, youth, and their families as schools reopen this fall.

Since the first version of this resource was published on May 22, 2020, the school reopening landscape has evolved considerably. Several additional national organizations have chimed in with recommendations, and most states have now issued reopening guidance for schools and districts. Schools and communities are grappling with decisions about how much schooling can safely take place on site in school buildings given the continuing spread of COVID-19; thus, in many locations, reopening planning must now take into account the possibility of ongoing virtual learning. Further, the murders of George Floyd and other people of color have elevated a national discourse about persistent structural inequities and racism.

Education decisionmakers should strengthen investments in whole child efforts aimed at improving conditions for learning including school climate, social and emotional learning, mental health, and trauma-specific services. When schools and their community partners create positive conditions for learning, they create conditions for realizing robust equity. This is critically important given the persistent inequities that have been laid bare by the COVID-19 crisis.

Education and community leaders will need a shared understanding of the common whole child terms and phrases as they work to mobilize student supports. Community partnership is a cornerstone of successful whole child efforts, and a shared language will help schools and districts collaborate with families and community organizations including youth development organizations and health and social services providers.

This resource provides definitions for selected whole child terms and a crosswalk of these terms to the national reopening guidance. In addition, we have updated this resource to include the following:

  • Findings from an analysis of whole child provisions in state school reopening guidance including trends and state examples; and
  • A list of resources to assist education and community leaders in integrating whole child supports into their reopening strategies.

Related Projects

Project

The Potential of Science of Learning and Development (SoLD) to Transform Education Systems

The Science of Learning and Development (SoLD) initiative began in 2016 with a shared commitment to a better and more equitable education for each and every child—and a hypothesis that a synthesis of the knowledge from multiple disciplines could provide critical insights and solutions to persistent and growing inequity and underperformance in the U.S. education system. An overarching goal of all SoLD partnerships, projects, and practices is to support the effective learning, educational attainment, and positive development of all children.

Related Work

24 Aug 2020
In the Field

Resources to Go Beyond the Basics and Support the Whole Child

Despite uncertainty about the start of the 2020-2021 school year, one thing is clear: Learning will take multiple forms and things will likely change as the school year progresses. AIR researchers created this resource for families and caregivers to help foster positive conditions for learning at home.
Topic: 
Education, Equity in Education, Social and Emotional Learning
7 Apr 2020
Spotlight

Building Positive Conditions for Learning at Home: Strategies and Resources for Families and Caregivers

As we all adjust to the current situation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important that we create a safe, supportive, and engaging spaces for learning at home. In the coming weeks, we will continue to add new information, strategies, things to look for, and resources that have more information.
Topic: 
Education, Social and Emotional Learning
1 Dec 2020
Spotlight

AIR’s COVID-19 Response and Resources

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. This virus, also known as COVID-19, has dramatically changed the lives of people around the globe, touching all aspects of life, from health care to education to the economy. In this new world of rapidly changing information about the virus, AIR seeks to be a source of evidence-based information that examines and begins to understand the various complexities of this crisis.
Topic: 
Education, Social and Emotional Learning, Technology for Teaching and Learning, Health, Health Cost and Coverage, Mental Health, Patient, Family, and Stakeholder Engagement, Trauma-Informed Care, Workforce, Adult Learning
23 Apr 2020
Video

Webinar Series: Teaching and Leading in the Time of COVID-19

Teachers and principals across the country are surprising students, caregivers, and their communities with innovative practices and thoughtful solutions to the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis. The Center on Great Teachers and Leaders is collaborating with national partners and leading educators to produce an ongoing webinar series focused on the needs of educators during this unprecedented time.
Topic: 
Education, Teacher Preparation and Performance
28 Oct 2015
Service

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Solutions at AIR

Practitioners and researchers agree that social and emotional learning (SEL) is essential to academic achievement and well-being in school, as well as success in college and career. Above and beyond the free supports that AIR’s federal technical assistance centers provide, SEL Solutions at AIR offers an approach to keep social and emotional learning at the center of students’ educational experiences.
Topic: 
Education, College and Career Readiness, Postsecondary Education, School Climate, Social and Emotional Learning
8 Apr 2021
Spotlight

Mental Health Awareness

Raising awareness and increasing the understanding of mental health can change the way society views and responds to this complex issue. AIR promotes positive mental health through school and community-based approaches involving youth, families, school, health care providers, and other stakeholders.
Topic: 
Social and Emotional Learning, Health, Justice Systems, Mental Health, Trauma-Informed Care
20 Jan 2016
Toolkit

Framework for Building Trauma-Informed Organizations and Systems

Organizational trauma-informed care is a systemic approach to service delivery that is grounded in an understanding of the causes and consequences of trauma and promotes resilience and healing. The Framework for Building Trauma-Informed Organizations and Systems offers a process and tools for adopting trauma-informed care in social service settings.
Topic: 
Health, Trauma-Informed Care

Further Reading