Have you noticed that more and more people are talking about the whole child? Policymakers and experts are beginning to articulate what educators and parents have said all along: children learn best when they arehealthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.
In the fall of 2006, a task force was launched to evaluate national policies on school improvement and the achievement gap. Cochaired by Helen Ladd, Duke University professor of public policy studies; Pedro Noguera, New York University professor of sociology and an expert on educational policy; and Tom Payzant, Harvard Graduate School of Education professor and former U.S. assistant secretary of education, the task force consulted national experts from diverse backgrounds, religious and political affiliations, and public policy fields, including education, health, housing, and civil rights.
With the support from the Nellie Mae Foundation and the Economic Policy Institute, the task force released its report,A Broader, Bolder Approach to Education(www.boldapproach.org), this summer. In the report, the task force concluded, "Despite the impressive academic gains registered by some schools serving disadvantaged students, there is no evidence that school improvement strategies by themselves can close these gaps in a substantial, consistent, and sustainable manner."
The task force called for action on two fronts. First, it advocated for supplementing formal schooling with high-quality preschool, after-school and summer programs, as well as programs that develop parents' skills in supporting learning. Second, it advocated focusing on the whole child by teaching skills such as health, character, and social development. The report also broadens the definition of an "educated person" to include one who is creative, an active citizen, and able to work with diverse colleagues. The authors acknowledge that schools cannot teach all these skills to students alone; educators must look to the larger community to support and engage students.
Like the task force, America's Promise Alliance encourages schools to work with communities to support and engage students. The organization invites communities and schools to focus on "The Five Promises" for students: caring adults, safe places, a healthy start, effective education, and opportunities to help others. In 2005, America's Promise Alliance launched the "100 Best Communities for Young People" competition. The program celebrates communities that have implemented strategies to ensure that young people receive the resources needed to stay in school and succeed (www.americaspromise.org).
The work of these two groups amplifies and enriches ASCD's Whole Child Initiative. InThe Learning Compact Redefined: A Call to Action, ASCD's Commission on the Whole Child proposed to broaden the definition of achievement and accountability by promoting the development of children who are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.
Common sense supported by research—and a growing convergence of diverse political experts, corporate executives, and concerned citizens—makes this the ideal time to engage your colleagues and community in a whole child conversation.