Whole Child Education

Dr. Jairo Arellano
Assistant Superintendent of Whole Child Education
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1205 E. Market Street • Salinas, CA 93905
(831) 753-5700 Ext 2050 •

 A whole child approach to education is defined by policies, practices, and relationships that ensure each child, in each school, in each community, is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. - ASCD

California Department of Ed: Whole Child

AUSD: Whole-Child Education. Resolution pertaining to the Board's committment to meeting the needs of the whole child, including implementing a Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTTS), which coordinates academic, behavioral, and social-emotional programs and services.

ASCD: Whole Child Education

AUSD's  Multi-Tiered System of Supports

Excellence + EQUITY

All means All

MTSS Framework:  The Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is designed to address the academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs of all students. The MTSS AUSD Collaborative was created in the Fall of 2017 to implement the MTSS Framework district wide using the California Scale-Up MTSS Statewide (SUMS) Initiative Technical Assistance (TA) training grant to create a system that supports the Whole Child.  

What is  CA SUMS?  CA SUMS stands for  California Scale-Up MTSS. In April 2016, Orange County Department of Education, in partnership with Butte County Office of Education and SWIFT Education Center, was awarded a large grant to implement MTSS statewide. This effort, California Scale-Up MTSS Statewide (SUMS) provides a process for Local Education Agencies (LEA) to assess their strengths, coordinate supports to their Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAP), and align their MTSS efforts with the eight state priorities.

California Definition: MTSS is an integrated, comprehensive framework that focuses on California State Standards, core instruction, differentiated learning, student-centered learning, individualized student needs, and the alignment of systems necessary for all students’ academic, behavioral, and social success. The hope of MTSS is that every student will be given the support and opportunity to thrive in the most inclusive learning environment.

Background: In the Winter of 2017, teams representing 9 school sites plus district administrators convened a task force to learn about CA SUMS as it relates to improving learning for all students. We are very excited to be in the process of developing and implementing a comprehensive MTSS model to prepare and empower all of our students for a future of endless possibilities.

CA MTSS Video

Vision Statement

AUSD; Cultivating the whole child for a world-class education.

Every student who attends AUSD schools will discover his or her potential, along with a strong sense of self and purpose and be successful academically, socially, and behavior-wise.

Mission Statement: Empowering all students to learn through a systematic school-wide support system through ongoing collaboration involving teachers, administrators, families, specialists, and community partners.  Every day we provide each and every student the quality instruction and equitable support required to thrive globally in the 21st century.

About the MTSS Framework: California's Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) is an integrated, comprehensive framework that aligns academic, behavioral, and social-emotional learning in a fully integrated system of support for the benefit of all students. MTSS offers the potential to create needed systematic change through intentional design and redesign of services and supports to quickly identify and match to the needs of all students.

California M​TSS Frame​​work

California Dept. of Ed - MTSS

CA SUMS Initiative

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Video

 Multi-Tiered Systems of Support “The foundational structures of MTSS include high-quality core instruction utilizing UDL principles and appropriate supports, strategies, and accommodations.  In addition, assessments and progress monitoring are employed to allow for a data-based, problem-solving approach to instructional decision making.”   CA ELA/ELD Framework, 2014