Education support services can be beneficial to students by helping them overcome academic, personal, or social challenges that may interfere with learning. They can also improve teacher performance and satisfaction.
ESPs can be effective in this role by being proactive and open-minded in their interactions with students, and by seeking feedback, clarification, and improvement. They can also foster school improvement by collaborating with other educators, and by sharing knowledge and resources.
1. Identify your needs and goals.
Education support services can help students identify their needs and goals, including academic, social-emotional, and career. They can also provide them with a range of resources and assistance, such as tutoring, mentoring, and advocacy.
It’s important for educators to be knowledgeable about education support services and how they can be accessed by their students. This can be accomplished by sharing information about the resources and opportunities available, identifying common barriers and challenges, and fostering collaboration and innovation.
In addition, it’s important to ensure that education support professionals are invited and included in school events and celebrations, such as family nights and open houses. This will help them feel valued and appreciated for their contributions to the school community. It will also model inclusivity for students.
2. Increase resources and funding.
Our current system of funding public schools shortchanges students, especially low-income students. It focuses heavily on local taxes; relies on an insufficient role for the federal government; and fails to account for the differences in needs and capacities among school districts.
Education support services need adequate and sustainable resources to ensure their effectiveness, availability, and quality. This may involve increasing the allocation and distribution of public funds, as well as seeking alternative or additional sources of funding such as grants or donations.
Equally important, a stable and sufficient funding system would protect schools from depleted budgets during recessions. And if the federal government increased education spending systematically, as part of a package of countercyclical fiscal programs that kick in on defined triggers, it could further boost aggregate demand and speed economic recovery.
3. Enhance coordination and collaboration.
Education support services can be complicated, and coordination and collaboration are vital. Without coordination, students can receive inconsistent or conflicting information or guidance from different sources, and may face barriers to accessing or using services.
To foster coordination, it is essential to establish clear communication channels and regularly discuss both successes and challenges. This helps prevent misunderstandings and identifies areas for improvement. It is also important to maintain shared documentation and to adjust strategies as the landscape changes.
Collaboration can help educators improve their pedagogical skills and teaching methods, adopt inclusive practices, and foster student success. It can also improve teacher satisfaction and retention, and increase the effectiveness of schools. It can also contribute to community resilience and broader social change. Educators need to be recognized, rewarded, and supported for their work.
4. Enhance teacher performance and satisfaction.
Teachers can benefit from education support services in a variety of ways. Education support specialists can provide them with training, coaching, and consultation on topics such as curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and technology. Teachers can also benefit from a strong learning community and positive working environment, which can improve their motivation and sense of well-being.
Teacher advancement programs, performance-based compensation, and other efforts to improve teacher quality and satisfaction have been shown to enhance teacher availability and recruitment. However, the lack of broad access to high-quality professional supports may play a role in the current teacher shortage—especially in high-poverty schools.
Educators, learners, and communities need education support services that are personalized, accessible, affordable, and high-quality. This requires the development of innovative models, methods, and practices that are informed by evidence.
5. Foster school improvement.
Foster students tend to have more instability in their school lives, and this can impact their academic achievement. That’s why the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to ensure that youth in foster care stay in the same school, unless it is not in their best interests.
This means that schools must be proactive in addressing these issues. For example, they can set up programs that provide support for students in foster care and their caregivers. These may include academic resources, social workers, and community liaisons. Some schools even offer health and mental health services and bring in trainees like psychology students as education support staff.
Education support can also help strengthen educational institutions and systems by increasing access and equity, fostering innovation and collaboration, and strengthening accountability and governance.