Project: Oklahoma Advancing Student Well-Being Through Peer Learning and Collaboration
Oklahoma is strengthening student support systems through a statewide community of practice that helps districts learn together, apply effective approaches, and share strategies that support student success and well-being.
The Opportunity
Through the federally funded Project RESPECT, participating Oklahoma districts have developed valuable knowledge and experience that can support continued learning across the state in areas that include strengthened school-based mental health services, community partnerships, and integrated student supports within multitiered systems of support (MTSS). Oklahoma now has an opportunity to build on this foundation by creating structured pathways for districts to learn together, share successful approaches, and strengthen sustainable supports for student well-being.
The Support
The Southwest Comprehensive Center (Southwest CC) is partnering with the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) to strengthen the state’s capacity to scale and sustain school-based mental health supports through two complementary strategies. First, Southwest CC is supporting OSDE in designing and implementing a statewide community of practice that brings districts together for shared learning, application, collaboration, and problem solving. Southwest CC is helping develop the community of practice scope and sequence, roles and responsibilities, session structure, and resources so OSDE can facilitate and sustain the work, over time. Second, OSDE staff who manage the Project RESPECT grant have identified “bright spot” districts and documented their approaches, successes, and lessons learned. Southwest CC is organizing and refining those summaries into accessible resources that celebrate district accomplishments and provide practical examples other districts can adapt in their own contexts.
Desired Outcomes
As a result of this work, OSDE will have sustainable structures and resources that support districts in implementing comprehensive school-based mental health systems. In the near term, districts will gain access to peer learnings, practical implementation tools, and real-world examples from successful Oklahoma districts. Over time, Oklahoma will strengthen its statewide capacity to support student well-being through sustainable district-to-district learning networks, increased implementation of school-based mental health practices within MTSS frameworks, and stronger connections among schools, families, and community partners.