Achievement Plus recognizes the integral role that families, neighborhoods, and community partners play in the learning process. By providing learning supports that minimize barriers to education and involve the community in the academic process, Achievement ensures that classroom reforms occur in an environment that supports learning at school, at home, and within the community. The term ‘learning supports’ refers to a network of activities, services, and opportunities provided to the local community through the school, designed to improve the welfare of students, families and local residents.

The emphasis on learning supports as a component of effective educational reform derives from the Adelman-Taylor model for community schools. Howard Adelman and Linda Taylor, working in conjunction with the UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools, recognize that an effective community school combines school and community resources in order to reduce learning barriers and enhance the impact of curricular reform. This model is based upon research that demonstrates strong links between environmental factors, including family stability, health concerns, and school atmosphere and student performance. By emphasizing learning supports as a component of educational reform, Achievement Plus strives to address all factors that can impact a child’s academic success.

There are six key areas of learning support in the Achievement Plus program:

• Student and family assistance
• Home involvement in schooling
• Support for transitions
• Crisis and emergency assistance and prevention
• Classroom-focused supports
• Community outreach

Community partnerships are a cornerstone of providing effective learning supports. Desired outcomes of Achievement Plus learning supports are:

• Reducing barriers to learning by integrating school and community resources
• Using supports to help families become more involved in their child's education
• Increasing school attendance rates