Expanded View of Learning and Development
Although academic learning is the primary goal and objective of educators, many nonacademic factors affect students' development and academic success. These factors include the students' mental, emotional, and social well-being; their family life; and conditions in the community. Each of these factors directly impacts students' ability to devote themselves fully to learning and to succeed in work and other facets of their lives.
Some educators believe that schools should not concern themselves with the nonacademic aspects of student development, and that the school's one and only mission is to teach academic skills to students (Kraemer, 1993). However, a growing number of educators believe that the school's ultimate goal is to develop students' intellectual, mental, emotional, and social capacity to live and work as competent adults. Acknowledging that these aspects of development cannot and should not be separated from the learning process, many educators realize the importance of identifying students who have problems and referring them to social service providers. Linking schools with integrated services is one way to address the needs of students and families. Schools and social service providers can work together to support and build on each other's efforts to address the broader needs of children and families for long-term success in school and beyond.
