Integrated Student Support Redesign Toolkit

A new resource written by Achieving the Dream holistic student supports staff and coaches and launched at the 2018 ATD Holistic Student Supports Institute offers readers a thorough grounding in the philosophy of holistic supports, what they are, and how they can be designed or redesigned with intention of supporting all students in achieving their academic, career and personal goals. The HSS Toolkit describes a four-stage redesign journey that includes discovery and design, early implementation, mature implementation, and institutionalization and sustainability. Each of the ten chapters offers practical guidance and tips for successfully navigating the journey. Appendices provide sample forms, checklists and guidelines to help colleges benefit from peers’ experiences.

Helping more students achieve their dreams involves identifying a wider set of student needs—including financial challenges and family responsibilities—and offering redesigned support services to meet them holistically. This holistic student supports approach emphasizes the need for colleges to redefine the way they understand, design, integrate with academics, and deliver the services that are critical for the success of every student.

The goal of this toolkit is to guide institutions in redesigning student supports in an integrated, collaborative, and holistic way that enables students to progress along their educational and career pathways.

This toolkit provides evidence-based, practitioner tested tools, tips, and guides that help an institution from initial exploration of their needs through to successful evaluation and refinement. It aids institutions in their planning and execution of a more personal, seamless, and comprehensive support experience that fully equips students to learn and to succeed in achieving their goals. It charts a deep dive into the essential elements that are relevant for all colleges to consider and use. To ensure the toolkit is useful in practice, we recommend that it be read and used in chronological order. However, each chapter can be read as a stand-alone guide if your college is focused on a particular aspect of student supports.