VFEL Webinar Series

Eight Elements of High School ImprovementStudent and Family Supports

Stakeholder EngagementFebruary 2012

The ultimate goal in school improvement is for the people attached to the school to drive

its continuous improvement for the sake of their own children and students.

Dr. Sam Redding

Virginia Foundation of Educational Leadership (VFEL)

Webinar Faculty:Dr. Roger E. Jones

jones@lynchburg.edu Dr. Carol C. Robinson

carolc.robinson@gmail.com Dr. John C. Walker walker.jc@lynchburg.edu

Today’s Agenda

1. Welcome (2 minutes)2. Team Reports – Teacher Quality and Professional

Development (10 minutes)3. Research regarding Elements 4 and 5 -

Student and Family Supports and Stakeholder Engagement (30 minutes)

4. Activity/Discussion (10 minutes)5. Reflection/Next Steps for Webinar 5 (8 minutes)

Objectives Participants will be able to incorporate

programs to increase student and family engagement into the tiered intervention system

Participants will be able to utilize data to determine need and to implement evidence-based tiered prevention and intervention approaches

Participants will be able to connect with community stakeholders to determine tiered-level needs and implement prevention and intervention strategies

Team Reports

Share how you used the 3-2-1 approach to discuss a portion of Element 3 with colleagues.

Student and Family Supports (Element 4)

Programs that engage and support family members are provided

Transition programs are in place that support students as they transition in and out of high school

A positive school climate which includes school safety and respect is fostered

Stakeholder Engagement (Element 5)

Multiple stakeholders are engaged in high school improvement strategies and initiatives

Partnerships with stakeholders are fostered to enhance teaching and learning opportunities

Multiple communication strategies are implemented

Graduation Completion Index (GCI)

Would your Graduation and Completion Index improve if your students were supported by the Student Assistance Programming (SAP) process?

Research says…

Students involved in SAP: Increased their attendance by 70

percent Improved their promotion or graduation

rates by 68 percent Decreased their discipline problems by

60 percent

(Fertman, Helper, Tarasevich, 2003, Retrospective Analysis of the Pennsylvania Student Assistance Program Outcome Data: Implications for Practice and Research- unpublished)

How can you do this at your school?

Implement a SAP team And no, you do not need to make a

new team to do this – modify an existing team and its role!

SAP WORKS WITH MULTIPLE SAP WORKS WITH MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERSSTAKEHOLDERS

AwarenesAwarenesssEducatioEducationn

PromotioPromotion andn andPreventioPrevention n

Early Early IdentificatioIdentification n and and Assessment Assessment

Referral Referral andandInterventioIntervention and n and SupportSupport

Comm-Comm-unityunityStake-Stake-holdersholders

Sustain-Sustain-ability ability Plan Plan

STUDENTSSTUDENTS

STAFFSTAFF

PARENTS PARENTS

COMMUNITCOMMUNITY STAKE -Y STAKE -HOLDERSHOLDERS

12

School-based infrastructure of proven practices that brings help to students, families, schools and communities

An integrated system of supports, including prevention, early intervention and services that address barriers to student learning, success and graduation

Promotes healthy school climate and student development

SAP PROCESS

SAP PROCESSSAP teams focus on an approach to services that recognizes:

The importance of family, school and community

Seeks to promote the full potential of every child and youth by addressing their physical, emotional, intellectual, cultural and social needs 

Benefits of SAP Teams

Promote faculty identification of at risk student in advance of Early Warning System data

Capture more detailed information from faculty than reflected in an Early Warning System

Address barriers to learning and living Coordinate school and community resources Help students achieve and graduate by

fostering resiliency and reducing risk factors Encourage effective teaming Improve school climate

Health Promotion

Getting Started

Immediate Steps

Long-term Planning

Getting Started: A Team Approach

Ideally, SAP Teams exist at division and school levels

Large and small school teams at the school level are both effective

The team has objectives at each tiered level Team members have different, yet complementary

roles School meetings are held regularly to review cases Mutual support helps school team members handle

the stress of referrals and case management

Data – What to use and how to use it

Immediately Available Attendance Discipline, Crime and Violence SOL results and benchmarks Graduation and Completion

Index List By Sub-groups

Data – What to use and how to use it

Future Climate Surveys – Student, Parents, Staff,

Community Stakeholders* Student Survey types

Youth Risk/Protective factors* Asset Development*

Focus Groups Interviews*Survey Websites: Safe and Supportive Schools - http://safesupportiveschools.ed.gov/index.php?id=133Pride Surveys – International Survey Associates Website -

http://www.pridesurveys.com/Asset Development Website - http://www.search-institute.org/developmental-assets

The Early Identification Process

Assistance for a student may start with a referral from within the school, from data that flags the student or from a community stakeholder

Train faculty to watch and listen for the signs of student problems and how to refer to the SAP Team

A student’s teachers may consult with the SAP Team

The SAP Team works with students and their parents

The importance of confidentiality never changes

Newport News Public Schools http://sbo.nn.k12.va.us/youthdevelopment/student_assistan

ce.html

Prince William County Public Schools http://pwcs.studentservices.schoolfusion.us/modules/cms/p

ages.phtml?pageid=163939

Pulaski County Public Schools http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZT3Eu1CD_c

Roanoke County Public Schools http://www.rcs.k12.va.us/SAP/default.shtml

Examples of Established SAPs in Virginia

Discussion

Identifying students in transition to and from high school and from grade to grade:

Discuss articulation between middle and high school SAP teams for students in selective and indicated levels

Discuss transition programming at all grade levels

Post an effective practice in the chat box that your school uses to assist in transition and be prepared to discuss

Benefits of Stakeholder Engagement

Cooperation means having extra help for student assistance

Coalitions with community entities aid universal prevention efforts

Coalitions with community agencies help individual students

Memoranda Of Understanding (MOU) define working relationships

Effective student assistance involves parents and guardians

Stakeholder Examples

Area schools, public and private Businesses and business groups Churches, synagogues, mosques and other faith-based

groups Government entities (e.g. Department of Motor Vehicles,

et. al.) Law enforcement Hospitals and public health agencies Prevention and treatment agencies Probation services Social service agencies Youth service organizations

Community Service Examples

Academic tutors Al-Anon, Alateen and Alcoholics Anonymous Community Service Boards Employee assistance programs (school or corporate) Health care providers and health departments Mental health, family and substance abuse services Religious groups, counselors and leaders Shelters for the homeless/Food banks Social services departments Parks and recreation departments Youth outreach and after-school programs (i.e., YMCA, Big

Brothers/Big Sisters, Boy/Girl Scouts) Youth sports organizations

 

Engaging Stakeholders

A community has a stake in its schools and mission

Collaboration is mutually beneficial Community-School Prevention Councils

Community-school universal-level planning

Selective and indicated-level collaborative services

Engaging Stakeholders

Steps to community-school universal-level programming success: Form coalitions with groups most likely to

help schools Assess needs based on objective data Establish goals that can be measured Fill gaps in prevention services Evaluate efforts to adjust programming

Engaging Stakeholders

Know the people and groups with whom to collaborate

Know how community agencies function Schools and stakeholders share

information back and forth to better coordinate efforts

Support stakeholder initiatives

Engaging Stakeholders

Develop Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) together Clarify expectations and roles Communication and coordination Confidentiality Monitoring and evaluation

Review periodically and adjust

Summary Students benefit from programs designed by

schools that provide smooth transitions, foster safe and respectful school climates, and encourage and support family participation.

Students benefit from the involvement of multiple stakeholders through partnerships and support services.

Multiple communication strategies are key in building relationships that encourage student attendance and academic endeavors.

Collaboration

Examples of Community–School Collaborative Student Assistance Programming

Collaboration with Masonic Organization-Masonic SAP Model

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv8HgNN9AWQ

Nantucket High School http://www.plumtv.com/videos/nantucket-student-assist

ance-program

Efforts in student and family supports and

stakeholder engagement that are NOT based on student needs will NOT raise your graduation

rate.

Community Stakeholders

efforts

Department efforts

Feeder school efforts

Central Office efforts

Administrative organizational

efforts

Parentefforts

Needs Assessment

Take a few minutes to review the results of your needs assessment for Elements 4 and 5

Select an indicator that is a strength and be prepared to explain why it is a strength

Resources for Elements 4 and 5National Registry of Effective Practices and Programs: http://nrepp.samhsa.gov

Hamilton Fish Institute: http://gwired.gwu.edu/hamfish/Programs/

IES What Works Clearinghouse- Drop-Out Prevention: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/reports/advancedss.aspx

National Dropout Prevention Center: http://www.dropoutprevention.org/home

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Programs: http://www.ojjdp.gov/mpg/

Promising Networks on Children, Families and Communities: http://www.promisingpractices.org/programs_outcome.asp

Resources for Elements 4 and 5 Daniel L. Duke: The Challenges of School District Leadership Mike Fullan: All Systems Go Carol Dweck: Mind Set: The New Psychology of Success Mike Schmoker: Focus: Elevating the Essentials To Radically

Improve Student Learning Douglas Reeves & Elle Allison: Renewal Coaching:

Sustainable Change for Individuals and Organizations Reeves and Austin: Personal Coaching Megan Tschannen-Moran: Trust Matters and Evocative

Coaching: Transforming Schools One Conversation at a Time John Kotter: Leading Change: Why Transformative Efforts Fail

Resources for Elements 4 and 5 National High School Center http://www.betterhighschools.org National School Climate Center:

http://www.schoolclimate.org/about/ Find Youth Info: http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/index.shtml Safe and Supportive Schools: Engagement, Safety, and

Environment: http://safesupportiveschools.ed.gov/index.php?id=01

Americas Promise: http://www.americaspromise.org/Our-Work/Grad-Nation/Building-a-Grad-Nation.aspx

Center for Innovation and Improvement: http://www.centerii.org National Center For School Engagement:

http://www.schoolengagement.org/ Center For Mental Health In Schools: http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/

What was one idea I learned during today’s webinar that I

plan to share with colleagues at

my school?

Next Steps

What are your defined practices for student and family supports and stakeholder engagement and are they effective?

Review the “Team Life Cycle” and “Team Assessment” documents for our next webinar

Regional Liaisons

Frank Ehrhart (fehrhart@cox.net)

Courtney Graves (cgraves18@cox.net)

Steve Sage (ssage@embarqmail.com)

Linda Hyslop (linhyslop@aol.com)

Melanie Yules (melanieyules@yahoo.com)

Next Webinar

Regional Liaison Date Time

Steve Sage March 20 10:00

Frank Ehrhart March 20 1:00

Courtney Graves and Linda Hyslop

March 21 10:00

Melanie Yules March 21 1:00