I m Ready For Success

Transcription

1 I m Ready For Success A cooperative approach to At-Risk youth programming. Nate Mahanes - Program Director Bryan Branch Center Director Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center David Skipper Director of Student Support Services, Mecklenburg County Public Schools

2 Presentation Outline Program Overview I m Ready For Success is Program Design and Target Audience Program Goals and Objectives Primary Goals Outcome Objectives Delivery Methods Identification and selection of participants School based intervention Educational Incentives Reinforcements Evaluation Program Results Sample Activities Questions.

3 Taking a closer look I m Ready For Success is

4 Fun & Interactive Students learn and progress through engaging hands-on activities. A Team Effort Students, Parents, Teachers, School Administrators, and 4-H Center Staff all work together. Goal Oriented & Incentive Based Students identify and achieve personal and group goals. Students are recognized and rewarded for their successes.

5 Academically Sound Curriculum developed to align with subjects students are currently studying at school. Real & Personal With assistance, students identify individual risk factors and set goals for personal improvement and growth. Students held accountable for their behavior and for achieving their goals.

6 Focused on Sustainable Life Skills Development Through achievement of individual goals, students are given the opportunity to learn accountability and develop self worth. Progressive Teambuilding activities are designed to introduce and reinforce the concepts responsibility, dependability, sharing, communication, cooperation, trust, critical thinking, problem solving, acceptance of others, leadership, follow through, and maintaining a positive attitude.

7 Through processing students identify the relevance of different activities to their daily lives and how they can apply what they have learned in the future.

8 Program Design Program developed to assist local public schools. Program has been designed to: Help mitigate the formation of negative behavior patterns in young children. Help students become more engaged in the learning process. Empower students with the tools needed overcome socioeconomic conditions and life situations that if left unaddressed may lead to more serious problems.

9 Target Audience At-Risk elementary school students who are failing. Academically Socially Behaviorally

10 Program Goals

11 To increase the likelihood that public school students (4 th and 5 th grades) with identified risk factors will acquire skills and techniques to: Overcome underlying causes of their specific risk factors. Show significant improvement in targeted areas. Demonstrate social and academic improvement. Develop awareness of and engagement in their own development.

12 Outcome Objectives

13 By the end of their first school year of involvement in the program, each student (as identified as being at risk for each of the following factors) will have achieved the follow in relation to their individual baseline rate: 80% increase in daily school attendance 90% decrease in office disciplinary referrals 90% increase in final scores of SOL* core tests for 5th grade students 90% increase in final scores of SOL off year practice core tests for 4 th grade students 60% decrease in referrals to School Guidance Counselor for individual counseling related to impaired social functioning * Virginia Standards of Learning

14 Delivery Methods

15 Identification Guidance Counselor and Administrator, with Teacher input, identify students with: Skill deficiencies that relate directly to academic performance. (e.g. organization, study, time management, etc.) Mild to moderate behavioral issues that center on deficiencies related to interpersonal beliefs about self, social interaction or relationship skills, respect for authority, and self control. External situational obstacles that impact the student s ability to be physically and/or psychology present and motivated towards learning objectives.

16 Selection Guidance Counselor Selects appropriate students with active and informed parental consent to participate. Divides students in a manner that produces relatively balanced groups in size and configuration on indices of age, grade, gender, race, academic ability, physical ability, and social maturity.

17 School Based Intervention Targeting: Guidance Counselor determines and records at least one, and no more than four, targets to be monitored for each student (e.g. office referrals, grades, teacher reports, etc.). Establish Baseline: Guidance Counselor meets with each student and establishes a baseline goal for each identified student target. Each time a student exceeds their previously established baseline goal, the baseline is elevated and reestablished at the new (highest) level the student attained.

18 Intensive Deficiencies Counseling: Guidance Counselor provides individual and small group sessions (one per week to start and no less than two per month) focused on improving the student s targeted deficiencies. Monitoring: Guidance Counselor tracts and records student performance on the target issues compared to individual baselines at approximately six week intervals.

19 Educational Incentives Kick-off: (Event 1) 4-Center Staff travel to school to meet students. The facilitators are introduced and explain expectations for student participation and performance. The 4-H Center Staff then provides a one to two hour activity based on team building, social skills, and fun! Center Based Activities: To attend the first 4-H Center-Based Activity, students are required to meet or exceed their baseline goals for each of their targets immediately prior to attending the activity. Each activity consists of an approximately two and-a-half hour long (SOL based) educational component that is mostly hands-on and takes advantage of the unique environment and opportunities offered at Holiday Lake 4-H Center, and approximately two and-a-half hours of SOL correlated self-esteem, team building, challenging, and fun-filled activities. Lunch and snack are included for the day.

20 Center Based Activities: (Events 2-4) To attend the first 4-H Center-Based Activity, students are required to meet or exceed their baseline goals for each of their targets immediately prior to attending the activity. Each activity consists of an approximately two and-a-half hour long (SOL based) educational component that is mostly handson and takes advantage of the unique environment and opportunities offered at Holiday Lake 4-H Center, and approximately two and-a-half hours of SOL correlated selfesteem, team building, challenging, and fun-filled activities. Lunch and snack are included for the day.

21 Reinforcements Invitation Students are invited to participate in the program because of their special qualities. Announcements Students participating in the program are called to program activities from their classes over the public address system. Guidance Counselor- Students are provided with continuous personalized support and interaction with guidance counselor. Activities The nature and location of the activities themselves provides reinforcement and motivation for students.

22 Certificates of Participation - Each student completing the program is individually recognized for their participation and awarded a certificate of completion. Improvement Students able to show improvement on targeted skills reap the benefits of improved academic, behavioral, and personal performance as well as learning the valuable skill of setting measurable, obtainable goals. Relationships - Students are afforded the opportunity to experience and develop relationships with teachers and support staff outside of the traditional restrictions of the school environment and can continue to develop those relationships at school. Students are also able to interact with their fellow students in more appropriate ways and practice good social skills in a less structured environment.

23 Evaluation Student Performance: Performance of students based on target goals is tracked and evaluated. Staff Participant Performance: School and Center Staff debrief each activity to identify strengths and weaknesses of each activity and include the out-put during upcoming activities planning. Effectiveness: Over time, the performance of students is expected to show improvement in relation to their target goals. The actual differences in student end-performance on their target goal as compared to their baseline goal, determines the overall effectiveness of this program as an intervention.

24 Results Since it s inception in 2006 the I m Ready For Success program has seen proven results year after year. More than 90% of all participants have achieved or exceeded their goals. After only it s first year the program was expanded to include three additional schools.