Silver Oak Academy 2013 Annual Performance Report
Community Advisory Board Members Betsy Baker Elizabeth Grant Nancy McCormick Larnell Simpson Delmas Wood Message From the Director The drive toward perfection is one that we continue to emphasize to everyone here at the Academy. To do everything that you do to the best of your ability should be how you approach every day. There is no excuse not to have perfection as your goal. Is it ever realized? Probably not. Does it always give you something to work for? YES. In 2013, Silver Oak Academy students and staff made a strong push for perfection in several different ways. Awards Received in 2013 Program Director Kevin McLeod was awarded Citizen of the Year by Taneytown Knights of Columbus. Community Advisory Board member Betsy Baker was named Philanthropist of the Year by Community Foundation of Carroll County. Every year the Academy identifies a set of goals and objectives for the entire staff and student body to accomplish. One of our main objectives this year was to increase communication and production by each team. We instituted team development plans for each department created specific procedures to increase communication between all staff and students and increased membership of the advisory team. In our effort to be perfect we completed ten out of twelve objectives set for year 2013. We will continue to strive for perfection. Kevin McLeod, Program Director 2 SILVER OAK ACADEMY
Community Engagement Silver Oak Academy provides community service and restitution activities guided by restorative justice principles, which involves the needs of the victim, the community. and the youth. Through this approach, students learned accountability and gained a range of new skills. In 2013, Silver Oak students provided over 4,947 hours of community service to worthwhile organizations such as: Restoration of Taneytown Bakery Walk a Mile in Her Shoes to benefit the Rape Crisis Center Relay for Life Taneytown Fall Festival Taneytown Wine Festival I like doing community service. Most of it is fun and has made me feel good about myself and what I did to help out others. -Student Athlete Travell A. Career Day Silver Oak Academy s annual Career Day included six guest speakers as well as an opportunity for an up-close view of the Maryland State Police helicopter and a Carroll County Sheriff s Office K-9 unit demonstration. Students watched as the helicopter landed on the football field, while a Maryland State Police officer provided information about the aircraft. SILVER OAK ACADEMY 3
School Student Academic Achievements 18 High School diplomas awarded 9 GED certificates awarded RIT gains of exiting students per semester: Reading: 1.32 Language Arts: 1.32 Math: 2.29 5 students enrolled in community college 9 students awarded a scholarship from Passageway Scholarship Foundation, which assists ROP graduates who want to attend college or vocational trade school $7,413 awarded in Passageway scholarships for Silver Oak Academy students School Highlights An integral component of Silver Oak Academy is its on-site school, which equips students with a strong foundation for success through getting back on track for accumulating credits, or even by obtaining their high school diploma. SOA operates a nonpublic education program including Type 1 General Education, Type 1 full day and partial day Special Education and GED preparation. 100% audit score from the Maryland State Department of Education s accreditation audit Silver Oak Academy offered ProStart Program, which is a national restaurant management and culinary arts program Partnered with Carroll County Public Schools to ensure complete Special Education evaluation and assessment of students Partnered with Glade Valley Nursing Home as a clinical site to train students in the Certified Nursing Assistant program Participated in the Writing to Live Initiative, led by author Joseph Getty, which explored the power of developing personal narratives that reflect their experiences SOA student invited by the Office of Youth Empowerment in Washington, DC to attend the 25th Annual All-Star Youth Recognition Ceremony for his academic accomplishments Graduations Celebrated With an on-site accredited high school, educational achievement has been at the forefront at Silver Oak Academy. Three times a year, Silver Oak hosts high school and program graduation ceremonies for its students. A tradition of the school is to provide graduates with a key that states, Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom. 4 SILVER OAK ACADEMY
Career and Technical Education In addition to the high school diplomas and GEDs issued, Silver Oak students received multiple CTE certifications at its on-site Workforce Development Center. 11 students certified in barbering 17 students certified in construction 34 students certified in culinary arts 4 students certified in environmental science 16 students certified in first aid/cpr 10 students certified in OSHA 40 35 30 25 20 15 34 10 17 16 5 11 10 0 Barbering Construc8on Culinary Arts Environmental Science 4 First Aid / CPR OSHA I have never attended a real high school, now when I leave I will be able to go back as a sophomore and someday attend college. Student Athlete Nicholas B. Exiting Students It is the goal of Silver Oak Academy that all students leave with a plan to enroll in school, enlist in the military or be on track for employment. In 2013, an average of 87% of all students exiting the program were either enrolled, enlisted or employed. Student Government Association Created The education department started its first Student Government Association. Aligned with public school requirements, the Association held a formal voting and election process on campus. SILVER OAK ACADEMY 5
Motivational Interviewing Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based practice that strengthens an individual s own intrinsic motivation to change. Through collaboration with a Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) trainer, SOA staff embarked on a comprehensive training program that resulted in proficient MI trainers through: 16 hours of initial staff training Treatment Coded interviews using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity Coding System (MITI) and mentor coaching to ensure proficiency 16 hours of a second-round training of the Train for Trainers (TFT) candidates Use of specially developed MI training manual to ensure fidelity Continued training support for TFT staff Evidence-Based Treatment Research suggests that youth should have an appropriate dosage of intervention relative to their risk level. At SOA, the average student received over 250 hours of evidencebased treatment in core treatment groups. Annually, the number of hours of treatment provided includes: Family Engagement While at Silver Oak Academy, family engagement plays a critical role in the students treatment progress and in their lives. The benefits of family engagement include improvement in academic outcomes, graduation rates and improved social skills. In 2013, family engagement included: 605 family visitors 4,286 telephone contacts 79 hours of individual family therapy In 2013, the average number of family contacts per student was approximately 93, or nearly 8 contacts per month. 12.0 10.0 8.0 6.0 4.0 2.0 0.0 10.3 Average Family Contacts 8.0 7.9 7.6 7.8 7.5 8.8 7.4 7.2 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 6.7 7.2 6.6 5.4 0.3 10.7 1.2 22.9 4.6 Aggression Replacement Training Effec>ve Prac>ces In Community Supervision Thinking for a Change Substance Abuse Treatment Group 260.2 Posi>ve Skill Development Groups Restora>ve Solu>ons 6 SILVER OAK ACADEMY Posi>ve Organiza>onal Culture Community Groups Gang Treatment Group
Student Life Filler Photo We take every opportunity to expose our students to positive community experiences that enhance their social skills and expand cultural awareness. -Program Director Kevin McLeod Highlights of 2013 Our approach to Positive Youth Development, a strengths-based view of adolescence, includes opportunities for our students to participate in clubs, athletics and extracurricular activities. Students participate in the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association in football, cross-country, basketball, wrestling, track and field and lacrosse Boys Varsity Basketball won the Maryland Independent Schools Basketball Championship Students participated in a Fox News 31 taping and studio hour Tour and ride in Air Force Two Traveled to Alabama to walk the Edmund Pettus Bridge, site of Civil Rights March led by Martin Luther King, Jr. Career Day visits from local K-9 unit and MD State Police helicopter Hosted first Breast Cancer Awareness Cure Access Research Education Walk Flew to Arizona to participate in the ROP Winter Games Basketball Tournament Operating Expenses At Silver Oak Academy, we are proud to dedicate the majority of funding to our personnel and direct student care. 21.7% 0.3% 10.1% 67.9% I feel like being a part of a football team at SOA has helped me learn to think about others and not just myself. - Student Athlete Danavon R. Personnel Direct Student Care Direct Student Services Opera>ons SILVER OAK ACADEMY 7
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID MINDEN, NV PERMIT NO. 94 Rite of Passage PO Box 250 999 Crouse Mill Road Keymar, MD 21757 Phone (410) 775-1745 Fax (410) 775-0242 www.silveroakacademy.com Rite Of Passage Dedicated to improving the lives of youth Silver Oak Academy 2013 Annual Performance Report