Member Meetings>Spring 2010 Member Meeting
Spring Meeting
Engaging the Disengaged and Non-Traditional Learner:
Alternative Pathways to School Success
Spring 2010 Member Meeting
April 21-24, 2010
Louisville Marriott Downtown, KY
MEETING TOPIC:
Our Spring Meeting focused on "Engaging the Disengaged and Non-Traditional Learner: Alternative Pathways to Success." For this meeting we examined alternatives to traditional offerings in order to engage students who, although still enrolled in school, have disconnected from much of what their schools and/or classes are offering. These students may be disruptive or simply passively disinterested, but they are at high risk of dropping out. Many disruptive students end up in "Alternative Schools" that too often are no more successful in engaging them in learning than the settings they left.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Dr. Ted Price, Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership Studies at West Virginia University, was our keynote speaker. Dr. Price has been in the field of education for over forty years, during which time he has authored more than twenty articles, been asked to keynote several conferences, and conducted numerous workshops/seminars throughout the United States in regards to: school leadership, working with at-risk youth, and school reform in education. Dr. Price served in many educational leadership positions including as the Superintendent of Schools in Virginia. Most recently, he held the position of Assistant Superintendent of Education for the Orange County (California) Department of Education, where he was responsible for programs and services for alternative education students: at-risk, delinquent, incarcerated, dropouts, special education, and home-schooled youth and adults. Currently, Dr. Price serves as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Justice and to school districts and county educational agencies across the country. He is also an Advisory Board member to the National Delinquency Task Force for Adjudicated Youth and is a Past-President of the International Correctional Education Association.
Dr. Price's keynote presentation will be available for download in early May
(Click on the presentation titles to access a PDF of the presentation)
- Jefferson County Public Schools, KY - It Works! Louisville Kentucky's Approach to Zero Expulsions
- In order to reduce out dropout rates and improve student achievement, Jefferson County Public Schools offers a continuum of services ranging from in-school alternatives to residential programs. A variety of clear options that meet the needs of all students was discussed as well as how the assessment center helps determine appropriate placement into our alternatives schools. In this session, district representatives presented methods for promoting caring, safe, and secure environments in alternative schools that are conducive to the provision of challenging instruction. The alternative schools are able to offer a computer-based program that accelerates the acquisition of basic skills and provides a curricular foundation for local credit recovery. In addition, leaders from a diverse public school setting shared innovative programs that can schools can be proud to offer including: POP’s (Positive Outreach Program), STOP (Student Recovery Offsite Program), Behavior Coaches, and Safe and Drug Free programs.
- Memphis City Schools, TN - Technological Rhyme and Reasons Project
- Participants in this session had the opportunity to view animated skits, student directed movies and other challenging technology projects that were collaboratively designed and created by special and general education students. In order to become engaged as learners, these high school students became “learning agents” who took ownership of ideas and information and then modeled their own solutions. Students that were involved in the “Projects”, now have a better understanding of English, math, history and other subjects. Most importantly, data shows how these learning projects were implemented in classroom in order to support state standards and assessments while still focusing on school attendance and positive behavior alternatives.
- School District of Philadelphia, PA - A Look at the Camelot Alternative School Program in Philadelphia
- In 2004, The School District of Philadelphia (“District”) and Camelot Schools of Pennsylvania (“Camelot”) created a partnership to provide specialty programs to large numbers of disengaged and non-traditional learners. What initially began as one program for 400 behaviorally challenged students has branched into five (5) campuses that incorporate three (3) distinct program models with each campus supporting an approximately 25-30% special education population. A summary by program and campus include:
- Two (2) alternative discipline schools (“transition” schools) that together provide approximately 900 students ages 10-21 removed from campus for student code violations with a comprehensive educational program.
- Two (2) dropout recovery/accelerated graduation programs (“multiple pathway” schools) that together provide approximately 650 overage and under credentialed students ages 16-21 with an accelerated curriculum to graduate, and which supports students in making a successful post-secondary transition; and
- One (1) therapeutic day school with a maximum enrollment of 44 students to provide behavioral and academic programming to District students diagnosed with multiple disabilities (e.g. cognitive, behavioral, and /or physical) and students with severe diagnosed emotional and behavioral disturbances
- Presenters highlighted common keys to success with particular emphasis on an effective behavior model, single-school culture, differentiated instruction, and data-driven decision making. An overarching theme of the presentation centered on the question: “What are the components of a good public/private partnership” and the conditions that must be present so public school districts can benefit from public/private partnerships when addressing programming needs for disengaged and non-traditional learners.
- Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township, IN - Systems Change: Creation and Alignment of Student Support Centers
- The MSD of Wayne Township shared the journey of creating, aligning and implementing Student Support Centers in a large, diverse district. Student Support Centers are a safe harbor for students with social, emotional and behavioral differences. This presentation highlighted the vision, process and day to day function of a structure for educating all students in their home school. A focus was the process of systems change through the involvement of stakeholders, data collection and review, consensus building, training and staff buy-in. The structure of successful SSCs was shared through video, analysis of data collected on usage of the centers, initial data on student outcomes, description of collaborative partnerships, sample schedules and curricular considerations. Attendees received the Guidance Document and Walk-Through Inventory used to assess and monitor SSCs as well as the district Tiered Behavior Intervention pyramid.
- Jefferson County Public Schools, KY - Making the Last Day Their First: Alternative Transition Programming for Students with Moderate and Severe Disabilities
- As students prepare to enter the “real world”, it is our duty as special educators to teach them the skills they will need once they are out of school. Often, this requires us to examine the postsecondary goals of a student and plan backwards, so that their last day in the public school system will mirror the first day in the next phase of their life. Because of the various needs and goals of students with moderate and severe disabilities, such planning demands that we utilize a creative approach for teaching transition skills. This session highlighted three different alternative transition programs designed for students with moderate and severe disabilities in Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS). The programs highlighted will include Work Transition Program (WTP), VOICE (Vocational Opportunities In Community Environments), and PACT (Providing Access to Community Transitions). While the aforementioned programs are not the only transition programs for students with moderate and severe disabilities in JCPS, they represent a range of transition programs available to students throughout the district. Each program is designed to foster student independence in a variety of settings, so that when they graduate, they will be ready to live and work as independently as possible. The audience also heard about ways in which these programs work with community partners to make their program a success.
- Miami-Dade County Public Schools, FL - Youth in Transition at The Mac: Putting the Pieces Together in a Relational Framework
- A panel engaged participants in a discussion regarding key evidence-supported program components adapted by the Young Men’s Academy at MacArthur South for high-risk students. Presenters emphasized how these components can be integrated within a relational framework, with respect to the compromised attachment histories common to our clients. Key program components include: Career Training, Transition to Independence, Positive Behavior Support, Response to Intervention, Secondary School Reform, Progressive Discipline, Service Learning, Family/Community Involvement, and Single Gender Education. Data supported evidence includes attendance, GPA, referral, and outdoor suspension rates.
- New York City Community School District 75, NY - Successful Community-Based Programs for Special-Needs High School Students
- This presentation highlighted the varied special education programs in District 75 of the New York City Public School System. The presenter highlighted: effective school-wide collaboration with community-based organizations and local communities that enables “at risk” students to earn high school credits and receive real-life work experiences during the school day; innovative behavioral strategies and interventions; instructional strategies to promote academic achievement and credit accumulation; on-site campus skills that prepare students to go out to worksites (Transition Centers); Career Scope assessments; and, data that demonstrates achievement and positive student outcomes. There was a focus on the worksite program that provides the opportunity for individuals with disabilities to become independent through employment. The program provides job readiness skills and assists young adults who are having difficulty maintaining employment. The presenter focused on how students are assessed and considered for the worksite program and how the transition planning process helps determine the students’ strengths, abilities, skills, functional aptitude, academic levels, specific needs, limitations as well as any accommodations that are needed to support students’ goals after leaving the New York City Department of Education.
- Clark County School District, NV - Project GO Team --- Supporting the Needs of Special Education Students Who Have Been Sent to Alternative Behavior Schools and Are Transitioning to a Comprehensive Campus
- Clark County School District currently operates 7 alternative behavior schools for students who have been suspended or expelled as a result of violations of school campus and school district rules. Many of these schools have a population of special education students that makes up 15% to 20% of the student population which is almost double the special education population in total for Clark County School District. This over representation of special education students is one of the reasons that a student support services team was identified to provide administrative and technical support to these behavior schools. This team is made up of a group of administrators and teachers who collaborate with the staff and administration at the alternative behavior schools. After reviewing district data for special education and initial data from the alternative schools, a need for a system of support for special education students was identified. This system is the Project GO team. Project GO consists of two teachers with a background in special education and behavior support who work with students who have been sent to alternative behavior schools. The Project GO team members provide assistance for students as well as support for the schools who are working with the students. This support includes identifying specific student needs, collaborating with school staff, meeting with families, and assisting in identifying and utilizing school district and community resources for these students. The Project GO team focus is to support a successful transition back to a comprehensive campus and ultimately to increase the number of Clark County School District special education students who graduate with a standard diploma.
- Madison Metropolitan School District, WI - A Real Alternative: Malcolm Shabazz City High School
- Malcolm Shabazz City High School is an “alternative” high school with the Madison Metropolitan School District. Shabazz serves MMSD students who are at-risk for not graduating, disengaged at their home high school, and/or are in search of a smaller educational setting. The Shabazz curriculum emphasizes Service-Learning, Character Education, and experiential learning. The staff are all certified in the areas of their discipline. Students must meet the same graduation requirements as their counterparts in the traditional schools. Shabazz is not a charter school. Twenty percent of the Shabazz student body is identified as students with disabilities in need of special education services and individualized academic support. The success for Shabazz students can be directly related to the relationships they build with the staff and Shabazz community, the engaging curriculum, and the high behavioral expectations.
- Fairfax County Public Schools, VA - An Alternative School's Success at Closing the Achievement Gap
- Mountain View High School is currently ranked sixth in the State of Virginia out of 318 high schools based on academic excellence in SOL tests scores in English and Algebra. Mountain View’s student population includes students who are pregnant and/or parenting, speakers of languages other than English, special education students, students assigned by the hearing office (discipline infractions). The school also has students over the age of seventeen who attend voluntarily. Many of our volunteer students have repeated 9th grade 2 or 3 times. Some students transfer with course credits but no passing SOLs. As a result, statistically the population is comprised of the 2% of unsuccessful students from Fairfax County base schools. These variables make our student body very unique and diverse. While each student’s needs and learning style makes them unique, Mountain View’s exceptional staff uses a variety of tools to evaluate each student, create a graduation blueprint, and implement that plan; overall, understanding each student as a whole. Mountain View has a 98% graduation rate. Participants gained strategies for engaging struggling students to become academically successful and received information on how using data and outside classroom resources are aligned to establish a culture to support high level learning for every student.
