Foster Grandparent Program

PEACE, Inc., Syracuse, New York

Beth O’Hara FGP Director (315) 295-0719

Outline / Notes/Suggestions
Welcome & Opening
  • introduction
3 take aways –
Relevant recruitment and marketing plans
Orientation and training strategies
Creative solutions to hurdles
Origins of Expansion
  • Superintendent’s One Wish New Year’s 2014
  • School District Stats:
  • # of students – 20,328 students
  • 5 high schools
  • 11 middle and k-8
  • 19 elementary school
128 first and second grades classrooms (62+66)
  • Demographics of students
77% Economically Disadvantaged Students
20% Students with Disabilities
14% Limited English Proficiencies
72% Elligible for free lunch
4% eligible for reduced price lunch
51% graduation rate (NYS – 76%)
20% student suspension rate
  • New York State Report Card Stats ELA and Math grades 3 – 8 ONLY 8% proficient
  • Stats used in CNCS workplan as community need
  • 10 schools in receivership – superintendent can lengthen day & year, change teachers & Curriculum
Recent News: Syracuse ranked 1st in highest concentration of poverty for blacks and hispanics
Of 100 metropolitan areas. # 5 for whitesin poverty.
JUNE 2014
  • Teacher Union vote of no confidence of Superintendent
  • Issue with Discipline Policy/NYS Attorney General found :
* SCSD one of the highest suspension rates in nation
* Disproportionally suspending Black students
* Violated legal rights of children with disabilities
  • AUGMENTATION $$$ “Demonstration Project” – Support of CNCS and Sponsor Agency
  • Team PEACE –
  • Created support Team of agency staff
  • to assist in start-up – lend support and expertise
Previous Staffing- FGP Director
Supervisor of Volunteer / 2015-2016
VSYs 189
CNCS 105
SCSD 84
1st Grade – 62
49 filled
2nd Grade – 66
48 filled
128 classrooms
97 filled
31 open
CURRENTLY:
162 enrolled
Staffing Structure
  • Creation of staff positions to handle expansion
  • Program Assistant
  • Coordinator of Volunteers
  • Training Specialist
  • Recruitment Specialist
  • Worked closely with HR department to develop new job titles and job descriptions
  • Interviewing process and hiring done October – early November with Team PEACE
  • New staff all started on Dec. 1 – in conjunction with site visit from EdNW and Dr. Tan.
  • Team Building Staff Day – December 8 – with professional trainer.
  • Eliminated Recruiter June 30th
  • Vol Coordinator left in May – Refilling position soon
/ Education Northwest
CNCS TTA – support with curriculum, data collection, volunteer management, etc....

Documenting expansion process. To share with all programs in future
Recruitment Strategy
Recruitment Plan
  • Geographically based-plan - school location, nearest senior nutrition/congregate meal sites, senior & low-income housing, senior centers, etc.
  • Local libraries, barbershops, churches, restaurants.
  • Networking with local staff of senior services/human service agencies
  • County Building – recruitment table in lobby of county building – targets those doing business with HEAP, DSS, SNAP, OFA, etc.
  • Mailing FGP brochure with other Agency mail that targets senior clients.
  • School District Support
  • Per school – flyers home – robo calls – PTO meetings,
Parent University -
  • Met with Volunteer Coordinator/Talent Management Dept. From SCSD
Contracted with local Ad Agency
  • Sponsor Agency strict bid process – submit bid and give presentation
  • Ad agency familiar with sponsor agency - did previous work on federal grant
  • Previous work with local non-profits and human service organizations…understood FGP’s target population and geographical search area
  • Expensive – but will pay off for years.
Media Plan
  • Television – 1 week a month – or 2 weeks a month (not run consecutively)
  • AM news, AM news shows, talk shows, game shows. PM news, Wheel, Law & Order, Office.
  • Radio
  • Gospel, Steve Harvey, Kenny D, Latino,
  • Print/On-line
  • Post Standard City Neighbors – special weekly section targeting City news.
  • Syracuse.com – website – ads – targeting senior citizens
  • The Strand – bi-monthly newspaper covering minority issues
  • Public Bus
  • 8 outside advertisements (4 buses – ad on both sides, 4 buses – ad on back)
  • 166 interior cards 12” x 28”
  • Agency Web site –
  • FGP button on home page – redirected to FGP page – BECOME A FOSTER GRANDPARENT
  • In Opening slider – Special FGP page
  • Inquiry form – interested persons can fill out form which is directed to FGP
/ Documented /logged all all inquiries, interviews, no shows, etc.
,
108 new volunteers from August 2014 to August 2015.
Of 86 (August to April 2015)
12 new vols dropped....14%
United Way Report
165 seniors served
70 at 100% Pov. Lev. 42%
77 at 100 – 185% - 46%
Television campaign – very successful.
Radio – not successful
Print – not successful
Bus – Successful
Agency Web site- successful
Volunteer Training
  • Fall 2014 – knowing we were expanding started 2 large group orientations.
  • Developed a training schedule with specific dates – January – March
  • 6 sessions – almost every 2 weeks! Feb & March 2015
  • Revamped curriculum to focus entirely on 1st and 2nd grade/
6, 7, 8 year olds.
Cover:
Child’s culture School culture
Boundaries Communications with teachers
Behavior Strategies Academic Strategies
Students with disabilities and English learners
Youth development stages – characteristics and strategies
  • Increased classroom time –hours and days.
  • Formal, written evaluation by vols of their training session
  • Shadowing – all new FGs spend 2-3 days shadowing a “seasoned” volunteer In their classroom. If necessary, “seasoned” volunteer spends 1 or 2 days with new volunteer In their assigned classroom.
  • Peer to Peer training = very successful
  • Volunteer Supervisor and/or Volunteer Coordinator met new volunteer at school on first day of assignment.
  • Staff followed up with new volunteers during first week – phone call to gauge how things are going.
  • Thank you notes and other recognition to “seasoned” volunteers for serving as mentor.
  • Trainer in process of writing a corrective action plan that can be tailored for use with teachers and struggling volunteers.

School/District Engagement
  • New contact with District – Student Support Services – previously worked with Coordinator of Volunteer Programs.
  • Met with 1st and 2nd grade teachers to discuss program, expectations, Superintendent’s wishes, etc.
  • Site Handbook distributed
  • Our school district contact sends introductory email to school administration when we are looking to start placing volunteers at a new school.
  • Met with Principals of new schools
  • Volunteer Coordinator and Trainer spending lots of time in schools
  • observations of best practices and areas needing corrective actions
SCSC Security Office – NYSED fingerprinting clearance
  • Very time consuming process!
/ SCSD VERY HANDS OFF!!
Year 2 – go back and take more time with sites, teachers, principals. Re-explain, clarify, etc...
APRIL2015 – site visit to DC to observe Reading Parnters & Experience Corps. Evidence based tutoring programs.
Challenges
  • In-Service Training – site to accommodate 150. Conference-like atmosphere!
  • Criminal History Background Checks – slows down placement process!
  • NYOCA - NYS Teach
  • Physical Examination process – slows down placement process
  • Changesd to 1 page “medical consent form”
  • TB screening – changed policy – required for all entering program – every 2 years for Day Care,
  • Literacy Levels – what to do with those unable to be placed in 1st or 2nd grade?? Should we use screening tool to measure literacy levels?
  • Reputation of Schools – too overwhelming for seniors??? Feel unsafe??
Target volunteers who have personal experience with school system – grandchildren in district – more understanding of children’s issues??
  • FG Volunteers – Agency Clients – Agency Mission – ‘Helping people in the community realize their potential for becoming self-sufficient”
  • Although emphasis on SCSD volunteers – tried to always include HS/EHS/Day Care vols and acknowledge their hard work and commitment.
  • Weather Challenges – Winter in Syracuse, NY!! February 2015 – coldest month on record and 2nd snowiest on record!! Many cancellations for interviews and orientation.
  • Paper work – next summer going to schedule paperwork days...... like an in-service....do income review, update emergency contacts, hand in medical consent forms, scsd fingerprint paperwork.
  • Rebranding – using new CNCS logos.
Sponsor wants their logo included too. / SUMMER 2015
Summer movie days
Viewed and discussed relevant documentaries...another training opporunity.
August
2 orientations for new volunteers -=
22 new volunteers
Sept In-Service –
5 different session split by school groups. back to school materials.
1 session for FGs at Head Start, Day Care Centers, Childrens programs.
Concentrate on social & emotional development not
Necessarily tutoring.
CHANGE – no lunch with kids in lunch room . Too chaotic – FGs doing discipline. Must take ½ hour lunch break – therefore work ½ hours more per day.
Director wrote personal note to FGs – copy of positive comments from teachers on end of school year impact surveys - encouragement for new school year.
Closing