Students At Risk – 660.5a
School Based Youth Service
Education Program
St. James Elementary School
Washington, Iowa 52353
Approved: 2-4-1992
Reviewed: 4-7-1992
Reviewed: 4-4-1999
Reviewed: 5-4-2002
Reviewed: 1-20-2009
Reviewed: November 4, 2015
St. James Elementary School
Student at Risk Program (STAR)
PHILOSOPHY
The St. James Student At Risk Plan (STAR) is based on the belief that all student an learn and experience success within a positive and supportive learning environment.
MISSION
The STAR program will provide opportunities for at-risk students to experience academic success and gain the personal and interpersonal skills necessary to cope with situations interfering in their social and emotional development.
GOALS:
- Accurately identify areas of difficulty contributing to students experiencing a lack of success in the school environment.
- Develop strategies to assist students in overcoming obstacles to a successful school experience.
- Remediate deficiencies in basic educational skills.
- Reduce the student transfer rate.
- Provide students with opportunities which promote a positive sense of self-worth.
IDENTIFICATION
A formal strategy intended to identify those students (Pre-K to 6) who display characteristics which operate as impediments to success will be established. At the elementary level, identifying at-risk students will be a cooperative effort involving classroom teachers, special education personnel, guidance personnel, school nurse, and the support staff from appropriate outside agencies.
Responsibilities for coordinating the efforts of those engaged in this endeavor will be that of the building principal. Identification will consist of keeping the staff informed regarding those students deemed potentially at risk. In addition, attention will be given to referrals given by teachers, family, support personnel, peers, or by outside agencies. Lastly, data analysis will be undertaken in order to ascertain which students are in danger of failing academically, emotionally, and/or socially. Factors to be included as part of this data analysis are:
- Attendance records (frequency of absenteeism, truancy, or tardiness)
- Suspensions or other disciplinary actions.
- Academic grades.
- Participation in school-related activities.
- Low test scores (particularly in math and reading).
- Deficiencies in writing and verbal skills development.
- Inability to pay fees, purchase lunch tickets, or purchase necessary materials.
Students once identified as being at-risk, may not remain in jeopardy throughout the school career. However, some students may need support until they leave school. As a result, a monitoring system is needed in order to periodically review student performance. Along with the usual indicators of progress reports and report cards, other strategies will be employed to justify the continuation of support services or allow for exit from the program. These other strategies include:
- Child-study teams
- Periodic review of Individualized Education Plans.
- Routine discussions with parents/guardians
- Follow-up assessments with cooperating agencies.
- Regularly scheduled staff meetings to discuss student progress.
INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT
Crucial to the success of the at-risk program are those activities designed to assist students needing help to success academically. Such activities will consist of:
- Pull-out remedial programs (Chapter 1 math and reading and Resource Room.)
- Modification of teaching techniques to provide for individual instruction. (Development of individualized instruction programs.)
- Peer tutoring (Assistance from peers in reading in math.)
- Teacher and/or computer based tutorial assistants (Provided three times weekly by the media/library specialist and other times as necessary.)
- After-hours help to students. (Assistance either before school or after school by the teachers.)
- Early intervention.
In order for the at risk program to continue meeting the needs of students, an on-going analysis of its strengths and weaknesses will be undertaken. As a way of initiating this analysis, a survey of teachers and administrator was conducted in 1990 and reviewed by the Advisory Committee in January of 1992 resulting in the following recommendations:
- Designing an organized transition program to support students to transition to the junior high program upon graduation from St. James.
- Establishing a parent support group such as Home and School.
- Instituting incentive reinforcement programs including Book Fairs, State Spelling Bee, Geography Contest, DAR Writing Festival, Olympiad Contests in Science, Language Arts, and Geography, Traffic Safety and Water Safety Poster Contests, Fire Safety Program and Contest, AEA Writers Workshop for grade 6, and the St. Jude Math-a-Thon.
- Establishing a summer school program.
- Providing an on-going staff in-service program.
- Initiating a longer school day.
- Creating a time-out counseling centers.
Several recommendations, appropriate to the elementary level were formulated. These recommendations are:
- Developing a collaborative program with business and industry. (Campbell Soup, Hy-Vee, Cereal Labels.)
- Offering academic flexibility through the use of an extended learning program.
- Creating a latch-key and/child day care center.
THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL BOARD
The St. James School Board of Education play a crucial role in the success of the at-risk program. This role consists of reviewing existing policies and practices negatively affecting student performance. The areas of review for the board will include:
- Discipline Policies.
- Support Services.
- Attendance Policies.
- Student Activities.
- School/Community Relations.
If, during the course of this formal review, a determination is made that selected students
are being placed at-risk due to existing policies and practices; alternatives will be examined for the purpose of alleviating potential difficulties. In keeping with this course of action, the Board will provide time during regularly scheduled meeting to review one of the five areas listed.
FAMILY
- Divorced
- Single parent
- Latch key
- Poor attendance
- Family programs
- Support/concern
- Economic
- Cultural experiences
- Abused children
- Support agencies
- Unreasonable expectations
- Change in Family Structure
ACADEMIC
- Underachievers
- Poor attendance
- Retention
- Potential dropouts
- Transfers/dropouts
- Changes in performance
- Support agencies
- Unreasonable expectations
- Teacher/student problems
- Suspensions/detentions
PERSONAL
- Suicide
- New students
- Social Skills
- Handicapped
- Racial and family diversity
- Potential Transfers
- Youth offenders
- Gender barriers
- Chronic behavior problems
- Self-esteem
WELLNESS
- Health/hygiene
- Substance users/abusers
- Stress and depression
INTERVENTIONS
- Referral to Social Services
- Child guidance – Iowa City agencies
- Behavioral and academic contracts
- Quest
- Human growth and development programs
- Orientation (for 6th grade graduates) and transfers
- Parent programs
- Academic recognition
- Chapter 1
- Summer school
- Telephoning parents if absent
- Talent search
- Vocational awareness
- Career education
- Communication with parents
- Speakers
- Reviewing and modifying curriculum
- Choices and Chances at the Y
- Extracurricular activities with the public school i.e. band
TEACHER/ADMINISTRATION SURVEY
An At-Risk student is any student identified who is at-risk of not meeting the goals of the educational program established by St. James. These students include, but are not limited to, those identified as: potential dropouts, drug users, drug abusers, low academic achievers, abused and homeless children, youth offenders, economically deprived, minorities, cultural deprived, those with sudden negative changes in performance due to environmental or physical trauma and those with language barriers, gender barriers and disabilities.
At Risk AreaProblemWhereInterventionGrades
Family
Academic
Personal
Wellness