Kanawha County Schools - West Virginia Department of Education

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$Informal Assessment Strategies: A-Z for the Math Classroom$

Elementary Alternative Education classroom will also be equipped with web cam for therapeutic and student/staff security purposes. HOPE Community Development Corporation will provide each student a mentor/tutor that will continue to have a relationship with the student for a minimum of six months upon completion of the six-week program. Each mentor/tutor will be invited to participate in SAT or IEP Team meetings. Social/Emotional Needs and Behavior Prestera Center for Mental Health Services: School-Based Services will address social/emotional needs and behavior two days per week through assessment, psychological evaluation, individual/group therapy and supportive intervention. Psychiatric medication management is also available to students, if needed. The mentor/tutor will also connect the student to extra-curricular events in the community. Family Intervention and Support The fifth day of the week, Prestera Center School-Based personnel will provide family therapy sessions. Families will also receive home visits as part of follow-up programming. Prestera Center staff will participate in SAT and IEP meetings, manifestation and expulsion hearings. Kanawha County Schools and HOPE Community Development Corporation have an existing partnership (along with 28 other state, business and community-based organizations) addressing Truancy Diversion through the HOPE Youth and Family Services Clearinghouse Project, due to funding from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. Families of students participating in the Elementary Alternative Education project will be referred to a Youth/Family Development Specialist at the Clearinghouse. The Specialist will provide information, referral and case management on a wide range of community services, such as economic support, job training, housing and health. The purpose of the Clearinghouse is to provide comprehensive coordination for families and bridge school- and community-based services. 2. How is this vision linked to the school or consortium’s five-year strategic plan? This project aligns with goals and objectives in the Kanawha County Schools five-year strategic plan. Kanawha County Schools will reduce inappropriate student behavior. The district continues to collect data to measure against annual Targets on the number of out-of school suspensions, reported violent student behavior incidences, incidences of bullying, harassment and intimation, suspensions related to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Data is also collected and monitored on other relevant risk indicators – attendance, failure in two or more subjects, grades and number of referrals to mental health services. The Kanawha County Student Support Team meets monthly to review data, policy and trends and discuss attendance and inappropriate student behavior strategies. All of this information is shared with Principals on a monthly basis. Professional development activities are provided to staff to address effective strategies for working with student attendance and behavior. Kanawha County Schools will improve the graduation rate of our students and reduce the dropout rate. The bulk of resources are directed to middle and high schools in Kanawha County. One of the identified strategies specifically addressing elementary school students is to secure funding to address students with social and emotional tendencies. The Retention Policy was recently updated (5-2-11) to state that elementary students shall not be retained more than one time in grades K-5, a significant risk factor for dropout. 3. How is the school or consortium’s vision connected to best practice and current research in reference to raising student achievement and/or dropout prevention? A National Dropout Prevention Center/Network and Communities in Schools (2007) report identifies 4
several elementary school risk factors related to dropout. School performance factors include low achievement and retention/over-age for grade and school behavior factors include misbehavior and early aggression. This project will target Kanawha County Schools’ elementary school students that exhibit the school behavior risk factors of misbehavior and early aggression, having been suspended, expelled or having multiple violations of policies and rules. Fifteen effective strategies to address drop-out prevention have been identified by the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network and the Elementary Alternative Education project addresses six of these strategies. School-Community Collaboration Kanawha County Schools has a long history of collaboration with community organizations and this project strengthens relationships with Prestera Center for Mental Health Services and HOPE Community Development Corporation to address the needs of at-risk elementary students. Kanawha County Schools and Prestera Center have been conducting monthly meetings over the last year to discuss current contractual programming and to plan for the Elementary Alternative Education project. There are 28 other partners participating in the Clearinghouse project with HOPE Community Development Corporation and Kanawha County Schools. Family Engagement A key and integral part of the project is engaging the at-risk student’s family to fully participate in interventions, as research as shown the positive effect the family can have on the child’s achievement. Prestera Center will provide family counseling, interventions and home visits, with HOPE Community Development Corporation serving families through the Youth and Family Services Clearinghouse Project. Written parental consent for participation is required for students to be accepted into the Elementary Alternative Education project. Parents will be invited by Kanawha County Schools and partnering agencies to participate in any SAT, IEP Team and/or treatment planning meetings. Kanawha County Schools Social Workers are available to the project to assist with family interventions. Early Childhood Education Drop-out prevention must be addressed as early as possible to prevent middle and high school difficulties. The best classroom instruction from the beginning of a student’s school experience through the primary grades is imperative, as well as early intervention for those students experiencing challenges. Kanawha County Schools has a commitment to increasing supports available for dropout prevention on the primary level. Mentoring/Tutoring HOPE Community Development Corporation will match the identified students with a mentor that receives the appropriate background checks, training and ongoing supervision. A one-to-one caring and supportive relationship based on trust with a mentor/tutor to address specific needs in reading, writing or math strengthens the connections between school, family and community. Alternative Education and Individualized Instruction The project’s alternative school and individualized instruction activities allow the students to stay connected with their classmates and prevent their falling behind academically. The students will log in to their respective classrooms and receive added assistance from the Elementary Alternative Education teacher and aide to keep in touch and get extra help on their basic skills. 4. How has the school or consortium’s current data influenced the creative vision described in question one? In 2010-2011, Kanawha County Schools had a drop-out rate of 3.3% representing 400 students. Four other West Virginia counties had higher drop-out rates, but the number of students in these four counties combined represents only 218 students in the same year. Research demonstrates that students 5
Page 1 and 2: West Virginia Department of Educati
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Page 9 and 10: Meet academic needs of 160 Elementa
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Page 15 and 16: FY 2013 Expenditure Amount Requeste
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Kanawha County Schools - West Virginia Department of Education

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