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Zipura Burac Matias
Carolyn Maddy-Bernstein
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
National Center for Research in Vocational Education
Graduate School of Education
University of California at Berkeley
2030 Addison Street, Suite 500
Berkeley, CA 94720-1674
Supported by
The Office of Vocational and Adult Education
U.S. Department of Education
November 1997
FUNDING INFORMATION
| Project Title: | National Center for Research in Vocational Education |
|---|---|
| Grant Number: | V051A30003-97A/V051A30004-97A |
| Act under which Funds Administered: | Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act P.L. 98-524 |
| Source of Grant: | Office of Vocational and Adult Education U.S. Department of Education Washington, DC 20202 |
| Grantee: | The Regents of the University of California c/o National Center for Research in Vocational Education 2030 Addison Street, Suite 500 Berkeley, CA 94720 |
| Director: | David Stern |
| Percent of Total Grant Financed by Federal Money: | 100% |
| Dollar Amount of Federal Funds for Grant: | $4,500,000 |
| Disclaimer: | This publication was prepared pursuant to a grant with the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education. Grantees undertaking such projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their judgement in professional and technical matters. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official U.S. Department of Education position or policy. |
| Discrimination: | Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states: "No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance." Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 states: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance." Therefore, the National Center for Research in Vocational Education project, like every program or activity receiving financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education, must be operated in compliance with these laws. |
Each of the sections in this publication contains questions and activities that will help school districts in the process of developing or redesigning their student services system. Because each school system is unique, specific solutions are not offered, but, rather, simple, practical steps educators can use to build a system to meet their school's unique needs are suggested. This publication is designed for use in conjunction with the OSS BRIEF, Improving Student Services in Secondary Schools, included in Appendix A.
In May 1996, the U.S. Department of Education published a document entitled Putting the Pieces Together: Comprehensive School-Linked Strategies for Children and Families. This document outlines ideas, issues, and solutions that can help schools and their partners in designing, implementing, or modifying comprehensive school-linked strategies for helping children and families. According to this document, comprehensive strategies accomplish the following:
Family Resource Centers . . .
Program Operation
Program intake begins at the eighth-grade level through a series of outreach activities aimed at identifying students most at risk of failing or who have already failed in the system. Ninth- to twelfth-grade referrals are made by teachers and other school personnel. Students who identify themselves as needing help may also come to the STC center as walk-ins. Each of these students is then assigned a case manager and a mentor.
STC staff consists of the director, a senior consultant and social worker, a business internship coordinator, and case managers. Every staff member serves as a case manager for a group of 10 to 40 students, depending on the hours they work and their other responsibilities. Each staff member is responsible for their assigned students, handles all the paperwork related to their students, and coordinates their efforts with a team consisting of specialists from STC, school personnel, and community representatives. The team may include probation officers, business representatives, and service agency representatives.
The components of the program include implementation of an integrated curriculum, delivery of Applied Career Awareness modules, interaction with professional mentors, job shadowing and internship opportunities, and additional support services provided by case managers and social workers. In the integrated courses offered during the tenth, eleventh and twelfth grades (e.g., Biology and Geography), teachers use class time to highlight particular careers. The Career Awareness Preparation modules are offered during the ninth grade. Tenth graders avail themselves of job shadowing opportunities (typically a six-week, once per week program of visits) which offer exposure to a variety of positions within a given business. Job shadowing offers students opportunities to meet professionals, to experience the actual worksite, and to make decisions about their future. Hands-on experience is provided through internship placements which typically last 15 hours per week for nine weeks. Interns assist in the actual operation of a business. These experiences often lead to summer jobs or entry-level positions after graduation.
Basic services that students receive include development of an individual academic plan, assistance in putting together an academic portfolio, job placement, summer employment, academic enrichment, support of mentors, community service, recreational/ cultural activities, and counseling. Social services--provided as needed--also include child care, psychosocial assessment, crisis intervention, use of community resources, and service plan treatment.
Recognizing the crucial role that parents play in their children's educational aspirations, the program staff work diligently to involve parents in all aspects of their children's program. During 1995-1996, there was a marked increase in parent/family participation in activities such as school visits, home visits, and parent support groups. (See Appendix B for contact information.)
The structure of the Oklahoma program is unique and largely responsible for its success. The Planning and Coordinating Council on Services to Children and Youth is mandated by law and includes 36 positions held by members of public and private organizations. As the chart shows, planning and resource development begin at the district level and flow upward to the state level, while training and other technical assistance flow back to the district.
Various entities have been identified to support and enhance the state of Oklahoma's vision for healthier individuals, families, and communities. These entities include the schools, state and federal agencies, and public and private service providers. The vision calls for increased school-linked services (see School-Linked Services figure on p. 9) and an educational system increasingly responsive to the needs of children and their families. It calls upon the legislature for adequate, responsive funding as well as support for collaborative partnerships.
Assisted by OCCY, the thirty districts across the state were asked to develop five-year plans to improve conditions, services, and outcomes for children, youth, and families in their area. OCCY staff provided inservice and strategic planning assistance to every district in Oklahoma. The Strategic Planning Process, which local personnel were trained to use, was a strategic planning process especially suited to service providers and educators. The Institute for Cultural Affairs (ICA) developed the process.
The ICA works internationally to promote a culture of leadership and participation and is widely known for its use of participatory methods. Known as Technology of Participation, these methods help people plan together and reflect on their experience and also help motivate them to action. (See Appendix B for contact information.)
In addition to developing yearly implementation plans, each district board has a specific map and time line to follow to move toward their goals and realize their vision at the local level by the year 2000. Each of the district's plans includes a vision, contradictions (barriers), strategic directions, action arenas, five-year time line, implementation briefs, and a priority wedge. For example, one of the plans includes the following:
Rationale
Too often, students who have special needs but do not qualify for special education services or are still in the assessment process do not receive help because no one is there to see that they get what they need from school and community service providers. ISTs help to meet these students' needs by assisting their teachers. Their approach is based on the premise that many teachers need help identifying solutions to instructional challenges caused by students increasingly complex academic, behavioral, social, and emotional needs. Team members support teachers by engaging in collaborative problem solving and assisting them with precise, classroom-based assessment.
Group Composition
Every IST includes, at the very least, the principal, the students teacher, and a support teacher. Parents are encouraged to actively participate. Depending on the students needs, other school personnel involved may include the school psychologist, subject specialists (e.g., remedial mathematics teacher, reading specialists), speech therapists, and school nurses.
Implementation
Parents or school staff may refer students for assistance. While some teams meet on a regular basis, there is no specific length of membership or schedule of meetings for ISTs. Both teachers and parents can request instructional support for the students. The team then works with the classroom teacher to identify what will work best for the student.
The support teachers serve as the direct link between the team and the student. They are responsible for helping classroom teachers meet the goals set by the entire team. Support teachers work with students to assess their needs in the classroom, and they model strategies to help teachers, parents, and others who provide direct services.
The ISTs also serve as a bridge between special and regular education programs. Team members help the regular teacher develop accommodations to help students with disabilities succeed in the general education environment. They also help the regular teacher make the best use of the support services required by Individual Education Plans.
Training and Evaluation
The Pennsylvania Department of Education provides training to all IST members through training consultants who work on-site, specialized training workshops, and regional networks for follow-up and support. Evaluation of the program is conducted on-site by a three-person team consisting of practitioners and training consultants from other districts. The evaluation is conducted during a program's second year of implementation and focuses on organization and management of the program, student assessment, interventions, and identification and screening of students who need instructional support and/or multidisciplinary evaluation. For further information, refer to the article entitled "Building Special and Regular Education: The Pennsylvania Initiative," in the February 1996 issue of Educational Leadership. (See Appendix B for contact information.)
KNOW YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT
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| Southwest Educational Development Laboratory 211 E. Seventh Street Austin, Texas 78701 |
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| Southwest Educational Development Laboratory 211 E. Seventh Street Austin, Texas 78701 |
| Name | Reasons for Including This Individual |
| Southwest Educational Development Laboratory 211 E. Seventh Street Austin, Texas 78701 |
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| Southwest Educational Development Laboratory 211 E. Seventh Street Austin, Texas 78701 |
There are four steps involved in this process:
Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth Vision
Garland Independent School Districts Career and Technology Education Guidance Program Mission
Other schools and programs have developed their own effective student services systems. Good programs share much in common: They start with an original vision, provide ample time for planning and training, conduct developmental activities through collaborative efforts, and show a commitment to ongoing evaluation. The success of these programs demonstrates that a responsive, proactive student services system must be implemented through the well-planned, collaborative efforts of school, community, and business representatives and other supportive individuals and groups.
Gysbers, N., & Henderson, P. (1994). Developing and managing your school guidance program (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.
Kovaleski, J. F., Tucker, J. A., & Stevens, L. J. (1996). Building special and regular education: The Pennsylvania initiative. Educational Leadership, 53(5), 44-47.
Maddy-Bernstein, C., & Cunanan, E. S., (1995). Improving student services in secondary schools. Office of Student Services' BRIEF 7(2). Champaign, IL: National Center for Research in Vocational Education, Office of Student Services.
Maddy-Bernstein, C., & Cunanan, E. S. (1996). Student services: Achieving success for all secondary students (MDS-1007). Berkeley: National Center for Research in Vocational Education, University of California at Berkeley.
McKillip, J. (1987). Need analysis: Tools for the human services and education. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth, & Oklahoma Planning and Coordinating Council for Services to Children and Youth. (1995). Childrens agenda 2000: A state plan for services to children, youth and families. Oklahoma City: Office of Planning and Coordinating Council for Services to Children and Youth.
Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. (1993, Summer). Vision, leadership, and change. Issues . . . about Change, 2(3).
U.S. Department of Education. (1996). Putting the pieces together: Comprehensive school-linked strategies for children and families. Washington, DC: Author.
Zapata High School's Comprehensive Career Guidance and Counseling Program. (1997). Unpublished application for the 1997 Exemplary Career Guidance and Counseling Program Search. Available: http://ncrve-oss.ed.uiuc.edu.
While many believe an excellent faculty and a rich curriculum are the necessary components to improving student outcomes, there is another area often overlooked by reformers - a comprehensive, coordinated student services system designed to enhance every student's chance for success. The means must be found to help all students move successfully from one educational level to the next and/or from school to work and lifelong learning. An efficient and comprehensive student services delivery system will help attain this goal. This BRIEF provides the rationale for such a system and describes the wide range of services high schools need to provide. A second BRIEF in 1996 will provide information about a coordinated student services delivery system. (This BRIEF is adapted from an NCRVE CenterWork article currently in press.)
The School-to-Work Opportunities Act (STWOA) of 1994 supports providing all students equal access to the full range of program components, including recruitment and enrollment activities. The Act also places emphasis on improved career guidance and counseling services and the necessity for students to select a career major by the 11th grade. These and other services must be improved to strengthen the transition process. For example, all students will profit from career counseling; child care and transportation services allow single parents and teen parents to take advantage of their educational opportunities; job placement services assist students in their job search and also support good matches of students and employers; follow-up services improve programs; and student assessment helps all students understand their strengths.
In January 1995, the National Center for Research in Vocational Education reorganized its Office of Special Populations to become the Office of Student Services (OSS). Their work began by conducting a literature search to identify (a) the full range of student services represented in secondary schools and (b) the best models for effectively delivering these services. (Contact the OSS for a summary of the literature review.)
Surprisingly, the literature review failed to uncover a single listing of all student services one might expect to find in a secondary institution. Furthermore, the literature search revealed no comprehensive student services delivery models. While the literature is replete with information about student services, most references center on models for delivering services to students enrolled in special education, or services for other students considered to be at risk, or models for career development and guidance and counseling services.
Furthermore, even the "student services" terminology is problematic. Several terms are associated with and/or used interchangeably with student services. For example, student affairs, student personnel, student development, and support services are associated with student services in the literature. In addition, the terms support services and supplemental services are both used in recent legislation. While supplemental services is defined in the legislation (Carl D. Perkins Vocational and applied Technology Education Act, Sec. 521(38)) as "...curriculum modification, equipment modification, classroom modification, supportive personnel, and instructional aids and services," support services is not specifically defined. The Perkins Act indicates support services pertain to services such as counseling, special transportation needs, English-language instruction, mentoring, child care, and special aids. In the School-to-Work Opportunities Act and in day-to-day practice, the terms are used interchangeably.
In lieu of an acceptable definition in the literature, the Office of Student Services defines student services as those services provided by an educational institution to facilitate learning and the successful transition from school to work, military, or more education. To be effective, services must be:
The Office of Student Services (see figure 1) depicts three stages of attendance:
(1) pre-enrollment - the period when one is preparing to enroll in a secondary school;
(2) enrollment - the period when the student is enrolled; and
(3) post enrollment - the period when the student has left the program whether they have advanced to the next level or withdrawn.
Students require some services during all three levels and others at different stages of enrollment. Of course, each studentÕs needs will be unique. The OSS listing includes basic services that should be available during all three stages. Some of these services, such as counseling, food services, transportation services, safety and security services, and medical/nursing services, are often taken for granted by students and parents. Other basic or fundamental services include child care assistance, psychological services, social work/social services, and special accommodations.
During the pre-enrollment stage, students need certain services to facilitate their movement to the next level. Orientation to their new school is very helpful. Appropriate assessment should take place as well as career awareness and exploration activities. Students will benefit from career/educational counseling prior to entering a high school program.
During enrollment, most students will continue to need educational/career counseling including career exploration and awareness, career/transition planning (including financial aid), and additional assessment. Some students will need tutoring, most will benefit from a mentor, and almost all can use academic advisement. Job referral and job placement services help ensure students smooth transition to work.
While early school leavers and graduates traditionally have minor contact with the former institution, many of them would still profit from job referral, job placement, and counseling. There seems to be a growing trend for former students in the post-enrollment stage to return frequently to their previous school or college to serve on advisory councils, act as mentors to current students, offer jobs to students, and to provide other assistance.
While there is probably no single "best" approach to providing essential student services effectively, the following are some general guidelines that schools can use in building a student services system:
The student services team consists of professionals who specialize in providing counseling, job placement, consulting, assessment, and other related services to ensure the career, educational, social, emotional, intellectual, and healthy development of all students. Typically, a student services team consists of the school counselor, social worker, psychologist, nurse, and other related professionals (Schmidt, 1993, p. 35), as well as special education resource teachers, Chapter I teachers, special populations coordinators, assessment specialists, para-professionals, and rehabilitation counselors (Tennessee State Department of Education, no date).
Other school services personnel who should be included on the team are transition specialists, school-to-work coordinators, multicultural services professionals, tutors, academic advisors, job coaches, and recruitment representatives. Local service providers should also be represented. Inclusion of employment, health and social services, welfare, and other community services will further strengthen the team. Representatives from food services, child care, and transportation could meet periodically with the team.
Ideally, student services are centrally located or found in areas with good access. To coordinate the various services, a director is needed. Commitment and collaboration from among the different student services professionals are essential to organizing and implementing a comprehensive student services system. Members of a unified team collaborate with one another to make the various components work as one. They strive toward one goal - to prepare every student for success in careers and lifelong learning.
In 1996, the Office of Student Services will work to encourage systems change so that student services, which are based on the developmental career needs of all students, become an integral part of the eduational process. To learn more about implementing an inclusive student services delivery system, the OSS staff will work with two schools who seek to improve their student services system. Another BRIEF will be published next year highlighting the results of this study.
American Vocational Association. (1992). The AVA guide to the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1990. Alexandria, VA: Author.
Schmidt, J. (1993). Counseling in schools: Essential services and comprehensive programs. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
School-To-Work Opportunities Act of 1994. (1994, May).
Tennessee State Department of Education. (no date). Support services team: Duties and responsibilities. Unpublished manuscript.
Brought to you by NCRVE/OSS.
For more information contact l-iliff@uiuc.edu
Contact: Karen Ellis
School-to-Career
East/Manual High School
1700 E. 28th Avenue
Denver, CO 80205
(303) 391-6310
Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth
Planning and Coordinating Council for Services to Children and Youth
4545 N. Lincoln, Suite 114
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
(405) 521-4016
Fax: (405) 524-0417
Institute of Cultural Affairs
1504 25th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 323-2100
Fax: (206) 322-6266
E-mail: icaseattle@igc.apc.org
WWW: http://www.ica-usa.org/
The Pennsylvania Initiative
Contact: Joseph Kovaleski
Instructional Support Team Project
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Bureau of Vocational and Adult Education
333 Market Street, 7th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
(717) 783-2311
Leadership for Change Training
Contact: Dr. Deborah V. Jolly
Leadership for Change Institute
Southwest Educational Development Laboratory
211 E. Seventh Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 476-6861