INTRODUCTIONBerkeley High School, Monday morning. The chatter of students talking over assignments and weekend activities fills the air. It is a clear, crisp October day, sunny but not warm. Amy, a bright, energetic junior is on her way to the computer lab--but first, she has to stop at the child-care center and drop off her eight-month-old son. The school-run child-care center is for students only. This semester 14 children are enrolled. | |
| Comprehensive, coordinated student services enhance apportunities. | Amy and Jerry--like all other students--rely on student services to help
enhance the availability and quality of their educational experiences.
While many believe that an excellent faculty, improved teaching techniques,
and a rich curriculum are the necessary components to improve student outcomes,
there is another important 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 in their journey from
one educational level to the next and/or from school to rewarding careers and
lifelong learning. An efficient and comprehensive student services delivery
system will help attain this goal. This document presents information on
student services in order to help secondary schools respond to the diverse
needs of the nation's growing student population. The following questions guided the organization of this document: (1) What does the term "student services" mean? (2) What student services models are discussed in the literature? (3) What research has addressed the area of student services? and (4) What are the services that secondary schools can provide to be more responsive to students' needs? The National Center for Research in Vocational Education (NCRVE) recognizes the need for and importance of providing comprehensive student services. In January of 1995, the NCRVE expanded its dissemination and training function to include the Office of Student Services. To accomplish this goal, the former Office of Special Populations was reorganized to include a broader focus on student services that facilitate the transition of secondary and postsecondary students from school to work and/or further learning. It is the mission of the Office of Student Services to work nationally to promote the full range of quality programs and services that assist all students (secondary and postsecondary) in successfully transitioning from school to work. Under the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994, the term "all students" means that this applies to both male and female students from a broad range of backgrounds and circumstances, including disadvantaged students; students with diverse racial, ethnic, or cultural backgrounds; American Indians; Alaska Natives; Native Hawaiians; students with disabilities; students with limited English proficiency; migrant children; school dropouts; and academically talented students. While promoting access to and equity of vocational-technical education programs for students who are members of special populations remains an NCRVE priority (and is a requirement under the 1990 Perkins mandate for NCRVE), the Office of Student Services recognizes the need to improve the broad range of student services that facilitate the school-to-work transition of all students. |
| Student services programs should be an integral part of the educational process. | The NCRVE's Office of Student Services defines student services as those
services provided by an educational institution to facilitate learning and the
successful transition of students from school to lasting and rewarding careers
and lifelong learning. Clearly, high-quality, comprehensive, and coordinated
student services programs can make a difference in every student's educational
and occupational future. To further this goal, the NCRVE's Office of Student
Services works to encourage systems change so that such student services
programs--based on the developmental career needs of all students--become an integral part of the educational process. High schools face the challenge of building a more responsive and comprehensive student services system. It is the purpose of this document to provide secondary student services personnel, school administrators, and teachers the needed information to help them improve their student services program. This document is organized into the following chapters: Chapter 1
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