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.)