A Blueprint for Action: Support Services Providers

IV: Support Services Providers

Preamble: Recognizing that the delivery of Comprehensive Support Services is increasingly critical to the successful development of our children and their families, it is imperative that guidance counselors, social workers, school psychologists, nurses, and support agencies work cooperatively to ensure that students and their families are provided optimal services and resources. These teams must provide opportunities and promote achievement and excellence in education; therefore, we commit to:

ACTION ITEMS IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES

A. Identify a team of educational support services providers to actively deliver comprehensive services to students and their families in order to ensure academic and social success. 1. Present services from school social workers, school psychologists, speech/language therapists, nurses, and other pupil personnel workers to the school staff, students and families.

2. Identify agencies and organizations linking home, school and community services. Present these resources to the school staff, students and families.

3. Provide teams to deliver comprehensive services in small and large group settings.

4. Develop outreach activities to service all students and their families through local agencies.

B. Develop a process by which students and parents are informed about taking standardized tests and by which teat results are reported to them. 1. Conduct meetings/workshops with students and their families at the beginning of the school year and midyear to address test awareness.

2. Provide an explanation of test results to school staff, students and their families through PTA, Site Council, and other groups' meetings, workshops and seminars.

3. Develop and maintain support for tutorial programs conducted by teachers or knowledgeable students.

C. Develop a process by which students and parents are informed about any testing (formal and/or informal) related to the student case management processes including the formation of a child study support team. 1. Identify participants in the child study team.

2. Coordinate the child study team activities.

3. Disseminate results to parents, students and appropriate service providers.

D. Develop and implement an individual student assistance plan; evaluate and revise plan, as needed. 1. Identify students in need of increased support.

2. Conduct character building/self-esteem workshops for all students.

3. Identify strategies to help students modify behaviors.

E. Work actively with staff, parents, students and community to ensure a school climate that fosters a safe environment. 1. Establish a "Hotline" for students to confidentially report illegal and unsafe activities.

2. Advocate zero tolerance for drugs, weapons and violence.

3. Promote conflict resolution training for school teams which include students as well as all adult staff.

4. Assess school's climate via survey, questionnaire, etc., on a semiannual basis.

5. Provide social skills training as part of the curriculum.

6. Promote and reward effective "teaming"

F. Create opportunities to enable parents to help their young people to be successful in school. 1. Encourage Support Services Providers in conjunction with administrators to develop policy to address parental skills training through workshops, seminars, open forums, etc.

2. Recruit parents to help plan training for other parents.

G. Match students and their families with support resources in the community. 1. Identify organizations that will provide leaders to support students and their families.

2. Facilitate collaboration among organizations and individuals.

3. Actively seek volunteer work experience for students.

4. Identify support programs (e.g., Phone-a-Friend, Dial-A-Teacher, Homework Hotline).

5. Identify and provide a directory of referral agencies and organizations to assist the needs of students and their families.

H. Integrate multicultural education throughout the school year. 1. Assist staff in designing and presenting multicultural activities.

2. Include representatives of the diverse cultures within the school community.

I. Demonstrate and promote a productive environment in which to deliver comprehensive support services to students and their families. 1. Promote a cooperative relationship among students, teachers, administrators and parents.

2. Adhere to guidelines for confidentiality regarding student records and information sharing.

3. Assure support services providers are given opportunities to offer a full range of services (e.g., school psychologists should not be limited to testing for special education placement or in-class intervention strategies).

J. Actively advocate for students and their families. 1. Keep abreast of trends in education (philosophy, methods curriculum, assessment, restructuring, etc.).

2. Educate parents about student concerns and issues.

3. Provide resources and guidelines to parents and students regarding the students' rights to a quality education.

K. Develop an effective system for career awareness and planning for all students. 1. Assist all students and parents in coordinating academic skill needs, course selection, and careers and related areas.

2. Collaborate with teachers to plan and implement a career awareness program for students at every grade level.

3. Collect and disseminate to administrators, parents, students, and teachers up-to-date information on global occupational trends and education and training particularly in science and technology-related fields.

4. Organize activities to help teachers, students and parents recognize the role of higher level mathematics courses in granting access to future courses and careers in science and technology.

5. Introduce students to the historically black institutions and other institutions of higher learning (i.e., tour of college campus, etc.).

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NCEBC: National Council on Educating Black Children
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Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
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New Horizons for Learning
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ACTION ITEMS	IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES
A. Identify a team of educational support services providers to actively deliver comprehensive services to students and their families in order to ensure academic and social success.	1. Present services from school social workers, school psychologists, speech/language therapists, nurses, and other pupil personnel workers to the school staff, students and families. 2. Identify agencies and organizations linking home, school and community services. Present these resources to the school staff, students and families. 3. Provide teams to deliver comprehensive services in small and large group settings. 4. Develop outreach activities to service all students and their families through local agencies.
B. Develop a process by which students and parents are informed about taking standardized tests and by which teat results are reported to them.	1. Conduct meetings/workshops with students and their families at the beginning of the school year and midyear to address test awareness. 2. Provide an explanation of test results to school staff, students and their families through PTA, Site Council, and other groups' meetings, workshops and seminars. 3. Develop and maintain support for tutorial programs conducted by teachers or knowledgeable students.
C. Develop a process by which students and parents are informed about any testing (formal and/or informal) related to the student case management processes including the formation of a child study support team.	1. Identify participants in the child study team. 2. Coordinate the child study team activities. 3. Disseminate results to parents, students and appropriate service providers.
D. Develop and implement an individual student assistance plan; evaluate and revise plan, as needed.	1. Identify students in need of increased support. 2. Conduct character building/self-esteem workshops for all students. 3. Identify strategies to help students modify behaviors.
E. Work actively with staff, parents, students and community to ensure a school climate that fosters a safe environment.	1. Establish a "Hotline" for students to confidentially report illegal and unsafe activities. 2. Advocate zero tolerance for drugs, weapons and violence. 3. Promote conflict resolution training for school teams which include students as well as all adult staff. 4. Assess school's climate via survey, questionnaire, etc., on a semiannual basis. 5. Provide social skills training as part of the curriculum. 6. Promote and reward effective "teaming"
F. Create opportunities to enable parents to help their young people to be successful in school.	1. Encourage Support Services Providers in conjunction with administrators to develop policy to address parental skills training through workshops, seminars, open forums, etc. 2. Recruit parents to help plan training for other parents.
G. Match students and their families with support resources in the community.	1. Identify organizations that will provide leaders to support students and their families. 2. Facilitate collaboration among organizations and individuals. 3. Actively seek volunteer work experience for students. 4. Identify support programs (e.g., Phone-a-Friend, Dial-A-Teacher, Homework Hotline). 5. Identify and provide a directory of referral agencies and organizations to assist the needs of students and their families.
H. Integrate multicultural education throughout the school year.	1. Assist staff in designing and presenting multicultural activities. 2. Include representatives of the diverse cultures within the school community.
I. Demonstrate and promote a productive environment in which to deliver comprehensive support services to students and their families.	1. Promote a cooperative relationship among students, teachers, administrators and parents. 2. Adhere to guidelines for confidentiality regarding student records and information sharing. 3. Assure support services providers are given opportunities to offer a full range of services (e.g., school psychologists should not be limited to testing for special education placement or in-class intervention strategies).
J. Actively advocate for students and their families.	1. Keep abreast of trends in education (philosophy, methods curriculum, assessment, restructuring, etc.). 2. Educate parents about student concerns and issues. 3. Provide resources and guidelines to parents and students regarding the students' rights to a quality education.
K. Develop an effective system for career awareness and planning for all students.	1. Assist all students and parents in coordinating academic skill needs, course selection, and careers and related areas. 2. Collaborate with teachers to plan and implement a career awareness program for students at every grade level. 3. Collect and disseminate to administrators, parents, students, and teachers up-to-date information on global occupational trends and education and training particularly in science and technology-related fields. 4. Organize activities to help teachers, students and parents recognize the role of higher level mathematics courses in granting access to future courses and careers in science and technology. 5. Introduce students to the historically black institutions and other institutions of higher learning (i.e., tour of college campus, etc.).