Student Success Teams Development of the Present FCUSD Models

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Student Success Teams Development of the Present
FCUSD Models

• Presented by
• Joanie Cunningham, Leslie Faust Richard A.
  Tapia
• July 31, 2006

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Why discuss an improvement of our SST process?

• Recommitment of SSTs as a regular education
  function.
• Impact of RTI
• Connection to District Behaviorists
• SST relation to site resources
• Consistent process paperwork district wide

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Brief Overview Of Effective SST Models
Resources Utilized

• Maureen Burness
• Student Success Teams Supporting Teachers in
  General Education Text
• FCUSD School Site Documentation
• Personal Applications and Research

4
Where are we going?

• We will attempt to address
• What is a Student Success Teams (SST)
• How to implement the process cohesively in FCUSD.

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History and Vision

• SST began in 1980s and emphasized
• Accessing a school-site team and includes the
  parent and the student
• Being a general education process
• Using a systematic problem-solving approach to
  assist students who are struggling
• Defining the students strengths, challenges, and
  areas of concerns
• Suggesting intervention strategies and organizing
  resources
• Creating a system for accountability

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Shift in Thinking About the Team Approach

• The Old Diagnose and Prescribe model
• The New Question Who owns the concerns and who
  has the power to create change?
• Lasting change comes most often when KEY
  PLAYERS are involved. In this case Parent(s),
  and/or significant adults in the students life,
  the student, and of course, the classroom teacher
  and other school staff.

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What is an SST Meeting?

• A general education team meets to consider a
  students strengths and needs
• Parents and student come to the meeting prepared
  to participate.
• The goal is to design a team action plan for
  student success.

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Five Assumptions Underline the need for SST
Process

• When a staff member does not feel successful in
  supporting a students learning, the student
  deserves prompt, constructive assistance.
• Everyone working at the school site should share
  the responsibility for student success with the
  classroom teacher.
• Collaboration with the student and parents/family
  is essential because they also share the
  responsibility for the students success.
• Well-planned school meetings, structured to
  increase the students success, will empower the
  staff to be even more effective.
• Teamwork or team play is a high-level skill that
  should be taught and modeled in our educational
  system.

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Benefits -- This process provides a means to
improve student learning, including

• A way for students to gain control and influence
  over their own learning
• An efficient, effective process that brings
  together all of the available human and program
  resources to support the student
• A safe, structured meeting
• Support for classroom teachers
• Parent awareness of the positive efforts made by
  school staff
• New skills for team members in leadership,
  facilitation, and collaboration
• A practical staff development activity that (a)
  generates better teaching/learning strategies
  that may apply to other students and (b)
  identifies staff strengths that can be used to
  improve overall school functioning
• A forum to define the needs of the school in the
  areas of curriculum, instructional, and classroom
  management

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What kind of student benefits from SST?

• All Students!
• The SST process is an ideal means of bringing
  together multiple perceptions and information
  and to develop creative strategies that are
  acceptable and understandable to all the players.

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The Mind Map as a Picture of Meeting Structure
2. Team members
1. Process
Principal/administrator Teacher/counselor Parent(s
) Student Resource persons

• Identify strengths
• List concerns (choose)
• Brainstorm strategies
• Commit to actions
• Follow-up

SST
3. Defined Roles
Synergy Facilitator Safety
Recorder Accountability Team members
4. Student Success Plan
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Implementation The Recipe for Success

• Structure/recipe for creating a
• Student Success Plan includes
• Before
• During
• After

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How Does an SST Happen?

• Request Received

Assistance
Concerns Not Resolved
Concerns Resolved
Meeting Preparation
SST Meeting
Follow-up Meeting (s)
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Referral Forms to Implement

• Referring Teacher Prep Sheet
• Request for SST Referral Form
• Student Success Plan

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Assistance Coaching ? Observation ? Intervention

• Assume the teacher has some concerns about a
  students academic standing, work production,
  attendance, social behavior, etc.
• Some modifications have been tried, but
  sufficient results have not occurred.
• The parent is aware of the concerns, and the
  teacher has requested SST assistance.

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Meeting Preparation

• SST meeting date is set
• Parents and appropriate participants are notified
• Counselor or requesting teacher(s) facilitate
  data collection
• Parents and appropriate participants prepare

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Follow-up Meeting(s)

• Action Plan results are evaluated
• Options are chosen
• Continued actions and/or select new strategies
• Set a follow-up date and/or choose a team member
  to monitor progress
• Team member has a copy of the small Summary for
  SST follow-up meeting and Action Plan

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Areas of concern that are consistent in both
district and state findings are the need for

• Regularly providing in-service training to staff
  on the SST process
• Increasing staff knowledge of classroom
  modifications and instructional strategies
• Allocating the amount of time the process can
  take.

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504 Connection

• Congress enacted Section 504 of The
  Rehabilitation Act in 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794) as a
  civil rights statute designed to prevent
  discrimination against individuals with
  disabilities. Section 504 is implemented and
  compliance is monitored by the Office of Civil
  Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Education.

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504 Guidelines

• Section 504 has a broader scope of eligibility
  criteria than does the IDEA.
• Section 504 has many provisions similar to the
  Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
• For students, eligibility under 504 means a
  student of school age who has a physical or
  mental impairment which substantially limits one
  or more major life activities.

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More 504

• Section 504 is not an aspect of special
  education. Rather, it is a responsibility of the
  comprehensive general public education system.
• Section 504 expressly prohibits discrimination
  based on handicap.
• A district can be held liable under Section 504
  for not evaluating a student even when the parent
  has not requested the evaluation.

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Quote from Unknown Hard Working Productive School
Administrator.

• The best way to avoid a 504 plan and its
  possible sanctions, is to implement and achieve
  an effective Student Success Team effort.
• -Unknown