Beyond the Classroom: Strategies to Support the Social and Emotional Needs of Students

1. Beyond the Classroom: Strategies to Support the Social and Emotional Needs of Students Spring Title I Statewide Conference May 15, 2014 Presented by Jennifer Alexander, Ed.D. Administrator of Student Interventions Stefan Czaporowski, C.A.G.S. Westfield Vocational Technical High School Principal

2. Social and Emotional Learning • Social and emotional learning may be considered a process where students and adults alike gain the knowledge, skills and insights to appropriately: • Recognize and manage their own emotions • Set and achieve positive goals • Demonstrate caring and concern for others • Establish and maintain positive relationships • Make responsible decisions • Handle interpersonal situations effectively Collaborative for Authentic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) 2008 report

3. Core Competencies • Five core competencies that serve as the basis for understanding social and emotional development: • self-awareness • self-management • social awareness • relationship skills • responsible decision-making

4. At-Risk Factors • “Students with social and emotional competency weaknesses are considered at risk on several levels and often come to the attention of teachers and administrators when they disrupt the learning environment, demonstrate signs of mental health difficulties with depression and anxiety disorders being two common examples, or show signs of injurious behavior such as being at potentially suicidal.” (Young, N., Alexander, J., 2014) (Young. N., Michael, C., Betwixt and Between, 2014)

5. Disengaged Students • Klem and Connell (2004) suggest that between 40 and 60 percent of students, representing urban, suburban and rural schools, become disengaged from the learning process and that this does not even account for the increasingly large number of students who simply drop out.

6. Dropout Epidemic • There is a high school dropout epidemic in America. Each year, almost one third of all public high school students – and nearly one half of all blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans – fail to graduate from public high school with their class. (Milliken, 2007, xxi)

7. National Burden • Each youth who drops out of school and later moves into a life of crime or drugs is costing the nation somewhere between $1.7 and $2.3 million (Milliken, 2007, pp. xxii-xxiii).

8. Dropout Rates and Crime • There is also a correlation between high school dropouts and crime. Someone who didn’t graduate is more than eight times likely to be in jail or prison as a person with at least a high school diploma. Half of all prison inmates are dropouts. In fact, on any given day, more young male dropouts are in prison than at a job. (Milliken, 2007)

9. Impact on Education • Education quality directly affects individual earnings, and dropouts are much more likely than their peers who graduate to be unemployed, living in poverty, receiving public relief, in prison on death row, unhealthy, or single parents. A Nation Accountable

10. It All Starts with Relationships • Programs don’t change kids-relationships do. Every child needs one adult who’s irrationally committed to his or her future. (Milliken, 2007)

11. Social and Emotional Support • Highland Elementary School Before School Program Pilot • Staff- School Adjustment counselors • Services begin in October and conclude in May • Students meet with the adjustment counselor three mornings a week

12. Social Emotional Curriculum • Zones of Regulation • Levels of Friendship • Talk About • Michelle Garcia Winner’s work on social thinking and social behavior

13. Impact • Improved student behavior during the school day • Development of student goals • Skills to develop friendship and social cues • Strategies to identify and process emotions • Strategies to develop social skills • At-home folder for parental support involvement

14. Be Great Graduate Program • Boys and Girls Club grant • 50 students at South Middle School and North Middle School receive mentoring services • Homework support • Motivation, encouragement, goal setting

15. Selection Criteria • Students are selected based on at-risk factors and grant criteria • School guidance counselors identify students • Each student is assigned a mentor • Mentors- teachers and staff counselors at the Boys and Girls Club

16. Program Components • The students meet with the mentor one hour a week at the Boys and Girls Club • Monthly student progress reports are provided to the Boys and Girls Club: attendance, grades, and discipline • Student Centered- mentoring may consist of academics and/or student interests • Relationship Building

17. WVTHS Mentorship Program • Student mentoring at Westfield Vocational Technical High School is defined as a one-to-one relationship between a youth and an adult that occurs over a prolonged period of time. Students typically meet with their adult mentor once a week during the school year. • The goal of the Student Mentoring Program is to improve student attendance and performance and to increase student retention. 

18. Demographics

19. Benefits • Students benefit • by receiving the support and guidance of a caring adult • receiving assistance with academic endeavors • experiencing greater self-esteem and motivation to succeed • receiving encouragement to stay in school and graduate, • receiving encouragement to avoid the use of drugs and alcohol • improving interpersonal relationships, such as with teachers and family • receiving assistance in choosing a career path.

20. Who are our Mentors? • Retired Special Education Teacher • Retired WVTHS Guidance Counselor • Graduate Student majoring in Counseling • Retired Guidance Counselor • Retired ATF Agent • Retired Principal/Reading Specialist • Retired Police Officer • Graduate Student majoring in Substance Abuse Counseling • Retired Math Teacher • Retired Police Detective • Current Principal/Administrator of Student Interventions

21. How a Student Gets a Mentor… • Direct referral to Principal/Guidance Counselor • Parent/Student request • Teacher/Adjustment Counselor request • Building Support Team • 125 students are receiving mentoring services

22. Student Feedback • “My mentor motivates me to get my academic work done and gives me life advice. She’s awesome.” – Grade 11 • “I requested a mentor for math help and I got one. He is really cool. He helps me with math and more.” – Grade 9 • “The mentoring Program at WVTHS has benefitted me mentally and academically. My mentor is my friend and has helped me throughout the school year with every problem I’ve thrown at them.” – Grade 11

23. Student Feedback • “If I didn’t have the chance to work with my mentor, I would have given up on school. She helped me realize that I am smarter than I think. She even helps me with issues outside of school. She’s a really great person and she really helped me a lot.” – Grade 11 • “I am a junior. Last year I did not have a mentor. This year I do. I felt lost and clueless without her. My mentor helped me figure out which college to go to and put me on the right track to get accepted. My mentor also helped me fix my bad reputation. I don’t know where I would be without her.” – Grade 11

24. Staff Feedback • “Our mentoring program has had a wonderful impact on our school. Not only have the mentors made a tremendous difference in our students success, but this program has significantly helped us, Student Services, to be more effective educators, by allowing guidance and teachers to be much more pro-active with other segments of our populace. WVTHS mentors are putting their time and energy into our more needy population, allowing us the time to prepare our more school-ready and school focused population for career and college readiness.  The benefits are quite evident as seen in our decreased drop out rates, increased academic achievement, increased COOP and internship placement, increased college acceptance, and decreased discipline issues. It has also made a positive addition to our already remarkable school climate.” Guidance Counselor

25. Staff Feedback • This year, the mentors have been crucial in helping the students not only get organized, complete assignments, and succeed academically; they have also served as positive role models.  Our mentors often provide the much needed push and encouragement to motivate students who may otherwise become disengaged, and they provide emotional support the students crave.

26. MCAS ELA

27. MCAS MATH

29. Supporting Data Drop Out Data Cohorts Female (% dropped) Student Retention

30. Post Secondary Plans *The number of students attending a Post Secondary School has nearly doubled since 2009.

31. Thank you! Questions and Comments