S CHOOL B ASED E FFORTS : A P LAN TO S UPPORT A T -R ISK Y OUTH Shanna Grunewald EDU644: Child & Family Welfare Instructor: Dr. Allyson Johnson July 6, 2015

I NTRODUCTION F IRST, T HANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY ! My name is Shanna Grunewald and I have assumed the role of the Coordinator for Continuous Improvement for the Manor Independent School District (MISD). I am here today to present to you: teachers; school principals; and district administrators, some information that will bring awareness to issues regarding at-risk youth, truancy, parental involvement, and special-education as related to student academic success. This presentation will also give us the opportunity to discuss the roles we can play in contributing to this success and what we can do to work together and develop solutions for problematic issues we may experience in these areas of student support.

U NDERSTANDING Y OUTH A T -R ISK Youth at-risk are school age children and teens that struggle to maintain social, emotional, and academic success. The reasons why youth are at risk vary. Poverty is a leading factor that puts youth at risk but child maltreatment and abuse is another factor that has serious implication to them as well.

Y OUTH A T -R ISK I NDICATORS Youth may be at risk if they…  Have learning disabilities,  Have limited or no English proficiency,  Are experiencing homelessness  Live at or below the poverty level  Have single or low educational level parents  Are exposed to inadequate or inappropriate educational experiences  Are involved in drugs or alcohol  Have been abused sexually, physically or emotionally  Are mentally ill  Are being neglected at home or live in stressful family environments  Lack social or emotional supports  Are involved with delinquent peers (Teachnololgy, n.d.) (National Center for School Engagement, n.d.)

B EHAVIORS A SSOCIATED WITH B EING A T -R ISK Irregular attendance- truancy Running away Developmental delays (language, reading, & social) Aggression Violence Social Withdrawal Alcohol and/or Substance Abuse Bullying/ Harassment (Teachnololgy, n.d.) (National Center for School Engagement, n.d.)

I MPLICATIONS OF B EING A T -R ISK o Short-term Adequate teaching/learning is challenging with the disruptive behavior of at-risk youth. o Long-term Risky and dangerous youth behavior has serious implications on the safety of the at-risk youth them selves as well as others around them. Take into consideration the tragedy at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Youth at-risk are more likely to not gain an adequate education; leaving them “doomed to live out their lives underemployed, unemployed, or unemployable” (Barr & Parrett, 2001, preface). The negative outcome of youth at-risk, without effective support to help them before it is to late, is putting our nation at risk Children/Youth living in poverty are at lower levels of academic achievement than those who live in the middle and upper classes.

S OLUTIONS : H OW TO H ELP o Provide a safe comfortable environment for learning. o Implement effective teaching strategies (Barr & Parrett, 2001). Help students develop caring and sensitivity towards different cultures, disabilities, and social classes. o Teachers should develop warm, caring relationships with children (Teachnololgy, n.d.). o It is important for teachers to build a positive support system with their peers. o Maintain consistent collaboration between teachers, students, and parents. o Partner with community programs or develop programs that support students at risk (National Center for School Engagement, n.d.)

S OLUTIONS : I NTEGRATING A F RAMEWORK Creating a positive school climate helps students feel safe, secure, and supported. This climate can be implemented by designing the school in a way that is welcoming to students, their parents, and the community. When they feel welcome, parents will be more likely to get involved in supporting their child’s education and their school, which in turn encourages students to strive for success (Barr & Parrett, 2001). Teachers, parents, and the community can come together to develop after school programs that will provide students with a safe place to go after school. After school programs can offer tutoring, mentoring, and opportunities for youth to get involved in the community. This helps the community, teaches necessary life-skills,and instills positive values in participating youth, their parents, and community members. (Google Images, 2015)

P ARTICIPANT A CTIVITY What are some things you can do, in your specific job title, to help with at-risk youth enrolled in the MISD? Considering what has been presented here and what you may already know, lets take some time to collaborate and discuss how everyone here can make an impact by answering the following questions… o Are there any programs or strategies that are already in place in MISD that have been effective at helping students at-risk? o How about programs or strategies that are in place that have not been very effective?

T HE H IGH S CHOOLS T HAT W ORK P ROGRAM (HSTW) This is an initiative that was developed in Atlanta in 1987 and has become “one of the largest and most successful programs in the United States in improving the academic performance of at-risk students” (Barr & Parrett, 2001, pg. 167). The goals of this program include: High expectations for student learning Rigorous vocational courses More required academic courses Learning in a real-world work environment Collaboration among academic and vocational teachers

B IOTECH A CADEMY - S AN J OSE C ALIFORNIA This video shows a perfect example of a school that has set goals similar to HSTW and has been very effective in turning around students who were at-risk. (If video does not work please use link found on the reference page.) (Edutopia, 2003)

R EFERENCES Barr, R.D. & Parrett, W.H., (2001). Hope fulfilled for at-risk and violent youth: K-12 programs that work. Boise State University. Pearson Education Co.. Needham Heights, Massachusetts [Edutopia.] (October 1, 2003). Biotech Academy: A catalyst for change [Video file]. Retrieved from video video Images found using: Google Images, (2015) National Center for School Engagement. (n.d.). Serving at- risk youth. Retrieved from risk-youth Teachnology. (n.d.). The effects of poverty on teaching and learning. Retrieved from nology.com/tutorials/teaching/poverty/