Deborah Owens Ed.D. Candidate, Peabody College at Vanderbilt University October 2009

1. Examining School-Linked Social ServicesA Case Study: A Look at Jefferson County (JCPS) Youth Services Centers (YSC) – Flourishing or Failing? Deborah Owens Ed.D. Candidate, Peabody College at Vanderbilt University October 2009

2. Outline of Presentation • Statement of the Problem • Historical Background and Key Literature • Kentucky Reform, JCPS, and YSC Overview • ProjectQuestions and Purpose • Project Design and Methodology • Case Study Findings • Interpretation and Discussion • Recommendations • Conclusion D. Owens 10/9/2009

3. Historical Background and Key Literature • School-linked Social Services • Historical Background • Origins in the Ecological Systems Theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) • Full-Service Community Schools • School is the proper setting where health, mental health, and other services are provided (Dryfoos, 1994) • Social Capital • Norms, the social networks, and the relationships between adults and children that are of value for the child’s rearing (Coleman,1966) • Social capital is necessary for parents, students and the in-school community to positively and constructively relate to each other (Crowson, 1993) D. Owens 10/9/2009

4. Kentucky Reform, JCPS, and YSC Overview • A Nation at Risk (1983) • Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) of 1990 • Family Resource and Youth Services Center (FRYSC) • Unique blend of programs(location, resources, and local need and community input) • 820 centers serving 1,166 schools • Twenty percent free and reduced lunch • Components • Intervention Goals • Improve attendance • Decrease behavior/suspension issues • Increase academic support • Improve physical/mental health • Improve parent relations, support and assistance for all children and their families • Coordinators D. Owens 10/9/2009

5. Project Questions and Purpose • ProjectQuestions: • What are the JCPS middle school teachers’ and administrators' perceptions of how the YSC coordinators are implementing their intervention goals? • What is the perceived impact of the centers’ implementation of intervention goals on school community relations and school staff functional relations? • Purpose • Implications for district policymakers, YSC coordinators, and school leaders D. Owens 10/9/2009

6. Project Design and Methodology Methods • IRB Approval • Semi-structured Interviews • (2008-2009) • Open-ended Questions • Tape recorded • Setting at schools and JCPS FRYSC’s Director’s Office • Questions centered around general knowledge of YSCs, YSCs design and implementation, coordinator’s role and function, school staff functional relations, and social capital Sample • Purposive Sampling • Three JCPS Middle Schools • School Staff and Demographics D. Owens 10/9/2009

7. Research Methodology, Cont… • The Study Sites (Pseudonyms) Table 1: Study Sites (n = 3) D. Owens 10/9/2009

8. Research Methodology, Cont… Analysis • The interview transcripts were organized using the concept-clustered strategy and analyzed using content analysis • Triangulation • JCPS Survey Data (2008 – 2009) • Referral by Category Report (2008 – 2009) • YSCs literature and documents (supplemental materials) D. Owens 10/9/2009

9. Case Study Findings What impact has the YSC coordinator's leadership had on this school? • The majority of teachers and administrators believe that the YSC has had a positive impact on their schools • Coordinator serves on the school’s leadership team • Teachers serve on YSCs Advisory Board • The majority of teachers and administrators believe that the coordinators’ implementation of intervention goals have a positive effect on school staff functional relations D. Owens 10/9/2009

10. What impact has the YSC Coordinator’s leadership had on this school? I think she’s brought in a lot of after school programs. We hear from her more often. She gets a lot of teacher input; I mean she asks us anytime she’s doing anything with attendance buddies or an after school program or referring kids for anything, she asks us, “here, you pick it; what do you need from us; what do these kids need?” White Female Teacher D. Owens 10/9/2009

11. What do you consider the most significant role of the YSC coordinator?The majority of teachers and administrators believed that the YSC coordinator’s roles are to be the liaison with the community and to provide services for students I would say I wear three hats. One is involving mental health counseling one -on -one. I always enjoy working with students just one-on-one, face to face. The second one is administrative paperwork and budgeting, filling out forms and that kind of stuff and reports. Thirdly, setting up programs and starting programs and seeing them through. White Male Administrator (Coordinator) D. Owens 10/9/2009

12. Case Study Findings, Cont… What do you consider the most important prerequisite for obtaining the YSC coordinator position? • The majority of the coordinators agreed that YSC coordinators should have a counseling and or social work background • There was no consistent pattern across teachers and principals Being someone who understands human behavior is critical – wouldn’t say counselor because there are counselors who are good at paperwork but don’t understand people. Their people skills and their ability to understand other people and their needs not only the big picture but individually is a critical component – understand human behavior – wouldn’t have to have experience in a school – the critical piece is understanding of human behavior and how to meet students’ needs there needs to be some kind of interview process that would lead you to know if that person is capable of doing this kind of work. White Female Administrator (Principal) D. Owens 10/9/2009

13. Coordinators’ Background Information (n = 3) D. Owens 10/9/2009

14. Interpretation and Discussion • JCPS Survey Data • Used as proxy • Cross-check confirmed positive school climate • JCPS YSC Referral by Category • Implementation of services students are receiving • Connections to Literature • Some ambiguity of roles (other duties as assigned) • Turf issues • Social Capital was prevalent across all schools • Strong social bonds D. Owens 10/9/2009

15. Recommendations • Hiring practices • Recruitment and Selection • Combination of degree and student-focused personality • Professional Development Opportunities • Centered around their deficiencies • Counseling • Effective Communication concerning the work of the center • Teachers • Emails, Newsletters, Information Sessions • Review intervention goals to ensure efficiency in how resources are used D. Owens 10/9/2009

16. Conclusion • Contribution to Literature • Summary of Findings • YSC are flourishing • Implementation of intervention goals have a positive impact on school staff functional relations • Implications • Assist practitioners, policymakers, and researchers in obtaining a better understanding of how programs operate and achieve various outcomes • Limitations • Does not allow for generalizability outside of KY – local context • Future Research D. Owens 10/9/2009