Killingly Community Service Program An effective alternative to out of school suspension

1. Killingly Community Service ProgramAn effective alternative to out of school suspension Laurie LeClerc, KCSP Director Mike Devine, KHS Assistant Principal

2. Overview of Presentation • Introduction • Program Goals • History of Program • Key Components • Partnerships • Proof of Success

3. KCSP Goals • Provide structured, meaningful alternative to out of school suspension • Decrease opportunity for negative behavior during unsupervised suspensions • Improve the rate of success of suspended students returning to mainstream education • Increase parental involvement and skills in target group

4. Provide Structured, Meaningful Alternative to Out of School Suspension • Eliminates opportunity for unsupervised “vacation days” • Changes value of “inappropriate action” versus administrative “reaction” • Community service projects allow opportunity to build self esteem

5. Decrease Opportunity for Negative Behavior During Unsupervised Suspensions • Trooper support if truant • Committed adults in supervisory roles • Hands on with kids • Parental involvement and support if needed • Behavioral counseling • Ownership of actions • Cause and effect of reactions

6. Improve the Academic Success of Student Upon Return to School • Provide homework and academic assistance • Provide two hours of study time • Communicate with faculty to help them understand progress and goals • Assist in transition back, as advocate if necessary

7. Increase Parental Involvement in Target Group • Contact made with parent/adult • Support available for student and family • Counseling/behavioral training available for family

8. History of KCSP • Program began as competitive grant • Partners in grant writing became partners • Student focus groups were key to design • Reality of issues in school • Ownership • Partners who collaborated in writing grant agreed to start before monies arrived • Board of Education made program a priority

9. Key Components • Community Service • Behavioral Counseling • Academic Support • Law Enforcement Support • Clearly Defined and Consistent Expectations

10. Community Service • Builds self esteem by giving back • Provides students opportunity to see how less fortunate others may be • Community service learning programs decrease course failure rates, suspensions, and teenage pregnancy* • Increase self worth *The Center for Law and Social Policy Report

11. Behavioral Counseling • “We teach people how to treat us.”* • Ownership and empowerment, cause and effect of actions • Addressing layers of groups that contribute to student success • Peers • Family • Administration and staff

12. Academic Support • Homework assignments • Daily assignments • Teachers know they cannot throw a student out and solve the problem • Students know they cannot escape the requirements though poor behavioral choices • Supervised study • Removal of one barrier to success upon return

13. Law Enforcement Support • Trooper available to assist in providing ‘rides’ if student is a no show • Trooper works with students • Role model • Career exploration • Opportunity to ‘see the other side’ for students and for trooper • Assist in behavioral issues

14. Clearly Defined and Consistent Expectations • Code of conduct for students • Actions and consequences • Defined expectations of staff • Ownership • Appropriate behavior at program • Expectations for behavioral changes

15. Partnerships • External partnerships • Community service sites • Law enforcement • Internal partnerships • Administration • Teachers • Support services

16. Proof of Success Projected 2006 – 2007 Incidents 134 Days of Suspension 684

17. Conclusion • Academic Support • Community Service • Behavioral Modification • Staff>no throw a way's • Students>no escape • Parents>reinforce changes • Partnerships