LINKS Program for Student Success

1. Home State Board | Department | Teachers | Parents | Students | Community | Data West Virginia Department of Education1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston, WV 25305 (Staff Phone and Email by Name) (School Directory) LINKS Advisory Training Barbara Brady, PhD School Counseling Coordinator Office of Instruction Cathy Grewe, Counselor Jackson Middle School

2. Objectives • Participants will… • understand why LINKS is important… the potential impact on students and staff • become familiar with the LINKS Program • explore the LINKS Website • explore LINKing LINKS to other school activities and programs • receive an overview of the www.cfwv.com and www.careercruising.com connection to scalable, sequential and ongoing career development • Begin exploring how to implement or improve program to move from ‘Good to Great’

3. Session ExpectationsITL - in text lingo DNTL ˜ Do not turn on laptop… until we begin exploring the LINKS website POV ˜ Phone on vibrate or turn off NBC ˜ No side “bar” conversations BPPA ˜ Be polite and pay attention STTA ˜ Stick to the agenda BHN ˜ Be here now; try to stay focused though the presenters may be boring; pretend if you have to

4. Throughout both days…. • School Steering Team • Guiding Questions – Agenda Sessions or page 6 & 7 • ACTION PLAN (Appendix A) • Timeline for Planning and Implementing LINKS [Appendix B (NEW) or C (Existing)] • Big Ideas – Resource 2 • Parking Lot – Questions to answer • Connecting to the Internet • LUNCH

5. Timeline for Revising/Redesigning Current Program

6. Session I: PURPOSE Why LINKS? Dr. Barb Brady

7. Children are the living messages that we send to a world we will never see

8. The Unconscious Gap… Until we become aware of the existing gap between what out students can do and what they are doing, we remain satisfied. Sandy River may be a good School, but what can you do to make it great? Calabrese, R. L. (2002). The leadership assignment: Creating change. Boston: Allyn & Bacon

9. Why LINKS… Teacher-led Student Advisory Program Learning, Individualized Needs, Knowledge and Skills • ImprovesLearning for ALL • AddressesIndividualized Needs • Increases Knowledge and Skills for ALL

10. What is LINKS • LINKS is a standards-based, system-wide student support program/system to assist all students in successfully navigating middle and high school. • LINKS was designed specifically for WV students by WV educators

11. What is Advisement? • A systemic approach to providing ALL students with skills and background to make decisions about his/her education and career • A process to aid students in developing self-awareness, option awareness, and decision-making skills • A process to help each student improve his/her chances for success

12. Guidance: What is it? Guidance The help all students receive from parents, teachers, counselors, community members and others to assist with educational and career development Counseling The help some students receive from credentialed professionals to overcome personal and social problems that interfere with learning.

13. LINKS is a Comprehensive teacher-led, student-centered advising program for students in grades 5-12 Organized structure for: Consistent delivery of academic, career, and personal/social content standards Connecting students with a caring adult Increased collaboration between stakeholders

15. Therapy – Outside or SBMH Centers IEP, 504 Support Groups, Mentoring, Student Helpers, Clubs, Crisis Interventions, Short-term counseling Groups, Tutoring, Peer Helpers Classroom Guidance Lessons, School Assemblies, Student Advisement Programs, Test Prep Programs, Academic Plans, Field Trips Student Advisement Programs, School Assemblies

16. LINKS is designed to bridge the gap between what is taught in the 5 – 12 core curriculum and the skills necessary for success in school, post-secondary education, and in the work place

17. Bridge the gap … Self-Knowledge Life Skills School Success Skills Educational Development Work Ethic Career Planning. LINKS Student Advisement…

18. Online Training Tools • Introductory Video

19. The LINKS Program promotes student success in school and life by: • Relationship with a caring adult • Career goal • Connection with post secondary options

20. The Brutal FACTS… Out of every 100 WV 9th Graders 73 will graduate HS 39 will enter college 13 will drop out..freshman year ONLY 16 will graduate in SIX years. National Center for Higher Education Management Systems 2007

21. 2007 Pawley’s Group Report Commissioned by 2006 WV Senate Recommendation 7:Develop a new model for career counseling, student support and academic advising. • recommended that West Virginia develop a systematic way to help students with career exploration. Solution: LINKS + www.cfwv.com

22. 2007 Pawley’s Group Report • West Virginia must move from “random acts of progress” to a system based on the 4 Ss • Strategic • Synergistic • Sustainable • Scalable

23. Expected Outcomes for LINKS… • All students make informed academic and career plans • Parents are systematically involved in their child’s education including the development of academic and career plans • More students are successful in higher level courses

24. Expected Outcomes • Improved school behavior • Fewer classroom disruptions • More time to teach • Increased graduation rates • Higher test scores

25. Expected Outcomes: Academic achievement Standardized test scores On-time transitions from grade to grade School attendance Graduation rates Help schools meet School Growth Requirements by improving:

26. Expected Outcomes… • Consistent Referral process • Easy to use referral forms • Individual Student Referral • Group referral • Family concerns

27. Expected Outcomes: 21st Century Learning Skills

28. Additional benefits to students: Better prepared for the global workforce and post-secondary education Acquisition of school and workplace success skills Build dreams and hopes for the future

29. Sample Integrated Approach

30. Activity 1 – Assessing your current Purpose??? Discuss your current purpose for your established advisory program. • What is the primary purpose? • What are expected student outcomes? • What are expected staff outcomes? • Are expectations being met?

32. Active Schools Campaign Let's Move! WV is about putting children on the path to a healthy future.

33. Let’s Move! WV is an initiative for grades Pre-K through Eighth that recommends schools accumulate an additional 15 minutes of daily physical activity. High schools are encouraged to explore ways to add additional physical activity opportunities to the school day.

34. Physical Activity produces Health Benefits • Reduces the risk for overweight, diabetes, • and other chronic disease • Helps children feel better about • themselves • Reduces the risk for depression and the • effects of stress • Helps children prepare to be productive, • healthy members of society and improves • overall quality of life.

35. Physical Activity Recommendations In 2008, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued physical activity guidelines for Americans, ages 6 and older. Recommendation was for children and adolescents to participate in 60 minutes or more of physical activity daily. The American Heart Association recommends that children and adolescents should do 60 minutes or more of physical activity daily and they participate in physical activities that are appropriate for their age and enjoyable.

36. Physical Activity may lead to Academic Benefits • Robert Wood Johnson foundation • “Activity breaks can improve… • cognitive performance • classroom behavior.” • Wood County • Nationally recognized research from Wood County Schools in Parkersburg , WV recently highlighted by both the Centers of Disease Control and the American Heart Association, has clearly shown the positive connections between healthier children, daily physical activity and academic performance.

37. Let’s Move! WV -Compliment Tag- Physical Activity Break *Youth who are regularly active also have a better chance of a healthy adulthood.*

38. Morning Break

39. Session IV Voices from the Field: WV Examples Nicholas County LINKS Program Damon Hanshaw, Assistant Superintendent

40. LINKS sample schools to discuss… • How did LINKS got started? • Who took the county-level lead? • Who took the school level lead? • What do the LINKS Day schedules look like? Bring samples. • What programs are integrated together? • How has your data changed since implementing LINKS? • What else has changed? • How do you keep the momentum going?

41. Session II : PURPOSE Student Supports & Building Relationships Students Supports Cathy Grewe

42. Standard 4: Student Support Services and Family/Community ConnectionsPolicy 2322: Standards for High quality Schools, the staff: • places student well-being at the forefront of all decisions, • provides support services to address student physical, social/emotional and academic growth, and • forms positive connections to families and the community.

43. Connectiveness “Students are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors and succeed academically when they feel connected to school.” CDC Centers for Disease Control: Strategies for Increasing Protective Factors among Youth A caring adult who will support and care for that child provides that connection as a primary protective factor.

44. Student/Advisor Relationships If students know there is an adult at school who truly cares about them as individuals, they will accept being prodded further Our most vulnerable students are those in greatest need of a meaningful connection

45. If students know you care you can push even more Who is most vulnerable? Malcolm Smith “Why are kids so Angry and What Can We Do About It?” Over 300 students who committed violent acts No relationship with a caring adult (ONLY COMMONALITY) Relationships http://www.cjnetworks.com/~msconsult/peaceful.htm

46. Demonstration: Risk and Protective Factors Volunteers PLEASE!!!

47. Threats to school success: • Low Self Esteem Neglect • Dysfunctional home life Non-supportive parents • Attendance Poverty • Mental Health Issues ESL • Learning disabilities Teachers (negativity) • Safety issues Low expectations • Peer Pressure Abuse/violence • Bullying “Risky” Behaviors • Gang Issues Transportation issues • Poor Nutrition Lack of technology • NO Exercise Drug usage

48. Protective Factors: • Advisors Big brother/sister program • Teachers (positive) Church • Supportive parents Coaches • Community members Band Teachers • Positive peer relationships Free Lunch Program • Prevention programs Federal / State assistance • Policemen • Firemen • Custodian • Bus driver • Community programs

49. Student/Advisor Relationships

50. Creating Relationships • Advisors • Peer Relationships • Mentoring (career, teacher, peer, community) • Tutoring • Student/school connectedness • Student/community connectedness • Faculty relationships • Culture of respect • Family Connections