Student Assistance Programming
Program Manual:
Student Assistance Programming: Creating Positive Conditions for Learning Manual (PDF)
- Alcoholism
- Anxiety
- Bullying
- Community violence
- Depression
- Death of a parent or sibling
- Domestic violence
- Dropout & truancy
- Eating disorders
- Family mobility
- Homelessness
- llegal drug use
- Incarcerated parent
- Mental illness
- Moving to a new school
- Military deployment
- Parental discord
- Parental divorce
- Parent job loss
- Post-traumatic stress
- Poverty
- Serious family illness
- Sexual abuse
- Tobacco use
- Other
Student Assistance Programming: Creating Positive Conditions for Learning
Educators today are more cognizant than ever of how stress can affect the performance of students in the classroom. Just as adults can feel stress from adverse circumstances in their lives, young people can as well. They, too, are vulnerable to stress resulting from a variety of problems they or others close to them may have.
Other students in the same classroom, at the same lunch table, in the same extracurricular activity, or on the same bus, can also feel the ill effects of one student’s problems. When several students have disparate problems left untreated, or a group has a problem in common that has not been dealt with, a school’s entire learning climate can suffer.
Broadly stated, Student Assistance Programming goals are to prevent problems through education and address existing problems by directing students to school-based or community services providers as may be appropriate.
Student Assistance Programming . . .
- provides a framework and process for managing the continuum of social, emotional, and mental health supports for all students and intervention for those in need.
- engages students and parents at each level of prevention, intervention and support services.
- offers a systematic and flexible approach for integrating and sustaining evidence-based practices, programs and strategies to enhance a positive school climate and safe school environment.
- builds and maintains collaborative partnerships with multiple community stakeholders – e.g., law enforcement agencies, community service boards, other behavioral health service providers, social services, the faith community, youth and family service organizations, prevention councils.
- uses a data-driven decision making process conducted by a planning team in each school to assess needs and monitor interventions.
- changes priorities as determined by relevant data and review of existing plans, curriculum, practices, programs and strategies.
Additional Resources
This two-part Power Point series provides an overview of the Student Assistance Programming framework at the division and school levels. It includes creating a tiered system of supports for students and parents through collaborative efforts within the school and with community entities.
- Student Assistance Programming: Creating Conditions for Teaching and Learning Part 1 – March 2012 (PPT)
- Student Assistance Programming: Creating Conditions for Teaching and Learning Part 2 – April 2012 (PPT)
School climate surveys provide significant data in determining need, selecting curriculum, programs, practices and strategies and evaluating outcomes. The links below offer information on climate surveys.
- National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments – School Climate Survey Compendium
- Teaching and Learning Survey – March 2012 (PPT)
Recorded Webinar Session – Risk & Protective Factors
Recorded Webinar Series – The Eight Elements of High School Improvement
This series is designed to present research-based information on The National High School Center’s Eight Elements of High School Improvement. Sessions 4 and 5 discuss Student Assistance Programming.
- Session 4: Student and Family Supports
- Element 4 Presentation (PPT)
- Session 5: Stakeholder Engagement
- Element 5 Presentation (PPT)
Recorded Webinar Series – Tiered Interventions to Support Keeping Students on Track to Graduation
This series provides an overview of a tiered system of support for keeping students in school, progressing in school, and on track for graduation. Webinar 1 of this series discusses tiered intervention of supports and Student Assistance Programming.
School Climate Reports
This section includes the Discipline, Crime and Violence Annual reports, The Safe School Information Resource (SSIR) web application, and a link to the School Safety Audit reports conducted by the Center for School Safety. The reports provide information on student conduct including attendance, psychological, physical and building safety matters. All of which impact conditions that support student learning and the school climate and culture.
Resources that Address Conditions that Impact Learning
- Bullying Prevention
- Child Abuse and Neglect
- Attendance & Truancy
- Gang-related Activities
- Drug & Alcohol Abuse
- Safety & Crisis Management
- Suicide Prevention
- Student Conduct and Discipline
- Student and Family Services
Outside Resources
Resource descriptions and web sites on Student Assistance Programming models, and national centers that include reviews of evidence-based curriculum, practices, programs and strategies.
The Outside Resources (Word) information is also included in the Student Assistance Programming: Creating Positive Conditions for Learning (PDF) manual on pages 141- 149.