Additionally, SASI staff and administration participate in teacher-training in programs that are research-based and pedagogically sound. Teachers are consistently trained in classroom interventions and administrators are trained in school-wide interventions in order to drive reform. SASI strives to participate in programs that have been well-researched and documented in helping all students succeed. Funds are made available for reform programs, meaning teachers are able to purchase items necessary for implementing programs necessary for helping students achieve proficient and advanced levels of achievement.
SASI has also recently partnered with the Office of Dine’ Education and its Department of Statistics in order to make data more useful in driving the instructional program. The Principal, Director of Support Services, Director of Information Technology, Elementary Teacher Liaison and High School Teacher Liaison are working closely with personnel in Window Rock in order to ascertain which reform programs will help the student population specific to Shiprock Alternative Schools, Inc., including Special Education and LEP children. Demographics on teacher and administrator turnover, credentials, etc. will also be explored in order to determine the impact on learning and instruction.
SASI staff has, and will continue to, attend meetings provided by the North Central Accreditation as well as those offered by the OIEP. Efforts to reach full compliance in the Special Education department have been intensified, based on evaluations by the BIA, and the stipend for ESL/TESOL endorsed teachers has been increased in the hopes of recruiting teachers to better serve LEP students. In addition, research into cultural integration by the instruction committee and PAC has indicated that increasing efforts for cultural integration must be made on a school-wide level.
The Special Education program at SASI is also currently undergoing reform, adding certified personnel, programs, and researching additional services to serve the students enrolled in the academic programs as well as those at Tse Bit Ai Exceptional Program.
Finally, the reform strategies involve keeping educationally sound programs in place while adding research-based programs to drive instruction and methodology. Increased percentages of proficiency in 2001-2002 indicate that programs in place are capable of increasing levels of proficiency so it is important to keep those programs that appear to be working in place as part of the curriculum.
High/Scope: High/Scope Educational Research foundation develops an active learning program and curriculum for elementary grades. This method of organizing and managing classrooms and instructional activities to help “at-risk” students improve their school achievement and literacy skills by giving them opportunities to engage in learning activities that contribute to their cognitive, social, and physical development. In brief, this program is built around learning centers within each classroom.
The High/Scope K-6 Curriculum views “at-risk” children as active learners, who learn best when they, themselves, plan, carry out and reflect upon activities. Teaching staff observe, support and extend children’s activities by maintaining a daily routine that permits children to learn actively and construct their own information-gathering program. Teachers arrange instructional activity centers in the classroom to provide learning experiences in math, language arts, science, art, social studies, movement and music that match students’ needs. Teachers oversee the activities to insure appropriate content.
Teachers also participate in the activities and organize daily small group instructional workshops involving concepts and skills in all of the content areas; and engaging children in key child development experiences that help them learn to make choices and solve problems. Another feature of the program includes parent involvement. One very important part of the program is the Plan-Do-View, where students choose the learning center in which they want to participate; they perform the activity; and they then review the results with the teacher or other students. Students engage in discourse describing what was performed, as well as what was learned during the active learning time. In short, they engage in metacognitive activity. Students are taught and expected to move to the learning center and be an active hands-on learner. Students have responded well to this physical learning environment and are productive in this type of learning experience. Space is critical for independent learning. Student’s faces reflect the positive approach to learning in this environment. Elementary level children learn first using concrete objects that are found at the centers. The centers provide for the development into abstract learning. Seeing elementary level children construct graphs and charts depicting what they are learning is rewarding to the children and has been reflected in positive classroom behavior and academic achievement. Research results from High/Scope foundation and their longitudinal studies for “at-risk” students is extremely positive.
FACE Program: Shiprock Alternative Schools, Inc. operates one of the thirty-two FACE (Family and Child Education) sites across the United States. Founded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Indian Education Programs, FACE is a combination of two national organizations, the national Center for Family Literacy and Parents as Teachers. The program’s two components, Home Base and Center Base, focus on developing Family Literacy skills in order that families may be well prepared to help their children meet the objectives of Goals 2000 with respect to school readiness.
The Home Base component currently serves 67 families, ages birth through three. Three Parent Educators make home-visits twice each month to the families and instruct the parents in how to work with their children in order to develop early literacy skills and aid their physical, social and mental development.
The Center Base component currently serves 14 families, three to five and is staffed by an Adult Education Teacher, an Early Childhood Teacher and an Early Childhood Assistant. The component includes adult education for the parents and a center based pre-school setting for the children. Daily Parent and Child Together (PAC) time and Parent Time (PAT) connect the goals of the two areas and allow the parents an opportunity to participate with their child in their learning activities and discuss parent issues, resulting in a strengthening of the family literacy and school readiness goals.
Overall program successes have included adults receiving their General Equivalency Diploma, gaining employment, and developing strong parenting skills in order to facilitate the critical “first learning” that occurs at home and which has been shown to be the major factor in developing school readiness and success in formal education. Children who have exited the Center Base Early Childhood component have consistently exhibited those skills necessary for success in formal education upon entrance into Kindergarten and are often the top students academically and socially in their classes. The program’s greatest impact may be the amount of growth the parents show toward increasing their self-esteem, becoming more employable and developing a higher degree of self-sufficiency. This in turn positively affects to overall family outlook on the importance of education and literacy skills.
Accelerated Reader/STAR Reading: Developed by researchers for the Reading Renaissance, Accelerated Reader (AR) is a program that has proven to be educationally sound. Students at Shiprock Alternative Schools, inc. participate in AR, a program that enables freestanding computer assessment of student comprehension of a book selected from the library. Students must earn at least 80% on comprehension tests. Students a re allowed, through an incentive program, to become self-motivated readers, thereby increasing comprehension and reading proficiencies.
Coinciding with the Accelerated Reader program is the STAR literacy series, also developed by Reading Renaissance. Star Literacy is an assessment implemented grades K-12. The program identifies the following areas for evaluation: general readiness, graphophonemic knowledge, phonemic awareness, phonics, comprehension, structural analysis and vocabulary. After the assessment is completed, the students’ strengths and weaknesses are isolated. The student is identified as an emergent reader, transitional reader, or probable reader, whereupon they are directed into a program that is tailored to the individual student’s needs. STAR reading can find a student’s optimum reading level that is critical in creating the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) allowing for improvement and intrinsic motivation. The STAR Reading will be administered no less than three times per year.
Accelerated Math/STAR Math: Similar in procedure to Accelerated Reader, students participate in a mathematics curriculum that allows for self-paced learning, placing the teacher in a facilitating role. Students participate in individualized instructions, taking computer-based assessments as they progress further in the Accelerated Math program. The passing percentage is recommended to be set at 85%, thereby assuring mastery of the skills needed to progress further in the Accelerated Math program. The teacher provides instruction to each student on an as-needed basis. This allows for greater progression on the parts of each student.
STAR Math is an assessment-based program similar to STAR Reading in concept. Students participate in assessments that essentially gauge readiness and at what level the student is performing. It is the means by which teachers can gauge student improvement and at what levels the student can be expected to perform. The STAR Math assessments will be administered three times per year.
After-School Program: Shiprock Alternative Schools, Inc. also maintains an active after-school program providing four seven-week sessions throughout the year. Each session provides students four to five offerings that students may select from according their interest level. All after-school offerings are tied to the curriculum and are provided to give students additional academic experiences to enhance their skills and abilities. Sessions offered have included hands-on science, cooking, soccer, chess, Navajo Language and Culture, sign language, school newspaper, bookmaking, student government, rocketry, and poetry.
The After-School Committee has been formulated to identify and structure after school selections that stimulate, encourage and support academic enrichment.
Ninth Grade Academy: Beginning in the 2002-2003 school year, all ninth grade students enrolled at Shiprock Alternative Schools, Inc. will participate in the Ninth Grade Academy. In this scholastic program, students will participate in a curriculum intended to provide them with the academic and social skills necessary to ensure success and a smooth transition into the secondary program. Focus of the program is on interpersonal skills, study skills, note-taking, memorization, test-taking strategy, as well as a technological component to give students basic knowledge on computer operation, word processing skills, etc. It is important to note that the Ninth Grade Academy curriculum is offered as a complement to core academics, not as a substitute. Students will be participating in Math, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies curricula. Essentially, the Ninth Grade Academy is an academic strategies class designed to support core curriculum while providing academic skills necessary to success in subsequent years.
Cultural Integration: Shiprock Alternative Schools, Inc. has designed a program that emphasizes the Navajo Culture both in curriculum and extra-curricular activity. The school has traditional dress days to honor and share the Navajo Culture. Each fall and spring, students, staff and parents participate in various traditional activities to maintain and extend the understanding of the Navajo language and Culture. The school’s emphasis on the child’s cultural background can be seen in every classroom.
Students also receive 20-45 minutes of Navajo Language and Culture instruction each day based on grade level. The school’s cultural emphasis is also evident in its participation in the Rock Point Song and Dance Festival, bringing back trophies for student performance each year.
The implementation of Navajo Culture in the classroom is evidenced by lesson plans and utilization of guest speakers in the classroom, as well as by field trips to Navajo Council meetings and leadership conferences. Teachers are encouraged and expected to implement cultural awareness when purchasing materials and designing lesson plans, and must provide documentation for units implementing cultural and linguistic fusion with core academia.
Technology Integration: Shiprock Alternative Schools, Inc. designed technology plans that tie into the curriculum in order to allow the student to become comfortable with the technology they will encounter as they progress through their academic careers, as well as those they will encounter upon graduation. All students in ninth grade take a keyboarding applications class to familiarize themselves with the operations of a personal computer including basic word processing. Each student is assigned a research project in the class to aid in the familiarization and use of the Internet for information retrieval. The use of integration of technology into the classroom is a major component of the school’s emphasis on providing lifelong skills to students. The majority of jobs available now require familiarization, if not proficiency, in computer use and knowledge. The technology classes at the school focus on providing this knowledge to the students to enable them in attaining the employment they choose upon graduation. At the lower levels, technology is implemented in the classroom in a manner that is appropriate to grade level.
Vocational Program: School Year 2002-2003 will be the pilot year for a vocational education program at Shiprock Alternative Schools, Inc. Students will be allowed to participate in a two-strand program in which they may take the vocational program as an elective or as a certification course in either building trades, welding, or A+ Computer Repair. Students who are “traditional” students in that they will graduate before the age of 20 will be allowed to take the vocational program as an elective course. Students whom are “non-traditional” meaning they cannot receive enough credits for a high school diploma within the age confines, will be able to participate in the vocational program for a certificate in either building trades, welding, or A+ Computer Repair. In addition, those non-traditional students will be offered a “Transitions” course that will aid them in job-seeking and employability skills as well as a tutoring program by which they may obtain their General Equivalency Diploma (GED) by the time they exit.
CLIP: Collaborative Literacy Intervention Program (CLIP) is an early-grades reading intervention program that impacts a child’s ability to read on grade level. It is intervention that empowers “At-Risk” students with the tools to become successful readers. CLIP accelerates students rather than using remedial techniques of a slow down process that has proven to be unsuccessful at SASI. The school will have a diminished need for referrals for special education and retention. Students receive 30 minutes of tutoring per day, five days per week, for a period of 8-20 weeks, depending on the student’s performance level. Highly-specialized, trained teachers provide this service for the most “at-risk” students. Those children who are not successful in early first grade will be given the skills and knowledge to help themselves in reading and writing. Approximately 25% of the students in the first grade classes are CLIP candidates. Eighty percent of the children identified to receive CLIP services will become academically successful.
LEP Programs: Limited English Proficient (LEP) students are fully included in the classroom and are delivered the same programs of instruction. Similarly to SPED students, the LEP student may receive additional instruction from the TESOL/ESL endorsed SASI staff. The instructional programs vary little. However, the methodology of delivery on the part of the teacher is modified so as to meet the educational needs of the LEP student. This method of delivery may include additional hands-on activity, graphic organizers, or language support from the Navajo language instructor in conjunction with the classroom teacher. LEP students participate in all programs previously outlined in Section IV(b). However, current research into LEP/Bilingual students indicates that those students benefit particularly from culture and language being implemented school-wide. In order to address that need, SASI has plans to utilize Title VII funds to better advantage by inviting increasing numbers of guest speakers, community members, and to purchase materials and training to aid teachers in correctly implementing culture and language in the classroom. Additionally, Friday inservices to be held in 2002-2003 will be utilized for several workshops addressing LEP students, to be taught by personnel certified in ESL or TESOL. Some workshops already scheduled include: Portfolio assessment for ESL students, implementing blocks of cultural instruction time in the classroom, unit planning for culture in content area, and implementing Native art and music in the elementary classroom. Finally, teachers will be required to teach four two-week units each academic year (in content) which clearly identify culture and language implementation in the lesson planning. Since the bulk of students are neither proficient (fully fluent in reading, writing, and speaking) in English nor in Navajo, research indicates that they would benefit greater from cultural and linguistic integration (ESL strategies), as opposed to a full two-way bilingual program. The SASI curriculum committee has also developed a cooperative effort with Adams State College and the University of New Mexico for consultation on Bilingual and ESL programs, whereupon experts will be invited to the campus in order to educate the staff as to issues facing LEP students. Additionally, SASI has plans to purchase the “Teaching Tolerance” curriculum in order to increase awareness in issues surrounding racial, cultural, and economic diversity. Research into tolerance programs indicate that this program and curriculum has been in place long enough to substantiate success in public schools.
Special Education Programs: Since Shiprock Alternative Schools, Inc. strives to comply with the Least Restrictive Learning Environment portions of Special Education law, most students (with the exception of the multi-disabled) participate in the aforementioned programs with appropriate modifications made by the classroom teacher as defined in the IEP. Special Education students requiring additional assistance are served primarily by paraprofessionals in conjunction with the regular classroom teacher within the confines of the regular classroom. When deemed necessary, the SPED student may be pulled out of the regular education classroom for assistance directly from the Special Education teachers on staff. Still, the student is the beneficiary of the programs implemented in the regular classroom, with modified instruction and expectations. The multi-disabled students are delivered instruction directly from the Special Education teacher/paraprofessionals, per the IEP. Earobics, and Accelerated Reader are an integral part of the program and instruction. Research also indicates increased instructional benefit when schools partner with community agencies and ancillary services. Currently, SASI works closely with Tohatchi Area Occupational Services (TAOS), and Occupational and Physical Therapists from Southwest Homecare in order to meet Special Education students’ instructional needs.
SASI is also investigating increased involvement with outside agencies such as the Special Olympics and The Very Special Arts for enrichment programs to be implemented. Budget has already been designated for these purposes.
A free and appropriate public education (FAPE) will be provided to all children with disabilities within jurisdiction. Subject matter instruction will utilize resource room and inclusion in classrooms base don the Individualized Education Program (IEP).
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) will be established or revised by the Multi-Disciplinary Team, including the parent and general education teacher, and shall be current at the beginning of each school year. The IEP will be revised at least annually. Staff members will develop a calendar of annual IEP re-evaluation dates. Appropriate notificiation will be given to all IEP team members for meeting times and any modifications in the IEP plan.
To the extent appropriate and as identified in the IEP, children with disabilities will be educated in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). Special classes and/or special schooling of disabled children from the regular educational environment will occur only when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved.
Each special education student is scheduled into regular classes for as much instructional time as will be beneficial to their educational development as determined by the IEP. The regular classroom teacher is involved in the educational program of these special education students. Additional social activities are included to integrate the special education students into the regular school activities.
Assurances to insure appropriate evaluation, nondiscriminatory evaluation, placement, and inappropriate education will be established and maintained. Testing and evaluation materials and procedures will be provided in the students’ current IEP and will be conducted by qualified support service staff. Referrals for evaluation for placement in special education programs will adhere to appropriate guidelines. Evaluations will be performed based on parent or teacher request.
Children with disabilities will be included in statewide assessment with accommodations when necessary, and results reported as required. Appropriate assessment accommodations will be identified in the IEP.
Child find efforts, including children in private schools, will continue and all referred children will be identified, located, and referred for evaluation in the school at which the child is enrolled. The process of recruiting students will include appropriate evaluations to determine identification of students with special needs.
Procedural safeguards are established and maintained to protect the rights of parents and children with disabilities. The rights of special education parents and children are written and distributed to those attending Shiprock Alternative Schools, Inc. The parents are invited to attend special meetings convened to review all aspects of procedural safeguards.
A comprehensive system of personnel development (CSPD) will be developed and maintained to assure that all personnel necessary to carry out the purposes of IDEA are appropriately and adequately prepared and trained to fulfill the purposes of IDEA.
Any personally identifiable information collected, used, and maintained for children with disabilities will be protected. All applications and plans will be administered in accordance with applicable statutes and regulations. All records are safeguarded in fireproof files and confidentiality is protected by restricted access to the records. A policy of restricted use is reviewed annually.
Transition service needs will be identified at age 14, annually updated, and beginning at age l6, a statement of needed transition services which include interagency responsibilities will be defined. At least one year before the age of majority, a statement that the student has been informed of his/her rights, if any, that will transfer upon the age of majority.
Students identified as Limited-English Proficient based on the Language Assessment Survey (LAS) battery shall be provided additional tutorial services on an as-needed basis by educational staff with either a Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) or English as a Second Language (ESL) or Bilingual endorsement. If needed, and Individualized Education Program may be designed which adheres to the guidelines set forth for designing IEPs for special education students.
Both standardized and local assessments for all students (regular education, special education, and LEP) were chosen based on the following criterion: First, did the assessments meet the requirements set forth in the North Central Accreditation process, meaning that standardized, regional, and local assessments could be put in place? Secondly, were the assessments accepted as valid and reliable by the State of New Mexico/BIA/OIEP? Finally, were the assessments capable of being cross-referenced or triangulated to add valid data that could be used to drive the instructional program? The assessments that clearly met all criterion explored by the test selection committees were presented at PAC meetings, adopted, and employed by SASI as part of the data collection procedure.
Currently, SASI implements several assessments to drive instructional goals. The Meisel Portfolio Assessment (K-8) was adopted based on the fact that it provides work sampling opportunity as well as a running record for the students. The Meisels also meet the requirement for local assessment set forth by NCA.
The Basic Reading Inventory (BRI) is used as another portion of local assessment and was chosen based on the fact that, like the Terra-Nova, provides a Grade Equivalency score. However, the BRI is a pre- and post-test inventory that translates into diagnosing student improvement from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. The BRI was used as part of the Meisels as well as to provide a cross-reference to Grade Equivalencies calculated in the Terra-Nova assessment. The BRI was administered K-8, but will be expanded to include grades 9-12 beginning in school year 2002-2003. The SASI administration, in conjunction with the testing committee felt that consistency in assessments K-12 would be wise.
The Terra-Nova assessment was administered to appropriate grades as required by state wide standardized testing requirements. The Terra-Nova also adheres to the NCA requirement for triangulation of data of a nationalized test with local and regional assessments.
STAR reading and STAR math assessments were administered twice per year to all students grades 7-12. The STAR schedule has been expanded to be inclusive of four times per year beginning in the school year 2002-2003. The STAR assessments were chosen primarily based on three factors. First, they provide a baseline of instruction and are useful in placing students in appropriate classes. Secondly, the diagnostic tools provided by the STAR reading and math assessments show areas of strength and weakness. For example, if a student is having trouble de-coding words, the STAR reading test will signify that area of weakness when the diagnostic report is studied. This is useful for the classroom teacher to aid in modifying instruction to meet the needs of the individual student. Thirdly, the STAR assessments were a portion of the reportable data to be provided to NCA for accrediting purposes.
In order to ascertain numbers of LEP students, Shiprock Alternative Schools, Inc. utilizes the Language Assessment Survey (LAS).
Special Education students are tested using assessments adopted by SASI with appropriate modifications as outlined in the IEP. SASI currently employs the Wexler, Woodcock-Johnson, Brigance, Stanford 9, Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, and varying readability lists in order to place special education students. All of these programs are researched-based and recognized as valid and reliable placement batteries by the United States Department of Education.
Shiprock Alternative Schools, Inc. will also host an open house for Head Start students prospected to enroll, where students will be able to visit the facilities for half a day, integrating the Head Start and SASI Kindergarten in order to ease the transition. Head Start students will participate in the Kindergarten instruction, meet other students and teachers, and eat lunch in the SASI cafeteria. Conversely, plans have been made for the SASI Kindergarten and Pre-K teachers to make a half-day visit twice yearly (Fall and Spring) to the Head Start classroom to keep abreast of instructional programs and strategies that will assist them in planning an easy transition from Head Start to Kindergarten.
SASI also has a “transitions” course for all seniors. This course is geared toward job seeking and employability skills once the senior leaves SASI. Partnerships with Armed Services recruiters, San Juan College, Fort Lewis College, and San Juan Basin Area Vocational-Technical School will be fully developed in order to bring personnel from those post-secondary institutes to the transitions class to make students aware of opportunities available upon graduation. Continued efforts to aid students in scholarships will be made with those institutions for students wishing to continue their education. The other large component of the transitions class is to work in cooperation with the Economics teacher in order to help students with budgeting and financing of the household once they leave school. Students will be instructed on how to perform practical skills, such as balancing a checkbook, and will learn about the day-to-day expenses of rent, car payments, insurance, etc. and how to “live within their means.” Personal finance awareness begins in Kindergarten with implementation and adoption of the Saxon Math series, High Scope, and HOTS.
SASI will also host a job fair in the spring of 2003, inviting local businesses, recruiters, post-secondary institutions, etc. to set up booths in the facility. The hope is not only to recruit students into those fields, but also to educate students as to the opportunities available to them once they exit school.
SASI utilizes innovative teaching practices by implementing programs with team-teaching between the regular classroom teacher and the Reading/Language Arts specialists at the elementary level. By having dual teachers in the classroom, the ratio of teachers to students is reduced by half, thereby allowing for increased level of one-on-one instruction.
At the secondary level, team teaching is utilized between the core academic teachers and the Accelerated Reader instructor. Multi-discipline units are encouraged between content areas, involving cross-curricular reading and instruction, which are evidenced in lesson plans. Partnerships with the Office of Dine’ Education Department of Statistics will also offer insight into best instructional methods suited to meet the needs of students at Shiprock Alternative Schools, Inc.
SASI currently has a partnership with Iina Mental Health Services to which students are referred when deemed necessary. In some instances, the counseling staff is not equipped to deal with the severity of students’ problems. In those cases, the student is referred to an outside agency such as Iina.
Plans are now in place to work cooperatively with the Teen Life Center operated by Indian Health Services (IHS) in Shiprock. This partnership will aid students with parenting skills, and issues facing teens such as: Drug and alcohol abuse, suicide, etc. as well as providing a character program that incorporates self-esteem building and the ability to succeed.
SASI realizes that the Principles of Effectiveness apply to both Federal and state funds. Primarily, drug, alcohol, and violence abuse prevention programs are funded by Title IV federal monies, as well as by state and local grants. Since the Principles of Effectiveness govern the use of those appropriated funds, it is necessary to understand and implement them correctly.
Principles of Effectiveness
Principle l: Conducting Needs Assessments
Schools receiving Title IV monies will base programs on a thorough assessment of objective data about the drug and violence problems in the schools and communities served.
This principle will be served by conducting staff and student surveys as well as by consulting local and state reports regarding rates of violence in addition to drug and alcohol use. It is already recognized that SASI programs should include these prevention programs as part of the curricula based on increasing student referral for counseling services, as well as the rate of drug and alcohol discipline issues. Additionally, these issues are recognized by educational organizations including the United States Department of Education, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and local governing bodies. These programs were also pointed out as improvement points in the BIA evaluations of SASI.
Principle 2: Setting Measurable Goals and Objectives
Schools will develop partnerships with local health agencies and community representatives in order to establish a set of measurable goals and objectives, and will design its activities to meet those goals and objectives.
After conducting the needs assessment, SASI will partner with Indian Health Services and Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) to evaluate the needs assessments and design goals and objectives for the programs that have been chosen for implementation. The goals and objectives will be set forth on a timeline similar to that utilized by the NCA in order to assure for school and community accountability in carrying forth the programs.
Principle 3: Effective Research-Based Programs
Schools shall design and implement their activities based on research or evaluation that provide evidence that the strategies and programs used actually prevent or reduce drug use, violence, or disruptive behavior.
In order to meet this principle, research was conducted into programs that have been implemented in public school systems, as well as consultation with the Shiprock Police Department, the Teen Life Center, and various online articles. (A detailed explanation of researched programs follows.) After the programs have been implemented, evaluations of effectiveness will be conducted according to the timeline set forth by the stakeholders in Principle 2. Those evaluations will consist of post-surveys, student referral for counseling and discipline, and other data collection tools.
Principle 4: Program Evaluation
Schools will evaluate their programs periodically to assess progress toward achieving goals and objectives and use the evaluation to refine, improve, and strengthen the programs, as well as to revise goals and objectives as appropriate.
Each of the programs adopted at SASI has tools for ongoing evaluation that include: Surveys, statistical data, trend data, and implementation rubrics. The evaluations will determine what areas need revision and reinforcement in order to allow the data to drive the program to best suit the needs of our student population.
In order to meet this principle, SASI staff will develop an Accountability
Plan. This plan will be made clearer as the process of developing the prevention
program is implemented. It should be noted that SASI is collecting information
now that will be a part of our program assessment. Other components of program
evaluation could range from formal survey of parent attitudes/beliefs concerning
the program to an informal focus group of teachers talking about student behavior
since a program was initiated. SASI will use the Accountability Plan to correct
approaches that are not working, to strengthen approaches that seem to be working,
and to refine goals and objectives.
Persons designing the Accountability Plan are federally mandated and will include
SASI staff as well as parents, community members, and professionals in the prevention
field. SASI will partner with local agencies in developing community contacts.
Programs to be Implemented at SASI
Recipients that use federal, state, or local monies to fund prevention programs must implement programs that have already been demonstrated to be effective in preventing or reducing drug use, violence, or disruptive behavior, or in modifying behaviors or attitudes demonstrated to be precursors to or predictors of drug use or violence. SASI researched such programs and their effectiveness on school-wide populations.
Of the forty-seven programs nationally marked as universal drug prevention curricula, it was concluded that only six demonstrated credible evaluation evidence that they were effective in reducing drug use by participating youth. The other 41 had not been rigorously evaluated, would not provide their evaluation evidence, or showed no marked improvement in targeted prevention areas. SASI then narrowed down the six programs to three fundamental programs that were thought to best serve the student population at Shiprock Alternative Schools. When choosing programs for recommendation, the committee considered research into the program, ages and grades to which the programs were geared, and cost-effectiveness. A brief discussion of the three programs follows.
Life Skills Training (LST): Grades 3-8
The Life Skills Training (LST) curriculum is one of the best-documented drug prevention curricula in existence. It has been extensively evaluated, and repeatedly shows proven results in reducing drug use among participating students. The curriculum consists of three weeks of activities in grades 3-6, with a six-week component in 7th grade, and employs "booster sessions" in 8th grade and 9th grade. The Life Skills Training curriculum is also one of only nine programs chosen by the United States Department of Education defined as an “exemplary” drug abuse and violence prevention program.
The LST curriculum has been proven to be effective in over a dozen major research studies recognized by the US Department of Education. Notable statistics show that this program can cut tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use by up to 87%. One study also showed a 46% reduction in teen marijuana use with the LST program. Evaluation results show persistent reductions in drug use that last through 12th grade.
LST will be implemented because there are ample opportunities for teacher-training, as well as an extensive community-based component in order to assure for proper implementation school-wide.
Teenage Health Teaching Modules (THTM): Grades 7-12
The Teenage Health Teaching Modules program is a series of 21 modules grouped by level for grades 7/8, 9/10, and 11/12. Modules range in length from six to fifteen class sessions, and address critical adolescent health issues such as violence prevention, tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use, and HIV/AIDS. THTM addresses the Principles of Effectiveness by integrating injury/violence prevention and drug/alcohol prevention in a comprehensive school health curriculum.
There is ample evidence supporting the effectiveness of the Teenage Health Teaching Modules. In controlled evaluation studies recognized by the US Department of Education as valid and reliable, students had a strong, positive net gain in health knowledge. Compared to control groups, THTM students also had a net gain in health-related attitudes and total health practices, including evidence of a 31% decline in drug and alcohol use as reported on surveys. Corresponding studies by the Center for Disease Control and the US Department of Health concur that THTM is an effective program for secondary students.
Project Northland: Grades 6-10
Project Northland is a multicomponent, school- and community- based intervention
to delay, prevent, and reduce alcohol use and related problems among adolescents.
It includes social-behavioral curricula, peer leadership, parental involvement/education,
and community-wide task force activities.
The first three years of intervention, conducted in grades six through eight,
resulted in significantly lower prevalence of past-month and past-week alcohol
use among students in intervention communities compared with control groups.
The beneficial effects were particularly notable among students who had not
yet begun experimenting with alcohol when the program began, suggesting strong
prevention effectiveness.
The particular reason for adopting this program is that alcohol abuse among our students and community is a problem that is recognizable and deserves special emphasis in the prevention programs offered at SASI. It was the consensus of the group that Project Northland’s community component would be valuable in attempting to involve parents in the education and prevention of alcohol use and abuse.
Additional Programs: School-wide
Programs already in place will continue to be implemented at SASI. Currently, the DARE program is implemented in 5th grade. Additionally, the elementary program has the RISTRA program as part of the P.E. and health curriculum. SASI also implements components of BABES and The Beauty Way in classroom instruction, though not on an organized and accountable level. It is also believed that the partnership with Iina should be continued for intervention and counseling of our high school students, as well as an increased level of partnership with the Teen Life Center at IHS. Finally, is at least one Friday per month (a.m. only) be designated for school-wide assemblies dealing with issues of violence, drug abuse, and other pertinent issues facing our students. A list of resources for assemblies is forthcoming.
In summary, all research conducted by SASI according to the Principles of Effectiveness concluded that prevention efforts should be concentrated at the elementary levels, stating that most preventative activities are best-suited for children up to age 13. At the high school level, most students have already experimented with drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and etc. thereby making intervention, education, and counseling/mentor programs preferable to prevention programs such as those used at the elementary level. The curriculum previously outlined takes into consideration the trend research on student violence and drug use and Shiprock Alternative Schools, Inc. chose programs for recommendation accordingly.
SASI recognizes that implementing violence prevention programs are often not enough to ensure for the safety of students. Day-to-day security measures also assure for a safe and drug-free learning environment. Shiprock Alternative Schools, Inc. employs full-time security personnel on the campus. There will be only one entrance gate to the campus, manned by a security guard. All other gates will be kept locked, with appropriate signs indicating why. Signs will be posted at the main gated entrance to the campus, providing: 1) Notification against trespassing on private property; only those with business on the campus are permitted access 2) notification of “Restricted Access” at all gates except the main entrance gate.
SASI has also established a “We Care Tip Line” in order to encourage reporting of suspected violence and/or serious offenses. A dedicated telephone line, (505) 368- 2126, with an answering machine will be available for anonymous reports regarding safety issues. During normal school hours, the messages will be checked as they arrive by the Director of Information Technology. Otherwise, messages will be checked early on school day mornings.
Shiprock Alternative Schools, Inc. also developed a comprehensive Disaster/Crisis Management Plan in the summer of 2002 per Federal guidelines.
Shiprock Alternative Schools, Inc. has specific goals surrounding the advanced use of technology to improve student achievement. These goals include the following:
- STAR Math and STAR Reading assessments will be administered four times per year. Results from these assessments will be used by the teachers to monitor student progress and will also be provided to students as a means by which they can self-monitor their own progress.
- Accelerated Reader will be implemented school-wide to improve student achievement in the area of reading. Also, due to the demographics of our school, Accelerated Reading, utilizing the program will be a required “elective” for all incoming ninth graders.
- Accelerated Math will be utilized from Grades 5 through 12. This program will enhance the math curricula and allow students to progress at their own pace throughout a particular math subject. The program also provides students an individualized approach to math instruction whereby they will receive additional assistance in the math areas they struggle most with, and pass quickly through those sections they may already be proficient in.
Through our New School Construction efforts, Shiprock Alternative Schools, Inc. has made great strides in increasing access to educational technology. All classrooms are equipped with a minimum of 6 computers as well as a television attached to the multimedia video retrieval system. All computers throughout the school are connected to a 1 GB/s Local Area Network that provides high-speed access to educational applications and the Internet. The Educational Technology Facilitator previously mentioned will provide on-going assistance to teachers on the effective integration of technology into the curricula and will also provide monthly half-day workshops to teachers to promote their use and proficiency with technology. All teachers are provided a laptop computer with a docking station for their use. This allows the teacher access to the educational applications at home as well as during the school day.
It is the responsibility of the Educational Technology Facilitator to identify and provide instruction to teachers’ new curricula and teaching strategies that integrate technology effectively into the curricula and instruction. This position will also be assisted by a full time Curriculum and Instruction Specialist. All strategies identified will be based upon relevant research and will be measured through the application of the school’s assessment program.
Shiprock Alternative Schools, Inc. has purchased, through the New School Construction grant the following technology items (labor and materials):
- Horizontal UTP Cabling $ 244,318
- Backbone Communications Cabling $ 55,173
- Integrated Telecommunications System $ 327,605
- Broadband Television Distribution System $ 51,878
- Software $ 81,640
- Workstations, Servers, Printers $ 654,373
All components have been verified to interoperate together.
Beginning with the start of School Year 2002-2003, Shiprock Alternative Schools, Inc. will provide teachers a full week of technology training on the new systems in place. The following topics will be covered during this week:
- Basic Computer and Network Operations
- Follett Library System
- Video Distribution System
- Accelerated Reader and Accelerated Math
- SchoolSpace Student Management System
- HelpStar Help Desk System
In addition, the Director of Information Technology and/or the Educational Technology Facilitator on the use of Applications and Hardware will provide ongoing support and training to both teachers and staff members throughout the year. These will be scheduled as team-teaching arrangements, one-on-one teacher instruction during the teacher prep times, before school, and after school and once per month during the Friday afternoon inservices.
Shiprock Alternative Schools, Inc. has applied for Year 5 e-rate funding to provide and implement distance-learning technologies throughout the school. When installed and implemented, the school will have the ability to offer special courses currently unavailable due to the small student population and staff size.
The Director of Information Technology and the Educational Technology Facilitator will develop and implement staff surveys to monitor the progress of the teacher’s use and progress toward integration of technology into the curricula and instruction. Using the baseline assessment data for School Year 2001-2002, the results of these assessments will be compared to subsequent annual assessments to identify and evaluate the impact of technology on the students’ achievement. During on-going room visits, the Director of Information Technology and/or the Educational Technology Facilitator will also document the uses of technology in the curricula and instruction that they witness. Staff will also be provided the opportunity during the Friday afternoon inservice to share with their peers demonstrations of technology integration that they have found effective with their students or subject area. Through the sharing of these effective strategies, teachers will be able to more easily collaborate on their integration efforts.
In order to ensure successful use of the technology, Shiprock Alternative Schools, Inc. has two staff members (2 FTE) available to assist staff with both the integration issues as well as any hardware or software related concerns that arise. The full software list identified above, especially the Follett library software and the SchoolSpace student management software, that will be covered in the pre-service technology week has been chosen and implemented to provide the teacher’s daily use of the technology. In addition, the HelpStar helpdesk software has been implemented to allow teachers to quickly and easily submit requests for assistance, whether the request be an integration issue or a hardware or software related concern.