Ashlee, a second grader at San Lorenzo's Lorenzo Manor Elementary, was struggling to read and wrote many of her letters backwards. When her teacher showed Ashlee's parents her spelling test--with all the words spelled backwards--"we knew something was very wrong," says her mother, Jennifer Marr. The teacher recommended a Student Success Team meeting to help Ashlee do better in school, and Marr quickly agreed.

Experts say a growing number of children come to school with problems, such as learning disabilities or behavior issues, that keep them from doing well--and it can be hard to pinpoint why a child is struggling.

"The kid is not the problem," says Steve Berta, former SST coordinator for the San Jose Unified School District. "The problem is the problem."

Ashlee:

"Everyone was focused on helping her"

School Success Teams (SSTs) bring together parents, teachers, and school staff to figure out why a child has trouble in school and how to help. Often the student participates; some kids "finally have a place to share their struggles and concerns," says Janet Clayton, principal of Edendale Middle School in San Lorenzo. Parents can bring an education advocate and request a translator if needed.

The SST's job is to come up with a plan: Parents may agree to provide a quiet place to study, enforce stricter T.V. limits, or have the child assessed for problems like learning disabilities or poor hearing. Teachers may agree to create special routines, let the child move around, assign a peer tutor, or break tasks into small parts. Schools may agree to provide homework help, books on tape, or counseling. The child may be tested for special education. Everyone at the meeting must agree to the plan--school staff are accountable for what they commit to do.

At Ashlee's SST meeting, "everyone was focused on helping her," says her father, Doug Marr. In addition to changes at home and at school, school district and clinic tests showed she had a learning disability. Since then, "she has made so much progress," her mother says proudly.

Most schools are required to hold SST meetings as part of state-funded drop-out prevention efforts. Parents with kids in preschools run by school districts can also ask for SST meetings. Schools grant most parent requests for meetings, unless one factor, such as poor attendance, is clearly the problem.

Miguel:

Overcoming language barriers

When Miguel started kindergarten at Garden Grove Elementary School in Simi Valley, he "chattered constantly in Spanish, disrupting the class," recalls Lynn Friedman, the school's principal. The teacher spoke only English and "was a wreck."

After an SST meeting requested by the school, Miguel's teacher began using a picture schedule so he would know what activity was coming next. This helped him feel less lost, says Friedman--three weeks later the teacher told her, "I can't believe how well this is working!"

Antonio:

Help with anger

Antonio, a sixth-grader at Kennedy Middle School in Redwood City, was apathetic and disruptive in class, and got into fights, says Principal Sonya Dwyer. His parents requested an SST meeting because they wanted him tested for learning disabilities.

At the meeting, Antonio's parents agreed to limit video games and make sure he did his homework, recalls Dwyer. They also took him to a doctor, who said the problem wasn't learning disabilities, but anger. The school found him counseling and made him an office assistant to boost his self-esteem. Antonio's grades and behavior have improved, his parents say.

Angela:

Help with ADD and depression

Leona Bass, a fourth grade teacher at McNair School in East Palo Alto, called for an SST meeting when Angela "wasn't doing well academically and was acting out."

"It was so hard seeing her struggle," recalls Angela's mother, Shanice Johnson. "I didn't know how to help her."

Through the SST process, Angela was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder and depression. She started medication and counseling, joined the homework club, and started tutoring a younger student. "Her attitude improved and her grades went up," says Bass. "We were all so happy!"

Tough issues

Student Success Teams do not always work. Meetings can be stymied if participants can't agree. At an SST meeting for Ashlee's brother Aaron, Jennifer Marr recalls, "I felt like we were blamed for everything. I was so mad, I was in tears." When Aaron switched teachers, things improved.

Sometimes schools or parents feel the other does not always follow through-though parents can talk with the principal or assistant superintendent if they feel school staff is not cooperating.

If a child does not have health insurance, parents may not be able to afford doctor visits or treatment--parents should check if their child is eligible for free or low cost health insurance.

But for many kids, says Dwyer, the SST process can "create a support system that didn't exist before."

Kathy Flores is an Action Alliance for Children board member and a behavior specialist with the San Lorenzo school district.

Tips for parents

• First try to work with your child's teacher, advises San Lorenzo Principal Janet Clayton. If problems continue, ask the teacher or principal for an SST meeting. If the school requests the meeting, adds San Lorenzo mom Jennifer Marr, "they are trying to help, not (telling) you that you are a failure."
  

• Before the SST meeting, take your child to a pediatrician and talk with other parents, advises Mary Ford, mother of a San Lorenzo preschooler.
  

• Before the meeting, fill out any forms the school gives you about your child's health and daily routine.
  

• Work with the teacher to create an SST agenda that addresses your concerns.
  

• During the meeting, "try to stay focused and level-headed," says Jennifer Marr. "If one person refuses to work with the team, ask (to) meet without (them). If they're offering something for your kid, jump
  on it."
  

• And, says San Lorenzo mom Shanice Johnson, "Don't give up on your kid!

Resources

• Marco Orlando, California Department of Education SST program consultant, 916-323-2212, morlando@cde.ca.gov
• Education Options Office 916-322-5012
• Parent Training, Information, and Resource Centers around the state provide support and advocacy for parents of children with special needs. For a local center, call 415-884-3535