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En español: "El
problema no es
el niño" |
This article originally appeared in the January-February 2005 issue of
the Children's Advocate, published by Action Alliance for Children.
"The kid is not the problem"
How Student Success Teams help children who have trouble in school
by Kathy Flores
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.
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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!
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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
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