Support for Students at Wallace Jefferson Middle School - Essay Example

?Group Plan ment of the Purpose: The purpose of this group plan is to provide support for at Wallace Jefferson Middle School where there is persistent transition throughout the school year with the result that new students are enrolled on a weekly basis. Essentially, the group plan is designed to help those students make a successful transition. There have been a number of studies evidencing that these students are particularly vulnerable to academic underperformance. For instance a study conducted by Nelson, Simoni and Adelman (1996) reveals that there is a connection between academic under achievement and high mobility (p. 365). A more recent research conducted by Reynolds, Chen and Herbers (2009) indicates that mobility can not only impact students’ academic performance but can also increase the risk of dropping out. This study examined the consequences of student mobility for academic performance and dropout rates in 16 research studies conducted from 1990-2008. Result findings indicate that student mobility accounted for a 1/3 higher rate of both academic under achievement and drop-out rates (1). Rumberger (2002) advices that since nothing can be done about mobility the best response is to inform students and their families of the difficulties that are associated with “changing schools and how to mitigate them” (p.1). Specifically, Rumberger (2002) recommends that schools should be prepared in advance for the reception of highly mobile students in order to facilitate the transitioning process the moment they arrive. Moreover, schools should set up “ongoing activities and procedures to address the needs of the new student” (Rumberger 2002, p. 2). This group plan is therefore guided by Rumberger’s advice and the documented evidence of the propensity for academic underperformance of students in regular or frequent transition. Target Population: Since student mobility and its associated problems can impact all students at any age or in any grade, this group plan will be open to all transitioning and new students and their parents/guardians from grades 6 to 8 at Wallace B. Jefferson Middle School. It is important that students and their parents are introduced to the school and its facilities and meet administrators and teachers with whom they can talk to about any concerns or issues that come up during transitioning and for the duration of student life. It is difficult to predict the number of students that will be participating in each session, but it is expected to have at least five students and could be as much as twenty. At any rate, teacher representatives from each grade will be asked to participate in the group plan as a means of ensuring that incoming students and their parents/guardians can address any concerns about the curriculum and anything specific to their grade. These teachers are also expected to provide reassurance that they are there for the students and their parents/guardians and when and where they can be contacted. Academic dean, Arthur Baldridge will also be asked to participate in the sessions as frequently as possible. His role is merely to introduce himself and to make himself available to students and their parents/guardians. How Members will be selected Members will be selected by reference to the enrolment register. The enrolment register will inform of new and incoming students. Staff will be selected from among teachers and counsellors based on expertize and availability. The Academic Dean is very important because he administers and plans according to goals set for the student and the academic needs of the students. By participating in the group plan, the Academic Dean will focus special attention on the academic needs of transitioning students. Logistics: The sessions will be conducted once a week for one hour per session for six weeks. The sessions will be held in discussion form and since questionnaires will be distributed in the first and last sessions, it is best to hold the sessions in a classroom. Leadership Skills: As a leader of this group, I will have to be able to take the initiative in getting the sessions started, getting the attention of the students and holding their interests. I will also have to insure that other members of staff are actively participating and are ready, willing and able to assist students and their parents/guardian. As leader of the group plan I will also have to ensure that parents/guardians are encouraged to participate and are not afraid to express their concerns and issues. Plans for Each Session Session One A. Introductions: All participants (staff, students and parents/guardians) will introduce themselves. B. Group Procedures/Rules: The procedure for the session will be explained to the students and their parents/guardians. Basically, this session is one in which students will be introduced to the school, its facilities and key staff members. They will be permitted to take notes and to ask questions if anything is unclear or if anything of concern to them is left out. C. Icebreaker: As an icebreaker, I will make a welcoming address and will invite the participants to freely interrupt if something comes up and they need clarification. They will be informed that they all share a common bond with each other, in that they are all new to the school and that this group plan intends to ease the distractions that typically come with transitioning. For the purpose of gathering data that will inform the agenda for future sessions, students will be asked to complete a questionnaire (See Appendix 1). The questionnaire will solicit questions about the frequency of transitioning, problems adjusting to transitioning, academic performance prior to transitioning and after transitioning and what programs, if any, did they participate in to accommodate transitioning. D. Objectives for the Session: The objectives of this session are to introduce the students and their parents/guardians to the school and key sources of support. Another objective is to gather information about the frequency of moving and the problems that students encounter in moving from school to school. E. Agenda for the Session: The agenda for this session is to prepare students for more involved transitioning sessions and to ensure that they feel comfortable knowing that they are not alone and that there is support for them. F. Specific Strategies: After completing the questionnaires and after an introductory and welcoming address, the students and their parents/guardians will be taken on a tour of the school’s facilities. G. Copies of All Activities: The completed questionnaires will be collected for evaluation and comparison to a questionnaire that will be completed in the final session. Minutes will be kept documenting questions asked by parents/guardians and students. The answers to those questions will also be documented to ensure consistency. H. Closing Activity: We will attempt to complete the tour so that at least ten minutes remains so that parents/guardians and students can ask any questions that they have about what they have learned about the school and the staff during the session. A closing address will be made in which parents/guardians and students will be thanked for their attention and participation and will be encouraged to return the following week. They will also be briefly informed of what to expect in the next session. Session Two A. Introductions: The students and their parents/guardians will be welcomed back and any new students and their parents/guardians will be introduced to the group. Since they would have missed out on the first session time will be set aside to apprise the student and their parents/guardians of the contents of the first session. This will be done prior to the beginning of the session. A tour will be organized for this group at a different time. B. Group Procedures/Rules: This is an in-class session and will be conducted in much the same way as any classroom instruction. Students and parents/guardians will be invited to take notes and to ask questions whenever they deem it necessary to do so. C. Icebreaker: As an icebreaker, students and their parents/guardians will be thanked for returning to the session and for their attention and participation in the previous session. They will be asked if they have any questions or concerns that might have come up in the last session. D. Objectives for the Session: The objectives of this session is to provide students with information about the community. For example they will be instructed about school bus routes, familiarized with the local community and given information relative to public transport. E. Agenda for the Session: This session takes the position that the school is a part of the broader community and feeling comfortable in the school means feeling comfortable in the surrounding community. F. Specific Strategies: Specifically, students and their parents/guardians will provided with maps of the local community and maps of the school bus routes and maps of public transport routes. The idea is to ensure that students and their parents/guardians have a feel for where their school is in relation to the wider community. G. Copies of All Activities: Minutes of the questions that students and their parents/guardians will be recorded. All answers will be recorded so as to inform of information that might be necessary to include in the next group plan. Maps will be copied and distributed. H. Closing Activity: The final ten minutes of the session will be reserved for a question and answer session. I will also thank the students and their parents/guardians for their attention and participation in the session and let them know that I look forward to the next session. Students and their parents/guardians will be briefly informed of what they might expect in the next session and will be told that I look forward to seeing them at that time. Session Three A. Introductions: New students and their parents/guardians who would have met with me and the Academic Dean previously will be welcomed and introduced to the group. The group as a whole will be welcomed and thanked for returning. They will be reminded of the agenda set for this session and asked to remember that their participation is important for the success of this group plan. B. Group Procedures/Rules: This is a discussion session and therefore it will be managed by protocols necessary for listening and sharing information, impressions and feelings. Therefore the group will be asked to be respectful and listen when a group member is sharing his/her experience. C. Icebreaker: As an icebreaker, the group will be informed that the session is necessary for establishing a bond between the group and between the group and the participating staff. If we know what their feelings, impressions and difficulties are, we will be in a better position to respond to them effectively. D. Objectives for the Session: The objectives of the session is to focus on specific members of the group. Depending on the group size (since we want to hear from all group members by the fifth session) we will divide sessions three, four and five into equal groups. Each group will take turns speaking frankly and honestly about their experiences as a transitioning student. Any specific adjustment difficulties that they have encountered will be discussed. Other members will share their own experiences. As counsellor the student will be advised as to what specific steps can be taken to mitigate these experiences. E. Agenda for the Session: The agenda for this session is to identify the problems that transitioning students encounter in a new school and what they perceive as problematic. F. Specific Strategies: Specific strategies are to open up the lines of communication so that staff members know what transitioning students confront and what we as counsellors, educators and administrators can do to make the transition as smooth as possible. Moreover, we can guide the student and their parents/guardians so that they too can make the transitioning process as successful as possible. G. Copies of All Activities: Since this is a discussion session and therefore no activities are recorded. Notes however are taken of any difficulties expressed by the students that were not previously anticipated by the group plan. H. Closing Activity: Since students will be sharing their experiences it is anticipated that this session will be occupied by group discussions leaving little, if any time to spare. Therefore no closing activities are planned for this session. The session will be closed by the usual thank you notations and informing the group that we will continue these group discussions in the next two sessions. Session Four A. Introductions: New students who would have already been apprised of the previous sessions will be introduced. Students and parents/guardians will be reminded of the group discussion from the previous session and will be invited to listen as we continue with the group discussion. They will be thanked for returning. B. Group Procedures/Rules: This session will be conducted in the same manner as Session Three. C. Icebreaker: As an icebreaker I will thank the students who shared their experiences with all of us in the previous session and acknowledge that they were very brave and thoughtful to do so. They will be thanked for opening up the lines of communication and the next group will be identified. D. Objectives for the Session: The objectives for this session is the same as the were for the objectives for the previous session. E. Agenda for the Session: The agenda for this session is the same as it was for the previous session. F. Specific Strategies: The specific strategies for this session are the same as they were for the previous session. G. Copies of All Activities: There are no activities for this session as it is a discussion session. As in the previous session, any new adjustment problems revealed by the group discussion will be recorded and used for future group plans. H. Closing Activity: As with the previous session, students who shared their experiences will be thanked for their candid disclosures. The group will be reminded that the final group will have their turn in the upcoming session. Again the group will be thanked for participating and will be told that I look forward to having them return the following week. Session Five A. Introductions: Introductions will be the same as they were in the previous two session. B. Group Procedures/Rules: Group procedures/rules will be the same as they were in the previous two sessions. C. Icebreaker: The icebreaker for this session will be the same as it were in the previous two sessions. D. Objectives for the Session: The objectives for this session will be the same as it were in the previous two sessions. E. Agenda for the Session: The agenda for this session will be the same as it were in the previous two sessions. F. Specific Strategies: The specific strategies for this session will be the same as it were in the previous two sessions. G. Copies of All Activities: The activities for this session will be the same as it were in the previous two sessions. Only new information gleaned from the discussions will be documented and used for future group plan strategies. H. Closing Activity: Students will be thanked for sharing their experiences and will be asked if they had anything else that they would like to add. They will be briefly informed of the content of the next session and asked to return to complete the six week group plan. Session Six A. Introductions: The obligatory gratitude for participating and returning to the session will be made. No new students will be added to this group as this is the final session and pulls together all of the previous sessions. Moreover, new students will be able to join the next group plan from the beginning. Therefore there will be no introductions aside from a customary introduction note to the contents of the upcoming session. B. Group Procedures/Rules: Group procedures/rules will be conducted as it would in a classroom. I will provide information and leaflets and the participants can take notes and ask questions. C. Icebreaker: The icebreaker for this session will be an observation that we have come a long way together in a short time. That we should by this time feel that bond that we hoped to establish during the course of this session. Students will be informed that at this point we feel that they are ready to go out and make new friends and join the student community. D. Objectives for the Session: The objectives for this session are to integrate the students into the school’s social community and by extension the school’s academic community. Students will be informed of the specific clubs at the school that would help in the transitioning process. The clubs are the Book Club, the Intramural Sports Club, the Nature Club, the NJHS Club, the Scrabble Club, the Scrapbook Club and the Student Council. Each of these clubs provide a unique opportunity for new students to meet and socialize with the student body. E. Agenda for the Session: The agenda for this session is to reassure students that they are ready to enter the school community and to be fully participating and productive students. F. Specific Strategies: The specific strategies for this session is to ensure that the students and their parents/guardians are confident that they are ready to integrate into the school system and that there is a staff ready, willing and able to lend valuable support to them. G. Copies of All Activities: Leaflets about specific clubs will be distributed. H. Closing Activity: At the end of this session students will be asked to complete a questionnaire which will be used to compare to the results of the questionnaire completed in the opening session (See Appendix 2). Evaluation Documents for assembling quantitative and qualitative data for assessing the impact this group plan has on the participants: Questionnaires 1 and 2 (see appendices). Forms: See Appendix 3. Appendix 1 Student Name: Grade: 1. How many times have you changed schools? 2. Do your grades suffer as a result of changing schools? 3. Do you find it hard to make new friends? 4. Do you feel like a stranger in the new school? 5. Do you feel lost in the new school? 6. Did you feel comfortable approaching the staff with problems? 7. Did you know who to go to when you had a problem? Appendix 2 Student Name: Grade: 1. After completing the sessions, did you feel less like a stranger in the school? 2. After completing the sessions, do you feel more comfortable approaching the staff about concerns and/or problems? 3. Would you recommend these sessions to other new students? 4. Do you feel more familiar with the community? 5. Did you feel relieved to learn that there were other students facing the same difficulty as you after changing schools? 6. Do you feel comfortable about making friends outside the group? 7. Have you made any friends within the group? Appendix 3 Permission Slip Office of the Counselor _______________________________ ____________________________ Student’s name Student’s identification number   Permission for Counseling   I, _____________________________ give permission to the teacher/counselor to provide the following counseling services to my child, during the current school year.   Please check those for which permission is given:   _______ Small Group Counseling - preparing for college   If you have any questions concerning these counseling sessions, please contact me, Ingrid Morales, at 867-5309.   Comments or questions:    ______________________________     ___________________ Parent/Guardian Signature                     Date References Nelson, P.; Simoni, J. and Adelman, H. (1996) “Mobility and School Functioning in the Early Grades”. The Journal of Education Research. Vol. 89(6): 365-369. Reynolds, A.; Chen, C. and Herbers, J. (2009) “School Mobility and Educational Success: A Research Synthesis and Evidence on Prevention.” Paper presented at the Workshop on the Impact of Mobility and Change on the Lives of Young Children, Schools, and Neighborhoods, Board on Children, Youth, and Families National Research Council, Washington, DC, 1-55. Rumberger, R. (June 2002) “Student Mobility and Academic Achievement.” ERIC Digest EDO-PS-02-1, 1-2. http://ceep.crc.illinois.edu/eecearchive/digests/2002/rumberger02.pdf (Retrieved 22 March 2011). Read More