❮ ❯
Looking to provide extra support for students with behavioral and academic needs in Clinton City Schools, Board of Education members last week listened to a proposal that would establish a RISE program for K-5 students.
RISE is an existing program that aims to build up the academic, communication, social, behavioral and functional life skills of students struggling in those area. The discussion of bringing the program to the city schools was detailed by Dr. William Vann, who heads Student Services and Alternative Learning Program for the city system, along with some of his team during the Oct. 29 Board of Education meeting.
“Board and guests, I am excited because we have had the opportunity to visit Pitt Academy in Greenville to view their alternative program,” Vann said. “As we have discussed in the past, Clinton City Schools is trying to create and move forward with the creation of an elementary program to support our students in need.”
Vann said he and his team observed Pitt Academy’s RISE initiatives, trying to glean ideas of how to properly incorporate the program within the city schools system, specifically as part of the College Street Academy.
Laying out the details of their findings that night was CSA staff members 1st Sgt. Erran Joseph and Mia Bronson.
“We are pleased to have the opportunity to present a proposal for addition to College Street Academy with the RISE program addressing K through five. That initiative was directed by our superintendent, Dr. Wesley Johnson, Dr. Vann and ourselves,” Joseph said in addressing the board.
“We went out and did a recon to address or compare and contrast what resources were at Pitt Academy as compared to what we had in Clinton City Schools,” he said. “Part of that was establishing what needed to be addressed and what needed to be added to effectively run the program here.”
Joseph explained that their efforts involved two tours, the first was to see and get a firsthand look into how the program operates. The second was coming back with those findings and brainstorming with College Street Academy staff to actually develop a plan to propose that fits with the schools resources, vision and mission statements.
“Obviously, we start with Clinton City Schools’ vision and mission for our proposal, that’s what we had to keep in mind,” Bronson said. “When we did our recon, we looked at the classrooms, the services they provided, and we wanted to make sure that we were able to meet the vision and the mission that mirrors our vision and mission for College Street Academy.”
In presenting the proposal, Joseph and Bronson highlighted takeaways from their visit to Pitt Academy, which included:
• Social workers are involved in the referral process of their assigned students
• School nurse is involved in the process ensuring that student health needs can be met at the alternative program
• Exit meetings are conducted with base school, parents and alternative staff to discuss reintegration of student
• Maximum 30 placement for K-8 students due to the severity of lost time
• Quiet room available for K-5 students
• If a student has been hospitalized or incarcerated for an extended period of time there is a 10 day transition program at the alternative program to access behavior and suitability for return to a greater student body at base school
• Alternative program has a district vehicle available for student transport to and form other locations within the district during the regular school day
“Our first point is to outline the behavioral goals for students assigned to the program,” she told members. “The board will have policies and procedures that outline and address the assignment of students into the program, ensuring that an assignment is appropriate for the student and that student’s parents are involved in the decision.
Documentation, Bronson said, is also required to demonstrate success in improving the academic achievement and behavior of students assigned. To ensure this, staffing will include at least one additional K-5 certified teacher, as well as an optimum learning environment (classroom) where resources and material will be provided to enhance educational opportunities.
Much like Pitt Academy, it was also noted that support personnel, like school counselors, social workers and nurses, would be provided.
Following the presentation, board members offered their concerns and questions, including whether the system had the proper space to offer such a program, what the program capacity was expected to be, how long students would be in the program, what was needed for a student to transition out of the program, and whether it was appropriate to house younger students with older ones at the alternative school.
While each question was loosely addressed, the answers, they said were more speculation than anything since integrating RISE was in the early phases.
Additionally, no motion or decision was made last week since the presentation was only meant to update school board members on the program.
“I want to add this. I think we wanted to present it to you at this time because we want you to think about all that we have going on,” the superintendent said. “We’ve got developers and contractors constantly coming to look at the College Street building. Not to mention, we’re looking at potentially building a new PreK-2 school. So, we need to be thinking about what is our best options going forward because we have to do something.
“Say we do decide to move forward with the PreK-2 school; we have to think our about our two other locations, we just can’t abandon those,” Johnson continued. “We need to be thinking about things like, would it be best not to house Pre-K in the new building? Would it be best to keep Pre-K at LCK and, if RISE becomes part of the project, should College Street Academy move over to LCK with our Pre-K, so that we can kind of tailor what Pitt Academy has, with our student services?”
Johnson didn’t give a timeline on when he needed the board to make a decision on RISE, instead he asked them to mull it over during the coming months.
”I think that’s why I kind of wanted to present this now, so that you guys can decide in the next couple months what is the best,” he said.
“We all know that this is something we need, but where is it best housed, those are the decisions that we need to make moving forward,” Johnson added.
Reach Michael B. Hardison at 910-249-4231. Follow us on Twitter at @SamsponInd, like us on Facebook, and check out our Instagram at @thesampsonindependent.
