School A is a small band operated school nestled in the beautiful Qu’Appelle Valley. Head Start to Grade 9, there are approximately 120 students who are bused to school daily. Of the 20 staff members, 8 are teachers, and 12 are support staff. According to Band records, education received $1, 384, 456 for the 2007-2008 school year. For the same time period, $1,179,529 was received by band members through social assistance. Stats Canada indicates that the median age of the band members was 20.8 in 2007 and that the average household income was $17,152, which is well below the poverty line.
Five employees of the school were interviewed regarding their perceptions, thoughts and feelings on how the school is doing in terms of SchoolPLUS and the Circle of Courage Model. One resource room teacher, two classroom teachers, and two teacher assistants, were interviewed. Two of the interviewees are Band members.
When asked if they had heard about SchoolPLUS or the Circle of Courage Model, four of five people interviewed had not. One of the teachers described SchoolPLUS as part of school improvement planning but could not elaborate. Despite not knowing the terms, I would ague that the school staff are doing well in terms of both.
Parental and community involvement is very much a concern of the school. Last year, for example, the school applied for, and received, New Paths funding from INAC (Indian and Northern Affairs Canada) to improve home and school relations. One of their projects was the development of an incentive program where every time a parent or community member came into the school, they got to enter their name in a draw to win one of two laptops. As a staff they have expressed frustration in the lack of parental involvement and, as you can see, have been trying different means of improving it.
There seems to be a general consensus that the students of School A are happy and excited to come to school. Teachers feel this is reflected in attendance. Students generally greet teachers and classmates in a friendly manner. Students will often hug staff members when they meet them. Not only are students eager to participate in class, they are also involved in the school’s many extracurricular activities such as lacrosse, hockey, volleyball, and baseball, for example. There seems to be a very strong focus on sports throughout the school. Although there is no formal policy in place to welcome new students, teachers often “buddy” them up for a few days until they feel comfortable.
Mixed responses resulted when the staff members were asked if parents and community members feel welcome in the school. Teachers indicated that lack of parental involvement was a concern. One respondent felt that not enough was done by the school to make parents and community members feel welcome. Others thought that either education was not a priority for certain families, or that some individuals were nervous about coming into the school, either because of past experiences or feelings of inferiority. However, the staff members were in agreement that of the parents that did come into the school, they felt welcome. The large majority felt comfortable enough to venture directly to their children’s classrooms to see the children and the child’s teacher. Parents seem to feel at ease enough to voice their concerns.
School programming seems to have a focus on student success. They are using several programs that are rooted in research-based best practices. In several subjects students are grouped school-wide into ability level groupings. The hope is that by working at their own level, students will achieve success, and as a result, more growth. Although, for the most part, not familiar with the term multiple intelligences, teachers are trying a variety of different strategies. If a student isn’t catching on to one method, they will approach it with a different strategy. The resource teacher felt that positive relationships were a key to many of the student and school successes.
Over the past several years the school staff has taken part in two very different professional development in-services that address student behaviors—the Battleford Day Treatment Program and Perceptual Control Theory Training. The first was taught as an integrated part of the curriculum. The second, used as a way to teach inner control. Although the training has been intensive, one teacher reported that behavior is not being dealt with in a consistent manner nor is it being taught consistently in individual classrooms.
The school staff values generosity. This is demonstrated in their commitment to teaching children about sharing. It is not uncommon for students to share school supplies or lunches. In addition to this, the school is involved in several fundraising efforts that encourage generosity. Projects include penny drives for diabetes, the Terry Fox run, food hampers at Christmas time, and donations to the radio-thon for the neonatal intensive care unit.
The gym and adjoining Home Ec. Room have been designated as community space. They are used for a variety of after school activities such as funerals, round dances, workshops, family fun nights, and sports. These activities are usually organized by community members rather than teaching staff.
When asked about opportunities that the school has created to build relationships within the community, many felt that these were lacking. However, some mentioned parent-teacher interviews, school carnivals, and an “open house” policy as attempts at building relationships. This year the staff have attempted to bridge the gap between community and school by starting a band-wide volleyball league. In addition to the school team, there is a team from the health department, the chief and council, and the local RCMP. There were many positive comments about this initiative.
Partnerships seem to be an area of weakness according to individual responses. However, there are a multitude of resources available to the teachers should they choose to utilize them. The school is attached to the medical and dental clinic. The Health Department supports the school by offering nutrition workshops, diabetes and sexual health education, as well as individual and group counseling. The Tribal Council offers many of these same services as well. In addition to these, Elders were mentioned as a valuable resource in the school. The Elders try to be present at the majority of school functions. They also attend the student’s extracurricular activities when they can. Elders spend time both in the classrooms and with individual students as requested.
The final question that was asked during the interview was “What unique features of your community are reflected in your school programming?” First, community involvement in sports was mentioned in several of the answers. The resulting school focus on, and success in sports, they felt, was an outcome. Secondly, it was felt that the unique location of the school enabled teachers to enhance their programming. Nature walks, canoeing, and ice fishing being reflections. Finally, staff members felt that the support that they received from Chief and Council was unique. In discussions with colleagues from other schools, they ascertained that education was a priority for the Chief and Council in their community and did not seem to be so for others. They feel that the support of Chief and Council makes a huge difference in the school, its atmosphere, and its programming in general.
Both staff and students need to be engaged in the process of addressing the Circle of Courage Model. Staff need to teach and model what fulfilling each of the needs looks like and sounds like, and students need to opportunities to practice. A common language needs to be spoken in the school – each individual should potentially be able to explain (and not necessarily in reference to the model) the significance of needs associated with the Circle of Courage Model and how they can be met. Below is a link to a YouTube video from the Colorado Youth at Risk initiative. The dream, an environment where student needs are being met and all students can not only dream, but achieve.