The following article was taken from the Waukon Standard. The article was written by Tonya O’Connor.
When the Federal Government called the Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) last September 30, it wasn’t about taxes, or the lottery, and Barb Winters couldn’t have been more excited.
It was, recalls Winters, program director for Allamakee County’s multi-faceted Community Connections, the “unforgettable and incredibly thrilling” day she learned the organization had received a three million dollar grant for continued and expanded programming. “Only one other school in Iowa was awarded the same grant,” added Winters, “the Lineville-Clio Community School District. The competition nation-wide is very, very serious. Only 12 rural schools in the entire U.S. received this grant.”
Of note is the fact that Community Connections has been operating under a one-year extension of the expansive 21st Century Grant awarded in 2001. Without this most recent award, which is technically termed Community Connections/Safe Schools/Healthy Students, funding would have expired this May.
Last year, ACSD parents were particularly relieved upon learning that the one-year extension ensured the availability of the successful Kid’s Club afterschool programming for grades K-6. While the new grant will facilitate many services dedicated toward prevention, education and family support, significant among them is afterschool programming not just for ACSD, but Eastern Allamakee (EACS) and Postville (PCSD) districts as well. Services will expand from grades K-6 to K-12 in all school districts in Allamakee County.
In the six months since award confirmation, Winters and staff have implemented the specific program elements determined in the grant application, including the hiring of additional staff members. “This grant is very specific,” says Winters. “The financial allocation is determined at the time of grant submission. If I had to say one thing about this grant, it’s that our application was strong and organized because people in this county have worked so hard together.”
WHAT IS COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS/SAFE SCHOOLS/HEALTHY STUDENTS?
The simplest explanation of a group as multi-faceted as CCSS/HS is to visualize its logo (pictured at right). In the very center sits a child-like and old-fashioned drawing of a schoolhouse, bell and all. To its right is scribbled “Safe Schools, Healthy Students.” Just above, in bold, it says “Community Connections,” and just below, “Allamakee County Partnership.” It is all very nice, but not what makes the logo memorable.
What lends a lasting impression are the seven interlocking colored arrows circling and supporting the interior text. They are orange and black for ACSD, purple and grey for EACS, red and black for PCSD, and green for St. Patrick’s in Waukon. There is the distinct impression that if just one arrow fell from the circle, it would break, and that, in essence, says Winters, is what CCSS/HS is all about: “the relationships between organizations, and even more so, the people in them.”
By its own definition, CCSS/HS builds on the collaborative framework established at the federal level between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Education and Justice. Key partners in this are the three county school districts, the Iowa Department of Human Services, Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office, the Waukon, Lansing, Postville and New Albin police departments, and the Iowa Juvenile Courts Services.
The group’s mission statement is as follows: “The Community Connections Safe Schools Healthy Students Consortium will support and strengthen the Allamakee County relationship of Allamakee Community School District (lead district), Eastern Allamakee Community School District, and Postville Community School District in conjunction with local law enforcement, public mental health, and juvenile justice agencies as they work to enhance existing resources and integrate CCSS/HS project activities into a comprehensive network of programs and services that reflect the combined county vision of preventing youth violence and promoting healthy development of children and families.
HOW WILL THE MONEY BE SPENT?
A total of $946,919 per year, for three years, will be spent on six goals outlined in the grant application:
1) providing and maintaining a safe school environment for all students in the county;
2) reducing incidence of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use;
3) increasing access to mental health services in order to build positive relationships in schools in the community;
4) increasing the number of services available for children ages 0-5 so that they can enter school ready to learn;
5) increasing academic achievement for all students and parental involvement in the schools and communities; and
6) developing district plans and policies promoting a safe, drug-free and disciplined learning environment.
In short, all programs are intended to support students and their families, from birth through graduation, whether it is educationally, psychologically, or academically. These services go beyond core classroom studies, specifically providing out of the classroom assistance to students of all levels in home and in school.
“We do all kinds of things,” says Winters, “from tutoring to finding housing, to making referrals to appropriate agencies for further assistance.”
To date, the individuals appointed to attain these goals are as follows: Barb Winters, project director; Teri Collins, technology administrator; Sarah Hager, family home visitor; Soraya Munoz, bilingual outreach coordinator; Cindy Shogren, PCSD site manager assistant; Bill Otto, PCSD/YMCA site manager; Chris Troendle, EACS site coordinator; Shari Curran, qualitative data analyst; John Lacewell, youth facilitator; Jackie McGeough, ACSD site coordinator; Deb Kubitz, ACSD site coordinator, and Virginia Kurth, ACSD site coordinator.
ACHIEVING EACH ELEMENT: AND HOW
Element one: Safe Schools - CCSS/HS plans to achieve safe schools countywide by utilizing programs such as Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) and Character Counts. Such programs, says Winters, “are designed to target success for school systems by adopting a uniform language of respect and social expectations. Eighty percent of building faculty commitment in each district is required to become a PBS school in which social skills and behaviors are worked on in all grades. It is basically about old-fashioned good manners and respect.” This, adds Winters, is an aspect of the program not yet finalized. The deadline for teacher commitment to the program is May 2.
The other basic aspect of element one focuses on increased security in school buildings and buses. CCSS/HS hopes to see a ten percent decrease in school disruptions by 2007, and wishes children and staff to perceive their school and bus environments as safe.
Each district plans to achieve this goal as follows:
ACSD: increased security through lighting and cameras on buildings and buses; Positive Behavior Support education for K-12 staff, students and families; review and revision of emergency policies and the conducting of emergency drills.
EACS: provide safety personnel for shuttle buses; Positive Behavior Support education for K-12 staff, students and families; review and revision of emergency policies and the conducting of emergency drills.
PCSD: Character Counts education for K-8 staff, students and families; review and revision of emergency policies and the conducting of emergency drills.
Element Two: Reduced alcohol, tobacco and other drug use - CCSS/HS will increase awareness and participation in safe, drug-free and healthy activities for students and community via groups such as Peers Making Peace, Al’s Pals and Parent Education, Life Skills Training and Project Northland. Fundamental to achieving this is building student involvement in the programs. They aim for a 25 percent decrease in reported drug use by 2007, and for students themselves to report healthy lifestyle choices.
All three district plans to achieve these goals as follows: Assist with development and participation in the Allamakee County Youth Task Force; after school programming including homework assistance, tutoring and clubs of interest to students; Advantage Club experiences on teacher in-service early dismissal days; provide prevention curriculum for elementary and high school students during and after the school day.
Element Three: Increased mental health services - CCSS/HS aims to increase the awareness that mental health translates to family and school success, and make mental health services relating to prevention and early intervention available to students and their families.
By 2007, they hope to see a 60% increase in the number of student screening and assessments, and a 25% increase in school-based mental health services overall.
All three districts will promote mental health awareness and increase the availability to school-based mental health services.
Element Four: Increased services for children 0-5 - CCSS/HS will make family psychosocial and emotional development available through home visits and screenings, and establish a home visitor program to reach new families within the county. By 2007, they aim for a 75% increase in home-based family visits, as well as family awareness concerning what programs are available to them.
All three districts will make available routine home visits to interested families. Parent education will be provided upon request. Keystone AEA will provide early childhood screening to children in all three districts.
Element Five: Increased academic achievement and parental involvement - CCSS/HS will focus on academic enrichment programs for students. They hope to increase student participation through the Allamakee County Youth Task Force, and to use partner resources for community and parental education. By 2007, they aim for a 10% increase on annual Iowa Test of Basic Skills scores, a 25% improvement in school attendance, and a 60% increase in parent involvement in school activities.
All three districts agree to provide training to staff, students and families, provide afterschool programming for grades K-12, provide parental support, and serve as the primary link to all services for families and children from birth to graduation throughout Allamakee County.
Element Six: Develop district plans and policies that promote a safe, drug-free and disciplined learning environment - CCSS/HS asks each school district to update and revise current school activation for emergency plans, and create awareness among students and staff of school policies to enhance safety. Documentation of any and all policy changes will be provided. By 2007, the group wishes for established policies to be known by students, staff, parents and community members. To this effect, all three districts have agreed to review policies and provide safety and policy training in each school.
THE PARTNERSHIP ELEMENT
The underlying support for the six program elements lies in what CCSS/HS has termed the “partnership element,” which is defined as thus: to sustain and enhance community collaboration to meet the needs of the students and families in Allamakee County. An Advisory Board will meet monthly; partnership meetings will take place quarterly. Furthermore, a 10-year strategic plan for program sustainability will be developed.
Put simply, this is the part where the grant’s success is determined by the level of participation by organizations and individuals throughout Allamakee County. This, notes Winters, is critical. “The government watches that the grant is being carried out as specified. They access our support level, asking if we have individuals willing to give of their time and services.”
As far as paid positions, the previous 21st Century Grant employed nearly 300 part-time employees over the past four years, making it one of the largest employers in Allamakee County.
Especially promising thus far are survey results of junior and senior students regarding level of interest in afterschool programming for their age group. The survey saw an approximate 80% response rate. One hundred ten students volunteered their personal time to aid in implementing programs of youth interest. At present, six students serve on the Allamakee Substance Abuse Prevention Advisory Board and the Allamakee County Partnership.
For someone who has spent over five years organizing, grant writing, and implementing programs to benefit Allamakee County, Winters is not one to credit herself for achieved results. She sees herself simply as a facilitator, someone that helps people talk to each other, and that it’s the talking that has formed a common goal: increased quality of life for all people living in the county.
“We are getting together an organized system that enables people from differing aspects and organizations to talk,” she says. “I wish for communication not to and through me, but to each other. If we are successful, people will know where to turn.” Later this spring, Winters intends to have all involved organizations cross-evaluate each other concerning services and program involvement. “This excites me,” says Winters. “I hope to see it build all our relationships.”
The success of CCSS/HS and the Allamakee County Partnership, notes Winters, will continue to depend on the welcome involvement of all interested individuals, from all walks of life, inside Allamakee County. That is how the CCSS/HS grant came to be, and how it will be sustained in the future.
“Allamakee County is a very special place,” says Winters. “People care about each other. If we are really using this grant, we need to build a system that stands long after this grant, or any one person involved in it, is gone. Then the process will truly be in place.”