After School Assistance Program

(ASAP)

Westville SchoolsWestville, IN

Presented by Alissa SchnickWestville Middle School

Assistant Principal

About me

Middle School Assistant Principal

Early College Coordinator

English teacher

Speech teacher

Eighth year at Westville

Westville Middle/ High School

Student enrollment: 454

Teachers:23

Attendance rate:95.1%

2013 Graduation rate:95.2%

What is the ASAP program?

After School Assistance Program (ASAP) is the name of our assistance program, implemented during the 2011-2012 school year as part of our school improvement program. ASAP gives students the opportunity to receive extra assistance with any number of class related tasks. ASAP replaced our traditional detention and Saturday School program.

How to participate

There are two ways to participate in the assistance program:

1. Be assigned to the program by a staff member - Students may be assigned to the program by any staff member. Usually students will be assigned when a staff member detects a need; this may be the result of having incomplete assignments/class-work or simply noticing that the student is struggling with class work/tasks. It is important to note that this is not a punishment, nor is it intended to be treated as such. Different teachers run the program each night with the assistance of NJHS and NHS members, schedule permitting.

If a student is assigned to the program, they will be given a paper notice for a parent to sign which needs to be returned. The parent will also receive an e-mail message and/or phone call via the alert now system notifying them that their student received a notice to attend.

2. Volunteer to participate - Students may use the program like tutoring. A board will be displayed in the middle school/high school lobby notifying students what teachers are available that day for tutoring/assistance. Students may choose from either of the teachers names displayed, and should report to their room for assistance.

Details

The program is available to students on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday after school from 2:50 PM to 3:35 PM. An activity bus will transport students home after the program and will depart campus between 3:40 PM and 3:45 PM. Students do not have to take the bus home, it is simply an option available to them.

Students who volunteer to participate in the program must remain in the selected room for the duration.

Students must participate in the program for its nightly duration in order to be eligible to ride the activity bus home unless they are granted special permission by the office. Students may not ride the activity bus home under any other circumstance.

Details

The program is also available on Wednesday and Friday morning to students who feel that an AM session would better suit them (for instance, a student who has an after-school job, may find an AM session more beneficial). Students should ask about AM sessions if they are assigned to the program and a PM session does not suit them. The program begins at 7 AM and concludes at approximately 7:40 AM. There is no early bus for AM sessions.

Students are responsible for bringing all the necessary materials to the program whether assigned or voluntary.

Discipline Program

ASAP also has a separate discipline program associated with it. This program replaces traditional classroom detentions with a group setting detention (although teachers are still permitted to assign their own classroom detentions). Detentions will last from 2:50 to 3:35, the same time frame as the assistance program. Students assigned to the program may also ride the activity bus home nightly. Teachers will send home a traditional detention form to be signed, and you will receive an e-mail message or phone call notifying you of the detention. Teachers will also make contact regarding detention. AM detentions are available on Wednesday and Friday mornings.

Friday Night School

Friday Night School is a replacement for our former Saturday School program. The program commences after school on Friday at 2:50 and concludes just before 6 PM.

Students who are in attendance on a Friday on which they are assigned a Friday Night School are expected to attend the session as the session begins immediately after school concludes.

Students are responsible for their own transportation once they are dismissed from Friday Night School.

Student and Parent Information

Students and parents are advised that if they have general questions about the program they should be directed to the front office. Questions about specific referrals to the discipline program or assistance program should be directed to the assigning teacher. As phones are available to teachers on an infrequent basis, the fastest method of contact is usually e-mail.

All of the information provided is available to students and parents on the website at http://www.westville.k12.in.us/site/Default.aspx?PageID=400.

November Calendar

Why did Westville Schools need an assistance program?

Created as part of our school improvement plan.

Gives students the opportunity to receive extra assistance with any number of class related tasks.

Less time out of class to make up tests.

Replaces our traditional detention and Saturday School program.

Teacher Buy In

Part of contract

Administration took away one day at the end of the school year and one teacher’s meeting during the school year to fit time slots needed.

All the serious changes have gone through a panel of staff created by the teachers.

Make note of serious concerns and they are usually incorporated into the annual re-work of the program.

Data proves it’s effective

Success of the Program

When we first started the program we averaged 25-30 students per week. Currently, we average approximately 75 assigned participants per week, and probably 60 unique users per week.

National Honors Society (NHS-high school students) and National Junior Honors Society (NJHS-middle school students) help by providing tutors on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday after school sessions. We try to give the program more of a tutoring and mentoring slant by picking/finding students to work with struggling students.

Academic assignments occur more frequently than disciplines.

Almost every superintendent candidate interviewed (7 total) commented that they were impressed with the ideas behind the ASAP program. Our newest superintendent has put forth a lot of effort into continuing the program.

Brand new principal supports the program.

Success of the Program

Transportation is provided so there is no reason that a student should not be able to attend.

Teachers are not always available to help students so this program makes it possible for students to get help (NHS and NJHS).

As the program runs daily, transportation is available, and there are morning and afternoon sessions, it helps to create a no-excuses environment.

You can ask the teacher for help, if you don't like the teacher or if the teacher's methods don't jive for you, you can ask the ASAP supervisor, if that's not working you can go to the next tier down, the tutors.

Along with other systems we employ (i.e. the middle school homework email) there is no reason a student can't receive/get the assistance they need unless they choose not to, in which case full responsibility lands not on the teacher, not on the parent, but fully on the student.

Success of the Program

It fills the needs of basically all types of students: students that want to be there because they want to succeed, because they need help, because they were assigned, etc. Yet, despite the uniqueness of each type, when they are in a given room, there's really no identifier of one or another. They all receive the same treatment, are offered the same assistance, etc.

Students make up tests without falling farther behind in class.

Free tutoring with no excuse now because there is a free bus.

Teachers are reliable to show up and run it. It is a good program so it is supported by students and their families.

People do understand what is going on with the program –several parents email for more details, wondering how to get their student involved.

From an administrative stand point, the first question we ask students when speaking to them about grades is do they attend ASAP.

Success of the Program

Less F’s than we have had in the past, which was a goal of the program

Less discipline issues (suspension, ISS, and Friday night classes)

Better attendance

High School graded D when we began program-current grade is a B

What changes have been made since the beginning of the program?

The program has transitioned from being a general help program to being a more specialized program with a program specifically for middle school and one specifically for high school with the discipline element remaining fairly similar from year to year.

The program also seems to be less rigid this year, eliminating electronic reporting (for the most part) has made the program more accessible and less burdensome for staff, especially those who are less technologically literate. We now have a Google doc where all teachers can report and see from their desk

Splitting the middle school and high school students into two tutoring rooms

Technology/online reporting

Middle School is implementing ASAP into their incentive program for 13/14 school year:◦ Homework Policy:

1st zero – Lunch make up (assignment will be made up for full credit) All subsequent zeros – ASAP (assignment made up for ½ credit) 3rd + zero – Parent call/conference

What changes have been made since the beginning of the program?

Strike system (created for students that abuse the program, cause disruptions, etc. Strike one warning, strike two kicked out for day, strike three kicked out for semester)

Added NJHS students help with tutoring

Time has been extended to avoid students wandering halls before the program started and bells were added

We have a refinement committee to discuss wanted changes

What changes still need to be made?

Teacher consistency (not all teachers follow the test make up rule)

Encouraging even more students who really need the extra help to attend (some still view it as a punishment)

Coaches need to be better informed

From the administrative stand-point, cost. Running extra busses with a transportation budget that is lean to begin with makes little fiscal sense, but from an educational stand-point, the program is looked at beyond dollars

Could Your School Benefit From A Program Like This?

If you're going to approach this program, spend time looking at your needs and build it around that

This is not a one size fits all program, and it will not work perfectly for everyone in one year or even two

Be flexible

Remember your purpose