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Accomplishments
- A district resource guide was developed and adopted for use by partner agencies. It is in loose-leaf form so that periodic updates can be easily made.
- Issues were prioritized for attention by the Executive Roundtable and Steering Committee and action was taken as follows:
- A district wide committee was formed by the school district to assist the assistant superintendent in developing a uniform and appropriate attendance policy for the district. Committee reports are provided to the Executive Roundtable regularly. New policy and practices are scheduled for implementation in the fall of 2000.
- A study was done by the Steering Committee to try to determine why Monroe County had the highest dropout rate in the state. The project created, sought, received funding for, and implemented the Targeted Transition Program. It is a model program, which targets students involved in the juvenile justice, mental health systems, and the Department of Children and Families. The program currently has a caseload of 80 students throughout the Keys.
- The position of School Safety Coordinator has been established by the school board. The coordinator keeps both Shared Services Network groups informed and has utilized materials developed by other Shared Services Network initiatives, specifically Santa Rosa County
- The Shared Services Network facilitator is working on a comparative report which tracks a randomly selected group of students who were 9th graders in the county in 1988 and a group of students who were 9th graders in the county in 1994. The premise for the report is to determine what changes have occurred in education between the entry into high school for each group, and whether these changes have had a positive or negative effect. As of March 1, 2000, the students have been selected, a range of educational programs implemented since 1988 have been identified and the facilitator is awaiting requested information from DOE on specific student outcomes (i.e. college attendance, work status, etc.)
- In reviewing data and services related to teen pregnancy, the project discovered that while it is an issue in the Keys, there are already ample services in place to address the needs.
- The transportation issue in the Keys is an ongoing problem. Several temporary solutions have been developed and implemented, but it is a constant struggle to provide adequate access to services for families.
- In attempting to determine whether collaboration positively impacts student achievement, the Roundtable and Steering Committee identified students whose families are multi-agency involved. A process was developed which ultimately became the Successful Outcomes for Students (SOS) program. This program includes specific criteria and targets students for implementation of a "student success plan" which is created with all persons pertinent to the child at the table. (i.e. parents, agency case workers, counselors, the child, teachers) The program is family-centered and uses a problem-solving format. Not fewer than 80% of identified students have shown improvement in one or more areas measured (attendance, behavior, and academics).
- As a result of the review of summer and after school programs, a committee has been formed to review the process of application, subsidy, and other aspects. Currently, a proposal to create a system of central intake for summer programs is under review. One agency (the Central Agency for Childcare) has stepped forward to indicate an ability and willingness to operate the intake system.
- The Shared Services Network system also addresses many other issues, particularly when an identified need is brought to their attention. For example, as a result of the Roundtable’s influence the local Boys and Girls Club was saved from termination. Since then, the Boys and Girls Club of the Keys received the state's highest ranking.
- The Shared Services Network Steering Committee has completed and submitted a federal grant for comprehensive summer programs for at risk youth. Word on approval is pending.
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