Degree Name

Education Specialist (EdS)

Semester of Degree Completion

1998

Thesis Director

Donald W. Smitley

Abstract

Schools face a growing population of at-risk students. For years, educators have searched for ways to assist at-risk students address their problems and improve academically. One program that has been implemented in many schools is called a student assistance program (SAP). Student assistance programs generally involve a core team, called the student assistance team (SAT), comprised of teachers, administrators, and guidance personnel. The student assistance program involves identifying student problems, referring students to the SAT, an in-depth study of information concerning the student, suggested interventions, support systems, and follow-up procedures. This study was done to determine what formal procedures, if any, were being used by student assistance teams for evaluating at-risk middle school students in the Sangamon Area Special Education District (SASED) in Sangamon County, Illinois.

The study took place in the Spring of 1998 using data from a survey of middle school principals in the school districts involved in SASED. Responses were received from all 16 principals.

Principal responses indicated that 88% of the schools currently had student assistance programs and teams. All of the schools using SATs had formal procedures which guided the operation of the teams. These procedures generally included a set meeting time, set team members, set agendas, recommendations for interventions, and follow up procedures. As part of the formal procedures, the teams evaluated detailed documentation on the students. The documentation included teacher observations, interventions attempted, academic and attendance history, etc. The SATs also addressed a wide range of concerns. They included academic, behavior, drug use, alcohol use, and suicide.

Recommendations as a result of the study were made as part of a plan for a student assistance program at Riverton Middle School in Riverton, Illinois, where the author currently serves as principal. Following the study, the author made specific recommendations concerning the student assistance program and student assistance team at Riverton Middle School.

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