Frequently Asked Questions about S.T.A.T.
Q. What is S.T.A.T. and why is PHS looking
at this change?
A. Student Teacher Access Time (S.T.A.T.) provides a block of time each day where students and teachers can access each other for various educational enhancement reasons; such as but not limited to, make up tests, extra help on projects, additional study times, and labs. Although Prairie is a great school with great kids, we still have many students who are failing one or more classes. The reasons for this vary. Our response to strengthen student performance is based on research of high performing schools. This includes but is not limited to, proactive intervention, a system of privileges, teacher collaboration for purposes of strengthening their instruction and assessment and time to develop relationships with students. S.T.A.T. provides an hour of time where individual needs are more possible to be met than our current system. In our current school schedule there is very little time for students to access teachers before, during or after school for individual attention. Currently, the only options for teachers and students to access one another for individual attention are either before or after school. Many of our students need to take the bus and/or have other commitments such as sports or work, making it a challenge for teachers and students to connect with each other.
Q. What is the system of privileges and how does it work?
A. Research tells us that incentives that are not punitive in nature have a greater impact on student motivation towards a specified goal or expected behavior. In other words, the school of thought, “if you don’t perform you are punished,” is replaced with “if you do well you will be given a privilege.” This concept is often used in the business world.
We believe students can make academically correct decisions when given appropriate time, incentives and guidance. The suggested privilege/incentive being offered to students during S.T.A.T. consists of having one hour of self-directed time, for a maximum of three days in a regular week. The other days, all students will be engaged in additional learning and school related activities.
During this one hour time frame, all students will eat lunch and receive additional instruction according to their individual needs at least two days a week. Students who don’t meet prescribed criteria (explained below) will eat lunch and receive additional instruction every day. These students are referred to as “monitored” students. Students who meet the prescribed criteria (explained below) will be eligible to use the other three days for more instructional support or personal time as mentioned above in italics. These students are referred to as “self-directed” students.
The system of privileges criteria is still being finalized but the categories of criteria consist of:
· Grade point of last current six week grading period of 2.5 or higher or an increase of GPA of .5 in their cumulative GPA
· No fees and fines.
· No F’s in current classes.
· Good attendance.
· Good behavior.
· On track to graduate.
· Culminating project up to date.
· WASL.
For students who are “monitored,” they will be expected to take advantage of S.T.A.T. every day, thus, working towards the PHS academic and behavioral expectations/privileges. The “self-directed” students will have the privilege of using a maximum of three days a week for themselves. Both groups, self-directed and monitored, will be expected to use S.T.A.T. appropriately. If a student in either group does not follow the intent and expectations of S.T.A.T., their privileges can be removed for a specified time. Recognizing (but not expecting) that there will be times that students will make poor choices, we will have detention and other discipline measures that we currently use as consequences for those poor choices.
Students will have an I.D./ASB card: that indicates their status.
Q. What would a day with S.T.A.T. look
like?
A. Every day would be a S.TA.T. day. This would include (6) six 50 minute periods of class time and (1) one 60 minute period of teacher access time and lunch. During these 60 minutes, students will be able to get extra help from teachers, make-up tests, strengthen their areas of weakness in any of their subjects, peer mediating groups (FM2011), attend a club or other meetings, visit with counselors individually or in groups, and eat their lunch. Approximately three or four times in a month, departments (teachers) will be able to meet to continue their on-going work of strengthening their curriculum, instruction and assessment.
Students who qualify and maintain “self-directed” status, by meeting the requirements outlined in the system of privileges, may choose to have a one hour lunch for a maximum of three days in a normal five day week. For juniors and seniors this may include leaving campus. For freshmen and sophomores it may include open gym or an activity of their choice, thus, allowing them some personal time during the day. Students will be monitored by campus security, administration and teachers.
Q. Will there ever be a time when students
have nothing to do and get a one hour lunch break?
A. Yes and no. To suggest that students will have nothing to do would only occur when that student has all A’s in their classes. This is a good thing and if such is the case then yes, that student would have nothing to do. Currently students will need to meet the criteria of the system of privileges to be eligible for an extended lunch time three days during a normal week. Keep in mind, a student will demonstrate appropriate academic use of S.T.A.T. time at least two days a week of any given week. In other words, no student will be having an hour lunch every day. We will expect that for at least three days of a normal five day week some students, who qualify, will enjoy a one hour lunch. “Monitored” students (ones who do not meet the system of privileges criteria) will be engaged in learning, meeting with a counselor, or other approved activities.
Q. What will teachers do during S.T.A.T.?
A. Teachers will be in their classrooms ready to help students who are required to see them (“monitored”) and students who need extra help or make up work. On occasion, possibly three or four times a month, a teacher will be working with other teachers on curriculum, instruction and assessment or advising a club or activity group on a given day. Most of the time however, teachers will be available for students. Teachers will eat their lunch during S.T.A.T. time and will have their schedule posted in their classroom so students know when during S.T.A.T. they are available.
Q. Won’t there be too many students at lunch at the same time?
A. There is the possibility that this could happen but we will take measures to ensure that it doesn’t. Many students will have things to do and not all those things will be going on at the same time. Currently approximately 350-400 students are able to leave campus for lunch. This privilege is currently extended to seniors. S.T.A.T. would change the eligibility for seniors to leave campus due to the system of privileges. In short, seniors will be eligible to leave campus based on their academic performance and citizenship rather then number of years attending high school. Under the system of S.T.A.T. all students will be expected to manage their time according to the individual needs. They will be expected to access teachers and eat their lunch in one hour.
All students who have earned the privilege (self-directed) will be required to use S.T.A.T. for educational enhancement purposes at least two days a week in any given week: the other days of the week the “self-directed “students will use the time for whatever they want. For juniors and seniors, who have earned the privilege under the system of privilege, may leave campus. It is expected that not all students will eat lunch at the same time. Students will be with teachers, in a clubs or other meetings, meeting with FM2011 (formally known as SOAR) mentors, meeting with a counselor, accessing the peer tutoring lab, or if eligible, they may have left campus during the hour.
Q. How will students know when teachers are available and when to go see one?
A. Teachers will have a chart (weekly calendar) in their room outlining their availability by week. Students will use the teacher’s schedule to manage their S.T.A.T. If a teacher is busy the student will be trained and expected to visit that teacher when they are available. Each student will learn to navigate (manage) when they will eat lunch according to the various options they will have during the one hour. Teachers may also schedule students or groups of students if necessary for extra help during S.T.A.T.
Q. Will there be attendance taken during S.T.A.T.?
A. Students will “check-in” where ever they go except when they go to lunch. The process of check-in for students has not been finalized but options are being explored. We are looking into ID cards or thumb print scanners. When students go to a classroom, attend a club, a peer tutoring lab for example, each student will swipe their card through a card reader which will indicat the time they arrived and then they will swipe their card when they leave. The information will be collected through a data base. Student attendance will be student responsibility. Student attendance will be monitored like any other class.
Q. What if a teacher isn’t available or there are too many students asking for help, are there other options for students?
A. There will be peer tutoring available in the library every day. Students will be responsible for checking and double checking each of their teachers’ schedules in their classrooms for teacher availability during S.T.A.T. Students have six teachers they can access each day. We will coach, train and explain to students the various ways they can use S.T.A.T. to maximize their learning with the various options.
Q. What will Counselors and Assistant Principals be doing during S.T.A.T.?
A. S.T.A.T. offers many possibilities and opportunities for counselors and A.P’s to establish and provide proactive intervention plans for students. Counselors and A.P’s will be able to access students for individual and small group guidance counseling for the first time. Students are in constant need of preparation, planning and information. Counselors will be able to access students for such reasons ranging from resolving personal issues to meeting with groups of students for career planning and post high school planning.
Assistant Principals will primarily be monitoring and supervising students as they do now. In addition, Assistant Principals, as with counselors, will also be able to access students to help council if needed.
Q. How will students be supervised during S.T.A.T.?
A. Students will be engaged in many instructional venues and/or eating lunch. There will be three times a week where students (who have earned the privilege) will have “self-directed” time. Students will be supervised by administrators, teachers and campus security. Students who misuse S.T.A.T. will be disciplined according to the normal rules and expectation of attendance and compliance with school rules. Consequences will include but are not limited to, loss of “self-directed” status, detention, community service and suspension. In short, students will be supervised in the same manner they are now during lunch time and when students are in classes.
Q. When do you plan to start S.T.A.T.?
A. There is much
to be done to prepare and build S.T.A.T. It requires us to re-build PHS not
only in the process of how we educate students but also in the way we think
(the other how) we should educate students. Change is difficult and requires
careful consideration of various stakeholders while ensuring that best practice
and research is considered. S.T.A.T. is expected to begin once the program is
set up, areas of concerns have been recognized and/or addressed, and students,
parents and staff are trained and well-informed. This process could take two or
three months or longer. This Q and A transmittal is one of many steps in
educating our parents of what S.T.A.T. is and can do for kids. In the last two
months we have had focus groups with students, classified staff and parents,
where we have shared S.T.A.T. and received input. Teachers and administration at
PHS have been heavily involved in its development. The