In school districts where there are no middle schools it can be difficult for some children to transition from Elementary to Secondary school. Those who are identified with special needs should have supports and their support teams in theory work together for a successful transition from grade 7 to grade 8. At-risk students such as those who may come from a single parent household, lower socioeconomic situations, mild anxiety, etc. may go unnoticed until the student is far behind in grade 8. The goal of the Gator Shades youth-at-risk summer program is to provide incoming grade 8 students with time at the Secondary school prior to September to familiarize them to the school, practice some literacy and numeracy skills and develop positive relationships with peers and adults. A classroom teacher, resource teacher and technology teacher will work together with special education assistant(s) and youth care workers to provide the program. The grade 7 teacher, special education teacher and/or counsellors will be the ones to recommend at-risk youth to the program. Parents will complete an application package with the input of the student and program teachers will select appropriate students. The term "at-risk youth" refers to young individuals who face various factors or circumstances that put them in a vulnerable position, potentially leading to negative outcomes in their lives. While specific criteria may vary depending on the context, there are some common factors and indicators that are often used to determine if a youth qualifies as "at-risk." It's important to note that these criteria are not rigid and can differ based on the organization, program, or purpose for which the determination is being made. Here are some general criteria:
The program stakeholders are students, parents, teachers, youth care workers, special education assistants, school administration, superintendent of schools and school board trustees. The program is funded by the government with financial contributions from a local youth care worker organization. There are many types of program evaluation that could benefit the program from formative, to ensure the activities we are currently doing are engaging and practical for the students, meeting their needs. One example of a summative evaluation that could be useful to determine if the program should continue in future years is to host a lunch time meeting at the end of September with the Gator Shades student to reconnect and survey to see if and how the program helped with their transition to the Secondary school. A hybrid evaluation could provide feedback for changes for future programs and how to grow the program for different student groups, example students with autism, or other schools within the district. It’s possible that the introduction of middle schools still results in difficulty for those transiting from Middle school to Secondary school and the program could be useful in those situations. This program could also be adapted to a shorter version right before the start of school for all new students, more comprehensive than an hour-long orientation on the first day of school. The program I am referencing is called Gator Shades because Walnut Grove Secondary is home of the Gators and many other programs reference the Gator. Examples include Gator Aid, Gator FORCE, etc. Sources: Huey T. Chen. (2014). Practical Program Evaluation : Theory-Driven Evaluation and the Integrated Evaluation Perspective. SAGE Publications, Inc. Kaboski, J. R.; Diehl, J. J.; Beriont, J.; Crowell, C. R.; Villano, M.; Wier, K.; Tang, K. Brief Report: A Pilot Summer Robotics Camp to Reduce Social Anxiety and Improve Social/Vocational Skills in Adolescents with ASD. Journal of autism and developmental disorders 2015, 45 (12), 3862–3869. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2153-3 Koegel, L. K.; Glugatch, L. B.; Koegel, R. L.; Castellon, F. A. Targeting IEP Social Goals for Children with Autism in an Inclusive Summer Camp. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 2019, 49 (6), 2426–2436. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-03992-4 Why emotional self-regulation is important and how to do it. (May 3, 2023). Medical News Today. Retrieved July 29, 2023, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/emotional-self-regulation#:~:text=Emotional%20self%2Dregulation%20refers%20to,Feeling%20strong%20emotions%20is%20healthy.
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AuthorTanya Kerr is a current student of Queen's University Graduate studies. Archives
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