February 2006

Letter from the Director

Dear Readers,

I just celebrated my first year as Director of the National Center for School Engagement. This occasion prompted me to reflect on my experiences over the past year. What immediately came to my mind were all the bright people I’ve met who are dedicated to improving outcomes for youth and their families. Some of these people have been featured in past issues of NCSE-News. Remember the folks in Sterling Colorado who participated in Lights On After School event (November issue) ? I hope you recall the highlights from our First Annual Summit (October issue), which resulted in over 16 people joining our Advisory Council.

In addition to being inspired by the people I’ve met, I’ve become more aware of what communities are doing to address the needs of youth and their families. Most of my learning has centered on identifying and implementing best practices and model programs to promote school success. To that end, this month’s edition of NCSE-News focuses on what works to improve the lives of youth and their families.

Our featured articles highlight CASASTARTsm (Striving Together to Achieve Rewarding Tomorrows) which is a substance abuse and violence prevention program developed by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. Research shows that this model program decreases substance abuse and the selling of drugs by youth and increases grade promotion.

The Colorado Foundation for Families and Children is the regional training and technical assistance contact for CASASTART and staff recently met with Larry Murray, a fellow with CASASTART Columbia and NCSE Advisory Council Member. Several of our staff accompanied him on visits to Denver area CASASTART Programs. At each of our stops at area schools, Mr. Murray visited with youth participants and heard from CASASTART Staff, school administrators and public officials - SEE PICTURES. The message was clear - CASASTART has a positive impact on the lives of youth who were once identified as high-risk for school failure. Today these students are on the honor roll and are receiving recognition for the academic gains they have made. Parents report that their children are now planning for their future and believe that they can achieve their dreams. More information on identifying model programs can be found in the Resource and Research portion of this e-newsletter. Also be sure to visit the Conference section for upcoming opportunities to network and explore strategies in promoting school engagement.

I would be remiss if I didn’t take the time to thank you, our readers, for being a part of the National Center for School Engagement. Your emails, comments, and articles contributed to making the past year very rewarding to me.

Thank you,

Judith Martinez

Reminder: We are in the process of identifying topics for future editions of NCSE-News. Please email your suggestions to me at jmartinez@coloradofoundation.org. .

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CASASTART Program Overview

taken from the

Promising Practice Network

CASASTART is a substance abuse and delinquency prevention program serving high-risk young adolescents and their families. CASASTART's primary goals are:


1) To provide youth with the services and support they

need to become productive, law-abiding citizens.

2) To create a safer environment for adolescents and
their families through the reduction of crime and illegal
drugs in their neighborhoods.

3) To attain its goals, CASASTART brings together key stakeholders in a community, including families, schools, law enforcement agencies, and social service and health
agencies.

CASASTART Students from Adams County Middle School in Commerce City, CO shared their experiences and goals with Larry Murray from CASASTART at The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University MORE PICTURES

Developed by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, CASASTART ("START" stands for "Striving Together to Achieve Rewarding Tomorrows") was first implemented from 1992 to 1995 in six cities and was known as the "Children at Risk" program at that time. CASASTART focuses on serving high-risk young adolescents and their families and is currently operating in over 70 schools in 17 states.

Program Design
CASASTART is composed of eight components designed to reduce neighborhood, family, peer group, and individual risk factors. Program sites are able to adapt the program to fit their specific needs and strengths. The style and level of implementation across the sites is not uniform.

The core components of the program are the following:

1) Community Enhanced Policing/Enhanced Enforcement - This component is intended to improve neighborhood safety. It requires direct participation of police officers, particularly the increased presence of officers in and around school grounds and increased community policing.

2) Case Management - Youth are assigned to a case manager who assesses their service needs and those of their families. Each manager is responsible for 13 to 18 families.

3) Family Services - This component uses the same case managers that are assigned to the target youth. Case managers develop plans to help reduce risk factors within the home.

4) Criminal/Juvenile Justice Intervention - Case managers work with juvenile justice authorities when target youth become involved in the court system.

5) After-School and Summer Activities - Participating youth have access to CASASTART-sponsored after-school and summer activities. These activities include recreational activities, such as sports and arts programming, and activities designed to enhance prosocial and personal development, such as workshops on developing self-esteem and life skills.

6) Education Services - Youth have access to tutoring and homework assistance.

7) Mentoring - This component is primarily in the form of group mentoring programs.

8) Incentives - Participants are given incentives for cooperating with, and participating in, CASASTART program activities. Incentives are in the form of monetary and non-monetary awards (such as prizes).

Adam Roybal (third from the left), Mi Casa CASASTART Project Specialist at Cheltenham Elementary School in Denver, raps with CASASTART students during a special performance. MORE PICTURES

CASASTART does not have a set curriculum. It is designed to be tailored to the specific needs and strengths of each individual youth and program site. The program is staffed by case managers who are trained or have had prior experience in social service delivery. In addition, implementation of CASASTART requires the cooperation of area police departments and is aided by the cooperation of local social service and juvenile crime agencies.

Promising Practice Rating
This program was given a "proven" rating for the indicator, Youth not using alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs and a "promising" rating for the indicator, Children and youth not engaging in violent behavior or displaying serious conduct problems. Evaluation of CASASTART involves an experimental research design using a large sample size, and it has yielded a number of sizeable positive outcomes with regard to decreasing drug use and drug sales. Moreover, studies showed that positive program effects were sustained a year after the program intervention ended. Results for the violence indicator are encouraging, but the program resulted in a less than 20 percent difference between the treatment and control groups (leading to its rating of "promising").

For more information on CASASTART contact:

Lawrence F. Murray, CSW
lmurray@casacolumbia.org
http://www.casacolumbia.org/

Available Resources

Materials are available on the website of The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University at: http://www.casacolumbia.org/absolutenm/articlefiles/203-casastartsm.pdf (PDF file)

The CASASTART Field Guide, a development and implementation manual, is available for download at: http://www.casacolumbia.org/absolutenm/articlefiles/203-casastart_field_guide_2003.pdf (PDF file)

Larry Murray (left), the National Director of CASASTART, met with CASASTART students and Sara Gunderson (second from the right), YMCA CASASTART Case Manager at Bruce Randolph Middle School in Denver. MORE PICTURES

CASASTART Close-up

The following success story was shared by Sara Gunderson, Case Manager - YMCA CASASTART at Bruce Randolph Middle School in Denver.

Pre-CASASTART: The CASASTART program nomination form to program read: Brandon is immature, cannot sit, listen to directions, or do classwork. He distracts the entire class. He claims that no one likes him and that people want to fight him. He’s been accused of starting fights. He began the program with a D average and little hope.


Post CASASTART: Brandon recently walked the stage in the academic awards ceremony at Bruce Randolph Middle School with a 3.5 grade point average, and 3 “most improved” awards. He wants a 4.0 next semester. He is a frequent starter on the basketball team this season. He holds a job with Youth Biz (local community-based organization that serves youth.) Teachers rave about how much more enjoyable he is to have in class.

All of this came from a lot of hard work on Brandon’s part and the network of support that is pulled together by the CASASTART program.


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HOT TOPIC on Web Based Professional Development Project Online Forum

The WBPD participants are studying educational practices for homeless and highly mobile students. They share information and ask questions through online forums. Over the past few months the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) has been the subject of much discussion. There is special interest in determining how FERPA impacts participatory action research.

The following represents information that has been shared about FERPA:

  • FERPA (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) provides parents access to and protects the privacy of student education records.
  • Under this act, school records are (1) Directly related to a student; and (2) Maintained by an educational agency or institution that receives funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.
  • Generally, schools must have written permission to release any information from a student's education record. BUT: There are 15 exceptions.
  • School records do not refer to Directory Information This information is not generally considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed.Directory Information can NEVER include: Social security number or Student identification number; Race; Ethnicity; Nationality or Gender.
  • USDE FERPA fact sheet is available online. If you have specific questions or would like more information contact USDE FERPA hotline: (202) 260-3887.

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Department of Education will provide nearly $38 billion this year to states and school districts to improve elementary and secondary schools and meet the special needs of students. Visit the Dept. of Education website to search fund opportunities.

Find and apply online for competitive grant opportunities from all Federal grant-making agencies.

Charles A. Dana Foundation announces funds to train in-school arts specialists who teach performing arts, as well as professional artists carrying out residencies at public schools. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations. The deadline for applications is April 1, 2006.

NP Online Action is accepting applications to improve websites, online donations, software technology, and build networks within U.S.-based nonprofit organizations.

Using NCLB Funds to Support Extended Learning Time:

A strategy brief from the Council of Chief State School Officers and The Finance Project, has 6 different funding options.

The Family and Youth Services Bureau applications are being accepted to provide support to public and private entities for the development and implementation of the Community-Based Abstinence Education Program. The purpose of these programs is to educate young people and create an environment within communities that supports teen decisions to postpone sexual activity until marriage. The due date for applications will be March 27, 2006.

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Blueprints for Violence Prevention

The Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV), at the University of Colorado at Boulder designed and launched a national violence prevention initiative to identify violence prevention programs that are effective. The project, called Blueprints for Violence Prevention, has identified 11 prevention and intervention programs that meet a strict scientific standard of program effectiveness.

Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP)

HFRP strives to promote more effective educational practices, programs, and policies for disadvantaged children and youth by generating, publishing, and disseminating research studies. HFRP also includes The Family Involvement Network of Educators (FINE), a national network of people who are interested in promoting strong partnerships between children's educators, their families, and their communities. FINE's membership is free.

The Community Guide to Helping America's Youth

Helping America’s Youth is a nationwide effort to benefit children and youth by encouraging action in three key areas: family, school, and community. The Community Guide to Helping America’s Youth walks community groups through the steps necessary for building strong supports for youth. Nine Federal agencies worked together to develop the Community Guide, which features online tools to gather data for community assessments and provides detailed information on model programs to address community needs.

OJJDP Model Program Guide (MPG)

This site is designed to assist practitioners and communities in implementing evidence-based prevention and intervention programs that can make a difference in the lives of children and communities. The MPG database of evidence-based programs covers the entire continuum of youth services from prevention through sanctions to reentry.

Promising Practice Network (PPN)

This site is dedicated to providing quality evidence-based information about what works to improve the lives of children, youth, and families. The PPN site features summaries of programs and practices that are proven to improve outcomes for children. All of the information on the site has been carefully screened for scientific rigor, relevance, and clarity.

What Works Clearinghouse

The What Works Clearinghouse was established in 2002 by the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences to provide educators, policymakers, researchers, and the public with a central and trusted source of scientific evidence of what works in education.

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17th Annual National Youth-at-Risk Conference

Location: Hyatt Regency Hotel on the historic riverfront of Savannah, GA

Dates: March 5-8, 2006 - Early bird registration due by February 20

Georgia Southern University sponsors the conference in cooperation with various other universities, school districts, and social agencies.

17th National Youth Crime Prevention Conference and International Forum

Sponsored by Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and Youth Crime Watch

Location: Ogden Eccles Conference Center , Ogden, UT Dates: March 20 – 23, 2006

Designed for youth ages 12-22 and the adults who work with them, the conference will feature roundtable discussions involving youth and offer six-hour professional development seminars for adult participants. For further information, contact S. J. Wild at 305-670-2409 or e-mail sjwild@ycwa.org.

33rd National Conference on Juvenile Justice

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the National District Attorneys Association are sponsoring this event.

Location: Hyatt Denver Convention Center Hotel, Denver, CO

Dates: March 26-29, 2006
Conference registration is open to all Judges, Prosecutors, Defense Counsel, Police, Juvenile Officers, Probation Officers, Correction Workers, Aftercare Workers, Detention Workers, Victims Service Workers, School Administrators, Teachers, Child Welfare Personnel, Planners, Legislators, PTA and Community Resource Groups, School Boards, Social Workers, Private Service Providers, Guardians ad Litem, CASAs, and all interested groups and persons.

For more information or to register call 703-549-9222 or visit the conference website.

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NCSE is an initiative of the
Colorado Foundation for
Families and Children

www.schoolengagement.org




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