SST Coordinator
Student Success Team Coordinator
Overview
At Noble Avenue Elementary, The Student Success Team (SST) is a problem solving and coordinating structure that assists students, families and teachers to seek positive solutions for maximizing student potential. The SST focuses in-depth on one student at a time, and provides an opportunity for school staff, family members, community agencies, and other stakeholders to present their concerns about an individual student, and through discussion and study, to plan a positive course of action, assign responsibilities and monitor results for a student/family.
Role as a Student Success Team Coordinator
As a Student Success Team Coordinator, I coordinate and schedule meetings. Prior to scheduling the meeting, each student referral goes through the Coordination of Services Team (COST) reviews and discusses student academic/ emotional/ behavioral concerns and generates more interventions as needed. COST meetings are held bi-weekly to review the cumulative records of students who demonstrate academic/behavior concerns. The Team together decides how to best serve the student, and may usually suggest proceeding to have an SST. My role as a coordinator is integral because I serve as an active member who contributes to the discussion and process, as I am knowledgeable about effective accommodations, modifications, interventions, and special services available to students and their families. I’ve also provided a minimum of two after-school training sessions and help provide professional development of the process to teachers.
Learned
I learned that working in an urban school, there are numerous students with emotional, academic and behavioral concerns. Often, the reason the students are unable to access curriculum and be successful academically stems from problems at home, or negative early childhood experiences. I realize that in order to support these students with the resources they need, it is essential that the school develop a team that is committed to serving the students. One person cannot address or solve these problems alone. It requires a team that will work together to develop strategies and action plans to help meet the student’s needs. Assembling a group of individuals that can positively impact a student’s education is challenging and rewarding. By providing options of days/times allowed for the right people to be at the meeting, maximizing meeting time is necessary and following a facilitators protocol ensured that all the right questions were asked by following a specific guide. Also, it is extremely helpful to have connections with outside agencies that are able to provide services to families. The pre-referral process of COST and SSTs are imperative in preventing the overrepresentation of students in special education. It merely doesn’t stop with one meeting. Ensuring a collaborative effort and follow-up with students is essential in monitoring student progress.
CPSEL Connection
Standard 3.3 Establish school structures and processes that support student learning
Standard 3.7 Manage legal and contractual agreements and records in ways that foster a professional work environment and secure privacy and confidentiality for all students and staff
Standard 4.6 Support the equitable success of all students and all subgroups of student by mobilizing and leveraging community support services.
Standard 5.2 Protect rights and confidentiality of students and staff
Standard 5.6 Demonstrate skills in decision-making, problem solving, change management, planning, conflict management, and evaluation.
Standard 5.9 Encourage and inspire others to higher levels of performance, commitment, and motivation.
