The Student Success Team is a problem solving and coordinating structure that assists students, families, and teachers to seek positive solutions for maximizing student potential. It provides an opportunity for school staff, family members, community agencies, and other important people in the life of the student to present their concerns about individual students and through discussion and study, to plan a positive course of action, assign responsibilities and monitor results. The SST focuses in depth on one student at a time. Members of the SAP most likely will participate in the SST meetings with the addition of other individuals who would not be in attendance at an SAP meeting. Members of the SST typically assign roles, that include the meeting facilitator, the recorder, and other roles determined by their relationship to the student.

A student should be considered for an SST meeting when there are significant concerns about him/her, be they related to the progression of their education, emotional issues, social adjustment, when retention is being considered or has occurred, chronic truancy, etc. The SST is also responsible to look at those students who may be referred for formal assessment and consideration for Special Education services. Students can be referred through the SAP, directly by their parent/guardian, or by their classroom teachers through the on-site SST facilitator.

In the past, many have perceived the SST process as a vehicle for expediting students into Special Education. In reality, the SST is intended to assist students in becoming more successful so as to avoid Special Education whenever possible. This is typically done through joining together a network of support that involves the school, the home and the community. The Student Success Team works with all partners in an attempt to bring this about.

Form 2.0 is the First Meeting Summary Form which is completed during the SST meeting. It is essentially a recording of what transpired in the actual meeting and is completed either by the recorder or the facilitator. Many schools use the 6' long wall chart, which is essentially a larger version of the 2.0, and record the meeting on either a blackboard under the chart or on large pieces of butcher paper which are attached to the wall chart, or banner. The information can be later transferred to the 8 1/2 by 14 form if this was not done during the actual meeting. Form 2.0A is the Summary Form used for follow-up meetings. Form 3.0 is the Observation of the Student form. This form is used when the SST feels it would be useful to have someone designated by the team to observe the student in the classroom situation as well as outside of the classroom situation for the insights that might be gained. It is an optional form unless the student is being referred for Special Education assessment, in which case it must be included in the packet of information that is sent forth. Form 4.0 is the Developmental and Family/Home Study. Again, this form is to be used when the SST believes it useful for a member of the team to meet with a family representative to gain understanding into the health history and growth and development of that youngsters life, as well as any significant issues or stressors may have impacted the youngster. This form is optional to the work of the SST unless the student will be sent on for Special Education assessment. In that case, this form would also be part of the required packet that is sent on. (The 4.0 form is available in Chinese, Vietnamese, and Spanish and Tagalog in addition to English). There is one additional form that is to be completed for English Language Learners. This form is the SFUSD Language Survey. Once again, the completion of this form can be very useful to the work of the SST and would represent good practice. It would be required if an ELL student was being considered for a Special Education assessment.

Try to keep in mind that the SST is first and foremost a people process. The process utilizes certain forms when and if indicated. The forms do not drive the process.

Trying to find a convenient time that both school staff and the students' family can meet can be a real challenge. Many schools schedule SST meeting before or after school, however, if the meetings are held before school it is important to allow enough time so that the meeting is not too rushed. At the elementary school level, there may be a time in the day when administrators and resource personnel are available, (i.e., after lunch or after recess), and when coverage is available to the classroom teacher by a colleague, (i.e., a kindergarten teacher who teaches in the morning may be available in the afternoon). At the secondary level many schools are moving to a common prep or planning time for grade level teachers. This would be an excellent time if the students' parent/caregiver can be available at this time. Some schools have late start days each week to allow for special meetings.

The SST process may necessitate an expansion to multiple teams at the school. Schools can achieve the goal of running multiple teams by training all staff members in the process annually. For more efficient scheduling, teams may consist of core members with common grade levels, departments, or conference schedules.

It is also important to schedule a follow-up meeting at the end of the initial meeting to ensure that an agreed upon time is set. Having a school calendar and having core SST members bring their planners to meetings will assist in this task.

Appointing or assigning a "case manager" can aid SAPs/SST's in monitoring the effective implementation of interventions and keeping to timeliness.

It is important to note that the time between the initial meeting and the follow-up meeting may vary depending on the types of positive interventions agreed upon by the team. But, in any case, there must be time allowed for the plan to work (generally 4-6 weeks).

It is important to adhere to time frames and establish them at the outset of an SAP/SST meeting. An initial meeting should run approximately 30-45 minutes, making sure to allow time for each section listed on the 2.0 form to be covered. The follow-up meeting should run approximately 15-20 minutes, updating new information, evaluating the effect of interventions, and developing any new interventions, if necessary. Please allow double this time if an interpreter is needed for this meeting.

• SFUSD Content and Performance Standards which contains an entire chapter of strategies and another on authentic assessment
• CIPD has produced a document entitled: Effective Instructional Strategies for Addressing Learning Needs of Diverse Students and is available upon request
• Pre-Referral Intervention Manual by McCarney, Wunderlich and Bauer, is available from Hawthorne Press, (573) 874-1710 for a cost of $ 33.00. Also available from the same company is The Teacher's Guide to Behavioral Interventions by Wunderlich for a cost of $ 26.00. Emotional or Behavior Disorder Intervention Manual is available for $22.00. They will gladly send you their catalog to see if any of the other publications would be useful to you
• 1999 edition of HELPLINK, a directory of human services for the City and County of San Francisco, is available through HELPLINK, 50 California Street, Suite 200, San Francisco, 94111-4696, Phone 772-HELP. The cost of this publication is $65.00, but contains loads of useful information that should serve as a resource to any SAP or SST. o Providing Hope, an Overview/Directory of San Francisco's Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services is available through Community Substance Abuse Services, 1380 Howard St. 4th Floor, Phone 255-3500 for $5.00.
• Adolescent Provider's Guide, published by Health Initiatives for Youth is available by request at 487-5777. This would be a useful guide for any middle or high school. The 1999 edition is pending.

Those interventions decided in good faith during the SAP and SST meeting process are only as good as the follow-up that occurs to actually implement them. The process/method of "gluing" together those needs, interventions, modifications, strategies, and actions with the individuals and programmatic resources that have been identified to address and implement them, is frequently referred to as case management.

It is wonderful if the school actually has someone designated as a case manager, but unfortunately, most schools can not afford this luxury. Therefore, it is very important to clearly define on the SST summary form (2.0), who is responsible for each "action item". This creates an accountability system that will be monitored when the team comes together again for the following SST meeting(s). The issues presented by a particular student were most likely a long time in the making, and one meeting alone will not magically change things. It will take a conscientious effort on everyone's part to see that the ideas generated in the meeting process are actually implemented.

If their disorders or conditions substantially limit their ability to fuction at school, they are disabled within the meaning of 504, and must be provided the accomodations and special services necessary to benefit from a free and appropriate public education.

The district must then develop and implement a plan for the delivery of all needed services.

A group of persons knowledgeable about the student determines what services are needed. The group reviews the nature of the "disability" and how it affects the student's education, whether specialized services are needed, and if so what services are needed. The group's decisions about 504 eligibility and services must be documented in the student's file and reviewed periodically.

Procedure:

1. The SST (possibly with information fromSAP) will evaluate the nature of the student's disability and the impact of the disability upon the student's education. This evaluation will include consideration of any behaviors that interfere with the regular participation of a student who otherwise meets the criteria for participation in the educational program and/or activities.
2. For a student who has been identified as qualified within the meaning of 504, the SST shall be responsible for determining what special services are necessary to ensure that the student receives a free appropriate public education, and shall write an accommodation plan for the student. (Refer to SFUSD Resource Guide for Educators, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.)