We believe schools have the ability to nurture each student's strengths and support their unique needs. But how can schools and educators, who are already stretched so thin, make sure every child is receiving the personalized support they need, at the time they need it? The Systemic Student Support (S3) Academy is here to help.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Rennie Center, and Boston College's Center for Thriving Children are partnering with schools to reimagine student support. We support schools to shift student support from a reactive, putting out fires approach, to a proactive, systematized approach. Participants in the S3 Academy will:
- Examine and fortify student support processes, building upon existing structures to review student data, discuss strengths and needs for all students, and connect them with resources.
- Create an individual plan for each student’s success based upon a holistic review of their strengths and needs.
- Place equity at the center of student support practices, ensuring teams make student support decisions that affirm each child’s cultural and linguistic identity.
- Organize resources, interventions, and enrichments in order to connect students to the support they need at the time they need it.
Your Team:
The S3 Academy is designed to support school- based teams. Members of your school that should be involved:
- A school administrator or designee with decision- making authority
- A student support-related staff member (e.g. school counselor, social worker, adjustment counselor etc.) Teacher(s) to pilot the work
- District-level administrator to support decision- making
- Other stakeholders at various points (e.g., students, families, partners, etc.)
Program Expectations and Commitments
Our Academy is broken into cohort-specific content sessions and school specific technical assistance sessions. Through the coaching model, each school will have individualized support that matches their needs and context.
- Year 1: Six (6) 90-minute network content sessions & up to 20 hours individual TA
- Year 2: Four (4) 90-minute network content sessions & up to 10 hours individual TA
- Year 3: Three (3) 90-minute network content sessions
By joining the Academy you will commit to in the first year:
- Up to five, 60-90 minute network sessions
- Up to ten individual technical assistance sessions
This three-year program is designed to support school-based teams. All Massachusetts schools and districts are invited to participate.