THE CARE TEAM PROGRAM

Public officials in Ohio and Washington, D.C. are taking note of a program developed by the Fairless Local School District to help at-risk students succeed. Hope Taft (wife of Governor Robert Taft), Dr. Susan Zelman (Ohio Superintendent of Public Instruction) and U.S. Congressman Ralph Regula have visited Fairless several times to see firsthand the school district's Care Team Program. 

As a result of the visits to Fairless and to Muskingum County where the Care Team Program is also being utilized, state officials are considering a proposal that will enable some pilot school districts to establish Care Teams. The goal of this state-supported initiative is to replicate the dramatic results being generated by Fairless.

At the Fairless Local Schools, the graduation rate increased 40%, interest in attending college increased 148% and proficiency test scores increased 45% in writing, 28% in reading, 117% in math, 58% in citizenship and 73% in science. In addition, severe behavior problems decreased by 78% and delinquencies decreased by 97%.

The primary reason for these dramatic improvements in academic performance and student behavior is Fairless' Care Team Program which has evolved over several years and is now recognized as a state and national model by the Ohio Governor and General Assembly, the Ohio Department of Education and the White House. The Ohio legislature is currently working to include in its current state budget a provision to utilize the basic features of the Care Team program as a statewide model.

Key components of the Care Team Program are its holistic approach with individual attention, linkage, follow through, accountability and community involvement. The theoretical basis of the Care Team Program is founded on Maslow's hierarchy, Demming's Total Quality Management and asset building as defined by the Search Institute. see 40 Developmental Assets

At Fairless, only about half of the funding for its Care Team Program comes from the school district's budget. The rest is funded by other public agencies in the county.

Here is what a Care Team looks like at Fairless:

• A full-time Mentor Coordinator from Quest Recovery Services who provides individual and small group sessions which focus on addressing risky behaviors.
  
• A full-time Mental Health Counselor from the Child and Adolescent Services Center who, in addition to counseling, blends therapeutic interventions into social, academic and recreational programming.
  
• A Sheriff's Deputy assigned to the school to provide behavioral support and mentoring.

• A full-time Family Involvement Coordinator serves as a link between students, parents and the school community. The Family Involvement Coordinator is a paraprofessional employed by Family Services as well as a parent of children in the Fairless School District to provide a 'peer voice" for local families.

• A half-time Truancy Officer who serves as a home/school liaison advocate and addresses attendance issues.

• Tutors who provide one-on-one academic intervention during and after school hours.

The Care Team develops individual progress plans that include benchmarks for each student and goals and strategies which help them pass all classes and avoid suspensions.

To learn more about the Care Team Program and how it can serve as a positive force in your schools and community, call Greg Hinson at 330-666-6978 or email him at ghinson@santaritacollaborative.com