The Student Support Team (SST) is a regular education function. SST provides a place to discuss student concerns in a supportive, open environment. The members of the SST share a common mission to strengthen and support students who are having difficulty in the school environment. The SST intervenes as early as possible when there is concern about a student's success and, through the 6-step process, identifies concerns, assesses the situations, searches for strategies, selects strategies, implements the strategies and evaluates the strategies. The development of a student action plan attempts to prevent decline in a student's progress and support future success. Most often, the student's teacher(s) or parent(s) make a request for SST involvement. Each school has a SST that meets on a regularly scheduled basis, typically 2-4 times a month.
Roles. Parents are critical to the success of their children and are invited to participate at all stages of the SST process. During SST meetings, the parent(s) sits as a full member of the team when his/her child is discussed. Membership on the team may include the SST chair, requesting teacher, parent(s), administrator, regular education teacher, and other teachers involved with the student or who have expertise in the area of concern.
The Goal. The goal of the Student Support Team is to strengthen and support the individual student by developing and implementing an action plan using strategies that are school-based or community-based depending on the availability of resources most likely to enhance the student's success. The SST's basic responsibilities using the 6-Step process are as follows:
• To gain a full understanding of the student's school or home life
that may be affecting the student's success.
• To generate and select effective strategies that will increase
student success.
• To develop and implement an action plan that reflects the
areas of strength and concern for the student.
• To provide follow-up of the results of the action plan.
Most importantly, the strategies involve school personnel, families, and/or individuals from the community in the action plan. The SST then manages the fulfillment of those strategies identified in the joint decision-making 6-Step Process and make changes to the action plan as often as necessary depending on the progress of the student.
SST at Apex Elementary. If you are a parent with a concern regarding your child and believe that the SST process would be helpful for your child, please speak with your child's teacher so that he or she may initiate the process. There is a packet of forms that need to be completed by the teacher (sometimes the parent) and once those are completed and received by Mrs. Jenkins, you will receive an invitation to the meeting. You will also receive a Family Input form to complete and return to Mrs. Jenkins. SST meets on Tuesday afternoons beginning at 3:15 and 4:00.
Christina Jenkins, School Counselor/SST Chairperson
Belinda Pratt, Assistant Principal
Susan Eller, School Psychologist
Lynda Brown, Special Education/CCR Teacher
Karen Meluch, Kindergarten Teacher
Jan Evenhouse, Second Grade Teacher
Bonnie Barefoot, Third Grade Teacher
Staff members, such as the school nurse, school social worker, reading teacher, etc. may be invited to the meeting to share their expertise.
Should you have any questions, contact
Christina Jenkins at 387-3012 or cljenkins@wcpss.net
