Focus on Learning Accreditation Process
Support for Student Personal & Academic Growth Meetings

Question: To what extent are students connected to a system of support services, activities and opportunities at the school and within the community that meet the challenges of the curricular/co-curricular program in order to achieve the expected schoolwide learning results?

The San Mateo Adult School serves students 18 years of age and above, all educational and socio-economic levels, and many cultures (at last count 67 countries). Their educational goals vary widely. English as a Second Language students are interested in improving English skills in order to find, retain or advance in their employment, to qualify for a college or training program, to apply for and attain U. S. citizenship, enter the military; participate in their children’s educational and social lives, and for other, more personal reasons. Students in the Secondary/GED/Adult Basic Education program wish to earn a high school diploma or equivalency certificate in order to pursue career goals, enlist in the military, satisfy personal goals, or review materials in preparation for entrance or promotional exams. Older Adults participate in educational programs in order to remain active and involved in life and the community around them. Vocational students are training for new careers or to enhance skills in order to qualify for advancement in their current jobs.

English as a Second Language Program
Student Services Aides offer individual counseling and referrals to community services at the main site. They meet each new student during the registration and placement process. Aides are available during morning and evening class periods and visit classes to introduce themselves and describe their services. Field trips are offered regularly to acquaint students with the community – museums, libraries, courts, universities and community colleges, and commercial establishments. Speakers are also invited to visit classes. Most recently, representatives from the local county department of health offered family health insurance, experts in recycling explained the importance of protecting the environment, a person from the office of the registrar of voters explained our voting process, a Muslim gentleman offered insights into his culture and religion, and a psychologist was invited to speak to the challenges of living in a new culture. In addition, students participate in activities such as bay clean up, recycling projects, food and clothing drives. An annual International Day/Night allows students to share the customs, music and dances, food and artifacts of their cultures. It is enthusiastically organized and very well attended. ESL students are active in the Adult School Student Council.

ESL students Svetlana Donets (Russia), Feng, Rui Hua (China), Nitzan Prinz (Israel) and Frank Corzo (Guatemala) addressed the February 7, 2003 meeting of the Community Advisory Board, describing the support, encouragement and professionalism of teachers and staff at the adult school and how learning English has changed their lives.

Secondary/GED/and ABE
Advisors and teachers offer individual counseling and support to each student as part of the educational process. In addition to academic help, they offer advice on career paths and help with personal problems and challenges. Counselors offer individual TABE testing, and transcript analysis. Interviews with students explore special circumstances and personal goals and present them with a choice of options. Upon completion of the daily program, an exit interview reviews requirements completed, requests comments and suggestions regarding the students’ experience with our program, i.e. how do we compare? weaknesses and strengths? The exit interview also encourages planning for the next few steps by describing college programs, courses of study, and sharing brochures, contact information and application deadlines, scholarship information for specific academic goals.

Marylynde Lee, an ABE student, attributes her newly found self-confidence to the “warm and friendly staff at the Adult School and teachers who really are concerned about their students”. She goes on to say that “people at the Adult School are supportive, work with students, and have a great attitude”.

Students are encouraged to connect with other graduates with similar paths. They are also encouraged to use the Internet to research choices for their futures in higher education or apprenticeships and volunteer programs. The Adult Learning Center publishes a monthly newsletter to keep students and the rest of the Adult School informed.

In June 2003, Alvaro Pirir (Guatemala), who learned English in our ESL program, completed his GED and was presented with the Luis Blum Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship assists Alvaro with his college expenses while he pursues a degree in nursing. In his acceptance speech, he credited the supportive staff at the Adult School for his progress from non-English speaking immigrant to college student.

The Program Coordinator’s Assistant serves GED graduates by mailing official scores with accompanying explanations. The package also includes job search information with the Department of Employment Development, assistance with creating resumes, and a flier explaining the Cal Grant application for scholarship process.

50+ Program and Adults with Disabilities Program

The individuals who participate in or attend classes in these two programs reside in a wide variety of situations and represent many levels of functioning:

- independent (working or not), active, and able, involved in community

- minimal limitations

- moderate to severe limitations

- special needs, including developmentally disabled

Those not living in their own homes in the community live in personal care, assisted living, convalescent, or long-term care situations, and some participate in structured daytime programs.

The Program Coordinator is available to students and personnel in the various community settings to advise regarding other classes and community resources. She also attends many interagency planning or coordination meetings to keep abreast of resources and programs in community we service. The Program Coordinator maintains a resource file covering many topics including residential options, mental health, hearing, long term care, health resources, in-home assistance, transportation, and many other key areas of concern and interest. In addition, she maintains a bulletin board in the SMART Center with information regarding issues, events, local news and legislation that impact our a senior adult population. Using the broad circulation of the school brochure, the program is reaching into the community to reach senior with special needs and their families.

The important area of physical activity is addressed in the form of many fitness and movement classes. The Program works together with other public and non-profit agencies to enhance opportunities for exercise for seniors not associated with a group.

Participation in the New Beginnings Coalition, a monthly interagency coordinating group (under the Commission on Aging), has added a new dimension of coalition to the Adults with Disabilities Program.

Vocational
In addition to the job related technological skills offered in this program, students receive individual attention with respect to interviewing techniques, dressing for the workplace, and interest surveys to determine appropriate career paths. The San Mateo Adult School is an EDD approved Training Center and as such opens the door to benefits for students while they are training or updating skills.

In a letter to the director, John W. Jaeger, a newly employed graduate of the Vocational Program’s Electronic Office wrote, “I want to thank you for having the insight to have someone like Diane [Hageman]… here to guide students through the maze of learning the different computer courses… [she] has a real knack for putting people at ease and pushing them along at their own pace… I am sure that I couldn’t have gotten this job had it not been for the help your staff has given me. I owe much to these people and will not soon forget them.”

An EDD representative is on campus weekly to meet with students from all programs, assist with resumes, interest surveys and job searches. This representative sees students from our ESL, Secondary/GED/ABE, and Vocational programs. During their appointments, students learn how to use the Internet for a job search, resume preparation, how to prepare for an interview. They are also given general information on a variety of occupations and community resources. Students of all ages are assisted in their search for employment.

In a student questionnaire, of 794 students responding to the question, “Does the school meet your needs and the needs of other people in the community?” 692 responded “medium, much & very much”. A comment accompanying this answer was “Yes, personally, without it, where would most of us be?”

To the question, “Do teachers and staff (office,directors) show that they care about students?” 737 of 794 responding chose “medium, much, and very much”.

Finally, the questionnaire asked what other help students need outside of class. The three most requested areas of additional help were (1) further education – 280, (2) health – 199, and (3) childcare – 127.

Question: To what extent does the school leadership employ a wide range of strategies to ensure that parental and community involvement is integral to the school’s established support system for students?

In October 1999, to allow parents to come to school, we instituted a childcare program. As all classrooms and conference rooms were in use, we organized a group of twenty licensed daycare providers living in the areas close to our school. They were paid out of CBET funds. The funds were closely monitored. Every month, we compared attendance records for each student with daycare hours for each of their children. We served 196 adults and 291 children in the more than three years between October 1999 and December 2002 when our funds were depleted. During the ten school terms covered by the childcare program, many students were able to progress from the Beginning level of English to High Advanced level. Another positive outcome was the support of new, woman-owned businesses. By the time our program ended, 18 of the 20 childcare providers had proven businesses which still thrive. In 2002, in anticipation of the completion of our new classroom buildings, we entered negotiations to collaborate with Family Service Agency to establish an early childhood learning center here at the school. Unfortunately, the space didn’t materialize. The Agency suggested that we might collaborate with them at a site that they planned to vacate. However, those plans too, evaporated. Currently, we collaborate with two elementary schools. We provide instructors and materials for evening classes and the elementary school parent groups provide childcare for their parent/students.

The San Mateo Adult School is supported and advised by a Community Advisory Board that meets several times a year. Student representatives are always included in these meetings. Members of this group include representatives from many areas in our community, including the police department, retirement community, health community, employment agencies, higher education, childcare, etc. Workforce Investment Act refers vocational training candidates to our program. Also, members of the Lions Club and PARCA (Peninsula Association for Retarded Children and Adults) have participated in our major fundraiser, the “Treasures and Trash Flea Market”. Representatives of various sectors of the larger community are often invited to participate in our assemblies and study units. The Student Council meets regularly and disseminates information to and from the classrooms. It is offers official student photo identification cards, organizes events, collects input from students and communicates with the administration.

Recent threats to school life by the state and federal budget fiasco have inspired a spontaneous and passionate response from the entire school family and clearly demonstrated the feelings of unity present in the San Mateo Adult School. Students have spontaneously initiated fund raising efforts. Two students raffled paintings of their creation to raise money to donate. Another set out a container to collect change. Many students and staff have contributed recipes for an international cookbook. At two Saturday Flea Markets, students and staff raised funds for the school by selling personal creations and items. Students from all programs participated in this effort together.

Our brochure, Education News, is published three times a year and reaches every home in our service area. Copies are available at city hall, all libraries, and many other public places. In all, we distribute over 90,000 copies.

Embedded in every aspect of our programs is support for the students. Our curriculum is designed to assist and enable enhanced student participation in all facets of community life. The school itself is a thriving, close community in which students and staff members feel included and respected.

RECOMMENDATIONS

-- expand support services at our off-site classes to the same level as on the SMART campus

-- more outreach by Secondary/GED/ABE program to teachers and students in the higher ESL classes describing their program, perhaps in the form of a flier.

-- regular communication with ESL classes explaining the services of the EDD representative

--explore ways to offer a childcare program for students and staff