School-to-Work Outreach Project 1996 Exemplary Model/Practice/Strategy

The STRIVE Program The Boston Public Schools, School-to-Career Office Massachusetts

Mission

The STRIVE Program is dedicated to the concept that every individual has the right to become a contributing member of society. It is the role of the STRIVE Program to provide opportunities, training, and supports to Boston's high school students with a range of disabilities. Through a continuum of strategies such as case management, natural supports, life skills counseling, and supported and competitive employment, our goal of empowering students to reach their full potential as they transition from school to work will be realized. We value the concept that quality of life issues are important to everyone and respect the individual's right to have appropriate options available when making decisions regarding life-long career and community involvement.

Organization/Program Context

The STRIVE program is a major component of Boston school system's overall school-to-career initiative. The School-to-Career initiative is integral to the current school restructuring efforts and is a major collaborative effort with the Boston Private Industry Council. Boston was one of the first communities nationwide to receive federal funding for its school-to-work local partnership and has been recognized as a school-to-work model which serves all students.

Community Setting

Major city. Health (hospitals) and environment (recycling) are key industries in partnership with STRIVE. The Boston Public Schools' enrollment includes many low income families and students with limited English proficiency.

Population Served

Program/Organization
The Boston Public Schools currently educate over 63,000 students in grades K-12 enrolled in regular, special, bilingual and alternative education programs. There are 17 high schools in the district. Students with disabilities represent approximately 17% of the student body.

Model/Practice/Strategy
The program serves 300 students per year and their families. Half of the students are between ages 14-18 and the other half are 19-22 years old. One fourth of the students served are persons with mental retardation. Others served by the program include persons without disabilities, and students with traumatic brain injury, orthopedic impairments, speech or language impairments, visual disabilities, emotional disturbance, specific learning disabilities, autism and deaf or hard of hearing.

Model/Practice/Strategy Description

Students become involved in STRIVE in a variety of ways. For instance, students may be recommended by teachers, counselors, and other school-based staff, recruited by STRIVE through outreach efforts, and/or referred by other collaborating agencies. Participants are youth with disabilities or other special circumstances that present barriers to education or employment. The goal of the program is to eventually serve all students with disabilities from elementary school through high school. However, at present the focus is on high school students grades 9-12, ages 14-22.

STRIVE students follow a transitional sequence of activities and programs. These include Vocational Exploration, Training/Assessment Phase, Supported Work/Community Based Apprenticeship Program, and finally Competitive Employment. All transition plans are individualized and the case managers assure that STRIVE services and student progress are coordinated with IEP (Individual Education Plan) and ITP (Individual Transition Plan) planning.

Each student is assigned a "case manager" who is a STRIVE Career Instruction Manager. Together they develop student-centered futures planning or whole life planning meetings, career profiles, and other activities and assessments. Students receive life skills counseling, participate in community based education, recreational opportunities, and travel training. They also become involved in one or more of the following work-related programs: Training/Assessment (general work skills and work-related social skills are assessed), Supported Work, Competitive Employment, and/or Summer Programs (which include speakers, field trips, etc.). Some students may decide to enter a career cluster component with work-based instruction and training, which awards a certificate upon completion of training. As the program is individualized, a student's exit from the program is determined by his/her goals. For example, one student may exit the program when he/she has worked independently at a job site and graduated from high school. Whereas, other students may decide to enter a career cluster component that offers job placement and on-going counseling before leaving the program.

The outcomes of the STRIVE Program have been very positive. For example, the employment and career advancement rate of students by private sector employers is over 80%. School attendance and grades of STRIVE students have shown notable increases. Additionally, students considered at risk for dropping out of school have all remained in school after enrolling in STRIVE.

Exemplary School-to-Work Components

Integration of Academics and Employment - School-based Learning
As a school program STRIVE integrates classroom learning with on-the-job activities. For example, students participate in project-based learning, performance-based assessments, and ongoing student-centered evaluation.

Linkages - Connecting Activities
STRIVE facilitates linkages between the student and employers, post-secondary education options, community, and adult service agencies. Within the program professional linkages occur as well. For example, there are linkages between special education and general education, and between secondary schools' faculty and adult service organization personnel.

What Makes it Work?

District-wide School-to-Career System
Connection to the overall school-to-career initiative has been essential. Staff from all "sectors" of a large school system must work and learn together for the benefit of the students.

Collaboration
STRIVE works collaboratively with adult service agencies, institutions of higher education, employers, students, and families. Collaborative efforts contribute to the program in many ways, from receiving funding to establishing relationships between students, services, and resources available in communities.

Teamwork Among STRIVE Staff
The staff works as a team in every respect. For example, a student's workplace problem is shared with other staff and together the problem is solved. Job development is also shared, as 3-4 staff may search for an appropriate job for an individual student and conduct collective follow-up services.

Intensive Case Management
The case management approach is used by the staff when working with individual students on activities such as writing an IEP and conducting futures planning. A lead person is assigned to every student. The student can call this staff person most any time of day with any concerns or problems.

Staff

• Senior Coordinator
  1 full-time
  * Oversees entire program

• Career Instruction Manager
  7 full-time
  * Conducts job development
  * Provides case management

• Community Field Coordinator
  8 full-time
  * Performs job coaching and facilitates "natural supports"
  * Conducts job task analyses
  * Provides travel training

• Life Skills Counselor
  1 part-time
  * Counsels students in small groups
  * Facilitates family training
  * Consults staff on youth concerns

• Neuropsychologist
  2 consultants
  * Meets with staff to discuss psychological and medical concerns presented by students
  * Assists staff to develop strategies to facilitate students' "success" on the job and in the community
  * Assists staff with accessing medical and other referrals and evaluations for students as needed.

• Support Staff
  1 full-time
  * Performs clerical duties
  * Maintains program records

Kara became involved with the STRIVE Program during her junior year of high school. Kara, along with her teachers and family members, assumed she would drop out of school before reaching graduation. She has a variety of learning disabilities and speech and hearing problems which made it difficult for her to communicate her needs, interests, and skills. Kara had been educated mostly in self-contained classrooms because she had failed several courses and was kept back in school twice. As a result she had minimal experience interacting with a range of people. She also had no job experience. When Kara began the STRIVE Program she was pregnant. Her family was willing to help her through her pregnancy and raising the child. With a baby coming and a young father whom Kara would not name nor inform of her pregnancy, Kara thought that dropping out of school made the most sense. That way she could take care of herself, have her baby, and then get a job. However, she had no idea what kind of job she could do or would want to do. After a thorough assessment and many meetings with STRIVE staff, counselors and family members, Kara began the nursing assistant program at St. Elizabeth's Hospital. Not only did she stay in school, but what she learned in training helped her to complete and pass health and science classes. She needed only a few other courses to graduate from high school. In the training program, Kara learned about and enrolled in a nearby hospital's program for single parenting teens. There she received proper health care and pre-natal information. After her baby was born Kara returned to complete her certification program in nurses' assistant training. She has since received certification and has graduated from high school. She now works in a local hospital as a nurses' assistant. Since the hours are flexible Kara is able to parent her baby and her mother cares for the baby when she is at work. During this entire process Kara's own mother, a single parent without a high school diploma or full-time job, received assistance and motivation from the STRIVE staff to complete her GED. Together she and Kara attended several of the program's resume writing workshops. Both mother and daughter are now working in jobs they like and are able to share in taking care of the baby. Kara continues to attend STRIVE's Life Skills Counseling sessions where she learns how to take better care of herself and to be more responsible. She likes her job and one day would like to further her education and career by attending a community college in a health-related field.

Kara not only completed high school, she now also works in a local hospital as a nurse's assistant.

This profile was generated by the School-to-Work Outreach Project at the Institute on Community Integration (UAP), University of Minnesota. The development and dissemination of these profiles was supported in part by grant #H029B30142 from the U.S. Department of Education.

For further information, contact the School-to-Work Outreach Project, Institute on Community Integration (UAP), University of Minnesota, 101D Pattee Hall, 150 Pillsbury Drive SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455.

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