Choctaw Tribal Schools - After School Program
“Building a Preeminent Program for the Next
20 Years”
Serving Choctaw Families Since 1990
History of the Tribal
Schools After School Program
The Tribal Schools
began their After School Program during the
1990-91 school
year. Initial surveys revealed that a large number of students returned
home from school without adult supervision because parents were working.
The focus of the program has always been to provide a safe, drug-free
environment for students in order to support their academic needs and
continued achievements. Key components of the program have been homework
assistance, drug-free education, a healthy snack, social skills activities
and cultural activities.
During 1998-99 our
Food Services Department made application for the USDA Reimbursement to
assist in paying for healthy snacks for students who attended the program.
During 2000-01 the districts’ Title IX program began their extended day
tutoring program as a part of the After School Program. Each school has
tutoring available during after school hours for students in need of
assistance in order to improve their achievement levels. Both of these
services are still a part of our program today.
The Tribal
Government approved the addition of The Boys and Girls Club (BGC) as an
after school alternative for students and the program began in the spring of
2003. The benefit of the BGC model has been extended hours past the regular
after school program for families who work later hours or must travel longer
distances to return home. The BGC at Pearl River began at Pearl River
Elementary School with the school providing meeting space for the program
until they had a building of their own. Conehatta’s BGC began in 2003-04.
Bogue Chitto’s BGC began after school services during the 2008-09 school
year. The Choctaw Tribal School System and the Boys and Girls Club ensure
that the needs of students and families are met through our coordinated
efforts to provide after school programs.
Recent surveys
reveal that the services of the After School Program are helpful, but many
stakeholders would like to see the program continue with the following
improvements: 1) Increased number of resources for academic assistance, by
certified teachers 2) Increased number of opportunities to participate in
cultural activities, and 3) Opportunities for students to explore their
individual interests.
The Choctaw Tribal
Schools will approach the benchmark of 20 years of providing After School
programming to students enrolled in the Tribal Schools during the 2009-2010
school year. While the focus of providing a safe and drug-free environment for
our students is still a high priority of our program, we have realigned goals
and priorities. The needs of our students in the areas of academics, culture and
physical education will drive the focus and continual adjustment of our program
objectives. From the results of surveys from 2006-2008, focus groups in 2008-09
and academic data from our district curriculum office in 2008-09, we have begun
the work to establish a new “preeminent” focus for our after school program for
the next 20 years.
2008-09
goals:
-
Introduce and train all after school staff to utilize instructional
technology through the Accelerated Mathematics Program which allows for
targeted, skilled-based instruction for individual students.
-
Build academic vocabulary of staff and students through the use of Powerful
Vocabulary and Grammar activities in small groups and through on-line
resources.
-
Introduce and train staff to promote wellness with students to being more
physically fit through the President’s Challenge.
-
Coordinate homework communication efforts of classroom teachers to provide
support to students and families in completion of homework.
-
Focus on Choctaw cultural components to highlight language, arts, crafts and
history.
5 year plan (2009-10
to 2013-14)
1. Establish a
school-wide commitment and effective leadership for the after school program
activities.
2. Increase number
of highly-qualified teachers to work in academic areas of the program by 5%
each year.
3. Increase number
of highly-skilled paraprofessionals in leadership roles to implement
cultural components of program and physical education goals by 5% each year.
4. Increase after
school training opportunities to at least two sessions per year while
maintaining consistency in training to include data interpretation and
implementation of academic interventions.
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