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Southern Tioga board ponders participation in youth program
by Chris McGann
The Southern Tioga School District will vote next week on whether to participate in a voluntary youth discipline program run by the county Department of Human Services.
Board members saw a video and heard a presentation on the program during their work session Sept. 7.
The department will host a branch of Student Transition and Recovery (STAR) program. Wellsboro and Northern Tioga have already agreed to participate, beginning this year.
Initially the costs will be covered by a grant from the state Department of Public Welfare. The districts are being asked to provide transportation to and from the STAR site, which will be at the human services campus near Wellsboro.
"STAR is not a boot camp, but some things are like a boot camp," said department administrator Sam Greene.
He refers to STAR as an educational program.
Students enrolled in STAR may be in it for one day, 30 days, or six months. The six month program is court-ordered.
Parents must agree to the program and sign an agreement for their children to participate.
The STAR program has operated in New York for several years. The video notes that STAR students tend to dramatically increase their grades while reducing their disciplinary referrals.
Students arrive to the program at 5:15 a.m. for physical training. Parents are responsible for transportation to the site in the morning and from the site in the evening.
Much like a military boot camp, the instructors yell and discipline students. However, the yelling is not intended to be disrespectful.
Students call their instructors sir or ma'am and are expected to carry out orders. However, certified counselors and social workers are also on hand to offer any necessary support.
Students in the 30-day program are then taken by the district to classes for the day. Each STAR student presents a sheet to each teacher, who makes a note of the child's behavior that day.
Students in the one-day program stay at the site all day.
Following classes, students return to the STAR site for counseling and homework.
Any student referred to the program must go through a screening and a physical before the first day, known as intake day.
The one-day program consists of an intake day.
Capt. Simon Morgan, who will head up the program locally, emphasized that STAR is intended to help kids succeed, not just punish them with physical exercise.
The target age is 9 to 15 years old, however, older students can be accepted.
"We will give care to any student," Morgan said.
Greene also noted that the program is not for every student; STAR is just one of many tools available to schools and parents. He noted that many districts use STAR to complement suspensions.
Morgan described the one-day program as an "attention-getter."
"Some kids will repeat the one-day," he said.
Morgan reiterated that STAR is not for every student. He also said that the instructors will say something if they realize the program is not working for a particular child.
He went on to say that kids will usually return to school and describe their experiences. That alone can reduce discipline problems as other kids would want to avoid the experience.
Interestingly, STAR students tend to return to the program.
"Once a STAR student, always a STAR student," Morgan said.
By that, he means that the tutoring and counseling services are available to former STAR students until graduation.
He also noted that the STAR instructors do periodic home and school checks to make sure the kids are following the program's rules. They are also on call 24 hours to respond to problems.
"We can take kids out of the home and to the STAR building and give them some kind of correction," Morgan said.
That correction would be military-style exercises. He emphasized that children are not physically harmed and instructors operate under state children and youth laws.
"We drug test them throughout the program - random drug testing - with the parents' consent," Morgan added. "We do pregnancy tests throughout the program with the parents' consent."
Board president Jeff Rush asked the building principals for their input on the idea.
North Penn principal Al Lindner said he had several students last year who would have benefited from STAR.
"This would really get their attention," he said.
He also noted the benefits of using STAR as an alternative to suspension.
"Every time we put kids out of school, they miss academic work," Lindner said.
Board member Bill Miller asked about the future costs of the program. After the first year, the state will fund 80 percent of the costs. The participating districts will split the remainder of the costs; a ball park estimate is $60,000 to $70,000.
Rush asked about parental involvement. Morgan replied that parents have almost as many rules to follow as the students.
"We look at it as a privilege to be in the STAR program," Morgan said.
Miller asked about liability concerns. Greene said that the program carries its own insurance.
Morgan said there is a possibility that a student could get hurt, much like an athlete could get hurt. He did note that exercises are age-appropriate to minimize the risk of injury.
Board members saw a video and heard a presentation on the program during their work session Sept. 7.
The department will host a branch of Student Transition and Recovery (STAR) program. Wellsboro and Northern Tioga have already agreed to participate, beginning this year.
Initially the costs will be covered by a grant from the state Department of Public Welfare. The districts are being asked to provide transportation to and from the STAR site, which will be at the human services campus near Wellsboro.
"STAR is not a boot camp, but some things are like a boot camp," said department administrator Sam Greene.
He refers to STAR as an educational program.
Students enrolled in STAR may be in it for one day, 30 days, or six months. The six month program is court-ordered.
Parents must agree to the program and sign an agreement for their children to participate.
The STAR program has operated in New York for several years. The video notes that STAR students tend to dramatically increase their grades while reducing their disciplinary referrals.
Students arrive to the program at 5:15 a.m. for physical training. Parents are responsible for transportation to the site in the morning and from the site in the evening.
Much like a military boot camp, the instructors yell and discipline students. However, the yelling is not intended to be disrespectful.
Students call their instructors sir or ma'am and are expected to carry out orders. However, certified counselors and social workers are also on hand to offer any necessary support.
Students in the 30-day program are then taken by the district to classes for the day. Each STAR student presents a sheet to each teacher, who makes a note of the child's behavior that day.
Students in the one-day program stay at the site all day.
Following classes, students return to the STAR site for counseling and homework.
Any student referred to the program must go through a screening and a physical before the first day, known as intake day.
The one-day program consists of an intake day.
Capt. Simon Morgan, who will head up the program locally, emphasized that STAR is intended to help kids succeed, not just punish them with physical exercise.
The target age is 9 to 15 years old, however, older students can be accepted.
"We will give care to any student," Morgan said.
Greene also noted that the program is not for every student; STAR is just one of many tools available to schools and parents. He noted that many districts use STAR to complement suspensions.
Morgan described the one-day program as an "attention-getter."
"Some kids will repeat the one-day," he said.
Morgan reiterated that STAR is not for every student. He also said that the instructors will say something if they realize the program is not working for a particular child.
He went on to say that kids will usually return to school and describe their experiences. That alone can reduce discipline problems as other kids would want to avoid the experience.
Interestingly, STAR students tend to return to the program.
"Once a STAR student, always a STAR student," Morgan said.
By that, he means that the tutoring and counseling services are available to former STAR students until graduation.
He also noted that the STAR instructors do periodic home and school checks to make sure the kids are following the program's rules. They are also on call 24 hours to respond to problems.
"We can take kids out of the home and to the STAR building and give them some kind of correction," Morgan said.
That correction would be military-style exercises. He emphasized that children are not physically harmed and instructors operate under state children and youth laws.
"We drug test them throughout the program - random drug testing - with the parents' consent," Morgan added. "We do pregnancy tests throughout the program with the parents' consent."
Board president Jeff Rush asked the building principals for their input on the idea.
North Penn principal Al Lindner said he had several students last year who would have benefited from STAR.
"This would really get their attention," he said.
He also noted the benefits of using STAR as an alternative to suspension.
"Every time we put kids out of school, they miss academic work," Lindner said.
Board member Bill Miller asked about the future costs of the program. After the first year, the state will fund 80 percent of the costs. The participating districts will split the remainder of the costs; a ball park estimate is $60,000 to $70,000.
Rush asked about parental involvement. Morgan replied that parents have almost as many rules to follow as the students.
"We look at it as a privilege to be in the STAR program," Morgan said.
Miller asked about liability concerns. Greene said that the program carries its own insurance.
Morgan said there is a possibility that a student could get hurt, much like an athlete could get hurt. He did note that exercises are age-appropriate to minimize the risk of injury.
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