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- Norman B. Rice, Mayor
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- City Design and Funding of School Social Services
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- Perhaps the best education practice that Mayor Norman Rice has
- introduced in Seattle is the city role in designing and
funding most of
- the social services available in our schools. The decision to
play a
- more active role in school-based social services for students
and
- families has led to a much more comprehensive city/district
relationship
- and has also meant a much tighter service delivery system for
our
- families.
- The highlights of the city-funded school-based system are
family support
- workers in elementary schools, teen health clinics in high
schools,
- after-school programs for middle school students, peer
mediation
- training for staff and students at both middle and high
schools, and
- volunteer coordination assistance in most schools.
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- As a result of the increased services in schools, teachers
have more
- time to actually teach because they are spending less time
finding
- needed assistance for students and families. The teen health
centers
- have reduced the number of days high school students are
absent and have
- greatly increased teen access to health care. The after-school
programs
- for middle school students have created a variety of learning
- opportunities and 40 percent of the students report a greater
attachment
- to their school as a result. Peer mediation has helped schools
involve
- students in reducing school violence and continues to be rated
as an
- effective tool by students. Volunteer coordination assistance
has helped
- schools recruit and organize volunteers and sponsor more
events for
- parents and students.
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- As a result of the city funding more school-based social
services, the
- Seattle School District has been able to increase staffing in
23
- elementary schools, and we are seeing significant achievement
gains in
- reading, math and language in many of those schools. The
city/district
- relationship has improved and we are now considering how we
can come
- together for consolidated long term planning and increased
sharing of
- our facilities. We are also seeing a marked reduction in our
school
- violence and disruption incidence rates. The 1995-96 school
year has
- produced a 10-year low in the number of school disciplinary
actions,
- including suspensions and interventions.
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- Contact: Office of the Mayor, (206) 684-4000
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