Organizations

The Steps in Establishing a Partnership For Setting Up an Alternative Suspension Program in Your Community

AN INNOVATIVE PROGRAM


Few organizations offer assistance to deal proactively, before it’s too late, with problems that can eventually result in students dropping out of school. There are many organizations that intervene after the fact using integration and academic measures to help youth who have dropped out of school take new steps in relation to their education.

Studies showing the link between repeat suspensions and dropping out of school have prompted the creators of the Alternative Suspension program to develop a comprehensive program designed specifically to address this problem.

Alternative Suspension has proven to be a concrete solution to a range of problems facing school administrators. Schools, aware of the problems students undergo during a school suspension, quickly observe the benefits of the Alternative Suspension program, which combines expertise and professionalism. In the past, a school suspension was a kind of no-man’s land, seen as a complete failure for both the student and the school. Providing assistance during a suspension constitutes an opportunity to have an impact on students while their problems are still in the early stages.

SUCCESS FACTORS


A formal study and evaluation of the Alternative Suspension program by an expert firm identified the success factors that have made the Alternative Suspension program an invaluable resource for the participating schools:

  • The program’s clearly-defined procedures and objectives
  • Personalized support that boosts self-esteem
  • Qualified youth workers
  • Academic support
  • Workshops adapted to the students’ realities
  • Collaboration between youth workers, parents, the school and the community

With this evaluation made possible through funding under the National Crime Prevention Strategy sponsored by the Government of Canada in collaboration with the Quebec public security department, Alternative Suspension has benefited from an assessment tool that few organizations have the opportunity to take advantage of. The evaluation took place over three years (2002 to 2005) and was carried out by independent experts (the firm CAC International – Coopérative d’animation et de consultation). The firm met with school professionals, students, parents, youth workers and program partners to conduct a formal assessment of the results of the program. The findings of the study were more than positive.


The results exceeded expectations, and the evaluation process showed that the methods and principles used in the program effectively contributed to reducing the risk factors associated with dropping out of school. In addition, the program model developed was validated as being flexible and rigorous, and, therefore, a structure that allowed the program to be implemented successfully in other environments, while being adaptable to local realities.

The following are some of the findings of the evaluation firm taken from its Final Evaluation Report.


Effects of the Program on the Young Participants
“The program achieved observable changes in a large majority of the students referred. We found that the school professionals and parents noticed changes in attitudes and behaviour in the short term for 85% of the students referred to the program and changes in the medium term for half of the students referred.”

“The program succeeded in getting a significant portion of the students referred (close to three quarters) to reflect on their situation and to position themselves in relation to the behaviours that led to the suspension. Quantifiably, these changes translated into noticeable school perseverance rates, taking into consideration the profile of the students referred to the program.”

Profiles of Students Referred to the Program
“The most noticeable results are found in the schools that use the program at an early stage to deal with students in difficulty. These are schools that refer students proactively as a preventive measure and students presenting less ingrained behavioural problems.”

“We have noticed that students of all profiles have shown changes in attitude and behaviour, even in the long term after taking part in the program. It can, therefore, be concluded that the program produces noticeable results in all the young people referred to it, despite the wide diversity of profiles of those currently served by the program.”

Program Compatibility with the School Environment
“Alternative Suspension is a good match with the needs of the school environment as demonstrated by the fact that in all the participating schools it holds a unique and important place among the various options available. The number of schools that apply to participate in the program and the demand for program services are a testimony to the fact that the program meets what secondary school professionals feel is a very important need.”

“The structure of the assistance the program provides and the profile and work of its youth workers are both positive points reported by school professionals, who are very satisfied with the program in its entirety.”

The positive findings of the study prompted Alternative Suspension representatives to develop a promotional strategy to make the programs’ benefits more widely available.


PROGRAM EXPANSION



Since 1999 when it was first created and offered locally, the Alternative Suspension program has continued to expand and grow in credibility.

Further to the conclusive findings of the evaluation firm, Alternative Suspension continues to seek out partnerships with school boards and community organizations wishing to set up the program in their area.

The Alternative Suspension coordinating team has developed a communication component enabling it to offer partners wishing to set up the program in their communities the support and tools necessary for the implementation of the program structure.

ESTABLISHING A PARTNERSHIP



After reading the program description, an organization wishing to implement an Alternative Suspension program in their community can assess the viability of a future point of service, taking the following aspects into consideration.

The coordinating team has identified three types of situations for the setting up of a new point of service:
1.    A community organization, regardless of vicinity, wishing to establish a point of service in its community.
2.    A YMCA, regardless of vicinity, wishing to develop a point of service.
3.    A school board, regardless of vicinity, wishing to develop a point of service for some of its secondary schools.

Interested Community Organization
A community organization that wishes to set up an Alternative Suspension Program in its area will become the organization responsible for the project – the sponsor organization. The role of the sponsor organization is vital to the development of a point of service. Such organization must possess a youth-related vocation or social vocation into which a youth program can be integrated. It may be a community or parapublic organization and must be knowledgeable about the youth-related problems in its area.

Interested YMCA Centre
A YMCA Centre or YMCA Association that is interested in developing a point of service should meet the same criteria as a community organization. The advantage will be the bridges already existing between the various Centres, and the YMCA’s strong culture of collaboration. The parameters and benefits should be the subject of discussions between the centres.

Interested School Board
A school board is well placed to determine if an Alternative Suspension program could be beneficial to its students. When this is the conclusion it comes to, and the school board wishes to proceed, it must first ensure that a community or parapublic organization in its area is able to take on responsibility for the program. This aspect is an absolute requirement, as the program’s success resides in building a strong working relationship between the school board and the sponsor organization.

In all the above cases, there must be accompaniment by the Alternative Suspension coordinating team to ensure that the various stages are properly carried out and to benefit from the support needed to ensure the ongoing nature of the project.


Things to Consider Before Implementing an Alternative Suspension Program
Before any implementation process can occur, it is essential that questions be asked regarding the viability of the potential point of service. A number of preconditions must already be in place to ensure a successful program implementation.

The following aspects must be considered in order to measure the degree of interest among the various actors in the setting up of the Alternative Suspension program in their area.

  • Have the schools shown any interest in this type of program?
  • Are there already similar programs in the schools targeted or programs that would overlap Alternative Suspension’s services?
  • How many secondary schools would the point of service serve?
  • What is the potential student pool to which services would be provided?
  • Is there an organization that is willing to become the program sponsor?
  • Has the geographical aspect (student commuting) been assessed?
  • Can the financial viability of the program be ensured in the short, medium and long term?
  • What will be the level of involvement of the partners?

These questions constitute a simple barometer with which to measure the feasibility and viability of a future point of service. Moreover, the following basic elements have been identified by the Alternative Suspension team to help get a good read on the answers given in response to these questions.

Interested Schools and Other Similar Programs
For a community organization wishing to set up a point of service, it is vital to ensure that the schools in that area are interested in collaborating with the program. Because the schools are the authority that refers the students to the program, if the schools do not see the relevance of the program or already benefit from an adapted support structure being offered to their suspended students, then the program would be unnecessary. It is, therefore, important to measure the interest of the schools before proceeding to more formal steps.

Number of Schools and Student Pool
The average number of participants served annually by a point of service is 120 students. To reach this number, it is estimated that a pool of 10,000 students in an urban area is required – the equivalent of 5 to 10 secondary schools. Outside major urban centres, a point of service should provide service to a minimum of 2 schools and a pool of around 5,000 students. This data is not restrictive. It is given as an indication and may vary according to local realities.

Program Sponsor
The sponsor is the organization “responsible” for the program. It is important that such organization possess a good understanding of youth-related problems and is able to oversee the implementation of the new program in its locality.

Geographical Aspect: Student Commuting
As the program must necessarily take place outside the school setting, it is essential to assess the commuting time to the point of service. A commute to the point of service that is longer that the duration of the regular commute to school may be off-putting to the students, parents and even the schools. The point of service must be at a crossing point (centrally located) in relation to the various routes that are regularly taken to commute to the schools in question.

Financial Viability and Other Partners
The development of a new point of service must be supported by a certain continuity in program funding. The ideal situation is where a school board assumes responsibility for the financial aspect of the program in whole or in part as it relates to the setting up of a new point of service. When a school board does not assume responsibility for all or part of the funding, the sponsor organization will have to use its own resources or look for other funding to help balance its budgets. Through the experience it has acquired in writing numerous applications for funding from different sources, the Alternative Suspension team is in a position to accompany the organization in this undertaking.

COMMITMENT OF THE ALTERNATIVE SUSPENSION COORDINATING TEAM TO A PARTNER



Once the various actors and the initial parameters and benchmarks of the partnership have been identified, establishing such a relationship implies responsibilities and commitments on the part of each of the partners.

A partner that decides to set up a point of service in its municipality or area must be accompanied to ensure compliance with all program aspects and to benefit from all the support needed to successfully implement the program.

The Alternative Suspension coordinating team is committed to offering the services required to ensure that program implementation is well done. Support with start-up is essential since the partner often has a necessary series of tasks to perform (hiring and training the youth worker, setting up the program space, access to tools and procedures, etc.), as well as building ties with the future schools.

The program coordinating team, with its expertise in this area, will provide support and guidance to the partner.

The Alternative Suspension coordinating team will ensure the following services:

  • Establishing the Partnership
    Holding exploratory talks with the various partners, examining funding possibilities, putting in place the basics for a partnership.
  • Putting the Structure in Place
    Support for the local program coordinating team in preparing for program start-up, and providing start-up tools and procedures.
  • Training Youth Workers
    Theoretical and practical training for youth workers including internships in existing points of service; the provision of program tools and communication tools; ongoing training.
  • Ongoing Support
    Ongoing support, in connection with the program, that responds to the needs of the organization and the various actors in the field. The right to use the tools, procedures and the Alternative Suspension name; access to promotional tools.

The program team remains available to answer all questions and can travel as needed to meet with potential partners and provide a more in-depth presentation.