Student Wellness and Success Disadvantaged Pupil Impact Aid Plan / Resources

Jefferson Area Local Schools FY24/FY25

Plan and Agreement Revised and Executed: September 7, 2023

Ohio’s districts and schools receive Disadvantaged Pupil Impact Aid and Student Wellness and Success Funds to fund initiatives to support wraparound services for Ohio’s students.  

For the 2024 and 2025 School Years the following requirements have been adopted by the State of Ohio:

Updates for FY24 and FY25 include requirements for districts and schools to: 

• Spend at least 50% of Student Wellness and Success Funds on physical or mental health services. 

• Develop a plan for using Student Wellness and Success Funds in collaboration with both a community mental health prevention or treatment provider or local alcohol, drug addiction and mental health services (ADAMHS) board and another community partner from the current list of partners.  

• Share the Student Wellness and Success Fund plan with governing body and post to website within 30 days after development or amendment of the plan. 

• Report annually on how the district or school spent Student Wellness and Success Funds and Disadvantaged Pupil Impact Aid. 

• Spend Student Wellness and Success Funds by the end of the next fiscal year after they were received. Funds received this fiscal year (FY24), must be spent by June 30, 2025. Additionally, Student Wellness and Success Funds received in FY20 to FY23 must be spent by June 30, 2025. 

The JALSD Plan

The Jefferson Area Local Schools (JALSD) worked in partnership with The Ashtabula County Educational Service Center (ACESC) to develop a plan to help the JALSD and their schools support their students’ academic achievement through mental health counseling, school security, school resources officers, additional school psychologist services, implementation of PBIS throughout the district and participation in ACESC district and building administrator meetings.

Plan Summary:

Goal: To enhance educational equity and holistic student development in order to improve academic outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, strengthen mental health services, implement PBIS, enhance school safety and security, and develop data-driven decision-making processes to support our students and their families.

The JALSD continues to work with the ACESC to identify and work with organizations in Ashtabula County to determine community needs and resources, so they can use the state dollars to make the greatest impact on students’ lives. JALSD will use the funds to help their district plan, launch and maintain these student wellness initiatives.

Both parties have agreed to continue to work in partnership during the full extent of the program. This Agreement shall commence on the above stated date and shall terminate no sooner than June 30, 2025. (see partnership agreement at the bottom of this page)

The JALSD agrees to the following:                         

1. Enter into a service agreement for the 2023-2025 school years with Cadence Care Network to employ licensed and credentialed school social workers to provide school based social work services to Jefferson five days a week. These social workers support principals and counselors in helping students and families in need of support.

2. The Cadence Care Network will provide student counseling in each school building. The family behavior and case manager will assist teachers and administrators in supporting at-risk or vulnerable students and their families. Cadence Care Network staff will serve as a consultant group in developing a behavioral support and providing professional development to teachers and administrators. Building Case Managers will provide support to students and parents. Case Mangers will help parents to identify and utilize community resources.

3. Work in conjunction with local law enforcement to maintain a Student Resource Officer (SRO) in the junior and senior high schools. Add security personnel to both elementary schools.

4. To implement the JALSD district Goal: 100% of building leadership / School-wide PBIS Teams will continue the implementation of a school-wide incentive and discipline program (PBIS) to improve the overall school climate by teaching and rewarding appropriate behavior, providing consistent consequences for inappropriate behaviors, and creating a peaceful and uniform environment to increase academic achievement during the 2023-2026 school years. Resources and consultants to help with implementation will be a part of this initiative.

5. Continue providing (possibly expand) a Latchkey program for our parents who work. The program is run in conjunction with the ACESC.

6. Expand the services of JALSD’s two school psychologists to include intervention services and training for staff in social and emotional support for students and improving the use of data to identify student academic and social needs. By employing them directly and adding the services of a psychologist assistant.

7. Work with the ACESC through their convening of superintendents and administrators to continually research future initiatives that focus on student wellness with the intent to amend this agreement if potential programming is identified within our region.

8. Provide expanded medical services to students in each of the district’s 3 buildings including nursing, OT / PT, dental and vison.

9. Implement any other immediate wellness initiative that is found by the JALSD administrative staff to have potential impact and fall within budget allocations of the wellness funds.

Funding:

FY 24: Student Wellness and Success: $315,012.60

FY:24 Disadvantaged Pupil Impact Aid (DPIA): $237,368.90

Special Grant  for 2023-2025: 

Jefferson Area Local (045872) - Ashtabula County - 2024 - Stronger Connections Grant: $21,606.66 (2 years)

How Funds were utilized FY24:

DPIA:

• School safety and security measures 

• Professional development in the science of reading and evidence-based strategies for effective literacy instruction for teachers of students in kindergarten through third grade 

• Reading improvement and intervention that is aligned with the science of reading and evidence-based strategies for effective literacy instruction 

• Student services provided prior to or after the regularly scheduled school day or any time school is not in session, including mentoring programs.

Student Wellness and Success:

Physical health care services, including telehealth services and community-based health services: 

• 3 school nurses to serve students during the school day 

• 2 School Psychologists

• 1 School Psychologist Assistant

Stronger Connections Grant:

The focus of this grant is Professional development training for school staff in Trauma Informed Care and classroom practices.

Specifically, this 2 year long training process will provide training to all staff members on the impact of trauma on student learning and behavior, and on trauma-informed teaching strategies. The training will include information on how to recognize trauma symptoms in students, how to respond to students in crisis, and how to create a safe and supportive learning environment. Additionally, the development of strategies and practices that the district can develop to extend training and assistance to families in need will be a second area of focus.

We are looking at the research and practical ways that our Schools can create a safe and supportive learning environment by implementing practices such as our (PBIS) positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS), as well as awareness of restorative justice, and mindfulness. These practices can help students feel supported and connected to their school community.

RESOURCES / REFERENCES

JALSD / ACESC Partnership Agreement

Also See the JALSD Strategic / Improvement Plan  

• Page 5: A Commitment to Social and Emotional Learning and Support

• Pages 27-31:  PBIS

Some Resources Additional Information:

Mental Health and Trauma Training Library

• ​The Department of Education and Workforce's Mental Health and Trauma Training Library contains training videos from Department led conferences and webinars to help support the ongoing education of school staff on various topics such as: Trauma Sensitive Schools, Classroom Strategies for Supporting Students, School Wellness, Safety and more. 

DEW Resources and Information Page

Cadence Care Network

Page updated: 6-25-2024