Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Student Services Week in Florida
CHERI PIERSON YECKE, PH.D.
CHANCELLOR, K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS
325 W. GAINES STREET • SUITE 514 • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0509 • www.fldoe.org
- American School Counselor Association http://www.schoolcouncelor.org
- National Association of School Nurses http://www.nasn.org
- National Association of School Psychologists http://www.nasponline.org/
- National Association of Social Workers http://www.naswdc.org
- National Career Development Association http://www.ncda.org
- School Social Work Association of America http://www.sswaa.org
Student Services Week in Florida
We are pleased to announce that February 5-11, 2007, is established as Student Services Week in the state of Florida. This provides an opportunity for school personnel to focus attention on the support services that are provided by school counselors, school nurses, school social workers, school psychologists, and career education staff.
Student Services programs are an integral part of the total public education system. Student Services professionals work together to assist students in acquiring the knowledge, skills, and competencies needed to master the Sunshine State Standards and make well-reasoned and healthy lifelong decisions. It is important to recognize that academic performance is impacted by developmental factors (i.e., readiness and parental involvement) and school and community factors (i.e., safe school environment, learning environment, teachers, and staff). An extensive and growing body of research demonstrates the value of providing supportive programs and services in order to increase student achievement. In turn, addressing the mental and physical health needs of students enhances school attendance, reduces behavior problems, and improves interpersonal skills. This enables students to learn and teachers to teach, and strengthens the bond between families and schools, thus maximizing student achievement.
Student Services professionals have the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to reduce barriers to learning and assist classroom teachers, parents, and community agencies in providing a safe and positive learning environment for all children. School improvement teams can use Student Services resources to facilitate the school and/or district improvement plans.
To foster recognition and appreciation of the contributions of Student Services professionals, we encourage your district to support the role of Student Services by developing local activities to inform citizens of the many ways that these services contribute to the educational success and personal development of all students. The national professional associations for Student Services offer information relative to their services. The Web sites listed below provide ideas to incorporate planning activities for Student Services Week:
Thank you for the leadership that you are providing to strengthen the roles of Student Services professionals with teachers, students, and families in your district. If you have questions related to Student Services Week activities or programs, please contact Bettye Hyle.
