A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

"Safe Schools/Healthy Students"
Tahlequah, Oklahoma

The capital of the Cherokee nation, Tahlequah, Oklahoma is a small town of less than 15,000. The poverty rate is 37%. There are few recreational activities for youth. The district reaches far into the rural areas of Cherokee County, with buses picking up students from as far away as 30 miles. The district serves 3,406. There is a very high student dropout rate and low levels of academic achievement. Students do not have access to after-school activities. Violence, drug abuse, and many other crimes have increasingly become prevalent in this rural area.

The partners in this initiative will work with the Boys and Girls Club of Tahlequah, the Sheriff?s Office, Office of Juvenile Affairs, the Police Department, the Associate District Judge, and other community health and service agencies.

The Support, Understanding, Collaboration and Consistency Equals Safer Schools (SUCCESS) program will integrate new and existing services to create a comprehensive approach to violence prevention and healthy development of all community children. To increase parents? capacity to be effective first teachers and to facilitate the early identification of developmental problems, the district?s current parent education program will be expanded. This will include personal visits to provide parents with children up to three years of age with information about their child?s development, parent group meetings, developmental screenings, and a referral network link with special services. Youth at risk of being involved in drugs, gangs, and crime will receive programming that educates them on topics such as AIDS and HIV and improves their decision-making abilities. At-risk youth will also be taught social and employment skills, participate in individual, group, and family counseling, and be involved in aftercare programs. A preventionist (triage specialist) in each of the six school sites will work with a variety of agencies to meet students? mental health needs. Two licensed counselors will provide more intense individual and family counseling and train school personnel on identifying potentially dangerous behavior. The Tahlequah Learning Centers program will be established to provide after school and summer activities, improve academic performance, increase youth involvement in community organizations, and decrease school dropouts and juvenile misdemeanors. This program will extend the school day for about 700 students, offer recreational and other activities at various sites, and provide transportation for low income, rural students. To make the school environment safer, four resource officers will be hired, and security cameras and monitors will be installed in school buildings

The process and product evaluation will be conducted by Northeastern State University?s Center for the Study of Literacy.

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