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

Alternative Schools for Pregnant and Parenting Teens

Silver Springs High School

Mission:

Assure that all students receive an integrated academic and vocational curriculum leading to postsecondary success. Provide an education that balances equity and excellence, causes students to personally engage in their own learning, and develops individuals who are caring and comfortable dealing with change, capable of explaining what they know, and able to use that knowledge in the context of the 21st century.

In existence since 1983, Silver Springs is an alternative high school located in a rural area. The school serves white (93 percent), Hispanic (3 percent), American Indian (3 percent), and Asian (1 percent) students, 14 to 20 years old. It reaches approximately 36 pregnant teens, 59 teen mothers, and 17 teen fathers each year. It also provides on-site child care for 40 children.

Silver Springs, a continuation high school located in the rural community of Grass Valley, is one of four main high schools comprising the Nevada Joint Union High School District. The school's primary focus is meeting the needs of pregnant and parenting teens. Since 1983, collaborative agreements with local service providers have expanded to include over 40 community resources. The Adolescent Family Life and Cal Learn Programs provide comprehensive case management to promote effective utilization of health, mental health, psychosocial, and educational services, thus promoting health, positive birth outcomes, positive parenting, mitigation of high risk influences, and school success.

Silver Springs believes in "building bridges, not walls." Students and faculty work as a team, feel good about their school, and are emotionally connected to it. They are expected to be informed and involved, and to make a difference. Silver Springs is a nonviolent place where people feel safe; where people learn; where each and every individual has value and worth; and where prejudice, bigotry, and sexism are not tolerated.

The Silver Springs program, Graduation with Portfolio, was implemented in 1996 as a powerful tool for students to identify their unique capabilities and long-range career goals and to assume responsibility for their own success. The Portfolio Exhibition piece provides future employers and educational institutions with an accurate portrayal of the student?s personal skills, abilities, and experiences.

In 1997 the Silver Springs Family Health Center became a true community collaborative with fund from the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital, the Nevada County Health Department, Sierra Care Physicians, and the Nevada Joint Union High School District.

Silver Spring assesses its success through case management, including LODESTAR, a statewide system for case management services, and informal polls.

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