21st Century Scholars Program 21st Century Scholars Program Twenty first Century Scholars the Twenty first Century High School college education financial aid Indiana University higher education

							                                        School Programs

21st Century Scholars Program
The Twenty-first Century Scholars Program began in 1990 as Indiana's way of raising the
educational aspirations of low- and moderate-income families. The program aims to ensure that all
Indiana families can afford a college education for their children.

Income-eligible 7th- and 8th-graders who enroll in the program and fulfill a pledge of good
citizenship to the state are guaranteed the cost of four years of college tuition at any participating
public college or university in Indiana. If the student attends a private institution, the state will
award an amount comparable to that of a public institution. If the student attends a participating
proprietary school, the state will award a tuition scholarship equal to that of Ivy Tech Community
College. [Some institutions, such as Indiana University, have programs to supplement the 21st
Century Scholar Program, assuring that students graduate debt-free from college.]

Please call your counselor for more information and/or visit
http://www.in.gov/ssaci/programs/21st/index.html.

Advisory (Advisor/Advisee) Program
Students are partnered with a teacher for a 20-minute advisory period each day. In this program,
teachers assume the role of advisor and students become advisees. Under the direction of the
school counselors, teachers facilitate advisory lessons and activities. According to the American
Student Achievement Institute (ASAI), “advisory activities 1) help students master the [Indiana]
guidance standards and indicators, 2) help students set goals and monitor their progress toward
those goals, and 3) give students a chance to develop a guidance relationship with a caring adult.”
Identifying with a caring adult at school is critical to student success.

CaRE Mentors
Students must apply for the position as a CaRe Mentor for the 2008-2009 school year by May 30,
2008; only 5 mentors per grade level will be chosen. Those selected to be CaRE mentors will be
notified via mail over the summer and again at the beginning of the 2008-2009 year. The
responsibilities of CaRe mentors include welcoming new students throughout the school year.
Not only would CaRE Mentors provide students with a tour of the building, but they would also relay
information about our school, such as the Olweus Bullying Prevention program, clubs and other
extracurricular activities, our school’s mission, roles of different staff members, etc. As mentors,
they would be expected to check in with the new student(s) that they welcomed periodically
to answer questions and/or give more information. They would also be expected to befriend the
new students in social situations, such as during lunch or school socials. Please see your counselor
for more information.

Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP)
The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is a nation-wide initiative that has been proven to reduce
the amount of bullying in schools. It is structured so that school personnel (teachers, support staff,
bus drivers, administrators), along with parents and community members work together toward
bullying reduction and prevention. One of the first steps is changing the social climate of the schools
so that bullying is not considered cool and so that everyone shows support to the victim.

According to Dan Olweus, the program’s founder, “OBPP is used at the school, classroom, and
individual levels and includes methods to reach out to parents and the community for involvement
and support. School administrators, teachers, and other staff are primarily responsible for
introducing and implementing the program. These efforts are designed to improve peer relations
and make the school a safer and more positive place for students to learn and develop.”
Peer Conflict Mediation
Peer Mediation provides a guided process for peaceful conflict resolution. As its name implies, the
mediation is conducted by peers of the disputants. The Peer Mediators work in pairs: two trained
students, or a student mediator and a trained adult mediator. The team uses a step-by-step
process which enables the disputing parties to come to new understandings, reach their own
solutions and develop a confidential written agreement.

Students are recommended by teachers to be Peer Mediators. Those who have a conflict can
request mediation or can be recommended by a staff member or peer for mediation.

Service Learning
Because service learning is a teaching and hands-on learning method that is proven to benefit
students, teachers, the school as a whole, and the community, and because BCSC was awarded a
$30,000 grant by Learn and Serve Indiana to develop and implement service learning across the
corporation, BWMS students will begin to experience service learning in their classrooms and on
their teams.
         According to the Indiana Department of Education, service-learning
                Enables students to learn and apply academic, social, and personal skills to
                 improve the community, continue individual growth, and develop a lifelong ethic of
                 service.
                Focuses on both the service and the learning [Indiana Academic Standards].
                Is appropriate for all students and all curricular areas.
                Encourages cross-curricular integration.
                Helps foster civic responsibility.
                Provides students with structured time to reflect on the service experience.
Service learning benefits not only those that are being served but also the students serving their
community.

Student Assistance Program
The Student Assistance Program is a school-based, organized system for prevention, identification,
and intervention for students with identified needs that may affect school performance and healthy
development.

Core issues addressed by the SAP revolve around:
       Decision-making
       Peer resistance skills
       Conflict resolution/anger management
       Substance abuse
       Crisis intervention

The program includes a Student Assistance Team at each school, composed primarily of teachers,
administrators, counselors, school psychologists, nurses, and a school resource officer. The purpose
of the Team is to process referrals to designated helpers, in-school services such as support groups,
school sponsored events, clubs and other after-school activities, individual counseling, and life-skill
building. The services provided by the Program to address "school-life based" issues are not meant
to be therapy; the Team refers to outside agencies and programs if that need is determined.

Referrals to the Student Assistance Team may be made through self-referral, peers, school staff, or
parents. The Teams meet on a regular basis to determine what actions need to be taken for the
referrals. All information shared with Student Assistance Team members is held in highest
confidence. All records are kept separate from school records, and are not part of the student's
permanent record.

Student-led Conferences
On designated student-led conference days throughout the school year, students meet with parents
to discuss their academic progress. In this format, the student takes the lead, while the teacher acts
as facilitator when needed. Before conferencing with his/her parent(s), the student’s teachers help
him/her prepare for the conference, organize and arrange for the actual conference, and provide the
student with time to reflect on the conference process afterward. Because the student becomes
active in his/her learning, he/she takes more ownership of his/her learning. After conference details
are determined, parents will receive more information.




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