Safe and Sound 4 Student Success Expands Through Partnership with BSD
BEF NEWS
Safe and Sound 4 Student Success Expands Through Partnership with BSD
Friday, December 10th, 2021
When Kobe started at Highland Park Middle School, his grades and attendance were not great. But, that quickly changed after he joined Safe and Sound 4 Student Success (S4), an after school program that combines academic support, peer-to-peer relationship building, soccer and other enrichment activities to help students thrive in school and beyond.
While Kobe was only at Highland Park for two years before his family moved, he kept in touch with his S4 advisor and school psychologist, Kelly Smith. She helped him navigate paperwork at his new school and invited him back to Highland Park to help with S4 activities.
Last spring Kobe contacted Smith again with a special request: would she attend his high school graduation? He was so proud to walk in the ceremony, and he attributed his success to the support he got in the S4 program. He wanted to share the accomplishment with her, and it turned into a day neither will forget.
BEF Lays the Groundwork for a Lasting Program
BEF first started funding middle school after school academics in 2004, and it’s awarded more than $1 million since then to support students experiencing barriers to school success. The S4 program brings together academic and social supports with an outlet for physical activity that eases the transition so middle schoolers can become successful high school students.
The students develop leadership skills they wouldn’t get otherwise at school, and build meaningful relationships with their peers and teachers. They not only get academic support, but are also held accountable for their academics — without academic participation and success, they can’t play on the soccer teams they love so much. These multicultural groups share a pride in representing their schools in soccer tournaments, and this inspires their hard work.
BEF was instrumental in launching the S4 program at a few initial sites in 2013 and has since provided funding to expand it to middle schools across the Beaverton School District, added consistent academic expectations, and implemented a robust evaluation process.
The results are tangible. Data on attendance, grades and behavior confirms that S4 sets students on a path to success, like it did for Kobe. S4 students attend more school, earn better grades, and have fewer disciplinary incidents when compared to peers who did not take part in the program.
“With its focus on demographic groups where academic achievement has historically lagged, we know S4 is one of the reasons our District has seen improvements in the number of 9th grade students on track to graduate,” says Ken Struckmeier, the District’s executive administrator for middle schools.
As a result, the District recently committed to expanding the program, providing at least $150,000 this year, which complements BEF’s $30,000 award.
S4 is available at all District middle schools, but it isn’t a one-school-fits all solution, says Kristine Baggett, BEF’s executive director. Each school’s version of S4 is built and executed by local staff, students and volunteers but relies on the core S4 model.
“S4 is a great example of how BEF incubates an idea and amplifies staff and student voices, finding viable solutions that are then easily implemented by the District,” Baggett says.
“The District’s deeper support for S4 is proof that our approach to educational transformation works,” she adds. “We’re proud that this BEF program has demonstrated how it’s an important tool for students to gain academic tools, confidence and leadership skills. We’re thrilled the District is expanding its role and that S4 will leave a lasting imprint on even more students.”
