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Contact
Information
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Suzanne
Brighton, Community Project Leader
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Vickie
Watts, Project Director
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GUIDE,
Inc.
P.O. Box 1922
Lawrencevile, GA 30046
770-822-5184
sbrighton@mindspring.com
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Gwinnett
County Public Schools
Instruction Department-
Lawrenceville East
52 Gwinnett Drive
Lawrenceville, GA 30245
770-513-6792
770-513-6648 (fax)
vickie_watts@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
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Alvin
Wilbanks
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Ellen
Gerstein, Community Project Leader
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Gwinnett
County Public Schools
Superintendent
52 Gwinnett Drive
Lawrenceville, GA 30245
770-513-6601
770-513-6650 (fax)
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Coalition
For Health & Human Services
240 Oak Street
Lawrenceville, GA 30046
770-995-3339
gwcoalition@mindspring.com
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Description
of District
Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) is the largest school system
in Georgia with a student enrollment of over 90,000 in 78 schools.
Gwinnett County is also the fastest growing large county in Georgia.
These conditions have created a county of extremes in population,
density, cultural diversity, access to health services, income and
other factors. Gwinnett's population (now 76% white and 24% non-white)
has changed from a rural/suburban community to one where 90% of
the multi-ethnic population live in urban areas.
The mission of the Gwinnett County Public Schools is to pursue excellence
in academic knowledge, skills and behavior for each student resulting
in measured improvement against local, national and world-class
standards. In order to accomplish this, our school system recognizes
the critical need of working closely with community members, parents
and agencies.
Gwinnett County Public Schools is proud of our comprehensive program
for measuring student achievement. Newly adopted Academic Knowledge
and Skills (AKS) were created by community members and school staff.
Each subject area has developed (K-12) learning objectives, as well
as indicators of achievement that represent the highest standards
in academic excellence. Curriculum and instruction has been tailored
for mastery of the AKS for all students, using gateway tests as
a measurement of achievement to ensure no social promotion.
Student success is promoted by various programs, initiatives and
departmental efforts. The Gwinnett school system has served as a
model program for the state of Georgia and the South in the are
of Comprehensive School Health Programming, as evidenced by recognitions
by the State Department of Education, U.S. Department of Education
and the Education Development Center. Integrated curriculum is driven
and reinforced by the continued collaboration among instruction
and student support services. Gwinnett county believes that if a
school system is to improve academic performance, it must restructure
already existing school resources into a comprehensive school health
plan which includes: health instruction, physical education, school
counseling and guidance, school nutrition/food service, school health
services, work site health promotion, healthy school environment
and parent/community involvement. Staff wellness is seen as an integral
component of providing a student a world-class education. System-wide
conferences addressing staff health behaviors has been attended
by over 900 employees in the last three years. Additionally, every
school employee receives a quarterly edition of Vitality magazine,
focused on wellness. GCPS has taken the stance that it is our professional
and educational obligation to work cooperatively with parents, community
members, students and all educational staff to ensure a quality
educational experience for our youth.
DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT
By making a greater connection between health and learning this
project is aimed at increasing student success in schools. Building
upon the partnership with Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human
Services, this project will extend Care Teams, an effective school-based
prevention/intervention program into the community for each of the
twelve geographical clusters. GCPS clusters are composed of the
twelve high schools and all the elementary and middle schools which
feed each of the respective high schools These cluster specific
teams, with equal representation from the community and school,
will be trained to intervene on behalf of students. These teams
will act as a vehicle to school and community resources to reduce
those health compromising behaviors affecting the learning success
of youth in their cluster
THREE YEAR GOAL
Project efforts are expected to decrease risk behaviors and increase
resilient behaviors of students as indicated on Gwinnett County
Comprehensive Youth Health Risk and Asset Survey. The pretest occurred
in October 1996. The post-test will be administered October in 1999.
FIRST YEAR OUTCOME OBJECTIVES
The project has three phases, Phase 1 begins by the forming of 12
Community School Cluster Care Teams (CSCCT) that mirror the school
clusters. These teams will be comprised of school, student and community
leaders who will focus on children and youth issues. Ari Russell,
Facilitator for the Council on Prevention, and Ellen Gerstein, Executive
Director of the Coalition for Health and Human Services, will work
with the school project director as lead agents in coordinating
this project.
Each CSCCT, comprised of 15-20 members, will attend a three day
training to receive data from the Gwinnett County Comprehensive
Youth Health Risk and Asset Survey and to develop a combined school/community
plan of action to address the identified health risks and assets
for each cluster. Training will be conducted by the Coalition and
school staff. School/community action plans will be submitted to
GCPS and the Council on Prevention. Action plans must show cluster
wide activities involving many agencies. Action plans must also
establish indicators of impact or achievement to prove their success.
KEY INDIVIDUALS FOR THIS PROJECT
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Alvin
Wilbanks, Superintendent
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Vickie
Watts, Project Director
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Gwinnett
County Public Schools
52 Gwinnett Drive
Lawrenceville, GA 30245
770-513-6601
770-513-6650 (fax)
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Gwinnett
County Public Schools
Instruction Department-Lawrenceville East
52 Gwinnett Drive
Lawrenceville, GA 30245
770-513-6792
770-513-6648 (fax)
vickie_watts@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
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Suzanne
Brighton
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Ellen
Gerstein, Principal Community Liaisons
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GUIDE
P.O. Box 1922
Lawrenceville, GA 30046
770-822-5184
sbrighton@mindspring.com
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Gwinnett
Coalition for Health and Human Services
240 Oak Street
Lawrenceville, GA 30246
770-995-3339
770-995-1832 (fax)
gwcoalition@mindspring.com
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