Change afoot for special school

Crossroads School is under new management this year.

The school serves students in grades second through eighth grade with behavioral and social needs from 18 schools in the valley. 

While Crossroads has been housed at Evergreen School District, this is the first year the district has managed programming with Mary Meehan, Evergreen School District director of special services, serving as the Crossroads director.

“At one time special-services directors from the different districts managed it,” Evergreen School District Superintendent Laurie Barron said. “At another time 18 different districts managed it as a management board.”

Now, an advisory board of 18 area school district representatives meets monthly to make recommendations regarding Crossroads to the Evergreen School Board, which makes final decisions. The meetings are also a time to celebrate progress and discuss new ideas, said Barron, who also serves as an advisory board member.

“They [Evergreen School Board members] highly value the professional input of the advisory board,” Barron said. “They’re entrusting us with their students.”

Meehan said the current management style makes some things easier, such as having a quorum to make board decisions.

“One of the things, since people had to travel in from all over the valley, it was difficult sometimes to have a quorum,” Meehan said.

From a strategic planning standpoint, having the district operate Crossroads is more manageable.

“Crossroads will have the same standards and practices that the Evergreen School District engages in so that there is some consistency,” Meehan said.

Students are referred to Crossroads when strategies at their home schools are unsuccessful and they could benefit from the intensive instruction of social behaviors and additional support Crossroads provides through a small student-to-teacher ratio (about eight students to one teacher and a support staff member), according to Meehan. Crossroads fills the need where schools may not have the financial resources for additional staff.

“We work on what will be expected in a school setting in terms of not only the academic competence, but how students interact with the adults in their community and contribute to their community,” Meehan said.

“There’s a lot of in-the-moment teaching so kids can learn to apply strategies in the context of a social interaction. Sometimes it’s a coping strategy, sometimes a rehearsed strategy; for example, how to ask for something from someone or ask for a private time to talk — things that are hidden skills you or I have that some students need direct instruction on.”

Barron said the individualized attention is a hallmark of Crossroads. She said it creates a personalized education with immediate feedback that sets students up for positive behavioral experiences they can associate with academics.

“That social part can be such an inhibitor to the academic part,” Barron said. “We don’t want to let a behavior prevent students from accessing academics content, so if we can work on all of those in conjunction we can be successful. It makes math a lot easier if the kid next to you is not being mean.” 

Barron emphasized that Crossroads is a supportive, not punitive, environment working to empower students. Throughout the week students are recognized for positive behaviors. On Fridays, they hold student achievement celebrations.

A decorated tree in a corner of the school hallway is adorned with students’ names and achievements on colored cards. The cards are so numerous they are beginning to crisscross the ceiling, strung on yarn.

“It’s very public and very much a celebration in order for students to embed that positive thinking about themselves,” Meehan said.

For the first time, a Crossroads student was recognized as a “student of the month,” joining other students of the month selected in the elementary and junior high schools.

How do students practice skills learned in a highly -structured and supervised school environment in the “real world?” They go on field trips in the community. On Dec. 19, Crossroads students visited Buffalo Hill Extended Care to play games and sing songs with residents.

Once students build those social skills they learn to monitor and adjust their own behavior, Barron said. The primary goal of Crossroads is to equip students with the skills needed to successfully transition back to their home schools. If they’re going on to high school they take trips to the school to eat lunch in the cafeteria, for example, or meet counselors, to lessen anxiety.  

“Right after Christmas we’ll work on transition plans,” Barron said.

Staff members keep in touch with the students to follow their progress.

“We’ll be cheerleaders for them,” Meehan said.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.