Caliber Beta Academy

Description updated: 8/23/15

Program approved for: BASW [X] 1st-Year MSW [X] 2nd-Year MSW [X}

Parent Agency Name: Caliber Schools                                 

Website: caliberschools.org

Agency Name: Caliber Beta Academy                                   

Agency/Program Address: 4301 Berk Ave, Richmond, CA   94804               

Program Name: Caliber Beta Academy                                                                                                                                           

Name of Internship Contact Person:  Vanessa D. Marrero,, MSW, PPSW, A

Contact‘s E-mail:vmarrero@caliberschools.org

Contact’s Phone Number: 510-778-5826                                   

 County Agency is in:_Contra Costa County________.

Program Description:

Caliber: Beta Academy is a free, public, non-selective K-8 school in Richmond. Our mission is to provide a high quality education program by combining the rigor and high expectations of a no excuses charter school with the personalization and data driven education that can come from a blended learning environment and the critical thinking and collaborative skills that can be learned through projects.

Caliber’s core components include: high expectations, personalized learning plans (PLP) for every student, exceptional teaching and instructional leadership, a rigorous and relevant curriculum, and a supportive school community based on rights, responsibilities, and respect.

We believe that the ability to successfully integrate these different components into one school model will challenge the current stasis and move the field of next generation learning forward.  In addition, our focus on computer programming as part of the core curriculum is unprecedented. Caliber will equip students with a skill that is in high demand in today and tomorrow’s economy. We are equally excited about the logical thought process taught through computer programming as a skill necessary for most any professional or academic pursuit.

Clientele Served:

Caliber Schools serves students from Kindergarten to 7th grade comprised of ethnically diverse and underrepresented community of learners. Students are enrolled in an extended instructional day with this premise that barriers will be minimized in order to successfully achieve a college bound future.  Many of our students have significant social-emotional factors that have been barriers to learning and successful completion of school.

Issues Program Addresses:

Students we serve are generally from low income, English as a second language, family kinship and special education backgrounds.

Intern Assignments:

SOCIAL WORK

Responsibilities of Trainee:

Social Work Resident will be able to learn and when ready teach our students three of our SEL Pillars, Responsive Accountable Discipline and Practice, Mindful Healing and Expectations, Positive Behavior and Intervention Supports (PBIS). In this initiative, students will explore and learn from a variety of targeted topics within Social Emotional Learning.  We view student learning in a holistic manner and within the context of appropriate child and youth emotional and social development.  Thereby, we recognize that information alone is not enough. We must develop a social emotional learning journey that consists of inclusion, influence and community competencies.  Young people need to be given the opportunity to acquire essential life skills and develop positive attitudes and values. Thus, embedded throughout our initiative we have morning community circles and responsive circles, afternoon mindful moments and an integrated learning strategy that teach a variety of developmental tasks during both day school and our extended learning school program.  

Main Developmental Tasks are;

1. Sense of Purpose- Building Inclusion and Boundaries
2. Social Competency- Communication and Perseverance
3. Problem Solving Decision- Making Integrity
4. Self-Awareness- Healthy Relationships and Empathy
5. Autonomy- Collaboration Teamwork
6. Social Work Resident will support the learning environment of Caliber Schools in a variety of ways including, teaching, conferencing and support reflective writing thorough Reflection Journals.
7.  Social Work Residents will have be able to work with students to cultivate Service Learning Projects, set project goals and provide support with service learning project mainly through conferencing with students in their required conference sessions for grade levels.
8. Social Work Residents will have an opportunity to cultivate the Life Skills of the Caliber Students which impact the overall function of my students (social, interpersonal, career and educational networks).
9. Social Work Residents with help students will explore self-care strategies, through short term and long term project activities and initiative. They will have an opportunity to provide general target counseling services to students under the close supervision of AP for Social Emotional Learning. 
10. Social Work Residents will explore related laws, policies and procedures at the public school level and understand complex ways in which practice intersects with secondary education laws, policy and procedures.  
11. Social Work residents will educate students, families and faculty through a community oriented strategy to working with youth, families and community of an array of services which include; Employment, Food and Shelter Resources, Insurance opportunities, Leadership Development, Individual counseling/check-in, Social-emotional classroom lessons, Restorative conferences/circles, Crisis response, Referral for vision and hearing exams and glasses, Foster Youth Case Management, Peer education presentation, school wide activities, Parent resources/groups, Lunchtime community resource presentations and Student focused meetings.
12. A team of residents, Caliber faculty, AP for Social Emotional Learning and CBO partners meet to collaborate and consult on school wide and micro level practice issues.  We discuss impact frameworks, attendance strategy, service learning project progress etc.  The CARE meeting is guided by a set of norms that are decided on by team members through consensus building.
13. A team of residents will participate in Instructional Rounds. Instructional Rounds (IR) is a highly effective best practice, intended to develop, collaborate and reflect on practices of varying educational professionals in our schools. It is meant to observe another collogues “practice”, to plant a seed on how such a practice could impact your own practice with students, teacher or families.  For the sake of the Caliber Residency Initiative, all residents are highly encouraged to participate with instructional rounds. We are very fortunate to have several partners host instructional rounds at their company/agency’s/clinics.
14. Social Work Residents will provide a mental health perspective in collaboration

with site administrator, teachers, and other school site personnel to assess the

learning environment/learning style and develop a plan for academic success of

students.

1. Social Work Resident will support teachers in developing optimal learning

environments for students by:

1. Developing behavior management and classroom management interventions/plans.
2. Developing and attending Coordinated Services Team (CST)/Care Team meetings.
3. Consult with school site personnel and collaboratively develop a plan to increase a positive school climate that will foster student achievement.
4. Consult and collaborate with school site personnel and parents/caregivers at the Student Success Team (SST) on alternative strategies to increase student academic achievement and appropriate school behavior.
5. Consult with parents regarding the development of learning and behavioral interventions for students including recommendations for home support of school goals.
6. In collaboration with school Special Education Administrator, review assessment results with a variety of techniques that are functional and based on the reason for referral, e.g., standardized, curriculum based, portfolio, and authentic assessments.
7. Provide crisis support as needed.

Intern Training & Educational Opportunities:

4. CARE

A team of residents, Caliber faculty, AP for Social Emotional Learning and CBO partners meet to collaborate and consult on school wide and micro level practice issues.  We discuss impact frameworks, attendance strategy, service learning project progress etc.  The CARE meeting is guided by a set of norms that are decided on by team members through consensus building.

5. INSTRUCTIONAL ROUNDS

Instructional Rounds (IR) is a highly effective best practice, intended to develop, collaborate and reflect on practices of varying educational professionals in our schools. It is meant to observe another collogues “practice”, to plant a seed on how such a practice could impact your own practice with students, teacher or families.  For the sake of the Caliber Schools Residency Initiative, all residents are highly encouraged to participate with instructional rounds. We are very fortunate to have several partners host instructional rounds at their company/agency’s/clinics.

Intern Benefits: (Include stipend, conferences, car, food, etc.)

none

Other Special Placement Procedures or Requirements (Including Dates of Internship, Special Application Forms and Deadlines):

Resident Application Process

Candidate Residents will meet with the Caliber Schools Interview Panel consisting of AP for Social Emotional Learning, Mental Health Clinician, Current Residents, Community Partners and Students. 

Once recommended by panel for the position, Candidate Residents will be cleared through Caliber, for Fingerprinting, TB and orientations.

Mandatory Time Commitment

Residents will conduct 1 hour/wk of supervision with the AP for Social Emotional Learning and must attend one hr/wk CARE/ Instructional Round=2hours of Supervision and PLC.

Residents will conduct service hours at the Berk Campus of Caliber Schools, with Instructional Rounds at local clinics and schools and Professional Development Lectures at UC Berkeley, All Stars, DCYF and SFUSD.

Residents may be accompanied by the AP of Social Emotional Learning for Instructional Rounds and Professional Development.

Keywords:

BASW, 1st-Year MSW, 2nd-Year MSW,  group work, mental health, youth mentoring, school based