Agenda Item
b. Student Success Agency Agreement Approval (in amount not to exceed $215,000)
Summary: Presented by: Mrs. Denise Revels, Director, Wrap Around Support Services, Division of Equity and Student Empowerment
Request: It is requested that the DeKalb Board of Education approve the contract renewal for the Student Success Agency (SSA) platform for an additional year for an amount not to exceed $215,000.
Why: The Student Success Agency (SSA) partners with schools and districts across the nation to help keep students engaged and enrolled in their learning. Through a proprietary digital mentoring platform, SSA expands access equitably by connecting students to wraparound services and integrated support from their electronic devices. Schools that implemented SSA pre-pandemic saw that student engagement on the SSA platform in their schools remained unchanged since shutdowns in March. Third-party evaluations show students enrolled in SSA receive 10X personalized support and are 3.6X more likely to matriculate into a postsecondary institution.
On the SSA platform, educators can easily collaborate to drive students' academic success and emotional well-being during remote, hybrid, or in-person instruction. Support staff optimize time in their workday, counselors personalize targeted support at scale, and students expand their learning by having equitable access to services.
Details: DeKalb County School District and Student Success Agency will partner to provide students ages 13+ from 24 middle schools and 24 high schools in the district with access to digital wrap-around services. The students from DeKalb County middle and high schools that sign up for the platform will have access to digital mentoring, tutoring, advisement, and support anywhere, anytime.
Financial impact: The cost to purchase the Student Success Agency platform will be paid as follows: $194,480.00 from the general fund charge code 100.1000.530000.03111.7370.9990.8010.090.0000 and $20,520.00 from the GaDOE GRASP Grant charge code: 100.2100.553200.13421.7370.1938.8010.090.2022.
Contact: Mrs. Denise Revels, Director, Wrap Around and Support Services, Division of Equity and Student Empowerment, 678.676.2011
Dr. Shannon Crosslin, Counseling Coordinator III, Division of Equity and Student Empowerment, 678.676.1890
Effective: Upon Board Approval
Status: Approved by General Counsel
STUDENT
SUPPORT
ANYWHERE,
ANYTIME
BUILDING THE 3C'S WITH DEKALB COUNTY SCHOOLS DISTRICT:
CLARITY, CULTURE, AND COMMUNITY
Our Partnership Alignment
Mission & Vision Mission & Vision
Our mission is to ensure student success, leading to Our mission is to ensure student success now and
higher education, work, and life-long learning. beyond through providing a digital support
infrastructure that engages students in personalized
The vision of the DeKalb County School District is to learning, mentorship, and life-long learning.
inspire our community of learners to achieve
educational excellence. We envision a future where any student, anywhere
can access the support they need anytime.
Student Success Agency
&
DeKalb County School District
DeKalb County School District Student Success Agency Types of Support from SSA
We ensure a highly qualified, effective We ensure a highly qualified, personal Mentoring
teacher instructs every class. student success agent is paired with Academics
Improve organizational effectiveness targeted students to support DeKalb
Student Support Services
through supplying exceptional leadership. County School District Teachers in their
Cultivate a community of learners valued, work. Financial Aid Coaching
respected, encouraged to contribute, Improve school district effectiveness through College/Career Advising
recognized for efforts, held accountable a partnership that provides a wide array of Anytime, Anywhere Access
for actions. student supports.
Invest in your school district's students to set
them up for life long learning and success.
Active SSA Student Accounts
Student Succes Agency began as a Pilot for select schools in 2021-2022 school year.
Enrollment was offered to all high schools based on a first come, first serve sign
up. The most significant service provided to students was academic tutoring and
mentoring.
The number of enrolling students increased as students promoted the program among
their peers.
At the end of the 2022 school year a total of 1000 students were served. The program
had over 2,000 students on the waitlist.
TARGETED SUPPORT FOR HORIZON HIGH SCHOOLS
WITH A 70% OR LOWER GRADUATION RATE
TARGETED HORIZON HIGH SCHOOLS
1.Cross Keys High School
2.Stephenson High School
3.Clarkston High School
4.Stone Mountain High School
5.Towers High School
6.McNair High School
Partnership Outcomes: Student
Success with Equity and Access
SAT & ACT Test
Mentoring: Financial Aid
Prep
SSA Agents can satisfy Coaching: SSA provides tutors who
mentoring requirements for
D e Ka l b C o u n t y Sc h o o l Virtual Learning SSA Agents are an extra pair of Student Mental Health specialize in helping students
hands for school counselors. prepare for college entry exams
D i s t r ict students.
Support: Agents work to inform/follow Support: by boosting confidence and
through on any initiatives, comprehension with knowledge
SSA Agents are accountability
Student Success Agency strategies, or campaigns with and test-taking strategies.
partners,
proactively reaches out to students about the importance of
championing students through their everyday
students, including those student aid and FAFSA
lives, which empowers students to show up
Georgia Virtual School and completion.
and perform in school. If a concern arises the
FLEX Academy, to provide
Counseling Coordinator ,Director of Wrap
learning support. Around Support and School Counselor of
record are contacted to take the appropriate
action.
Whoare SSA’s Agents?
SSA Agents are digitally based near-peer mentors offering an array of comprehensive on-demand
student support services designed to maximize student potential and increase their chances of
success in college, careers, and life. Agents are your staff’s global network of high-demand
professionals, driven college students, and tutors.
Agent Demographics
- 35% of Agents are/were first-gen college students
- 63% of Agents are BIPOC
- 32% of Agents speak a second language
- 56% of Agents hold a bachelor's degree
- 32% of Agents are studying or working in a STEM industry
- Agents interact with students on average 8+ times a month to provide a continual
support of student’s goals
- Agents have an average GPA of 3.63 in college
- 77.44% of Agents received a scholarship to go to college
- Agents represent 200+ colleges and universities in the US
Howdoes SSA ensure safety?
Agents are required to pass a screening through Castle Branch. Castle Branch is Accredited and Certified
through National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS). Agents complete safety
training and receive certified assistance from licensed professionals within the SSA Safety Department how
to communicate effectively and guide students through difficult situations.
The DCSD team will be notified immediately and will be able to collaborate with our team to build a plan of
action for your students.
Parent Consent Form Time Stamped Communication Ongoing Accountability and Coaching
We have created a hassle-free way to All calls, texts, and emails are time- Agents get assigned to small peer groups for
distribute and collect parent consent stamped, recorded, and monitored monthly meetings led by a Lead Agent to
forms for schools by offering a digital form through SSA’s safe, secure proprietary share updates and coaching strategies.
that can be sent via email and signed on a tracking system.
computer or phone.
Digital Hall Monitor Alert System Safe and Protected Phone Numbers Go to www.StudentSuccess.co/safety to
Our system automatically flags our safety, Our software masks students' and agents' learn more about our process and safety
administrative, and counselor teams if any personal contact information so that no
team
sensitive information is ever shared. individual numbers are exchanged.
What We Have Done Together
So Far: Services Overview
8 safety/mental
health cases
diffused
18 referrals from the Agents
to the Safety Department
28,616 proactive check-ins from Agents
PILOT DATA
OUTCOMES:
DeKalb County School District
Agents ensured all children were prepared for productive
STRATEGIC GOALS:
citizenship, college, career, and life by creating
Student Success with Equity and Access.
postsecondary plans.
Increase graduation rate.
Agents supported students to become co-creators of
Provide support for social and emotional learning for all.
personalized academic and life goals. Agents made sure
Provide academically rigorous courses and pathways
student voices were heard.
Over 90% student satisfaction rating on surveys conducted
twice per year.
What We Have Done Together So Far:
Kickoff Overview
Schools acti vated: 40
Student s connected :3,085
Students serviced:1,000
Students w a i t l i s t e d : 2,364
To say that the students loved it is MILD!!! The
teachers, students, and all who participated
loved it! EJ's energy is through the ROOF!!!! I've
had a lot of inquiries. I TRULY believe this could
be a game changer!!!!
- Dr. Shawanna Cox, Stone Mountain High
School
DCSD Students Top Goals
DeKalb County and Student Success
Agency Partnership Overview
Student Success Agency provides equitable support and solutions for students, staff, and
systems anytime, anywhere by increasing staff capacity and serving as a stabilizer during
uncertain times.