  Major CEA paradigm for
truancy prevention/intervention through newly named
program called Students Aimed for Excellence (SAFE)
includes: (1) provision of comprehensive, flexible,
responsive, and preservation focused intervention; (2)
viewing of our young participants in the context of
their families; (3) dealing with families as parts of
neighborhoods and communities; (4) provision of services
by components and committed staff members; and (5) based
on mutual trust and respect, building strong
relationships with participants, families, and schools.
The goals of the SAFE program are to:
 |
Reduce tardiness, |
|
|
Increase and
improve school attendance, |
|
|
Improve behavior
and attitude toward school, |
|
|
Increase
family/caregiver involvement, |
|
|
Reconnect youth to
school, family and community, and |
|
|
Improve parenting
skills. |
SAFE Program Facts/Statistics for 2008
During the program year 2008,
|
|
there were a total
of 288 referrals accepted by CEA for truancy
intervention (most typically ages 12 to 15 who
are 6th to 9th graders).
|
|
|
Among 288, 210
(73% of total cases) were from various CYF
offices in the Greater Pittsburgh region.
These figures do not include intervention
services provided to family members of the
student participants. |
At the levels of surpassing previous years, the SAFE
program is continuing to significantly improve student
performance. CEA youth participants exhibited
noticeable progress in areas of:
|
|
school attendance
(by 83.2%) and
|
|
|
grade improvement
(by 66.45%). |
Based on current CEA program capacity and the derived
rates of outcome improvements, CEA's SAFE program is
annually saving over an estimated $3.4 million to
Pittsburgh Schools and other school districts.
|
