Student Assistance Programs

Today, more than ever, there is enormous pressure on schools and students to meet state and federal learning standards. To accomplish this arduous task, schools invest a great deal of time and money in curriculum development, staff development, policies, procedures, and testing. Despite these efforts to create an environment where students are “ready to learn,” there are students who fail to meet the standards. For many, this failure has nothing to do with a lack of skills, intellectual capacity, teacher competency, or school environment. Rather, emotional turmoil, alcohol or drug use, living with alcohol or drug dependent parents, and other problems interfere with students’ ability to learn, socialize, and interact with others in the classroom and extracurricular activities in healthy and productive ways.