Early Alert System and Method for Identifying and Assessing Students in Need at an Educational Institution

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to the field of increasing retention rates in an educational institution while significantly improving the educational experience of its students. More particularly, the present invention provides means for proactively identifying students in need, whether the need is emotional, physical, spiritual, or scholastic, and providing an avenue to assist those students.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for identifying and assessing a student in a community displaying a deviation in personality not-associated with academic performance comprising:
 identifying the student by a member of the community or a person with a relationship to the student, those members of the community and persons with a relationship to the student comprising a Circle of Care;   referring the student to a coordinator within the community by a member of the Circle of Care, communicating to the coordinator that the student is displaying an deviation in personality not-associated with academic performance; and   reviewing the referral by the coordinator to determine if the perceived deviation in personality not associated with academic performance of the student can be addressed by the community.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the coordinator determines that the student is displaying a deviation in personality not associated with academic performance, inputting information regarding the student into a system that accepts information from the Circle of Care and said information being reviewed by the coordinator, the coordinator creating a student file, wherein all information is centralized about the student, communication being coordinated among the Circle of Care to ensure resolution of a need, and storing said information for potential future use;
 assigning a member of the community, who may be the coordinator, to the student, wherein there is immediate transmission and receipt of data regarding the student;   assessing information relating to the student provided by the community and by the Circle of Care by the member of the community such that the reason for the deviation in personality of the student may be discovered, assessed, and resolved   communicating with the student to gather information about the student's deviation in personality not associated with academic performance;   communicating with the Circle of Care regarding the student and noting the communication in the student's file;   concluding the student's participation with the member of the community when determined appropriate by the coordinator, reviewing the student's progress inputting information in the student's file, and closing the student's file, where the file is stored for potential subsequent use.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a member of the community determines that the student is displaying a deviation in personality not associated with academic performance, inputting information regarding the student into a system that accepts information from the Circle of Care and said information being reviewed by the member of the community, the member of the community creating a student file, wherein all information is centralized about the student, communication is coordinated among the Circle of Care to ensure resolution of a need, and store said information for potential future use;
 assigning a member of the community to the student by the coordinator, wherein there is immediate transmission and receipt of data regarding the student;   assessing information relating to the student provided by the community and by the Circle of Care by the member of the community such that the reason for the deviation in personality of the student may be discovered, assessed, and resolved before academic performance is impacted;   communicating with the Circle of Care regarding the student and noting the communication in the student's file;   concluding the student's participation with the member of the community when appropriate by the member of the community reviewing the student's progress inputting information in the student's file, and closing the student's file, where the file is stored for potential subsequent use.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a member of the community transmits a request to members of the community who have a relationship to the student for information regarding the student. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a member of the community and the student determine that no assistance is necessary and the student file is closed. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the member of the Circle of Care refers the student to the coordinator by accessing a referral form that is available through a network interface through a community, the referral providing a list of needs or concerns the Circle of Care member may select, or may elect to describe a concern or potential need not referenced on the list by inputting text, and submit the referral form directly to the coordinator through the network interface, said coordinator being able to view the referral. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a member of the Circle of Care communicates with the coordinator to describe a concern of the student. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the deviation in personality not associated with academic performance is due to an issue that may relate to personality, behavior, financial stress, values, spiritual, mental, physical or social needs of the student. 
     
     
         9 . A method for identifying and assessing a student in a community displaying a deviation in personality not associated with academic performance comprising:
 identifying the student by a member of the community or a person with a relationship to the student, those members of the community and persons with a relationship to the student comprising a Circle of Care;   referring the student to a coordinator by a member of the Circle of Care through the use of a software system interface to the coordinator, the coordinator being able to review the referral, said referral conveying that the student is displaying an deviation in personality not associated with academic performance;   reviewing the referral by the coordinator to determine if there is a need of the student can be addressed by the community;   creating a student file containing information previously known by the community regarding the student, and able to store and gather further information regarding the student as it is input by at least one member of the community, said file being able to be accessed, in part, by the Circle of Care to input additional information and communicate with another member of the Circle of Care, the coordinator, or the at least one member of the community;   assigning a member of the community to the student in need where the coordinator has determined that a need of the student may be addressed by the community; and   assessing information relating to the student contained in the student file by the member of the community.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein there is communicating with the student by the member of the community to gather information about the student's display of an deviation in personality not associated with academic performance and inputting that information into the student's file;
 communicating with the Circle of Care by the member of the community regarding the student in need and inputting the information into the student's file with a software system;   entering information using a software system regarding the student in need into the student file by the coordinator;   coordinating, by the member of the community, communication between the student and a person who is capable of rendering assistance to the student where the member of the community or the student have determined that assistance should be rendered, wherein records of said assistance are input into the student's file; and wherein after assistance is rendered to the student by said person who is capable of rendering assistance, the student file is not deleted and the student is no longer a participant in the method.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the member of the community transmits a request to members of the community who have a relationship to the student for information regarding the student. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the member of the community or the student determine that no assistance is necessary. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein after communication with the student or assistance has been rendered to the student, the member of the community enters a notation in the system file stating that the student has been rendered assistance. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the deviation in personality not associated with academic performance is due to an issue that may relate to personality, behavior, financial stress, values, spiritual, mental, physical or social needs of the student. 
     
     
         15 . A method for identifying and assessing a student in an academic community displaying a deviation in personality not-associated with academic performance comprising:
 another student, a peer, a parent, or another person with a relationship to the student identifying the student displaying an deviation in personality not associated with academic performance;   said other student, peer, parent, or other person with a relationship to the student referring the student with a need to a staffed member of the community;   said staffed member of the community contacting a coordinator;   the coordinator reviewing the referral and need of the student, wherein the student's deviation in personality not associated with academic performance is due to an issue regarding, but not limited to, personality, behavior, financial stress, values, spiritual, mental, physical or social needs of the student;   the coordinator determining whether assistance should be rendered to the student, wherein if assistance will be rendered;
 the staffed member of the community creating a file for the student; 
 the staffed member of the community assigning a counselor to the student; 
 the staffed member of the community accessing the file of the student previously created by the community, wherein the file contains information previously known about the student and integrating the file into a new file regarding the identification and assessment of the student displaying an deviation in personality not associated with academic performance; 
 the staffed member of the community assessing the student and determining if assistance should be rendered, wherein if assistance should be rendered, the staffed member of the community contacting the student; and 
 the staffed member of the community inputting information regarding determining if assistance should be rendered and communications with the student, and the staffed member of the community providing feedback to the person who referred the student in need to the coordinator wherein once a need not concurrently associated with present academic performance is resolved, the student is no longer a participant in the method, and the student file is for potential subsequent use. 
   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the student in need is referred to the coordinator by said another student, peer, parent, or another person with a relationship to the student in need by accessing a referral form that is available through a network interface using a software system through the community, the referral form providing a list of needs and concerns that said another student, peer, parent, or another person with a relationship to the student in need may select and submit the referral form directly to the coordinator through the network interface, or may input text to designate a need not listed in the referral form said referral form available to the coordinator. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein after the staffed member of the community discusses the student's needs with the student, the staffed member of the community determines that assistance can be rendered by a person within the community, and the staffed member of the community communicates to the person to provide the student with assistance and notes this in the student's file. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein after the staffed member of the community discusses the student's deviation in personality with the student, the staffed member of the community determines that assistance can be rendered to the student by a person who is not a member of the community and the staffed member of the community communicates with the person to provide assistance to the student and inputs this data in the student's file. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the file that gathers and stores information relating to the student when the coordinator assigns the staffed member of the community to the student. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein after assistance has been rendered to the student, the staffed member of the community enters a notation in the file stating that the student has been rendered assistance. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein after communication with the student or assistance is rendered to the student, the member of the academic community communicates that assistance has been rendered to the person who referred the student to the coordinator, and to other persons who have provided information regarding the student to the counselor using a software system to interface with those persons. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the counselor communicates to members of the institution who are in contact with the student using a software system and the staffed member of the community requests those members to submit information regarding the student using a software system, said information being put in the file created for the student created by the staffed member of the community.