The award, received in the form of a grant—SB 65—provides funding for an umbrella of services and interventions that benefit at-risk middle and high school students.

"We're the only school district where all of our schools get it every year," said Celeste Connolly, outreach coordinator at Willow Glen High School, whose contract is scheduled for renewal. Connolly has done outreach coordination at the high school since 1999.

Her mother, Elva Gonzales, the outreach coordinator at Willow Glen Middle School, recently had her contract renewed at a Sept. 4 school board meeting. Gonzales, who is starting her second year at the middle school, switched from special education in the Evergreen school district after her daughter, Connolly, persuaded her to apply.

"She loves working with kids, so I knew this would be a great job for her," said Connolly.

Gonzales estimates that the funding has helped more than 100 Willow Glen middle school students during the past year and said 80 percent of those helped demonstrate a better attitude or attention span or are happier because of the program. For Gonzales, success at school means more than good grades.

Willow Glen High School Principal Elaine Farace said that when a student has an academic, social or emotional problem, the school's outreach coordinator does crisis counseling and refers the student to the necessary outside services. The outreach coordinator also runs a student study team where the student and the student's parents and teachers all meet to brainstorm a solution and "build on the child's strengths," Farace said. Sometimes just the attention of a caring adult has an immediate effect.

The program focuses on the child's attributes rather than on the child's problems, an approach that Farace has seen successfully used in education since the late 1980s.

The idea behind the program is to involve everyone in the child's life—parents, teachers and school administrators. Farace also says a child's input plays an important role in the intervention process.

"I appreciate this program because people don't leave frustrated, they have a plan," she added.

Yet Farace acknowledges that the program can't meet all the needs of at-risk children, but is pleased a bout what the program provides.

Connolly recalls a young man whose hyperactive behavior resulted in a trip to the principal's office on his first day of high school. To prevent his behavior from creating further disruption, the school, youth and parents met every four weeks and gradually developed successful strategies and tutoring that put him on track toward college.

"Before, he wouldn't even look at you," Connolly said. "Now, two years later, he plays football and he's a wonderful young man."

Farace said the program also benefits students who have leadership potential.

Every month each teacher at the high school selects one student who exhibits leadership traits. The individual is recognized with an award and letter.

"It's neat to see not just the straight-A kids being recognized," she said.

The grant also provides monies for school administrators to attend a dropout-prevention conference and "fantastic workshops," Willow Glen Middle School Principal Darla Briggs said.

At a time when school librarian positions are being cut, the state doesn't dare cut programs that are helping struggling students who will face a high school exit exam in 2006, said San Jose Unified School District governing board member Carol Myers, who represents Willow Glen schools.