A Vision and Plan for the Growth of the Sure Foundation Educational Center: A Model for Special Education as a Means for the National Transformation of Jamaica

by Clara M. Ricketts
June 1st, 2016
This study sets out to evaluate the work of Sure Foundation Educational Centre, a school for adolescents with Learning Disabilities and Emotional Behavioral Disorders in the Grants Pen Community of North St Andrew, Jamaica, and further to explore the support available to it for its development as a model school for special education within the nation. The research was done in three phases. The first phase was an appreciative inquiry approach to discover the positive core of the institution and the level of appreciation among the students, staff, and parents, conducted over a period of two months. The second phase was the intervention of innovative classroom strategies for behavior management and academic learning, conducted over a three week period. The third phase was surveys among business entities and pastors within the community, as well as individuals within the school’s orbit to explore support and fundraising opportunities. The data were analyzed by narrative descriptions, triangulation, statistical measures of central tendency, and percentile comparisons.
The results revealed a number of positive factors about the school which impact students, their parents, and the staff, producing a high level of satisfaction. Pre and post-tests to evaluate effectiveness of some classroom strategies show improvements in learning and behavior. Pastors and business managers of the community endorsed the work of the school and agreed to support it in its efforts towards growth and development. Against this background, a vision for the school was crafted and recommendations put forth for its development and replication across the nation.