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Student Support Services
When students returned to in-person instruction after a year and a half of remote learning, OSA anticipated an increased need for student support. National trends suggest that the pandemic has exacerbated both learning loss and the need for mental health services, bringing existing inequities to the forefront.
Communities across the country are facing the triple pandemic of COVID-19, job losses, and ongoing systemic racism. Communities of color have borne the disproportionate impact of these intersecting crises. As a result, students may face a combination of the loss of family members, loss of family income, concerns about safety, housing instability, or food insecurity—all while trying to focus on school and their artistic development.
To address these realities, OSA increased academic support and counseling services by expanding its Student Support Team, a dedicated group of professionals that monitors students’ socialemotional, academic, and mental health needs. This team offers support classes, interventions, and progress monitoring for many of our students, as well as identifies additional resources they need to thrive at OSA.
• The Student Support Team follows a three-tiered support system: Universal, Targeted and
Intensive Support.
• Alongside our staff, OSA works with community partners that offer training and support on resiliency and healing, trauma-informed practices, and restorative justice.
—Maya Angelou
