Implementing a program to reach out to at-risk middle-school students is one of the three goals the Simi Valley Unified School District school board has identified for the school year.

Project Bravo was designed by the district’s middle school task force in 2007 but never enacted. Now the focus is on reviewing the program to see what no-cost elements can be implemented to support middle school at-risk students.

Some board members were initially skeptical about saving the program.

“We’ve developed a program we can’t afford,” Janice DiFatta said. “We need to pull out what we can. We need to recognize reality. It hasn’t been implemented.”

Trustee Debbie Sandland agreed.

“If we look at it, we are in dire straits,” Sandland said. “It’s not time to implement a new program. We need to salvage what we can. We’ve developed it and done nothing. We need to get in there and focus on that.”

In addition to the Project Bravo review, the board wants district staff to explore other options for creating a support structure for those middle school students who don’t respond to intervention efforts.

The board also wants a report from middle school principals and staff with a list of intervention and support opportunities available for at-risk students.

The other two goals are increasing parent involvement and improving student learning and achievement. The three goals for this year mirror last year’s; however, the focus is being taken in “new directions,” according to Superintendent Kathryn Scroggin.

Parent involvement, she said, should be “more creative.”

The board would like to identify opportunities for parents to help outside of the regular school day. Trustees also want “a clear plan” that includes strategies and approaches that will help parents feel connected to their child’s school and to consider developing discipline agreements between parents and schools, according to the board report.

Ways to improve student learning and achievement include beginning a dialogue about high school reform, providing students with an opportunity to earn credit for community service and exploring ways to increase arts and music in schools.

Information on budgets needed to support any of the new goals will be brought to the board at future meetings.

The board finished identifying the goals at a workshop last month, then approved them at a meeting last week.

There was some discussion by board member Rob Collins and board president Eric Lundstrom about including high school reform as a goal, but the majority of the board members thought the undertaking was too much for this year.