A new report by LFA and Grunwald Associates, with support from AT&T, examines how parents perceive the value of mobile devices, how they see their children using mobiles, and what they think of the possibilities for mobile learning.
Helping Dropouts Return to School
Story posted May 28, 2008
Results:
• 94% of students improved their grades after coming to Classic City High School
• 97% of students improved their attendance
• 150 students have graduated, with one-third pursuing post-secondary educational options
Clarke County School District's community has approximately 1,500 students ages 16 to 22 who are not enrolled in school-a number equal to the enrollment of each of its traditional high schools. The majority of these students are black or Hispanic, and many live in poverty. Because a high school education is critical to finding economically viable employment and because Athens-Clarke County has persistent, intergenerational poverty, the district decided to offer a way for dropouts to earn their diplomas.
The district opened the Classic City High School Performance Learning Center in 2003. The center provides an alternative for students who cannot attend school full-time by offering four "minimesters" per academic year. Students can take between one and four courses each minimester. Classes run from 10 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. The school uses a combination of instructional methods, including computer-based instruction that allows students to earn credits as soon as they have demonstrated 80 percent mastery of the material. Students can quickly cover familiar ground and focus on new material. The school has a heavy service-learning element, with students gaining work experience that will make them more employable.
Many PLC students work to support themselves and have child-care needs. In 2007, the center began offering on-site child care. Parenting classes are required for students who use the child-care center.
The Clarke County School Board made the creation of the PLC a priority by listing it as an annual goal, conveying the board's commitment to meeting this critical community need. Board members visited similar schools in other districts, committed financial resources to get the school started, and subsequently allocated resources to the child-care center. The board was involved in passing a special local option sales tax, which provided partial funding for the PLC site. The board helped find a site for the school-suggesting and visiting prospective sites and insisting that the school be accessible by public transportation. More recently, the board has been involved in community collaborations aimed at expanding access to the PLC and to career and technical education options.
So far, 150 students have graduated from the PLC with one-third pursuing post-secondary educational options. The most recent data (2006-07) show that 94 percent of students have improved their grades since coming to the PLC, and all but one student had fewer disciplinary problems than at their former school. (Approximately 80 percent of PLC students had chronic discipline problems at their previous school.) Attendance has improved for 97 percent of students. All PLC students said they want to graduate from high school, and most have plans for post-secondary education, ranging from certifications at technical schools to four-year degrees.
Perhaps most importantly, 97 percent of students would recommend the PLC to other students. Student comments on an anonymous survey included: "I feel like I'm smart again." "I've learned to overcome my obstacles and actually try in life." "I understand that I need an education more than ever."
At commencement ceremonies, graduates can make statements. Their comments are both heartbreaking and uplifting. Nearly every student has a story of triumph over adversity, and each one identifies their time at the PLC as a critical turning point in their lives.
May 2005 graduate Ashley, for example, had problems with her parents, moved out of her home, and dropped out of school. After finding the PLC, Ashley made all As and passed the state graduation test on her first attempt. She was dual-enrolled in the local technical college's nursing program, where she now continues her education with a goal of becoming an anesthesiologist.
Ashley provided more than 100 hours of community service to the American Red Cross and organized a blood drive in the school district. Her story, and those of other graduates, provide compelling evidence of the school's success.
Further details about this story can be found at the school's website:
Classic City High School Performance Learning Center
For additional information, please contact:
Denise Mewborn
Board Member, Clarke County School District
706-548-9596
mewbornd@clarke.k12.ga.us
This story came to LFA's attention as a 2008 Magna Award Winner, sponsored by the editors of the American School Board Journal and Sodexo School Services.
Story reposted with permission from the American School Board Journal. Click here to access the story as contained on their site.
Applications are being accepted online through October 15, 2008, for the 15th Annual Magna Awards. For more information on the program and to apply, visit http://www.asbj.com/magna
SIGN UP
Sign up for our e-newsletter on public school success.
A VISION FOR GREAT SCHOOLS
On this website, educators, parents and policymakers from coast to coast are sharing what's already working in public schools--and sparking a national conversation about how to make it work for children in every school. Join the conversation!
