Alternative Campus Programs

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1 Alternative Campus Programs Sandy McCoy, Alternative Campus Coordinator Jennifer Potter, PALS/PACE Brent Potter, I-CARE

2 Like the phoenix Rising from the ashes, I will spread my wings and soar! The Phoenix is a bird from ancient mythology. It has a life-span of 500 to 1000 years. Near the end of its life, it finds a perfect palm tree and builds a nest in the top of the tree. At the end of its life, it is ignited by the sun and fans the flames with its own wings. The nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which the new, young phoenix or phoenix egg arises, filled with a renewed spirit and life. The Phoenix represents the Alternative Campus students who persevere through difficulties and find strength in themselves and others. It represents the spark, the support, the motivation to succeed. The Phoenix has powers, whether hurt or wounded, to be invincible. Our students can overcome any obstacle and will not be discouraged by temporary setbacks. Our students put the past behind them, get a second chance to look forward to an optimistic future, and arise from the ashes of their mistakes, poor choices, or difficult lives! From the ashes of the past, spread your wings and soar! Ignite your fire from within. As the new Phoenix as risen, so also can you! *Ad posse ad esse From possibility to reality

3 Alternative Programs From the class of 2000 to the class of 2013, Kingman High School Alternative Programs have served a large percentage of the graduates. With up to 28% of graduates having been served by alternative programs, it s important for all teachers to use alternative strategies to foster student achievement. This chart represents all graduates who have participated in alternative programs, on and off KHS campus. Since the year 2006, Night Track and E2020 courses have grown to include an increasingly large percentage of the graduating class, so a column was added to indicate Positive Alternative Campus programs and the Night/Track and self-paced online classes offered at KHS. Graduating Class Total KHS Grads Total Alternative Grads Positive Alternative Campus Grads only % Alternative Grads (both Positive Alternative Campus and E2020/NT) After 2006, includes students who attended night track/e % 30% % 31% % 22% % 25% % 30% % 29% % 22% % 24% % 24% Prior to 2006, includes only PASS Program Grads % 27.5% 24% 20.8% 20% 18% PASS Students are proud to join other KHS graduates at the graduation ceremony, making all their hard work worthwhile.

4 Alternative Programs: A Short History 1980 s SAVE Program STARS Program PASS School Tutoring program to keep students in school provided one period per day of academic assistance and support on the KHS campus Day care and parenting skills program at Beale Street site (current Alternative Campus), for students who took classes at KHS (now White Cliffs Middle School) and walked one period per day to care for baby and learn parenting skills. Alternative program offered at Mohave Community College, replaced SAVE and STARS to provide a flexible, 20 hour per week schedule, and individualized class work to students whose life circumstances prevent success in mainstream school. Teen parents cared for baby onsite Comprehensive plan to provide options for different levels of need and grade levels, complementing each other, with communication and coordination between programs. Offering programs at KHS allowed students with less need for flexible offcampus program to remain at KHS with programs to meet their needs, while freeing up space in PASS for students with greater need due to lifestyle issues. PALS Program Directed Study I-CARE Program at KHS for sophomores provided a 4 period block per day with applied classes, team teaching, and additional support. The belief behind this was that many sophomores need extra support to succeed due to their immaturity. With this support and the option of Directed Study their junior/senior years to further catch up on credits lost during their early years, they could succeed at the mainstream campus. Directed Study offered PASS packets one period per day at KHS, so students could either accelerate to catch up, or retake a class they had failed previously at their own pace with one-on-one help. Discipline program initiated for students whose unruly, disruptive, or abusive behavior repeatedly interferes with the teachers ability to teach and the students ability to learn as a 5 hour a week evening and Saturday program at KHS. Students with extreme situations preventing full-time attendance also applied to I-CARE as a temporary option. Students completed self-paced packets onsite and home study MCC notified PASS the PASS building would no longer be available without new agreement providing money for remodeling. KUSD decides to move PASS, PALS, and I- CARE to KUSD site Alternative programs moved midyear to Alternative Campus. PASS School grew from 60 students at MCC to over 100 students at the Alternative Campus. PALS grew from 40 sophomores in 4 core classes to a two-year program serving 40 sophomores and 20 juniors in all 6 courses at PALS. I-CARE grew from a 5 hour a week program to 10 hours, taught by PASS teachers rather than a variety of teachers teaching 1 evening per week PALS ELL PALS Program transitions to English Language Learner Program, as lowest level ELL students begin program with PALS offering 4 English classes per day, plus electives. PALS juniors will remain at PALS to complete their 2-year program.

5 PACE PACE Program is initiated for sophomores and freshmen exiting I-CARE mid-semester, or whose skills, life circumstances, or academic levels would prevent success in mainstream school, and for students who attempt to enroll too late for credit at KHS, or who lose credit. Students take self-paced PASS packet for one period per day elective at PASS, and for 3 core classes at PALS with 4 structured class periods PACE program expands to two programs, 4 periods per day taught by PALS teachers. Students enroll weekly, and work on self-paced packets in Math, English, Word Processing or Spanish, and have a group class for Social Studies or PE/Health which has packet assignments for days missed prior to enrollment and/or due to absences. Success of the ELL Program in helping students become proficient led to the elimination of the program. Proficient students were added to PALS for extra assistance. If ELL numbers rise to more than 5, a class could be implemented in future years. If the ELL numbers are 3-5 intermediate students, self-paced packets have been developed and students could study at PASS. With two students this year, Individual Language Learner Plans are being used at KHS for ELL students To meet the needs for more flexibility and weekly enrollment, a third PACE was added, and PALS 6 period-day program was changed to a structured alternative for PASS and PACE students not meeting requirements, rather than dropping them to home study or I- CARE. An Extended Learning Time program was also implemented, which offered hands-on courses for PACE/PASS students after their PACE/PASS session. Early years.many of the same teachers NOW.AND PASS babies now graduating!

6 Alternative Campus Program Goals Graduate students o Progress reports for freshmen through seniors focus on graduation goals o Academic and work-place skills emphasized Word Processing required for all PASS students Career pathways activities for PACE/PALS Keep students in school o Develop confidence and feeling of success o Feeling of inclusion for all types of people to fit in o Counseling, support, mentoring offered daily by all alternative staff o Offer progress Report mentoring weekly o Provide students multiple chances during semester to get back on track Remove negatives for low work by completing extra work Allow students dropped for not meeting program requirements to earn way back by attending I-CARE or completing class at home. o Move to more or less structured programs as needed based on student. o Enroll students weekly throughout semester Foster Academic Progress o Students to pass AIMS areas, show progress, earn credits, grow academically o PASS, PACE, I-CARE and PALS directed study packets require 80% or better on every assignment and test to earn credit. o Writing across the curriculum, emphasis on organization, fluency, and ideas o Progress Reports weekly for self-paced programs show student pace, classes completed, estimated graduation date, AIMS scores o AIMS remediation classes, with one-on-one standards analysis and remediation Encourage attendance, but offer alternatives (extra work, extra time) to make up absences. o Keep students with severe attendance issues (due to lifestyle choices, theirs or parents, which are not going to change) on track for graduation by encouraging work at home to make up days missed, emphasizing progress toward graduation. o Students do one day s work at home for every day missed Require positive and productive classroom behavior o Rules are clear and consequences are immediate Credit Recovery o Alternative to Night Track for students without transportation or with jobs after school, as PACE home class and PASS classes can be done at home, any time. o Alternative to online classes for students who lack computer or internet access and parental support, to prevent students losing semesters at online schools without earning credits. o A service for students who lose credits and continue KHS each semester further behind.

7 Application Programs PASS Contract-Based Current graduating class or older, need flexible schedule due to adult responsibilities. PASS students focus on graduation may transfer to programs with more structure if needed. PACE Contract-Based/Group Activities 9-12th grade students with less than senior credits, with no need for flexible schedule. PACE students may transfer to PASS upon completion. Referral Programs I-CARE Contract-Based 9-12th grade students in lieu of expulsion. I-CARE students may enroll in PACE or PASS upon completion, depending on need and program openings. PALS Contract-Based PALS is an option for PASS and PACE students in need of more structure for not meeting program requirements

8 Teacher Accountability High expectations for student work: Grading carefully, working oneon-one with student until student has met expectations, motivating and encouraging student achievement. High expectations for student behavior: Maintaining classroom control for positive work environment, enforcing school policies in a manner that fosters student following policies regularly, send students out in a quiet positive but firm manner, and welcome them back the next day fresh without judgment. High level of concern for students: Motivating, encouraging, helping with goal-setting, increasing progress without pushing student out of school. Caring about student problems without allowing them to be excuses. Teachers are NOT accountable o for students to pass class in one semester o for students to attend daily o but ARE accountable to push for academic excellence at student s pace with equivalent time at home for absences. Student Accountability 80% on every assignment and test or final draft One days work from home required for every absence over absence limit. Positive attitude with focus on graduation and desire to achieve