HC alternative program provides outlet for credit recovery
By Lauren Pennington and Kennedy Foreman
HC has many options to assist those who have fallen behind. HC principal Paul Little and associate principal Brady Thornton believes the key to helping more of these students lies with a more interactive and speedy way for students to earn lost credits. While the program has been supported by many faculty members, there have been concerns regarding the eligibility of special education students, as well as other details about the program.
Then new HC alternative program will target students with less than 11 credits and are also above the age of 16. This is to help students qualify for MLK credit recovery. It is designed to focus solely on academics; student’s behavior will not be a factor in their acceptance into the program.
“We are hoping that students will graduate and move on with their goals to get them to pass their classes,” HC Youth Services Coordinator Paula Caise said.
This option focuses on a software called Odyssey. Odyssey has pre-tests which allows the students to demonstrate what skills they have mastered within that class. This makes it so students do not have to repeat the same material again. Allowing students to have a more interactive experience with their learning contrasts with Plato, which is now used for credit recovery.
“Plato right now is more reading; you have to teach yourself,” Thornton said. “This will be a little bit more instructional, but it has a more interactive side to it. It has videos so if you’re doing math, it’s going to have videos that go along with it.”
The actual program will only require students to stay half of the day. Students must leave after their allotted time (8:25-11:40 or 11:40-3:15), which has raised questions about transportation of said students. The option of LexTran passes has been presented, but there is still a question of supplied transportation. The half-day program is to encourage frequently absent students to come to school and graduate.
HC alternative program. Photo by Lauren Pennington.
“(Some) of the hardest things for our students that are at drop out risk is coming to school all day and having jobs where they need to work,” Thornton said. “We want to create some flexibility to get credits, while also (allowing students) to go and work. If we can get kids here working hard for half the day, sometimes that is more than we are getting out of them when they’re here for a full day.”
This allows students the ability to work, which has hindered some students from attending school daily. Students would be able to find an avenue to graduate high school while also maintaining a job or home life responsibilities. The program removes these factors from causing conflict.
“Some [students] may get to that level where they need to be and decide, ‘Well I’m going to go do [MLK recovery program] in the evening and work during the day,’ because MLK has an evening option that we don’t have,” Thornton said.
A question presented is the eligibility of special education students. Without the availability to all, the fairness of this credit recovery option has been called into question. HC former special education teacher and current building assessment coordinator, Amanda Biddle, works in promoting the inclusion of these students, yet legal blockades have come to light.
“I have actually talked to Mr. Thornton, and we might try and pilot [the program] to actually being open to special education students,” Biddle said. “The original [exclusion to special ed.] was because students that are entering special education have minutes. So there is a plan, and their plan tells us how many minutes they need with the special education teacher.”
This program does not have a certified special education teacher, which is why the eligibility of these students is difficult. Although, discussion continues on options of inclusion for all.
Throughout the introduction and development of this idea, an overall the view is optimistic, seeing the potential aid this could provide to students in need.
“I think that this program would be a wonderful addition to Henry Clay,” Biddle said, “It is something that the district hasn’t offered before.”
SBDM looks to approve this program at its meeting on Nov. 16.