Glasgow Schools Give Students a Second Chance
education, school, second chance, success academy, superintendent, william ritter,
The phrase “back to school” has taken on a significant meaning for some students in Glasgow.
On Jan. 3, 2008, the school door opened for five students joining the Glasgow Independent Schools’ newest program, the Success Academy. The five were starting anew after taking time out from school.
“They are good kids, smart kids, who have had a tough time,” says director Bob Reece of the first students to enroll in the program.
Reece returned to the Glasgow system himself after retiring from an administrative position. “Throughout my career I’ve seen the frustration on the faces of kids as they drop out,” he says. “Having this tool and having seen that it has worked elsewhere inspired me to apply.”
A local businessman who admired similar programs approached the school system with an offer to bankroll it. Board and staff checked out the concept and added the Success Academy to the alternative learning options.
To qualify, students must be at least 16 years old and have accumulated 10 credits before leaving school. They take courses that meet Kentucky’s diploma requirements and some electives, selected from Novel/Star, a Web-based curriculum. The learning is self-paced and fits in nicely with the academy’s job co-op program.
Students who opt for a co-op job attend school three hours a day and work three hours, receiving credit for time on the job. “They’re learning job skills and life skills – punctuality, responsibility,” Reece says.
“Community support is a big part,” he says, “and I’m just getting started building partnerships.” Students work at the hospital, in restaurants and in child care centers. If they do not have a job, they attend school all day.
Reece says the Success Academy’s goal is to reduce the dropout rate to near zero by 2012.
Superintendent William Ritter calls the academy “one more opportunity” to reach children who have difficulty with learning for a variety of reasons. “We received a series of grants to follow children from sixth grade on to ensure success,” he says.
Students referred to the alternative program by their principals gain supplemental advice and inspiration from system counselors and speakers from the community. The students participate in service learning as well, performing minor chores and beautification activities on the grounds of the school that they attend.
The commitment to meeting the needs of all students is part of the reason Glasgow Independent Schools has been ranked ninth in quality among 176 school districts in Kentucky. Ritter says the students’ high scores on state assessment tests are “a well respected achievement” in light of the fact that almost half the 2,000-plus students are considered economically deprived.
The Glasgow Independent School System’s excellence was a major factor in The Progressive Farmer magazine selecting Barren County as the best place to live in rural America in 2007.
Story by Gretchen Monti
