Recovery program helps students catch up

Members of the Jackson County School Board were impressed at Tuesday’s meeting, as the directors of a new credit recovery program presented the results for the program’s first round of students.
The program, known as credit program recovery, or CPR, is a new addition to Jackson Alternative School, and was originated by Jackson County School Board staff.
The program’s sole purpose is to help students in the sixth, seventh or eighth grades, who are two or more years behind their original graduating class, to get caught up as quickly as possible.
As with any beginning program, there are still kinks to work out and changes to consider. However, Jackson Alternative School’s principal Jeff Bryant said he feels this program has been nothing but a success.
This year, the program welcomed 15 students from around the county who were eligible. Some students went in to the program three years behind, and in one school year were able to make up two year’s work.
One 15-year-old student who was sitting in an eighth grade classroom last year will now be returned to her home school as a tenth grader this fall.
“You wouldn’t believe what this program does for these children’s self esteem,” Bryant said. “Can you imagine how uncomfortable they must feel as a teenager in middle school; and they can’t manage to catch up once getting behind.
“Most of these students fell behind in elementary school and have been trailing behind their class all this time. So this program gives them a chance to catch up with their friends and be confident in themselves again.”
According to Secondary Education Director Frank Waller, the curriculum is just as rigorous as a traditional classroom. The secret to the students’ progress is time management.
The students full daily curriculum is online, and they are able to work on it at any time. Students are not given time limits or restrictions, and may work on their lessons at any time outside of the classroom.
“The difference is that in a traditional classroom, the students can only work on a subject or lesson as long as the teach allows,” Waller said. “Here, they can work on a lesson at their own pace and do as much as they wish.”
Waller said there are always two instructors present, who encourage the students to not spend all day on one subject. The day is broken up into different subject sessions, but never is it set in stone, Waller said.
Basically, it provides the students with flexibility and allows them to spend more time on subjects they need to.
Another requirement of the program is that every student turn in a journal, with notes from each lesson. Students are graded on their note-taking quality, which Bryant said helps tremendously.
Bryant explained that although many scrutinize online education as a quick fix, it has proven beneficial in this case. He said the rigorous note-taking has forced students to slow down and attempt to absorb the information as they write it in an organized form.
The program’s instructor, Gary Martin, said he has noticed educational gains in all of his students. Of the 15 in the program last school year, each student made progress beyond that of a regular school year. Most, in fact, made advances of two full school years in one year of participation.
Waller said that with the program’s success, school board officials are looking into expanding the program. Currently, however, Jackson Alternative doesn’t have the space for expansion. So school board staff are entertaining other ideas for possible expansion.
“There are so many more students in the district that are eligible for the program than we can currently accept,” Waller said.
As of now, students are recommended by their school’s principal or guidance councilor. The program officials choose 15 recommended students from area schools to participate.
Waller said in coming years, he hopes to see this number expand.
“These students are in danger of not graduating, and we would like to help resuscitate as many as we can, and offer them a fresh start,” he said.