By Eric Stevick
Herald Writer
ARLINGTON — Maurene Stanton has seen the students drift away after slipping through the cracks of high school.
She served as vice principal at Arlington High School and later as its principal. Today, she oversees Weston High School, a small alternative campus in the district, where some students enroll because they fell behind and felt defeated at the larger high school.
For many students, freshman year with its increased independence and greater expectations is overwhelming.
"We need a safety net for some kids," Stanton said.
With that in mind, the Arlington School District will open an off-campus freshman academy next fall for ninth-graders whose academic track records suggest they are at risk to fail at a traditional high school.
School leaders describe a school that almost sounds like an incubator: Classes will have no more than 15 students and each will be closely monitored.
Stanton will split time between Weston and the freshman academy. Students who are failing middle school classes now or those who fall behind early at Arlington High School will be enrolled in the academy. Enrollment is expected to fluctuate between 45 and 60.
The idea is to catch kids early, before they lag behind in credits toward graduation.
"If they are not ready for it, they get themselves behind so quickly, and before they know it, it seems hopeless," Superintendent Linda Byrnes said.
"They will have focused instruction," Byrnes said. "The content is going to be the same but the delivery is going to be different."
Core classes, such as English, math and science, will be taught at the freshman academy. A reading class will also be part of the curriculum to make sure students have the skills to succeed in other classes. Students also will be given job training and work on community service projects. Later, they may qualify for internships and job shadow experiences.
After morning academy classes off-campus, students will be bused to Arlington High School for lunch, PE and an elective in the afternoon.
For years, students have told school administrators that their favorite part of school is hanging out with friends. That’s why they will be part of the high school for lunch and afternoon classes.
The district doesn’t want students to see the academy as a punishment, Byrnes said. The incentive for them is to do well and build an academic foundation so they can graduate with their peers.
School district officials were waiting to see if the maintenance and operation levy would pass April 23 before establishing a budget for the freshman academy. The budget work now is under way.
The academy will be paid from a variety of sources, including basic education money the state pays for each student, a grant and Initiative 728, which voters approved in 2000 to earmark money to improve student achievement.
Yet to be determined is where the academy will be located. The district is searching for a site.
You can call Herald Writer Eric Stevick at 425-339-3446 or send e-mail to stevick@heraldnet.com.
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