Is summer school helping kids graduate?

By Renee Cumm
The Plattsburgh City School Board faced a budget crisis, due to a reduction in state aid that forced the board to limit the 2009 Summer School Program to students who desperately needed it.
The program was only available to students that had failed a grade, needed another chance at the regents exam or had been in danger of not graduating. The board members seized the opportunity to keep the program going. They budgeted in the program and enrolled 201 students. The program was organized to improve students’ educational skills and options.
The regents exams are a graduation requirement; Students who fail a course or regents are strongly encouraged to attend the program. Twenty hour regents exam review courses were also available for students to study so they could retake the regent’s exam, according to Plattsburgh High School mathematics teacher, Rod Sherman.
During the program, 39 students attended the twenty hour regents review courses. Students who failed the regents during the academic year could take the regents again in August.
“We do push our kids, other schools don’t have that,” Assistant vice Principal, Glen Hurlock said.
The program focused on students with academic intervention services. The program was a huge service for students who had AIS and had failed a course or regents exam. The program allowed students to “get fixed” and rescued those who were failing or in danger of not graduating, according to Sherman.
“Those kids who come and review generally do well…there is always an improvement,” Sherman said.
The regents allows students a 40 point advantage on the Scholastic Assessment Test, improves their performance and offers feedback for their teachers, according to the National Governors Association for Best Practices.
Hurlock said that the regent exam focused on improving literacy skills, identified key skills, allowed good test taking vocabulary and offered peer communication.
Hurlock discussed the impacts that the program had on students during the first BOE meeting. He said that 29 students were able to retake and pass their regents exams, 11 students discontinued AIS, 49 students were able to avoid repeating a grade, and 11 students improved their Grade Point Average.
The program gave priority to students who had AIS classes and if there was enough space the school took on general education students. All students including specially educated students are obligated to take the regents in order to graduate.
“That shows the districts ideas on inclusion,” board member, Tracy Rotz said.
Elementary and high school students attended the program. Most of the high school students walked or biked to the school. Elementary students received transportation to the school but they were responsible for getting a ride home. Some teachers would provide food for the children.
“Teachers provide a nutritious snack, in many of these families that is not happening,” Hurlock said.
Middle school students were not included in the program. They do not attend the program as adamantly as elementary and high school students, according to Hurlock.
“I would like to see middle school students be a part of the program…..it would cost more money but there would be a greater reward in the long run,” board member Fred Watchmeister Jr. said.