If you have ever had a successful and simple solution to a problem/issue in your building and yet someone in the community still wants to complain about it, then this blog is for you.
A recent blog in the November 1 ASCD Newsletter presented this scenario: a high school in LaVergne, Tennessee had adopted a program two years ago aimed to provide academic intervention in necessary subject areas for students during half of the student’s lunch shift. This is not an unusual policy aimed to help student achievement. Some parents in the community, however, have concerns regarding this program and one parent in particular has addressed his concerns to the school board. (starting to sound familiar?) He was concerned about students being separated during lunch based on academic standing. He referred to it as “a civil rights violation and segregation, no doubt.”
The program, however, seems to be a success. School officials report a change in the graduation rate at LaVergne High School from about 77 percent to now nearly 90 percent.
The points from all of this?
1. The program inplemented at LHS was part of a statewide pilot program. It would be interesting to see results from other schools utilizing this concept. In addition , other factors most likely affected the change in the graduation increase, but this program may have been the major catalyst for student academic growth.
2. Lunch shifts are about the only lengthy “free time” that high school students have during the school day. This time to sit and socialize with friends is an important part of the day for adolescents and to lose it, for whatever reason, can be a motivator to keep it in their daily schedule. If these lunchtime learning sessions have contributed to the increase in academic success, then perhaps the students affected have learned to focus more in the classroom in order to earn their “social time” during lunch.
3. When community members decide that programs/policies should not be conducted in a manner in which they do not agree, perhaps getting all of the facts and rationale developed by the administrators in charge would help.
If you would like to read the entire blog, please go to:http://www.wsmv.com/story/23835141/la-vergne-hs-students-separated-at-lunch-based-on-grades
