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SCHOOLS
Cabell's summer school helps students catch up
Samantha Schull, right, a Cabell Midland High School sophomore-to-be, gets some assistance with literary terms from Huntington High School teacher Catherine King on Wednesday, June 25, 2008, at the Cabell County Board of Education during a High School Extended Time session. King said the terms were part of the curriculum Schull would need to know to pass the exit exam. The five-week extension on the school year gives Cabell County students the chance to make up for credits missed throughout the year.
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HUNTINGTON -- Cabell County Schools started another year of summer instruction this week, with students from every grade seeking to keep up, catch up or simply enable themselves to graduate on time.
There are three types of summer instruction, each providing something different but with the same goal in mind: keeping children on the path to receiving a high school diploma.
Director of Assessment and Curriculum Jeff Smith said the elementary program, called Basic Skills Camp, helps students in kindergarten through fifth grade with reading, language arts and math. It also helps keep them from losing what they've gained during the school year.
For parents Yvonne Wilson and Cindy Bailey, it's also a chance for their sons, Brannon, 7, and Ryan, 8, to continue the school-day routine that is critical for their development. The two boys are autistic, and both moms said a consistent routine helps.
"I think he needs to continue working into the summer to keep his routine," Bailey said. "That's the biggest reason (Ryan's) here."
Highlawn Elementary teacher Sharon Rowsey is in her third year teaching students in the Basic Skills Camp and said she sees her summer students make progress.
"In five weeks, you can't make dramatic changes, but they do come up (in test scores) a bit," Rowsey said. "With elementary kids, my goal is to bring them up as much as I can."
Students in the elementary, middle and high school summer programs all take pre-tests to see what areas they need to work on during the five weeks of instruction. Some test out of certain areas, which makes the smaller class sizes more beneficial. Not every student needs help in the same area, so teachers are able to give more one-on-one instruction.
The middle school summer instruction is called JumpStart. Smith said it is more of a credit recovery program that becomes critical in getting students from one grade level to the next on time and with the knowledge they need.
"It's a very critical piece that we offer because students who fail in middle school are more likely to drop out," Smith said.
Each year, middle school students are required to earn five credits, which come from a combination of reading, language arts, math, science, social studies, physical education (1/2 credit) or music (1/2 credit).
Students are considered eligible for summer instruction if they are failing the current school year or have been identified as needing additional reading or math instruction.
"If they don't have that solid foundation, year after year, they continue to fall behind," said JumpStart instructor Leanne Woods, who teaches at Barboursville Middle School.
Jeff Jones, the principal of the Alternative School, is overseeing the elementary and middle school summer programs along with Enslow Middle School principal Georgia Porter. He said the programs, which have a combined 225 kids, are essential, especially for middle school students.
"They're not bad kids, and they're not dumb," Jones said. "Sometimes they just don't put forth the effort. This gives them a chance to do it again."
Both programs are free, which is the biggest difference from the high school extended time program. There is no attendance policy, which the elementary and middle school programs have, but students must pay for the classes they take. The cost is $50 for one, $75 for two and $100 for three classes, the most a student can take.
But the cost of not taking advantage of the extra time is much higher, said retired teacher S. Charles Foster, who has taught social studies in the summer school program for about 30 years.
"If not for summer school, they'd quit sooner or later," Foster said. "It's a last chance for a lot of them ... and a diploma is so important."
There are 268 students in the high school program. Each has the opportunity to take the cumulative test every Friday to earn the 70 percent needed to earn the credits. High School Extended Time principal Sherri Woods said some kids still don't pass, but they are considering raising fees to a flat rate of $50 per class and looking at an attendance policy in an effort to motivate kids to take their classes more seriously during the regular school year.
Tiffany Pruett admitted she got caught up in the excitement of being a senior this past year at Huntington High School. When the second semester rolled around, she said she realized she was going to be short on required credits.
To officially earn her diploma, Pruett is taking Algebra II, English 12 and Civics. She plans to move to Columbus to attend college.
Freshman Jordan Tabor said he didn't take his first year at Huntington High seriously. And he understands he is trying to make up for some of those mistakes.
"I just wanted to goof off, and that's why I'm in summer school," Tabor said. "It's my fault.
"I just want to bunker down and get it finished so I can be with my friends next year in 10th grade," he added.
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