MASA Feature In their study, they looked at the relationship between semester course failures and grad-uation rate and found that freshmen who failed zero courses had an 85 percent recent graduation rate compared to a 70 percent graduation rate for those who failed one course. The graduation rate decreased to 55 percent with just two failures. With these concerns in mind, Plainwell Community Schools developed the PHS Champions program. During the last two weeks of summer, the high school held camp for these champions and provided them with the tools they would need in order to be successful in their transition to ninth grade (See chart above). 26 MASA LEADER • Spring 2016 The PHS Champions Camp was a two-week-long summer program taught by three ninth-grade teachers (math, English, and health) at PHS. The teachers were hand selected for their skills in developing relationships with students. In addition, four student mentors served as role models for the champions. The goal of the program was to ensure a successful transition into high school by building relationships between the students and their teachers—and a connection to the school in general. The middle school staff identified 40 students who could benefit from the PHS Champions program. Those chosen to participate were identified either as student leaders or students who had struggled in school. Most were in the bottom 30 percent of their class and considered at risk. The high school sent letters to these prospective students during May 2015, with the request of a response by June 1. In addition, individual phone calls were made to students who did not respond. This created a feeling of being hand selected for this new program, and with it came a sense of purpose and belonging. Thirty students, their three teachers, and four fellow student mentors made up the inaugural Plainwell High School Champions program. The program aims to provide students a multi-tiered approach to prepare them with the skills necessary for high school success. Roadtrip Nation Education was the chosen curriculum (www. roadtripnation.org) to serve as the central text for the course. It enables students to find their passion and work toward it. The goal of the course is to interview a community member in a career field of interest to the student. Students were divided into three teams with an assigned mentor student and teacher. The teams competed in various team-building games throughout the week in order to earn points that could be used for prizes and other activities. Students took a field trip to Fort Custer and participated in the Leadership Reaction Course, where teams had to think and work through problems. Academically, the students also sampled lessons in English 9, algebra, and health. The goal was to prepare them for the 71-minute classes that PHS offers. The teachers increased the amount of instructional time over the two weeks from 20 minutes per day to 71 minutes and taught the material that students would be seeing during the first two weeks of class. This allowed students to experience a typical freshman class What Can MECU Do For You? Since 1942, Michigan Educational Credit Union has served the unique financial needs of educational employees and their families. We feature some of the best rates available anywhere, with less fees and fewer minimum balance requirements than most financial institutions. Find out what we can do for you and your staff today at www.michedcu.org. Livonia 734.261.1050 Plymouth 734.455.9200 Ann Arbor 734.761.7505 Brighton 810.494.6000 Royal Oak 248.399.7473 Macomb 586.566.5599 www.michedcu.org This credit union is federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration.
MASA Leader - Sprin 2016
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