Plan devised to help MHS at-risk students
Ken Arnhold, principal at Marion High School, revealed a plan at the most recent USD 408 Board of Education meeting, a plan designed to help students at risk of failing in school and dropping out.
The problem, Arnhold said, is regular education and special education students who consistently fail classes at MHS, drop out, become uncharacteristically disruptive, skip school, become pregnant, and/or get into trouble with the law.
Often students don't seem to understand that they are doing anything wrong, Arnhold said.
Past practices at MHS in dealing with such students have included:
1. The Student Success Team identified at-risk students, regular education students making consistently failing grades and/or students with coping difficulties. Student and/or parent meetings were made to assist the student in improving his or her grades and/or social skills.
2. Eligibility reports are run weekly with parent letters sent home. This allows parents, seminar teachers, coaches, and sponsors to encourage and assist students to improve their grades.
3. Students receive mandatory study time for failing.
4. Junior and senior students do not receive open lunch privileges if they are failing.
5. Saturday detention is imposed for skipping school and for disruptive behavior.
6. Special education teachers hold a staffing and/or individual educational plan (IEP) in an attempt to help the student with behavior or grades.
7. Special education students may be transferred to the alternative school in Florence that helps students with behavior disorders. That school has a low staff-to-student ratio and instructs students in both social skills and academics, Arnhold said.
A new concept/program at MHS, Arnhold said, called "Who do you connect with?," includes the following measures.
1. Certified and support staff have identified students at risk of not graduating.
2. Certified and support staff have identified students they feel comfortable visiting with if a "situation" occurs. This is often through church affiliations, extracurricular activities, hobbies, and/or the student's parents.
3. Staff may be called upon to visit with a student experiencing difficulties throughout the year.
4. "We are able to identify students that the certified and support staff feel are at risk," Arnhold said.
5. "We are able to identify students who do not connect with any of the certified and support staff and make an effort to become better acquainted with those students," Arnhold added.
6. This program should prove to be not only reactive, but proactive as well, according to the principal.
School board member Chris Sprowls lauded Arnhold and his staff for coming up with a constructive, proactive program to help at-risk students. Board President Rex Savage and other board members echoed the praise.
