There's something seriously missing from the Walton-Verona School District that you hear about at most high schools in Northern Kentucky and across the U.S.
Dropouts.
Since 1999, according to the district, there hasn't been a single one on the Walton-Verona High campus in Walton, thanks largely to an ambitious program targeting at-risk students that involves far more than just drop-out prevention.
Today, the Kentucky School Boards Association will present to the district its PEAK Award at a 2 p.m. event at the high school's library.
The award, short for Public Education Achieves in Kentucky, is given only to two public school districts each school year with programs that, according to the association Web site, "enhance student learning skills and, in doing so, promote the positive impact of public elementary and secondary education" in the commonwealth.
The district's exemplary record at keeping students in class is due in large part to the Schools and Families Empowered Agent program. In its eighth year at Walton-Verona, it was prompted, in part, by the district's ineligibility for state-funded family resource or youth-service centers.
It doesn't have enough financially disadvantaged students receiving free or reduced-price lunch to qualify for such centers, but that didn't mean there wasn't a need for them.
At Walton-Verona, the SAFE point person is Larry Davis, who tirelessly monitors student achievement and attendance from pre-school through the high school to identify at-risk kids.
He has an elaborate system to address those needs.
Davis made 100 visits to students' homes last school year, regularly monitored 52 students, served as a mediator in 19 truancy cases and referred 32 students to medical professionals ranging from physicians to counselors.
He typically keeps track of about 110 students considered at-risk each year...
This from the Kentucky Post.
1 comment:
For anyone to care as much as Mr. Davis cares about these kids is a tremendous tribute to the Walton School District. Kudos?
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