by Jean Scharrer, Director of Alternative Education

In 2001, five out of every 100 young adults left high school without graduating.  In total, these dropouts accounted for approximately one-half million of the 10 million 15- through 21-year-olds enrolled in high school.  These numbers have not changed appreciably in recent years.

The pressures placed on school systems to turn out increasingly larger numbers of qualified lifelong learners has generated increased interest in alternative methods of high school graduation.  Paradise Valley School District is no different. 

My charge, as the Director of Alternative Education, is to create programs that will meet the needs of our students, who for a variety of reasons aren't successful in their home schools.   We are currently conducting programs for students in fifth through twelfth grade.  They are as follows:

Prospect Middle School — Fifth through eighth grade program for students with behavior issues. Program includes high expectations for academic achievement and behavior modification

Prep Academy — Seventh and eighth grade program for students who have been retained in eighth grade or are being considered for retention. This is an accelerated learning opportunity to help students get back on track for graduation with their peer group.

Polaris High School — Ninth through twelfth grade comprehensive high school.  We are in the process of completely restructuring Polaris for the 2006-07 school year.  It will be the District pilot school for strategies that are cutting edge in education today.  High tech, flexible scheduling, project based learning, and world to work learning opportunities for all students.  Upon successfully completing 20 high school credits and passing the AIMS test students receive a regular high school diploma.

Choice High School — This program is conducted at night for a fee of $160 per half credit.  This provides an opportunity for students to take a class for the first time or retake a class for an improved grade.

Homebound instruction — This program provides a continuous education for students who for medical reasons cannot attend their home school.

Home-study — This program offers students the opportunity to learn at home via the computer.  This program is in its infancy but we anticipate it will grow to be one of the most successful programs we offer.

Some of the future projects we are working on are; creating a 5/6 grade program modeled after the current Prep Academy, designing our own computer based instruction program (Distancia Learning) which students can access from home, and a comprehensive anti drop out program targeting both middle and high school students.

As you can see, alternative education is alive and well in Paradise Valley and getting better each day.  We are committed to creating programs that will “fulfill the promise” for all students, and look forward to the future with great enthusiasm.  For more information about the programs, or to arrange a visit, contact the Alternative Education office 602.787.5015.

February 2006