Page 11 - Scene Magazine 43-08 August 2018
P. 11

Back-To-School
Why choose Calhoun Community High School?
Often times when one hears the term “alternative educa- tion” they imme- diately formulate a negative conno- tation in their head that it is the school for “bad kids.” As I
enter my 7th year as the leader of CCHS and my 30th year in education, I can say very strongly that this is not a school for bad kids.
I’ve worked in a rural district as a teacher at the middle school level. I’ve been a middle school, high school, and elementary principal in a suburban area. I have experience working with all grade levels in a variety of experiences; and what I know about the students of our school is that their path for learning has not always been easy and they have not always had the kind of help and support they needed to be successful.
In today’s world of education, you hear a lot about “accountability.” Teach- ers are accountable for student test scores and students who take those tests are measured exactly the same even if their learning experiences have been different. Websites have been created for parents and community members to review a school’s data. These websites use colors to represent a school’s statis- tical data. Green can make one feel good about the numbers, while red makes a school feel terrible about the numbers.
What’s not shown in the data are the individual stories behind each test tak- er. Poor test scores are not a reflection of “bad students.” Sometimes test scores say nothing about a student’s personal strug- gles with learning. Nonetheless, we at Calhoun Community High School invest a great deal of care and concern for our students and their personal journeys. That is why if a high school student enrolls with us they can count on a more individualized program. They can be given counseling, social work, tutoring and student support days where one-on-one attention can be afforded to every student who needs it.
CCHS students can also participate at the Calhoun Area Career Center and in some cases even dual enroll with Kellogg Community College and the
RMTC. We are able to do this because we are a smaller school with an extreme- ly dedicated staff. Our teachers and staff are not “throw aways” who couldn’t get a job somewhere else. They are here be- cause they have a passion for our unique student population and will do whatever it takes to help them earn their diploma. Thus, when all is said and done, our best statistic has to be that our students who come in with a high risk of not gradu- ating, still find a way! That is why I’m sharing our graduation data with you.
We know our numbers are not com- parable to traditional schools, but in the area as compared to similar schools, we are one of the best. We DO NOT have “bad kids.” We have great kids who probably work harder than all other students to earn their diploma because it does not come easy to them. If you know someone who is struggling in high school and could benefit from CCHS, please encourage them to enroll today!*
Source: https://www.mischooldata.org
*In 2018 CCHS had 68 students graduate.
BY TIM ALLARD, Superintendent
2016-17
CCHS
WK Prep
West MI Virtual
4 year grad rate 16-17
33%
43%
17%
4 year grad rate 15-16
47%
41%
12%
4 year grad rate 14-15
47%
40%
15%
5 year grad rate 16-17
62%
50%
22%
5 year grad rate 15-16
55%
43%
17%
5 year grad rate 14-15
66%
36%
30%
6 year grad rate 16-17
62%
50%
27%
6 year grad rate 15-16
74%
40%
32%
6 year grad rate 14-15
72%
34%
12%
Another Chance – Another Choice
ACCEPTING STUDENTS IN GRADES 9-12
CALHOUN COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL
SMALL CLASS SIZES
FEWER CREDITS REQUIRED
ONE- ON-ONE SUPPORT
ON-LINE
CLASSES AVAILABLE
DUAL ENROLLMENT AVAILABLE
Have you lost credit in your current high school?
Are you more successful in a small learning environment with lots of support and one-on-one attention? If so, maybe you should check out Calhoun Community High School. We run a safe and orderly school,
offering the Michigan Merit Curriculum to students who want to
earn their diplomas and move on to college or work.
NOW ENROLLING!
269-565-2460 • www.calhounhs.org
15 ARBOR STREET, BATTLE CREEK, MI
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