The Santa Fe Public Schools is offering kids a second chance with a new eighth-grade class at the city's alternative high school, the Career Academy.
"There are lots of issues concerning particular groups of students and we really do have to find avenues to work with all of them," said Mel Morgan, associate superintendent. "This set of students needs special attention."
The set of students includes those who either failed eighth grade last year and are at risk of failing again this year, or eighth-graders at risk of failing this year, according to Gloria Lopez, the academy's director of alternative education programs.
It's not an upbeat picture, but Lopez is feeling positive about it.
"We're hoping we'll work out all the kinks this year and hopefully develop a model that can be used at other schools, too," said Lopez, who added that this is the first week of full-day classes.
The students have four core classes: language arts, social studies, science and math. All their classes use the Education 2020 method, an individualized, computer-driven, self-paced curriculum. There is also a teacher with them to give them individual attention and offer other instructional materials.
"We also have a counselor here working closely with them," Lopez said.
While the program is voluntary, each student and his or her parent enter into an agreement with the program regarding timeliness, attendance, academic progress and student support. If attendance should become a problem, students could lose their place in the program.
Classes meet from 8:30-11:30 a.m. and from 12:30-3:30 p.m.
Currently, there are some 20 students in the program, while there are about 140 students in the high school portion of the Career Academy. "We're not having them mingle too much with the high school," said Lopez. "In terms of socializing with high school students— that's just not going to happen. They're too young."
Lopez said the entire school, including the new eighth-grade program, is about 50 percent boys, 50 percent girls,
The eighth-grade portion of the school is set up in a separate portable.
Lopez said she didn't know what the enrollment would be for fall 2008 but said, "We don't have more space available than this ... if we decide to expand, that would be a district decision."
