An alternative learning environment for some West Central students will continue in 2017/2018.
The Indiana Department of Education recently visited the school corporation to observe the Trojan Opportunity Academy. The setting allows at-risk students to absorb coursework in an environment that fits their needs better than a traditional classroom.
Superintendent Don Street says this could help students improve their chances at graduation.
“So some students who have not been successful have had a lot of success at this opportunity academy because they’re working at their own pace and they have some individualized attention with the teacher,” says Street.
West Central began operating the program in June of this year with a “narrative” outlining how the academy works with the school corporation’s strategic plan approved by the board about one month later. The plan was designed to allow full state funding to take place.
In the Trojan Opportunity Academy, students are allowed to observe lessons by computer or other methods to help them learn without formal classroom instruction.
The academy is also being used for high ability students.
“We have a child, a student, taking photography, we’ve had students in the past take a foreign language that we may not offer,” says Street. “So once again, they work at their own pace, and then the teacher oversees it and makes sure they’re working correctly and working at a pace to complete.”
The West Central School Corporation added the academy to their course descriptions during a meeting last week
Graduation rates at the school corporation are in the mid-90’s with the hope being that the Trojan Opportunity Academy could increase that number to nearly every student.
