Our school collaborates with four districts to offer a one-of-a-kind educational opportunity for students in grades 9–12, providing an alternative setting, computer-based curriculum, service learning, and life experience opportunities for students identified as at-risk. We have consistently seen a 90+ percent graduation rate, a number we are proud of and one that we attribute to our approach to learning.
Four Districts, One Common Goal
The reasons students attend CLC are as diverse as the students themselves—to accelerate graduation, to address different learning styles, to experience a sense of community, to follow an individualized learning plan, and many more. Bringing four districts together to provide equal support to a diverse group of students and run a school of 72 young learners is an unusual undertaking.
Prompted by the No Child Left Behind regulations, three of the district administrators recognized the rising need to personalize education for at-risk students. They decided to collaborate in creating an alternative school to serve the at-risk students in four nearby districts. In 2001 at a warehouse in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, one teacher, one aide, and 12 students attended their first day of school at CLC— a true community collaboration.
Today, CLC students come from one of our four partner districts: Franklin, Cudahy, South Milwaukee, and Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District. A committee, which includes members from each of the districts and CLC’s lead teachers, has established a referral process designed to identify candidates for the collaborative and begin the application process. Students referred for CLC are typically behind their peers academically, have truancy concerns, or are unable to adjust to a traditional school setting.
In the program’s infancy, the goal was to ensure students attained a high school diploma. Since then the focus has evolved from merely helping students earn a diploma to helping them map out their futures. Admittedly, we do things a little differently at CLC. We do not have guidance counselors, principals, or administrators; two teachers and two aides are fully dedicated to supporting the more than 70 students currently enrolled. Our four partners provide assistance through guidance counselors, school psychologists, and support staff while we focus on educating our students holistically.
At CLC, we have adopted the Circle of Courage Model (www.behavioradvisor.com/circleofcourage.html) to create a caring, supportive environment where students can develop and complete a course of study relevant to them, at their own pace. Our staff works tirelessly to ensure we create learning spaces conducive to student-centered and blended learning in combination with direct teacher instruction and small-group activities.
We consider CLC a “home away from home” for our learners. Much like college, our spaces are filled with comfy couches, chairs, and lounge furniture for students to use. To further empower our students, we have adopted a cloud-based curriculum from Odysseyware, allowing our students to find their ideal spot for learning so they can learn at their own pace.
In addition to individual learning spaces, we have areas dedicated to larger group activities designed to foster student belonging, support collaboration toward mastery, and encourage generosity. Our students also build a sense of community by volunteering at organizations offering in-service learning opportunities. We believe that giving back is a life lesson that ordinary curriculum just can’t teach; it has to be experienced. We have found this component to be an integral part of our success in reaching these kids. It gives them the feeling that they matter, that they belong, and that they are a success just waiting to happen.
We operate two three-hour sessions per day. Students spend 80 percent of their time working individually online, following a curriculum that aligns with Wisconsin’s Model Academic Standards. Thanks to the flexibility of Odysseyware, our teachers are able to create and customize online courses and content based on students’ specific needs.
We set our expectations high, knowing students will rise to the occasion. With hard work and motivation, students can graduate as early as their junior year if they reach their respective district’s high school graduation requirements.
We strongly believe in positive reinforcement and recognition. At-risk students—many of whom are classified as such due to cracks in the system rather than any learning or behavioral issues—have a difficult time developing a sense of security where they are. We plant many “seeds” to help them grow academically and socio-emotionally and become productive members of society.
We think that by providing the right approach to learning, addressing students holistically, and using space to create a positive learning environment, we can help our students achieve academic mastery. When students feel successful in academics, other parts of their lives fall into place, allowing all of our students to realize their full potential and become the success they are destined to be.
Stacey Adamczyk is the lead teacher of Connects Learning Center, a four-district consortium alternative high school where she has been educating at-risk youth in southeastern Wisconsin since 2001. For more information about the center or practical strategies for using the “Circle of Courage®” philosophy, you can contact her at s.adamczyk@ocfsd.org.