QUINCY — Cadence Mason came to school last year, but often didn’t go to class.
This year, Quincy High School sophomores are in school, taking classes and, according to one of their teachers, “doing great.”
The difference, Mason said, is in the QHS Flex Academy.
“It helps,” she said.
New this school year, the academy provides an alternative learning avenue for students who may struggle in a traditional classroom environment.
“It was created to provide a smaller environment within a larger building,” said Erica Huntley, who teaches math and serves as a counselor for all students at the academy. “It has the potential to do a lot of good.”
Students benefit from more one-on-one attention, smaller class sizes, and what one calls a “less toxic” environment.
“There are fewer people. It’s less stressful,” said Caitlin Kaufman, a sophomore who struggled in class last year. “This seems to make attending events less stressful. I don’t make mistakes anymore.”
Junior Troy Yorn said the program is a better fit.
“For me personally, it’s a better working environment,” Yohn said while working on a math assignment in Huntley’s classroom. “I did much better than last year.”
Using the same curriculum as other QHS classrooms, students study core subjects such as English, math, history, and science online with Schoology with the academy’s four teachers.
Four core subject classroom teachers also spend at least one hour each day with Academy students. “I try to check in with all of the kids every day. Usually my question is, ‘Did you do math for me today?'” said math teacher Kelly Buettner. Ta.
The academy offers Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 each semester and is taught by Mr. Buettner. Buettner recorded all of his lessons on video, just as he would teach in front of a class.
Students work at their own pace with packets of notes and assignments for each unit, and they “take some lessons, review, and take quizzes just like any other student. Really the same.” It’s the material. We’re dealing with the same chapter, the same lessons,” Buettner said.
“When I open my Schoology page for Flex Academy students and my Schoology page for classroom students, they look almost identical. There are always kids who are absent or kids who want to hear something again. So I also post videos to the students in my classroom every day.”
Junior Joe Dieker likes the academy’s approach.
Without the program, “I would still be in school, just struggling,” he said, but because of it, “I’m ahead in a lot of classes.”
“I’ve been an all-A student since I started this program, which is a huge improvement from last year,” sophomore Madison Carpenter said. “These teachers pay close attention and make sure you’re progressing at the pace you want. They’re here for extra support.”
QHS invited 75 students to participate in the program based on recommendations from department chairs, counselors, and other support staff, as well as a review of students’ attendance, grades, and credits.
Planning over the spring and summer laid the foundation for a program that Huntley describes as “a work in progress.”
“We didn’t know what was going to happen,” she said. “We’re still changing. We’re looking at what’s working and what’s not working.”
What has definitely worked so far is having students “check in” with the same staff member at the beginning of the day, at lunch, and at the end of the day to build relationships and It’s about removing the drama that comes with social media by letting people submit their opinions. Call every morning.
“They didn’t like it at first,” said academy teacher Ben Feiler.
“We still don’t like it,” Kaufman said.
But Feiler sees students growing in the program.
“Last year I was the attendance liaison and a lot of the kids were kids I was following. They’re getting a lot better,” he said. “A lot of kids who haven’t been to school for a long time are passing the exam.”
Over time, Huntley hopes to expand the support the academy provides to help students succeed.
“Too many students don’t graduate high school. They just give up. They don’t show up, they stop focusing on work. Something happens and they get overwhelmed. ” she said. “I believe education is one of the greatest tools we can have as humans. I want them all to have that tool.”