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 The Cumberland County School
(CCS) system maintains a dropout rate that is below the state average. The rate
is the percentage of students who drop out in a single academic year. The
graduation cohort rate is the percentage of ninth-grade students who graduate
from high school four years later. While these two terms are of much debate, the
bottom line is clear: dropout prevention is a district-wide focus that begins
with elementary schools.
The CCS fully recognizes that
social and academic needs must be addressed in order to graduate students who
are globally competitive and prepared for life in the 21st century.
This school year, new initiatives
are being implemented to keep students in school. For example, the Extended Day
Program is a new component of the system’s comprehensive high schools. Through
the on-line courseware, NovaNET, these students receive flexibility in
scheduling and increased opportunities for credit recovery.
The community is also being
engaged in the CCS’ efforts. The school system is partnering with the
Find-a-Friend program to offer comprehensive services to students through an
after-school program titled LIFE (Leadership, Integrity, Fitness, and
Education). LIFE, which is held four days a week on the campus of Walker-Spivey
High School, is available to all CCS students, ages 12 – 18. Through the
program, students have access to tutoring, college preparation, character
building, life skills, career development, health/fitness activities,
mentorship, and community service.
District and community
collaboration is another key component. The CCS’ Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program
(VYP), a cross-age peer tutoring program, is funded by the Committee on Dropout
Prevention. VYP is in its second year of implementation, and boasts that 95
percent of the Fuller Performance Learning Center (PLC) students who
participated during the 2009-2010 school year stayed in school, and completed
the program! PLC students were regarded as interns, and tutored Ferguson-Easley
Elementary students four days a week. In return, the students earned up to two
credits toward graduation. Other supportive components included college field
trips, guest speaker engagements, mentorship, parent nights, incentives, student
recognition, and a weekly seminar.
To learn more about these
programs or how to refer students, contact your school counselor, social worker,
or Natasha Scott, executive director of Student Services, at 678.2433.
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