At-risk students pushed toward grad finish line
Yk1 targeting high school pupils who would otherwise fail to succeed
Evan Kiyoshi French
Northern News Services
Monday, November 23, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Around 25 high school dropouts and "at-risk"students with almost enough credits to graduate are getting a little extra push to succeed this year.
Oped Duru, outreach program coordinator at Route 51 the alternative learning centre run by Yellowknife Education District No. 1 is targeting around 25 students at-risk of not graduating at the end of the year. - Evan Kiyoshi French/NNSL photo |
Metro Huculak, superintendent of Yellowknife Education District No. 1 (Yk1), said it's frustrating to know that a group of possible graduates are struggling or have given up on their studies when they're so close to the end. Thus, guidance staff are doing everything they can to convince them to keep going.
"I think some of them are unaware that they are so close," he said. "Some of the kids can take a 20 level course and if they do well they can get credit for the 10 level. They don't know that. They may be 30 credits short, but they can make up those credits by doing things like that."
Huculak said some of the students are or were studying at the Route 51 learning institute, the 51 Street facility geared for students ages 15 to 21 who are shy of the credits they need to graduate.
"The goal is to get them to complete courses they need to get their 100 credits and graduate," he said.
Evelyne Straker, a guidance assistant at Sir John, said they expect varied success by the end of the school year.
"Some of them may have a developed a plan to graduate, some may increase attendance, some may get credits," she said. "It's going to be different successes for sure."
Principal Dean MacInnis said the reasons students struggle or drop out vary from case to case but mental health problems, addictions and financial stress at home are the biggest issues.
He said he couldn't confirm the exact number of students on the watch-list but echoed Straker's position on their expectations.
"Really just kind of whet that taste for education again," he said. "If a kid's been out of school for a year or two, or been struggling, you say to them 'what are your strengths?' You try to get them into a class where you can get a quick win and you can start building a little bit of success. If they feel success, you can follow through and stay connected with them."
Dropouts face a stark future, said MacInnis. He said they will find fewer than 10 per cent of career options are possible without a graduation certificate.
"That's incredibly challenging so we're really trying to focus on getting these kids back on track. We're trying to form a relationship with them, through our student services section," said MacInnis. "We're trying to break down that barrier. We want them to feel more comfortable and connected. It could be as simple as one course to get five credits, and we build confidence from that."
One-hundred-and-nineteen students graduated from Sir John Franklin High School last year and two graduated from K'alemi Dene School in Ndilo.
