Published: August 18, 2008 04:38 pm      

Choctaw-Nicoma Park schools look to open a new freshman academy

Although students have just started in 2008-2009 school year, administrators in the Choctaw-Nicoma Park school system are already gearing up for the 2009-2010 year.

One major development will be the opening of the Freshman Academy. This will move the ninth grade students out of junior high and into a more fitting environment.

“It’s a grade reconfiguration that we’ve been wanting to do for many years,” said Dr. Jim McCharan, superintendent for the school system.

With funding from the bond issue that passed several years ago, this dream became a reality for Choctaw and Nicoma Park students.

McCharan pointed out that this academy will focus specifically on the needs freshman have in this transitional period of their lives. A lot of emphasis will be put on the struggling students, with teachers offering remediation and tutorial opportunities.

“This academy will really focus on helping every single freshman be successful,” McCharan stated.

He’s hoping that this academy will help raise dropout rates. He noted that the highest percentage of dropouts occur after freshman year. He wants to be able to capture this large population that could otherwise fall through the cracks.

This change will benefit all freshmen because they will be able to enjoy a wider class selection. It is beneficial to teachers because this is the first class that will take the graduation exam, according to McCharan. He said teachers want to get their hands on these students as quickly as possible since the test will reflect their teaching ability.

However, the freshmen aren’t the only ones with changes ahead. McCharan also described the changes going on in the middle schools for next year.

With the ninth graders out, sixth graders will be able to transition from elementary school to middle school where they can enjoy a more challenging and age-appropriate environment. McCharan said future plans include dividing students into teams. During this process, four teachers will share the same 100 students. The point of this, McCharan said is to really have the teachers be serving each student collectively. He explained that the teachers will have common blocks of time together where they can discuss students and the success that student is having in each area. Together, they may be able to make a bigger impact on each child’s complete education.

“It’s really a major overhaul of our delivery system for students,” McCharan stated.